Damming the Flood: Haiti, Aristide, and the Politics of Containment
“Damming the Floodis an excellent book, the best study of its kind. It offers the first accurate analysis of recent Haitian history, and of its history in the making. Finally, we have an honest rendering of how the Haitian poor sought to advance their struggle for dignity at the close of the twentieth century, and of the forces that have stymied their struggle. Hallward’s new book is required reading for anyone who seeks to know Haiti and to understand the forces arrayed against all those who believe in genuine democracy.”—Paul Farmer“Very convincing, a marvelous book. This riveting and deeply-informed account should be carefully read by those who recognize that Haiti’s tragic history is a microcosm of imperial savagery and heroic resistance—resistance which, as Hallward argues, will continue to shape Haiti’s political future if its people are granted the opportunity to take their fate into their own hands.”—Noam Chomsky“Damming the Flooddemonstrates that, contrary to what so many self-proclaimed experts have led us to believe with the steady diet of half-truths and outright lies they have been feeding us, it is indeed possible to ‘get Haiti right.’ All it takes is a healthy dose of respect for a nation and a people so deserving of it, and an uncompromising devotion to the truth.”—Patrick Elie, former Secretary for National Defense, Haiti