I want to talk of fair criticism and unfair criticism. I am reading Kenneth Roberts Lydia Bailey. Much of the criticism about the book being a PC nightmare is unfounded.
In the Kenneth Roberts formula the best friend of the lead is often the real hero and far more interesting.
In the 1940's the notion of a Black hero was revolutionary for its day. True the name of the charachter in question is the dreadful King Dick or KD. KD is a Black Sudanese sold into slavery who learns the trading business and frees himself. He gets mixed up in some intrigue in the American South and flees to Haiti where he joins the initial revolution.
When one considers the author regularly savages real historical figures the portrayal of Toussaint L'oveture is one of wisdom and strength of character. The lead character speaks out in favor of the revolution against slavery. In appreciation L'oveture instructs KD to help find the leads woman. The French are portrayed as arrogant, inhuman and bestial.
There is also the criticism of the authors use of Ebonics for the dialogue of KB. Do these critics expect an ex slave to speak like William F Buckley or Jay Leno. The broken English common in the West Indies lends an authenticity to the work of historical fiction. It is not or should not be confused with a term paper.
Overall, I would recommend the book Lydia Bailey as a fun starting point for a discussion of Haiti and the romance some have with Napoleon. For all the talk of the French Revolution the guillotines, terror and attempting to place people back into slavery shows it for its true colors.
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But without Haiti we would have lost the Revolution.
After you and some of your fringe right friends who "know history" dig a hole, I'll explain.
Terrible wha we did to the country in return.
Ducky
What infrastructure exists in Haiti dates to American occupation. The damage done to Haiti belongs at the feet of France and to a large part
Dessalines.
Pepper Pot was a scrounged together beef tripe stew invented by a Haitiam cook in George Washington's army that was very popular with the starving revolutionary soldiers.
That's one Haitian contribution. Can't say one man's cooking counts for an entire nation's contribution without which America would have lost the war.
Color me curious as to where Ducky will go with his latest troll for comments. We all know it will go somewhere stupid, but I'm a sucker for chances to laugh at Ducky's dialectical nonsense.
Duncy
If you are referring to the San Dominique contingent you are off base. Haiti did not exist until years later. Moreover, many foreign nationals served. To single out or exaggerate their service is a PC bombast. Their service was noted alongside many others.
Now if not for Benedict Arnold's actions there might be no USA
No Beak, it involves France and the income from the Haitian colony.
Think big, or in your case just try to think.
Let's try again, the last post seems to have been lost.
It concerns France's financing of its war with England.
You have a very narrow vision, Beak. Keep trying
Ah. France would not have been able to finance its war with England without all the money it made from itself in Haiti.
I knew this was going somewhere stupid.
Now that Beamish has stepped in it, he's so reliable, you can do a little reading and you'll discover the amount of wealth that the Haitian slave labor produced.
It was enormous. Then you can go into our support of French reparation claims after the Haitian revolution and what resulted.
Just an early example of the bull that we stand for "freedom and democracy" in the world.
Keep trying to think, Beamish.
This comment shows why Ducky is an moron.
First off Slavery was a world wide norm at the time practiced by most societies including Indians, Blacks and Arabs. Blaming the French for what was a world wide norm is silly.
Slave labor was efficient and produced far more in French Run Haiti than in Black run Africa. Who does one start to blame for a worldwide given. Moreover, Communists are neoslavers and recreated this practice in the present so spare us comwad.
The ass backward logic of the Duck blaming the US for supporting French claims on Haiti as opposed to dealing with the French for pushing the claims is typical blame America first bs. Moreover, there was plenty of brutality and crimes by Dessalines.
Do try to remember, Ducky, that an honest, respectful, turthseeking debate begins with you admitting without hesitation that you're a fucking moron.
So, Ducky, how much wealth did "Haitian slave labor" produce for France? What percentage of France's GDP came from it? How much of France's GDP went towards fighting Britain?
And how, then, did this "Haitian" French money benefit the American cause at, say Concord? Or Trenton? Sarasota? Valley Forge?
Forget your feeble and barbless anecdotalisms written by hacks you were pre-programmed to agree with before you fumbled upon them in your fish bowl.
Here's my bet. Your "little reading" on the history and economics of the American Revolution could fit in a gnat's ass and leave room to rotate it without hitting a wall.
Beak, are you purposely trying to be dumb? The issue is this, without Haiti and the income from the island the French would have had severe difficulty financing the war against England and without France, we lose the revolution.
Then when Haiti overthrew France and became free, we sided with France and supported the payment of reparations and the subsequent economic downfall of Haiti.
Buy a vowel or something but try to catch a clue.
We're also asking you a few questions you know where. See if you can engage in discussion without acting like a fool. Pagan is perfectly able, why not you?
Duncy
As stated before slavery was a world wide norm. Moreover, the claim that Haitian trade financed financed the French efforts is absurd. The goal was to get back at a historical enemy.
The payment of reparations is an entirely French matter. The French should deal with this issue. Do not leave out various incompetent criminals like Dessalines who would be hailed like Stalin by the left today.
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