Notes from the Last Testament: The Struggle for Haiti [Paperback]

Reading some other readers' reviews of Notes from the Last Testament: The Struggle for Haiti, I am reminded of nothing so much as the organized "denunciations" that authoritarian movements so often mount against "incorrect thoughts," "insults to the revolution," and so on. The careful student of history easily recongnizes these slanders for what they are: the scrabbling attempt of second-rate thinkers to prop up flimsy belief systems that barely support their own weight, much less withstand competition. But then, the careful student of history does not generally get involved with such movements; those who do are not thinkers but seekers, believers, looking only for evidence that will support their neatly organized world view and cherrypicking flaws -- ideological and otherwise -- in anything that contradicts it.

I finished this book this fall and find that, yes, it is not perfect. (Shall we page through the Amazon site and see how many books for sale here are?) But while it may be possible to prove Michael wrong on a detail here and there (I cannot say, being no expert on Haiti, and so I must take other reviewers' word for it), I cannot understand the stance taken by some on this page that this book is not worth reading. How could it not be? If you are curious about Haiti, how in good conscience can you pass up the opportunity to read a firsthand account by someone who was there, who speaks the language, whose dispatches have always been conspicuous for their heavy use of quotes from "the people" (obtained at considerable personal risk) rather than merely from generals, ministers and others who can be comfortably interviewed in the hotel bar?

Some reviewers here accuse Michael of being an "imperialist," or otherwise try to place him in an ideological category. This won't work, and it is precisely his post-ideological outlook that makes his book such a valuable contribution. The vitriol aimed at him by some of these commenters seem, as another commenter points out, the fiercer for the fact that Michael claims a position in the political left and yet dares to criticize others who do the same. Why does Michael's criticism of Aristide have to be ideological? Isn't it possible that Aristide was a great and visionary man who at the same time was not ultimately able to transcend the considerable pressures and temptations that act on any ruler of a nation like Haiti? Why does "the left's man" get a free pass; why is it impossible that he turned out to have human flaws? One can be the victim of unscrupulous action by the U.S. government, as Aristide seems to have been, while at the same time being an unsavory sort. Or is this sort of world view too complicated, not explicit enough about how to think?

If you are curious about Haiti specifically and about the struggles of oppressed peoples generally, you will find much to reward you in Michael's book.

Disclosure: I have been personally acquainted with Michael for a number of years. On the other hand, I've never knowingly published a lie. And why would I do so here? According to Amazon stats, 80 percent of the people who view this page buy the book. Michael's work clearly speaks for itself.

I,too, have lived in Haiti and now live in the Dominican Republic. And, yes, have read - no- devoured this book.I was confused why none of the NGO's or Haitians that I have met here or in Haiti shared the standard line on the"coup against Aristide" but were really greatful that he was gone. After reading this fast paced and detailed account of the dismal failure of Aristide, I understand why. What I do not understand is how the "cult of Aristide" continues -- except from people on his payroll. And I wonder where that money comes from? Eh? IF you are interested in Haiti, read this book!!

Notes from the Last Testament is an essential book for anyone seeking to understand Haiti in general and its upheavals of the last ten years in particular. Deibert doesn't pull punches: he names names, documents his sources, and levels scathing judgment on those he charges have betrayed Haiti's hopes for a decent future, from Aristide to corrupt police officers to thug-politicians across the ideological spectrum. If the writing and narrative seem somewhat tentative at first, keep reading; Deibert hits stride several chapters in, and the last half of the book is a truly riveting account of the Aristide regime's bloody downward spiral and eventual fall. Especially powerful are the author's accounts of his time among the Cité Soleil and Gonaives gangs, the young men and women born, as Deibert puts it, "in the worst place in the world."

It's all here--the chaos, waste and heartbreak of the past ten years, as well as the startling hits of beauty and mercy that Haiti continues to serve up in the midst of so much hell.