Haiti, State Against Nation: The Origins and Legacy of Duvalierism

Rating:
Summary: Vociferous bias, but revealing about Haitian Society
Review: Readers of this book should know that it is vociferously biased, not only because of the author's apparent preference for Stalinist Communism, but a violent antipathy towards the "Mulatto" caste of Haiti. The role of the US military in the 20th century history of Haiti is poorly known in the USA, of course, and it is overwhelmingly destructive; but Trouillot, while eager to vilify Americans in his narration, sheds no light on the details. So be advised that when he describes events in ways that seem willfully malicious, there is understandable grounds for resentment which he never explains adequately.

The other aspect of this book I found disturbing is his vilification of the "mulatre" (Mulatto) caste in Haiti, which we learn was the reviled "other" of the Noirist movement of post-WW2 Haiti. The mulatres are an insular group whom Trouillot regards as arrogant, aristocratic, commerce-minded, born to privilege, and ultimately anti-Haitian--or rather, hostile to his own dream of a hyper-regimented, Communist Haiti. Since the Duvaliers were inheritors of the Noirist movement against rule by mulatres, there is a tone in this book reminiscent of apologists for the Interhamawe/"Hutu Power" movement in Rwanda.

Trouillot is therefore vehemently defending the Haitians who favored Noirism; but he absolutely does not defend the Duvaliers, who co-opted the Noirist slogans and imposed a ferocious totalitarian kleptocracy. His analysis of how their regime flourished, and the damage it did, is actually quite excellent, although he could have done a much better job explaining exactly what role foreign powers really did have in Haiti and the actual divisions that were left BY the Duvaliers.

This book can be recommended for its superb description of life under totalitarian rule, of social relations in Haiti, and the breadth of Haitian history since Toissant l'Ouverture's death. It is also a good introduction to attitudes among camps of intelligencia, and of course Mr.Trouillot is entitled to wish that Haiti had become a regimented socialist society at independence. But Trouillot's resentment against class/caste enemies must be mentioned and it damages what is otherwise a very useful book.