https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/05/20/world/americas/enslaved-haiti-debt-timeline.html
-->The story from the Empire's major newspaper is groundbreaking. Yes, there was a much smaller opinion peace in 2021 entitled "We Owe Haiti a Debt We Can’t Repay." But even that did not cover the last several decades of US colonial rule. At least the current story mentions Aristide, although that part is relegated to a few paragraphs at the end.
What's missing is the fact that the US took over from the French, allowing US businesses to take advantage of slave labor. No mention of the Clintons, who honeymooned in Haiti, formed a close relationship to Baby Doc, and profited themselves from the US colonial rule imposed on the island.
No, the mainstream media has no stomach for what US military aggression has done to Haiti over the last several decades. That is the story that runs counter to the image of US noble intentions in the rest of the world. No matter how many countries we occupy and exploit, our media is always there to help us feel better about it. Here is what the NYT should have started their story about Haiti with:
"Unless you’re buck naked as you read this, chances are that you’re wearing at least one garment manufactured in the Haitian apparel factories of Port-au-Prince, Caracol, and Ouanaminthe. Those Hanes or Fruit-of-the-Loom briefs in your dresser drawer, the classic Levi’s denim jacket hanging in your closet, or that cheapo, trendy, puff-sleeved H&M frock you hope to add to your Spring wardrobe—all of them were likely made by men and women in Haiti earning the barest of minimum wages. In exchange for an eight-hour work day, around 57,000 Haitian garment workers have been earning almost three cents less per hour than the average incarcerated worker in the US makes, which is only 63 cents per hour."
https://www.pressenza.com/2022/03/we-are-not-slaves-haitian-garment-workers-strike-for-a-fair-wage/
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Common Dreams:
"Analysis: 26 US Billionaires Paid Average Tax Rate of Just 4.8% in Recent Years. 'When you include their untaxed wealth growth in the calculation, many billionaires pay almost nothing,' said Frank Clemente of Americans for Tax Fairness. When their astronomical wealth gains are taken into account, dozens of the top billionaires in the United States paid an average federal tax rate of just 4.8% from 2013 to 2018—a significantly lower rate than the nation's average taxpayer.
Under current U.S. law, unrealized capital gains from stocks and other assets are not taxed, allowing billionaires such as Amazon executive chairman Jeff Bezos and Tesla CEO Elon Musk to accumulate massive fortunes tax-free. And even when assets are sold and gains are 'realized,' the long-term capital gains tax rate is significantly lower than the top marginal tax rate of 37%. ...
'Teachers, plumbers, firefighters, and other working Americans can already pay higher tax rates than billionaires—and that's just counting the small part of billionaire income that is now taxed,. When you include their untaxed wealth growth in the calculation, many billionaires pay almost nothing.' "
-->Why hide this story about billionaires not paying taxes? No major media covered this story. I think it's because US media is owned by the billionaire class; why would they want you to know how distorted our tax system is?
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The Intercept:
"A REPUBLICAN-BACKED super PAC on Tuesday fell short in its bid to intervene in a Democratic primary against Pennsylvania state Rep. Summer Lee, a 34-year-old Black woman and rising star in the party, who fended off a tsunami of outside money to best anti-union attorney Steve Irwin. The spending, from a GOP-backed super PAC linked to AIPAC — the American Israel Public Affairs Committee — left Irwin behind by less than 1,000 votes. ...
Another super PAC in Oregon, funded by a cryptocurrency fortune and organized around the project of pandemic prevention, Protect Our Future, spent some $10 million to boost Carrick Flynn, while the super PAC linked to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Majority PAC, also dropped a million dollars into the race. It backfired, and local Democrats as well as national progressives — including the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC and the Working Families Party — rallied behind state Rep. Andrea Salinas, who appears poised for a victory. ...
In North Carolina, the super PACs had better luck, spending $7 million against former state Sen. Erica Smith and Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam. The spending came from AIPAC, Democratic Majority for Israel, and Mainstream Democrats, the super PAC organized and funded by LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman.
-->The hidden role of Israeli linked super PACs in promoting right wing candidates. The NYT article focused on Bernie Sanders, insinuating that he has a personal dispute with AIPAC.
