19 January 2010

Gunboats to Iceland

Sean Condon at Megaphone wrote this great piece on Haiti’s 200 year run of exploitation.

Condon refers to the US $21 billion that Haiti paid to France as the price of its freedom. The payment at some points took 80% of the government’s revenue and was paid off only in 1947.

When Haiti could not make payments, the United States Marines were sent in to ensure the money resumed, at one point occupying the country for 15 years.

Now look at Iceland. It is refusing to pay US $6 billion it owes to Britain and the Netherlands. I suspect the gunboats won’t be leaving port.