AmIndHistoryAuthor
Banned
Even if the US treated the entire area like shit it would still be a few hundred times better then it was pre and post earthquake.
The US did...and does. Billions of dollars taken out of the country by the US. Much of the pverty is a direct result of supporting dictators, and more recently from demanding Haiti restructure its economy to an export model, driving Haitian farmers off their land and into the capital.
Most of the "aid" being sent there now is largely symbolism designed to look like we're helping. The cost of maintaining the navy ships sent there would be a helluva lot more helpful if funneled to internat'l charities.
An early comparison was made to Puerto Rico. I think a better one would be the poorest areas or rural Mississippi, combined with the most neglected crime ridden parts of the South Bronx.
Or perhaps they'd be like the other US territories the US controls in the Caribbbean, the Virgin Islands? The US census stats I found say the VI have unemployment of 35%, and a poverty rate of 32%.
http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/island/VIprofile.pdf
Still, that is better than Haiti. The CIA stats I found say the poverty rate is double even that of the VI. The main improvement for Haiti as US territory would be no Duvaliers as dictators. They'd probably have found it easier to be ward politicians in the local machine. Think Richard Daley with something like the Tonton Macoutes as enforcers....
Also no World Bank to screw up their economy even worse than before.