Sarkozy announces big French aid plan for Haiti

Why not just pay back 90 million gold francs + interest?

Badsey, you beat me to it.

Be best of all if France took over its old colony & the load would be off the USA, Canada & other countries plus they would have to supply free medical services, free rebuilding, free schooling & just so much more.

I think many, in other countries would appreciate the above.

Instead of critising , why not applaud. I am no fan of FRance and its often snooty attitude, but this is a good gesture not to be sniffed.

They demanded the French pay back, with interest, the 90 million gold francs demanded by Napoleon to recognize the 1804 independence of Haiti

Comments like this show how poorly educated some people are.

Why not just pay back 90 million gold francs + interest?

The slave traders who sold slaves in Africa to Europeans also recieved money. Should all black Americans ask those African slave traders to pay back the money plus interest? My sister borrowed $5 from me in 1990 and never paid it back. I guess she should now have to pay me with interest.

The French did what was acceptable at the time. By today's standards, what they did was considered wrong. They should not have to pay for what happened in 1804. America bombed Japan during WW2 with 2 nuclear bombs. Should they have to pay now for all the innocent people that were killed? We now know it was wrong. Why should they not pay? It's understanable that the US media always provides negative coverage of French goings on because the French would not support the 'War of Terror'.

I think the French are helping now and that is great. What are the world's richest countries, that care so much about slavery (yet allow groups like the KKK) doing to help?

To little to late Nick.

Doesn't this constitute a violation of the Monroe Doctrine?

Did France know where Haiti was until the earthquake.Nobody in the world cared before.Its one of the poorest countries in the world,and all of a sudden,because of a natural disaster,everyone is fighting to be top dog.

Nobody in the world cared before

I agree with that.

Sarkozy your heart is bleeding is it? Ok,nevermind, just do as you promised. Pledging aid and sending experts to help are all stories we often hear. Hope it is not one of those spread the french language and culture. But would be good if you truly did something good for those people.

On a side note, experts are people who have excelled in some field; and not someone who is connected to some politician.

Good for France.

Why not just pay back 90 million gold francs plus interest?

Because this is not enough. They have to pay also for CAUSING the disaster: The disaster was caused by poverty, whose one of myriad revelations is the poor building quality.

Better late than never!

“Let’s not kid ourselves,” he said. “The wounds of colonization, and perhaps even worse the way in which we separated, have left traces that are still raw in the memory of Haitians.”

Wow, Nick actually knows his history!! I still have my doubts about France in some regards. On the one hand, I love their French Revolution. But on the other hand, they don't seem to like when other African colonies want to separate from the French mother ship. Oh the hypocrisy. But that's the French for ya. Right? After all, look at Chad, Central African Republic and other former French states in Africa. They are in a mess!! Heck, Rwanda has booted out the French making English the main language is government and education. That says it all.

It's about time France took care of its past debts to Haiti.