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pay off the debt until 1947. 1947 was just 70 years ago and long after the abolishment of slavery throughout most of the world. While demanding a payment for freed slaves is not anything close to the horrors of slavery itself, it still treats humans as commodities. Although France has apologized for this, they have never fully accepted responsibility for causing so many of Haiti’s problems. France, a nation with one of the top GDPs in the world, still refuses to pay back Haiti for the ridiculous amount of money it demanded for human beings who everyone, including France, agrees should have been free. Similarly, the UN only took responsibility for the cholera outbreak it caused in Haiti in 2010 after six years and intense pressure to do so. A UN base haphazardly disposed of their waste and caused a nearby river to become contaminated. It happened to be a river that many people drank out of and thousands became infected with cholera. Although the UN did not purposefully infect the Haitians with cholera, their unwillingness to accept their wrongdoing follows in the same pattern as the French. It is much easier to pin such an epidemic on unclean living conditions and natural disasters, but taking responsibility is crucial to stopping future problems. Haiti’s long history of suffering began when Columbus arrived on the island. Ever since then, Haiti has experienced one traumatic event after another, many at the hands of other countries. And while Haiti experiences the negative effects, these other “advanced” countries experience the benefits. This issue isn’t unique to Haiti. France, the United Kingdom, Spain, the United States, all these countries and more have benefited from the suffering of other countries. It is important to look at our world in this context. Haiti, while not the only example, is an extreme case. Knowing the history, it’s clear why there are such drastic differences between countries like France and Haiti. It isn’t just because of luck nor is it because the settlers of one place were more intelligent. The disparity between countries like France and Haiti is so large that it can’t be fixed in a day. And maybe not even in a decade. But the damage these countries have caused is not just the result of one simple mistake, and it requires more than a simple apology. There is no easy solution to a 500 plus year history of suffering, but that doesn’t mean nothing can be done. The first and most important step is taking responsibility.

Works Cited

"France Confirms Will Not Repay Haiti 'Independence Debt.'" TeleSur , 12 May 2015, www.telesurtv.net/english/news/France-Clarifies-It- Wont-Repay-Haitis-Independence-Debt-20150511-0032.html. Accessed 24 Mar. 2017.

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