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The demons won.
Too few Marines [in the Haitian occupation of the 1920s] appreciated the religious and cultural factors at play in Haiti, such as—most notably for purposes of this article—the practice of Voodoo. To read Brigadier General John H. Russell’s evaluations during his tenure as high commissioner in the 1920s, Haiti went from a nation where “Vaudoism was rife and Human sacrifice was not uncommon” to a nation that benefited from “the introduction of the tenets of modern civilization” that “has done much to stamp out this Horrible Practice.”
Reality proved to be different, however. The Marines failed to suppress Voodoo; instead, they alienated many otherwise dis- passionate Haitians. The Marines rarely grasped how or why this religion was so central to Haitian life. Such confusions in turn restricted and ultimately negated the occupation’s effectiveness in achieving the mission of modernizing and democratizing the nation.
David J. Ulbrich, PhD
https://www.usmcu.edu/Outreach/Marine-Corps-University-Press/MCH/Marine-Corps-History-Winter-2019/Stability-or-Disruption-The-US-Marine-Occupation-and-the-Voodoo-Trials-in-Haiti-192630/
“The decline of community in the modern world has as its inevitable religious consequence the creation of masses of helpless, bewildered individuals who are unable to find solace in Christianity regarded merely as creed.”
Robert Nisbet
American diplomacy should continue to stand up for genuine democracy, freedom of expression, and unapologetic celebrations of European nations’ individual character and history. America encourages its political allies in Europe to promote this revival of spirit, and the growing influence of patriotic European parties indeed gives cause for great optimism. Our goal should be to help Europe correct its current trajectory.
The White House
The National Security Strategy Document
Games stimulate the mind. Kids thrive on mental stimulation. Games teach kids to triumph over challenging problems.
This story out of India: Sarwagya Singh Kushwaha was born in 2022. At 30 months he started learning chess. By age three he had defeated five ranking members of the International Chess Federation, earning him his own official ranking. What’s next? Recognition as a grand master as he continues learn about how chess works, and how victory is achieved against some of the most active minds of his generation.
