Race, Ideology, and the Decline of Caribbean Marxism University Press of Florida Florida A&M University, Tallahassee Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton Florida Gulf Coast University, Ft. Myers Florida International University, Miami Florida State University, Tallahassee New College of Florida, Sarasota University of Central Florida, Orlando University of Florida, Gainesville University of North Florida, Jacksonville University of South Florida, Tampa University of West Florida, Pensacola Race, Ideology, and the Decline of Caribbean Marxism Anthony P. Maingot University Press of Florida Gainesville / Tallahassee / Tampa / Boca Raton Pensacola / Orlando / Miami / Jacksonville / Ft. Myers / Sarasota Copyright 2015 by Anthony P. Maingot All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper This book may be available in an electronic edition. 20 19 18 17 16 15 6 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Maingot, Anthony P., author. Race, ideology, and the decline of Caribbean Marxism / Anthony P. Maingot. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-8130-6106-1 1. Philosophy, Marxist—Caribbean Area. 2. Communism—Caribbean Area. 3. Socialism—Caribbean Area. 4. Race relations. 5. Blacks—Caribbean Area— History. 6. Caribbean Area—Race relations. 7. Caribbean Area—Social conditions. 8. Caribbean Area—History. I. Title. HX151.A6M35 2015 335.43'4—dc23 2015013774 The University Press of Florida is the scholarly publishing agency for the State University System of Florida, comprising Florida A&M University, Florida Atlantic University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida International University, Florida State University, New College of Florida, University of Central Florida, University of Florida, University of North Florida, University of South Florida, and University of West Florida. University Press of Florida 15 Northwest 15th Street Gainesville, FL 32611-2079 http://www.upf.com To Consuelo, my eternal Bidi Contents List of Illustrations viii List of Tables ix Acknowledgments xi Prologue: The Modern-Conservative Society Framework 1 1. Eric Williams vs. Juan Bosch: On Caribbean Historical Fundamentals 13 2. Eric Williams vs. Frank Tannenbaum: On Slave Laws, Slavery Systems, and Subsequent Race Relations 36 3. Arturo Morales Carrión vs. Gordon K. Lewis: On United States Colonialism in Puerto Rico 57 4. Haiti: The Origins of the Caribbean’s “Terrified Consciousness” about Race 81 5. Haitian Realities and Scholarly Myths: A Counterintuitive Analysis 98 6. Two Popular Theories of Caribbean Ideology and Race Relations: Frantz Fanon’s Theory of Liberating Violence and the Theory of Plantation Societies 121 7. C.L.R. James, George Padmore, and the Myth of the Revolutionary Caribbean 159 8. What Type of Socialism? Marxists and Social Democrats Vie for Leadership 182 9. The Failure of Socialism and “Militarism” in Grenada, 1979–83 204 10. Transcending Race: Self-Interest and Self-Determination in the Non- Independent Territories 225 11. Barbados: Tradition and Modernity in a Model Small State 247 12. Cuba, the Last Holdout: “Organic” Intellectuals Defend the Revolution by Abandoning Marxist-Leninism 268 Conclusion: Confronting the Perilous Threats of Organized Crime and Energy Dependence 293 Notes 305 Index 345 Illustrations Figures 1. Eric Williams 143 2. President John F. Kennedy and Dr. Juan E. Bosch 144 3. Arturo Morales Carrión and Luís Muñoz Marín, 1958 145 4. Gordon K. Lewis 146 5. Cheddi Jagan, Alexander Bustamante, Errol Barrow, and Eric Williams 146 6. C.L.R. James on his return to Trinidad, 1958 147 7. Michael Manley, Maurice Bishop, Kurt Waldheim, and Fidel Castro, Havana airport, 1979 148 8. Forbes Burnham with President Lyndon Johnson, 1966 149 9. Aimé Césaire 150 10. Portrait of Captain Andrew (Tattoo) Cipriani 150 11. Marcel Numa and Louis Drouin facing execution, 1967 151 12. Dame Eugenia Charles, “Iron Lady” of the Caribbean 152 13. Grenada Revolutionary Army on parade 153 14. Revolutionary graffiti in Grenada, 1982 154 15. Equipment used on the Grenada airport, 1982 155 16. Plaque honoring Maurice Bishop and colleagues executed at Fort George 155 17. Joaquín Balaguer 156 18. National Alliance for Reconstruction 157 19. Surrender of Iman Yasin Abu Bakr of the Jamaat-al-Muslameen, July 1990 158 Maps 1. “Exclusive Economic Zones in the Caribbean” 294 2. “The Age of Oil: Crude Oil Traffic” 299 Tables 1. Caribbean territories by size, population, and income 34 2. Contents of Caribbean Studies: A Symposium, 1956 36 3. Percentage of distribution and landownership by race, 1899–1931 45 4. African slaves brought to Spanish America, 1604–25 47 5. Changes in the importance of Puerto Rican economic sectors, 1940, 1950, and 1976 78 6. Ethnic composition of the Venezuelan population at the end of the colonial period 84 7. The deteriorating Haitian resource base 107 8. Changes in Haitian rural and urban populations, 1950–82 107 9. Race in the Dominican Republic and Haiti in the late eighteenth century 132 10. Parliamentary elections in Trinidad, 1966 189 11. Cross-tabulation of social class and partisan preference, 1973 195 12. Social class and ideological position in Jamaica, 1978 198 13. Feelings about the landing of American troops 219 14. Land values in the West Indies in the late 1840s 254 15. Scholarly references cited by a select group of reformist economists 282 16. Specific events leading to a Caribbean sense of threat 298