Friday, March 21, 2014

Thomas Jackson reviews: 'Another America: The Story of Liberia and the Former Slaves Who Ruled It,' by James Ciment - "blacks have arrived at self-government by virtually every route imaginable. But the results are the same: poverty, corruption, violence."


Another Haiti 

Sherbro Island airstrip today.



The modern era has seen many variations of black self rule. The earliest example is Ethiopia, which, aside from occupation by the Italians from 1936 to 1941, was never run by outsiders. The second began with the Haitian Revolution, the third was the founding of Liberia, and the 1960s saw most of black Africa achieve independence. Government by blacks of American cities such as Detroit and Newark is another form of black self-rule, as are the independent islands of the Caribbean.
The circumstances of these different efforts could not be more different; blacks have arrived at self-government by virtually every route imaginable. But the results are the same: poverty, corruption, violence.
Another America is a serviceable history of Liberia but it has a bad title. It should have been called Another Haiti. . . .