Papa Doc: Haiti’s Voodoo Dictator

[@MultiBlackman13]

A story from my father's childhood. "My uncle was the lead editor for a newspaper in haiti. One day some men in a van picked him up, and he was never seen again."

[@multiyapples]

I’m sorry that happened to him. I know it’s unlikely but I hope he’s okay.

[@beno1129]

@@multiyapples He's ...not okay, unfortunately. I'm African and we've had our share of dictators who 'picked up' people and vanished them. But even these despots are nowhere close to Duvalier's level of cruelty.

[@jeffersonott4357]

@@multiyapples uh… yea dude, I love ur optimism… but, u do get he was murdered, right?

[@jeffersonott4357]

@@beno1129 I think ur response was, sorta poetic. “He’s…not ok.” Such an obvious and simple response, but, great!

[@voodoosnakebite]

I'm german have basically the same family stories but school teacher. My friend left S America in the 80s(?) same deal with his uncle, a professor. kinda sad how things never change.

[@mkay0502]

Strangely, I met a number of people in Haiti who spoke highly of papa doc and baby doc. They claimed the economy was good and that the streets were very safe. Nostalgia is a heck of a thing.

[@marvilust]

As long as you weren’t a dissentient life was great for you.

[@archstanton6102]

Agreed, there are still people in Russia who miss the days of Stalin.

[@Blackjesus3]

People said Haiti was better when papa doc was Alive

[@FALslayer]

@@archstanton6102 it's called Stockholm syndrome but there should be a new phrase for when citizens reminisce on dictators

[@fmhummel]

@@archstanton6102 A poll on Russian TV that saw over 500.000 people taking part voted Stalin on the third place of greatest Russians ever. No doubt that he could easily make number one nowadays.

[@donovan51617]

My moms family lived in Haiti under papa doc. My grandfather was in the Haitian navy and when the military attempted the coup, my grandfather was forced to either participate or die( there was a basket full of the heads of his fellow crew members on the front of the ship) obviously, the coup failed and my grandfather was able to escape to the U.S. For two years, he worked to get my mother, grandmother, and my aunt who my grandfather had never met as she was born after he escaped. The three of them were taken in and hidden by a friend for 2 years. The tonton raided my mothers old home and burned it to the ground and many of her cousins were taken away and never seen again. Finally, they were able to escape the country and get back to my grandfather and here we are today thriving in the states🙏🏽🙏🏽

[@carlosdesire5855]

You must be lights skin your family's was racist against him because he was dark you should know racism is not cool even blacks Vs blacks bet they still are why you think Haiti so mess up racism is the big issues

[@koevirel8350]

Did u granddaddy ever go back to visit old country? I kinda feel his pain, I had to leave my hometown because of war when I was 15. I'm 45 now and I still didn't see my home and probably I never will but that hope is still inside. I have good life in USA making good money too and I can buy anything I want but I would give all to see my hometown one more time before I die.

[@donovan51617]

@@koevirel8350 I honestly don’t think he had much urge to go back. My grandparents are pretty unhappy with how Haiti is and I think there much more comfortable staying in the us. Probably a lot of trauma attributed to Haiti. My mom was the last one to go to Haiti in our family in the early 2000’s and she had a bad experience in port au prince when trying to leave so no one in my family has been back. I’d love to visit Haiti tho even with all the issues I still feel like I should see where my family came from

[@rightofcl]

@@donovan51617 some thing with my Haitian grandparent He has a direct encounter with a Ton Ton Macoute member when he was around 13- they threatened to kill him and his friends. Luckily he survived

[@johnmcdonald9295]

@@donovan51617why did you not go to Africa

[@michaelsinger4638]

Fascinating how he started out as a good doctor. Then ended up becoming a monster in the end. Simon should do Baby Doc now as well.

[@EAWanderer]

Isn't that the classic cases with dictators? They're the freedom fighter "for the people" at the beginning. But once in power themselves, will they relinquish their power? Hmmm.... 🖕

[@davidgreen5994]

He was probably a monster from the start but just lived as a decent human. In other circumstances, he could have ended up as a serial killer.

[@--enyo--]

Once people get a taste of power they get addicted to it. They want more and are terrified of losing any they have.

[@Fabala827]

Whoa, the two comments on this comment are fascinating in representing the two big possibilities here!! Either a genuine well-intentioned doctor who was poisoned by power and revenge; or a sociopath who kept it under wraps as so many do, only to reveal his true colors once he was virtually unstoppable. The human psyche is absolutely wild, man

[@peterbradshaw8018]

Medicine tends to attract evil folk with a god complex.

[@blugill]

Imagine if someone actually took the focus, resources, and drive to make their country prosperous and improve the lives of the citizens rather than to murder and terrorize them.

[@jamess9670]

That’s basically what happened in Singapore

[@blugill]

@@jamess9670 I’d love to visit someday!

[@dogsbecute]

that was the vibe i got from the video about ethiopia and their last king

[@mkmk614]

I just got rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr was adgygg

[@roctv100]

Someone like Henri Christophe

[@ballinlikestalin878]

The most I knew about Papa Doc before this video was him attempting to claim credit for the JFK assassination by claiming he put a voodoo curse on him. Weird, but this video is great at telling of the monster he was

[@redjirachi1]

Damn, not even Castro or Kruschev made light of the assassination

[@sarfrasnazreen9915]

He was a traitor

[@Shabazzelbey]

How would you know, if you’ve never read, nor seen anything else to help cooperate this video? Seems to me that you should have other points of references, to make such a blanketed summarize

[@Joliboi8]

He was a champion of the Black race in Haiti. Do more research, you may find the whole truth.

[@crimepays8358]

@@PaulRudd1941 A curse could have been what affected and made all those situations including mr.santo to death of JFK and the rest of the Kennedy’s started dying like nothing.

[@nasthiadorval]

my dad grew up during that regime and has told me some of the horrible things they did to ppl, the public beatings and whole families being wiped out in the middle of the night on suspicion of being against the regime. And the worst part was that they had secret agents all over the country who would report people. So people were afraid to speak to each other about their discontent with the regime because you don’t know if they were secretly working for the government and could turn you in. It literally could have been anyone, the shoe shine boy, your local butcher or priest. What a terrible way to live.

[@hmutandadzi]

Sounds exactly like Zimbabwe under Mugabe. Even outside Zimbabwe we were afraid to criticise his regime.

[@capt.Justin]

Haiti was a better country under his rule. Look what happened to that country after he left.

[@zoeblocka6ave351]

BECAUSE PEOPLE HAD NO FREEDOM ​@@capt.Justin

[@mommyshark1124]

My goodness 😳. I'm glad your family survived that & are doing well. 🙏🏽

[@Superbatmanbro]

My birthplace Haiti 🇭🇹 worst leader and His son on that list too.

[@jgagnier]

"A dumb, well-fed oaf of a playboy" Well done to the writer of this episode for being the insultor-in-chief.

[@TheGrimmCommoner]

I remember when he lost a rap battle final to some guy called B Rabbit.

[@ChrisSeaB]

I was wondering if anyone would say something like this as soon as I seen the notification. 🤣🤣🤣🤣☠

[@mgtowdadYouTubeSucksCoxks]

313. F free world.

[@M1ggins]

beat me to it

[@XKTUSX]

🎶 Everybody from the 313 stick you mother fu**’in hands up and follow me, everyone from the 313 stick your mother fu**’in hands up, look, look, now while he stands tough notice man did not have his hands up! The free worlds got you gassed up! Now, who’s scared of the big bad wolf!?!? 🎶 (someone continue the joke)

[@warsaw8149]

Yes mate, was thinking the same thing 😁😁😁

[@Foulon0215]

As a Haitian; well done and well said, Simon.

[@marcblanchard7396]

Misye fo wi

[@beatrice123ful]

@@marcblanchard7396 poukisa li di as a Haitian

[@beatrice123ful]

You’re not Haitian

[@bezllama3325]

@@beatrice123ful Because its relevant

[@dominushydra]

Nothing better than a self hating whitey huh? 😏

[@tonypintarelli877]

I love how Simon does not hold back on the truly deplorable ones.

[@MrErickstar1]

Except Papa doc wasn't deplorable at all

[@the4tierbridge]

@@MrErickstar1 except he was.

[@cashewnuttel9054]

I am so happy I wasn't born in this country.

[@slinkbradshaw8674]

@@MrErickstar1 lol don't be ridiculous

[@MrErickstar1]

The international press maligned his name because he was the only Haitian President since the US robbed Haiti that actually stood for the nation. Since they killed him years ago Haiti is still running on infrastructures that he created.

[@TihetrisWeathersby]

It's crazy how he started out helping people then becomes this brutal dictator, I listened to Real Dictator's series about him It's crazy stuff

[@jamesbonn2394]

papa doc started as a monster sorry

[@MarkieB89]

If you're a snake, you don't get the power of the masses by showing you're a snake

[@anniebell6846]

All of them do .My ex president Robert Mugabe started off with the intentions of making the first functioning Socialist African nation alas he was tainted but pain hurt bad greed.

[@badluck5647]

“You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”

[@vitorpereira9515]

Just like Nero.

[@l3LACKJACK89]

I've only heard stories from my dad talking about when he was a kid growing up in Haiti. Thank you for sharing your awesome videos!

[@Tarvos0]

Of course Woodrow Willison was involved. How could any horrific story in the early 1900 not involve that horrific man?

[@blenderbanana]

You should check out his contemporary; in Mexico at the time: Ambassador Woodrow Wilson and the assassination of President Meduro. (Full transparancy, President Woodrow Wilson, did fire, Ambassador Woodrow Wilson, when the consequences proved to be disruptive)

[@carlosdesire5855]

Business as usual

[@RubyGB]

Woodrow Wilson was a holier-than-thou busybody who thought he had a divine right to stick his nose in other peoples' and other countries' business since he always knew best about everything! He was such a sanctimonious hypocrite, and the world still suffers to a degree from his failings as a human being. Lest we not forget the unconstitutional maneuvers that occurred when he had his stroke nor, in these current days, that he had a (D) behind his name...

[@KnightlyNerdandDork]

As the Cynical Historian would say.. ‘WIIILLLLLLLSSOOOOOOOOOOOON’

[@zoezze4516]

you know i would never expect both "voodoo" and "dictator" to be in the same role but i guess it is

[@dominushydra]

Ever heard of Emperor Palpatine?

[@sarahudson108]

Remember a certain German Chancellor Mr Hitler was obsessed with the supernatural and occult.

[@joecurran2811]

​@@sarahudson108 You're thinking of Himmler.

[@sarahudson108]

@@joecurran2811 Guess they wanted to use anything to help .

[@trevorpanetta3562]

Channels like this are so important. I had no idea this guy ever lived.

[@kellychuang8373]

That's good and may want to recommend Antoine Lavoisier for this as well really is an interesting life there since he founded chemistry and well for the rest just Google, KZbin or find out any way you can about him also really met an nasty end too.

[@ignitionfrn2223]

2:15 - Chapter 1 - A history of violence 6:20 - Chapter 2 - The power of voodoo 10:25 - Chapter 3 - Uncle gunnysack 14:45 - Chapter 4 - Guardian of graveyards 19:05 - Chapter 5 - A dynasty of death

[@khantin6526]

Doesnt help

[@EMMYK1916]

Why do this? A documentary explains everything, therefore skipping to x,y, or z doesn't expound anything.

[@Ghostvertigo]

Sometimes people lose their places (not pausing video, when running to do something) so chapters help

[@Loganjlr]

Thank you for posting this. I use these to compare information with other documentaries and skip to points of interest. Ignore the folks who don’t get it and keep doing your thing

[@SirTravis-vn6yp]

@@EMMYK1916 there you go ^

[@RonnieOP]

Finally, we get Papa Doc I've been waiting for this for quite some time

[@duncancurtis1758]

Rafael started the onion war against Haiti in the 30s.

[@Superbatmanbro]

Oh man my birth place Haiti Weirdo

[@capt.Justin]

Haiti was a better country under his rule. Look what happened to that country after he left.

[@a.e.3367]

Edouard Duval-Carrié's painting was my introduction to the Duvalier family....terrifying people. Quiet is as kept, Mama Doc was probably the worst. Haiti is a beautiful nation of beautiful people and the devastations its faced from sociopolitical to economic to historical even natural is confounding and heartbreaking. Thanks for covering this one, great video!

[@Timmysommer5415..0]

Nothing beautiful about Haiti =Hades God needs to destroy the rest!!They are blasphemy !!

[@nubeazul5963]

How was Mama Doc the worse?

[@christophermerlot3366]

Hurricane Hazel was crazy powerful. It made her way all the distance to central Canada. My grandparents used to talk about the flooding in Brampton, Ontario.

[@loriannwhite8384]

Thanks, but of course a part 2 is needed. I can’t wait for it.

[@DMS-pq8]

The rise and fall of Baby Doc

[@DesGardius-me7gf]

"If you talked to a psychologist, they would classify [Duvalier] as a psychopath. Was he crazy? No. But was he evil? The answer is, yes." ―Francois Benoit, former Haitian army officer

[@sarahudson108]

Scary thing is whey they are smart and evil, they just don't care that what they do is cruel and wrong .

[@ashleyhyatt6319]

A great book on the subject is Haiti: The Duvaliers & Their Legacy by Elizabeth Abbott.

[@quldquodtues1935]

It is my favourite book on this subject.

[@malloryyorke2509]

Excellent book!

[@adamchen5684]

Thank you for the recommendation!

[@ronpl8473]

You should check out "Brotherhood", "Lonely Jeff", and "8 billion sperm" by author Ronald Pierre-Louis

[@ashleyhyatt6319]

@@ronpl8473 They are regarding Haiti?

[@vasilkokinovski9212]

Finally! I've been waiting for this one. Good job

[@kellychuang8373]

You can say that and also can suggest this man to him if he hasn't done so Antoine-Laurent de Lavoisier said to be the father of our modern chemistry and really was in the French Revolution and met his demise by guillotine offing his head. Anyway for him and anyone else you can find it all on Google or any other way and maybe he can do a bio about him as well.

[@Deeplycloseted435]

“His real name is Clarence, and he lives with his parents!” ~ B 🐇

[@willieikerd]

Went to Cambrook which is a private school

[@falconmclenny7284]

And Clarence parents have a real nice marriage

[@louishall9224]

I was looking for this comment

[@stevesheldon8616]

Graham Greene's novel, The Comedians (1966) is a must-read if you're interested in the Duvalier years.

[@rejvaik00]

Thanks I will definitely add this to my list

[@stevesheldon8616]

@Donnell Okafor Even though it’s a novel, it contains long footnotes explaining the history.

[@stevesheldon8616]

@Donnell Okafor Enjoy :-)

[@TheMissDebyluv]

My mother told me so many horror stories from that time

[@armandotalampas4800]

So interesting! Sir Simon you should also make a video about his son "Baby Doc"! We're expecting bios of these dictators: Anastacio Somoza Garcia and his son Anastacio Somoza Debayle of Nicaragua, Manuel Noriega of Panama, Alfredo Stroessner of Paraguay

[@100domathon]

This channel has covered the major Caribbean Dictators: Fulgencio Batista, Rafael Trujillo, and now Papa Doc

[@ecowanderer6099]

Don't forget Fidel Castro

[@KOCChristian]

⁠@@ecowanderer6099yeah but he’s a big name which his plans wasn’t a failure that resort to killing massive amount of innocents. Just a few enough to be hated.

[@justinlast2lastharder749]

How the Hell did Simon do this Guy's Biography without mentioning his Rivalry with B Rabbit?

[@johnrutherford49]

Wasn’t his real name Clarence?

[@tomdegan6924]

Excellent series, Simon.

[@Monatio79]

Good video on a half forgotten tyrant; Papa Doc is overlooked perhaps due to the ongoing problems of this unfortunate nation. May I suggest a video on Equatorial Guinea's Francisco Macias Nguema ? Often referred to as "the Pol Pot of Africa", he was about as brutal and insane as they came.

[@EvanBreitbeck]

Same here. If not him, at least make a video on his nephew, Teodoro Nguema Mbasogo, who helped Nguema's overthrowing and death and is still a dictator. As for Papa Doc's forgotten time, there is a pretty good article called "Haitian Exceptionalism in the Caribbean and the Project of Rebuilding Haiti" written after the 2010 earthquake.

[@martinnjaga]

@@EvanBreitbeck Most African leaders from the seventies and eighties were barking mad

[@PawelSorinsky]

Unfortunate or incapable?

[@Monatio79]

@@martinnjaga That may be so. However, Macias Nguema took things to an all new low. Some dictators, no matter how terrible they were, could at least claim that they were "appealing to the nationalism of their country", etc. Nguema had absolutely zero redeeming qualities whatsoever. Nada. He made someone like Idi Amin look like a boy scout in comparison. Due to his paranoia, even Nguema's family turned against him.

[@Kaiserboo1871]

@@Monatio79 How does he compare to Mengistu Haile Mariam?

[@multiyapples]

Rest In Peace to those that passed away.

[@Superbatmanbro]

Rest in peace and rest in peace my My biological parents I never new 😢

[@nymade4130]

I know this is old but my dad grew up under Popa Doc and he said that people would often just be taken and never seen again. He said it was normal for people to just disappear. I have aunts and uncles who got disappeared because my dad was a mulatto. His mom was like 1/8 black so they were hunted. He was also a Christian preacher and he was forced into hiding.

[@bethjenkins8760]

Great job , Simon

[@DavideGobbicchi]

With a name like "Papa Doc"...you could either be' a wacky dictator from a little country or a summer latino pop hit singer

[@rrorrogod4494]

Haitians aren't Latinos.

[@idothisforfun1300]

Awesome video! Dude was crazy

[@bmabs35]

I've waited a long time for you to cover Duvalier. Thanks so much!

[@darkchocolate1083]

How about one on the Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega?

[@wesbyers9210]

Thank you so much for covering Haitian history and not excluding the US's role in making a bad situation so much worse. So many Americans don't even know the US occupied Haiti. Great video. (Note: while the early twentieth century and Jim Crow was egregious regarding race relations, I'd say the nadir was probably sometime before 1865 lol)

[@UnholyWrath3277]

Any americans who have any interest in politics know we intervened in haiti along with a hundred or so other countries they just dont really care tbh. The country simply isnt strategically or politically important to us and has been so mismanaged in general that pretty much nobody in the world now would take it due to the cost of having to fix it. While i lament what the average haitian has to go through it has reached a point where their society just has to get through the worst of it and find a way to build themselves from scratch

[@kennyj43]

@@UnholyWrath3277 Throughout its entire history Haiti just hasn't been able to catch a break, it seems. For its temerity in fighting for its independence in 1804, France imposed all kinds of strict conditions upon it, and therefore stunted its development. Then came the long string of failed leaders, then the US occupation, then the Duvaliers. The country has suffered the effects of a brain drain the likes of which few countries have experienced and every time it starts to make any small gains someone or something comes along to set it back yet again. Apart from its torrid political history Haiti has also suffered greatly from natural disasters. It is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the Caribbean and it has been hit a few really powerful ones. Haiti has also been hit by many severe hurricanes over the years, and the combination of these natural disasters have devastated the country. With endemic poverty comes its handmaidens: crime, malnutrition, disease and political upheavals. Building themselves up from scratch is what Haiti has constantly had to be doing for 200-plus years. Who knows when the cycle will break?

[@charlieduke6393]

How can this not have more views. This is excellent

[@EvanBreitbeck]

It's predictable in Latin America. After repressive conquistadors left the regions in ruin, it provides the perfect opportunity for authoritarian principles. Furthermore it's less identifiable within the population that authoritarianism is pervading the political system when it's been so accustomed through a colonial rule that having personal liberties is not a right. A lot of them run through the emblematic strong-man persona. Trujillo, Papa Doc, Pinochet, Diaz, the whole Somoza family... the story is cyclical. It's remarkable how some start out with inconsequential lives and find themselves leading the country.

[@Lowmanification]

Let's not pretend that empires and monarchies didn't exist in Latin America prior to colonialism. The colonial powers certainly didn't help matters, but like everywhere else in the world authoritarianism was present since ancient times.

[@texasbrock1980]

It’s always someone else’s fault, this guy was a monster because he chose it. Everyone has history of oppressive forces coming in and they have to move on and overcome it. I think blaming what happened in Haiti on the Spanish is a real stretch.

[@EvanBreitbeck]

@@texasbrock1980 Totally did not mean to justify their rule through historical precedent

[@aaronlimeuchin7352]

@@texasbrock1980 what real stretch? The Spanish brought the black slaves to Haiti for sugar plantations. Those slaves got mistreated, get no salary, no proper place to live, etc. They essentially treated worse than dogs by the Spanish. Moreover, the Spanish intend Haiti to be a single product producing colony which only produces sugar through sugar cane. There is not other significant economy sectors such as mining and agriculture on Haiti except sugar cane plantations. When Haitians broke away from Spanish control, they went broke because of the feeble economy structure Spanish intended for Haiti. Likewise, blaming what happened on Haiti is no a real stretch. The colonial powers including Spain, USA, and France are thoroughly responsible for what happened to Haiti in the first place. PERIOD.

[@100domathon]

You left out how the US Government supported these dictators and in some cases even installed them in power as puppets

[@ethanramos4441]

“God and the people are the source of all power. I have twice been given the power. I have taken it, and damn it, I will keep it forever.” Francois ‘Papa Doc’ Duvalier

[@Dank-gb6jn]

Humbly requesting George Carlin. A comedian and satirist who oftentimes hit the nail more than just on the head; and whose bits were infinitely more than just satire. The guy was a comedian, satirist, begrudged philosopher, and even the narrative voice of Thomas the Train.

[@spicytrash4981]

This

[@Dank-gb6jn]

@@spicytrash4981 glad you’re on board! Help spread the word, buy liking and commenting about it on every Biographics video!

[@herrschneider5310]

@@Dank-gb6jn saw your comments on other videos and commend your spirit, george has definitely earned it 👏

[@Dank-gb6jn]

@@herrschneider5310 thank you good sir/ma’am! George deserves an in-depth and well constructed video, as he definitely was a larger than life figure with a unique insight to life.

[@rudi_tabootie]

Calling comedians modern day philosophers is an insult to, you know, actual modern day philosophers. -Norm

[@stephanebelizaire3627]

It's difficult to understand how a head of state in Peace Time has destroyed his country, the people, the society and so on. Haiti needs Justice against this regime.

[@nikkigriffin08]

Haiti just needs some damn stability first, I mean their last president was corrupt af ofc but he was also murdered less than 2 1/2 yrs ago and the ppl behind it or at the very least, those who were left holding real power in the country, were even more violent & brutal. Haiti deserves so much better

[@TheMissDebyluv]

"Haiti needs justice against this regime" the regime fell decades ago lmao. Now we are going through the same issue as most African countries, the politicians don't care for the ppl. They even colluded with powerful gangs to sabotage plans of political opponents or to supply them with weapons so they can keep terrorizing the population.

[@stephanebelizaire3627]

@@TheMissDebyluv Indeed !

[@100domathon]

Haiti has a very weak criminal justice system and that is largely due to it still being a very unstable country.

[@100domathon]

Atrocities in Haiti didn't end with Papa Doc. They continued with this son Baby Doc until 1986 and then under military rulers until 1994.

[@billiebleach7889]

The movie “Angel Heart” was about voodoo. Robert de Niro played the devil and Mickey Rourke was the Harry Angel character. And there was also Lisa Bonet who played Epiphany. Scary film

[@ravellxivrobinson4979]

If Simon had hair, He'd be a Dolcé&Gabana Model.

[@sumoking3002]

Yeah... a dolce and gabana hand model

[@roberw1912]

Papa Doc had a movie partially based on him. The James Bond film Live and Let Die.

[@cindysammy2513]

ummm.....VERY partial. The guy in the film was a part time drug pushing pimp in the US and crooked Ambassador in his homeland. His henchman/bodyguard Baron Samedi and the vodoo references were similar to the spiritual life in Haiti. However, the character Dr. Kananga/Mr. Big was nothing like Papa Doc.

[@dumpling321]

My mom was a missionary in Haiti during that time, she's talked about how bad it was

[@JohnDaker_singer]

My grandparents actually VACATIONED in Haiti in the early 70’s. I didn’t understand what an awful place it was back then. They really took a risk for low cost lodging.

[@Kris_Park_]

An awful place you say, have you ever been? Have you ever spoken to a Haitian person or really tried to learn about our plight. I don't think. However you feel confident enough in yourself and your ignorance to speak down on an entire group of people based on a video you watched and a vacation your grandparents took 50 years ago. You need to do better and be mindful of your words.

[@extragoogleaccount6061]

@@Kris_Park_ I've gotten to visit twice in my life. At first glance the plight of the country and rampant poverty was extremely hard to look beyond even though the island is beautiful but after a few days I began to see the beauty of the people there as well. Despite the conditions (area I was in was still recovering from the earthquake many years) many people seemed upbeat and the family structures seemed really strong. Had a lot of fun playing with the kids and even the young ones were wanting to help with even the most physical of labor.

[@JohnDaker_singer]

@@Kris_Park_ Were you there 50 years ago?

[@Kris_Park_]

@@JohnDaker_singer And are you Haitian? Have you ever been there at all? No, you're just a person who chooses to believe the lies told to you instead of using your own brain to seek the truth. But that's fine, ignorance is clearly bliss for you. Maybe we can have a proper conversation some day when you grow up and start thinking for yourself.

[@TheMissDebyluv]

Back then, despite the dictatorship the country was fairly safe. Due to them having an iron grip on the population, it caused that there was almost no danger. My mother recalls that despite the oppression being bad, you could safely walk around the streets and the economy was thriving. It is often like thar with dictatorships.

[@TheEvilCommenter]

Good video 👍

[@andymcneil7085]

Papa C***. Yet another excellent post. Well done you, Biograpics team”.

[@satansalley6526]

Keeps is working perfectly on your face🤜🤛

[@octaviopla5506]

Make a video of Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the 6th Secretary-General of the UN

[@Joedirt3349]

yo yo ma!

[@1heKing]

we'll grow oranges in alaska

[@williammurray1341]

Even in the US the most troubling words to hear are, "I'm from the government and I'm here to help."

[@xaviersantini8176]

That’s a sick name for a rapper

[@falconmclenny7284]

His Pac? None

[@xaviersantini8176]

@@falconmclenny7284 his real name Clarence

[@Bluesit32]

A disgrace to the Baron's questionable name. Baron Samedi's a nice enough Loa! Bring some cigars, a bottle of spiced rum and you might just get a favor out of him. Maybe. If nothing else, you can swap some raunchy jokes with him. He loves those.

[@WildMen4444]

Hail Baron Samedi!

[@cindys9491]

One book about the loa mentioned that Duvalier had claimed to be a devotee of (and practically impersonated) the Baron before himself passing away. The book said Duvalier was a lifelong worshiper, but said "it is doubtful that Baron Samedi returned his affection", or something to that effect. No way to know, I suppose.

[@athos1974]

Praise be to the Orishas. Ifa ❤

[@charlesbennett7484]

On a completely un related note, could you please do a video on Jim Varney? He wasn't just the guy who played Ernest P. Worrell, but he also did Shakespearian plays and other interesting things.

[@justinlast2lastharder749]

Most Famous for it though, and I'm halfway convinced Mike Rowe got his Start being his Body Double.

[@harrisonmiller6475]

Can you do a video on Nicole and Elena Ceaușescu?

[@evanblack20]

Never understand how not one single person will take one for the team and just shoot someone like this

[@NelsonDiscovery]

His son - for those in the know - was a great trance DJ. Produced some awesome tunes.

[@paulforder591]

An excellent mini--doc on Papa Doc (No pun intended!), the butcher of Haiti, nowadays almost forgotten. Well done, Simon. How about a profile of Baby Doc, his son and twit of a successor? 💀

[@JustKrista50]

Thanks Simon and Co! This was a sad one. It's always sad hearing about brutal dictators. The story is always the same. People ruled by colonial forces, stripped of their identity. Once the colonials have devastated the economy/environment, off they go. A non-political leader emerges. They're full of "nationalism" and prey on the people's desire to win back an identity denied them. It's a recipe for disaster, every time. Papa Doc was a brutal egomaniac. Slight correction: voodoo is an African religion. A collective of tribal beliefs that slaves held onto in an attempt to retain their heritage and home. You'll find voodoo, in some form, all across the globe in places where many slaves were kept. Yes, creoles practice it, but it's also in places where the French didn't occupy.

[@suhanhwang9988]

He who fights monsters are destined to become monsters themselves.

[@foam3132]

@@suhanhwang9988 not always, but it can happen

[@beno1129]

@@suhanhwang9988 You give Duvalier too much credit with that statement. As a leader, he never tried to fight monsters. Right from the onset he was always supported by powerful, self-interested groups (such as the army) until he became a powerful and brutal entity himself. Even his efforts towards eradicating yaws was due to the close monitoring of the eradication programme by the US who were funding it. Without US scrutiny the funds would have been mismanaged.

[@homuraakemi493]

"Off they go"? They murdered the entire white population.

[@lisapop5219]

I'm not sure how the nazis, bolsheviks, Italian fascists, & the pre ww2 Japanese etc fit into the thesis that dictators are the fault of colonialism. Saying that doesn't mean I'm pro colonialism because I'm not. History rarely ever conforms to if this happens you get this.

[@angiepangie2724]

The dictator videos are my favorite.

[@StefanMedici]

The Tonton Macoutes need their own Into the Shadows episode. Though I'm not sure I'd watch it.

[@TheMissDebyluv]

They seriously do. My mother told me sucj horrific stories of what they did to ppl. They would kill merchants that wouldnt give them free things. They beheaded ppl in the streets. They would always bring ppl in for "questioning " at their stations to torture them. My mother actually lived behind one of their stations (or "casernes" in creole) and she said that every day she would hear the screams of agony of the prisoners and the sound of the firing squad. She even got to witness some of the torture. I can't even write it out due to how horrific it was. They were pure evil.

[@nasthiadorval]

@@TheMissDebyluv my dad grew up during that regime and has told me some of the horrible things they did to ppl, the public beatings and whole families being wiped out in the middle of the night on suspicion of being against the regime. And the worst part was that they had secret service all over the country who would report people. So people were afraid to speak to each other about their discontent with the regime because you don’t know if they were secretly working for the government and could turn you in. It literally could have been anyone, the shoe shine boy, your local butcher or priest. What a terrible way to live.

[@loretta_3843]

I really enjoyed the Graham Greene book The Comedians set in Haïti during Papa Doc's rule. An insight into how amazingly frightening this period was!

[@johnstevenson9956]

I simply cannot imagine why a dictator wouldn't want his subjects to be prosperous and ecstatically happy. You know, like Walt Disney.

[@trajan74]

Qadaffi was such a dictator. For Aryans at least, so was Hitler.

[@hawkeyeten2450]

Wasn't that what Chiang Kai Shek usually was, as long as people weren't Communists? He was trying to modernize China, but Japan and later on Mao had other plans.

[@peterjones4180]

Disneys problem was that HE was plagued by COMMUNISTS, once they were removed things improved.

[@martinnjaga]

Poor people are easier to control than rich people.

[@malusignatius]

Because people in fear of something are easier to control. It doesn't have to be of the government, just some force that can be used to justify the government's ends.

[@kendrick10601]

Not mentionned here, but Duvalier and Barbot studied Machievelli's the prince together. Duvalier's entire behaviors can be traced to this book.

[@TheEtherealMind]

Peace papa legba, papa Bawon, manman Brigitte, papa ogou, papa damballah and all of my ancestors 🤍🖤💜💀☠️

[@CarloDRTrafficante]

Vagina tarot like seriously??? Well may mama Francisca papa candelo and all our African spirits guide n protect us

[@rinzo2009]

For Simon Sensei to say that there was no single nuance of good in Papa Doc, well, that seals the bloody deal.

[@Bitter-Lemon_1990]

😂

[@gustavoceballos5327]

Alternate: If Duvalier Dictatorship continues today: *Francois Duvalier “Papa Doc” (1957-1971) *Jean-Claude Duvalier “Baby Doc” (1971-2014) *Nicolas Duvalier “Millennial Doc” (2014-present)

[@SavoxYT]

Fun fact: Keeps isn't available in the UK so Simon couldn't try it even if he wanted to.

[@archipiratta]

Sounds like a business opportunity

[@kweenalize5455]

Just found your awesome content a few days ago and have been on a binge. I love history. It is so fascinating and intereting. Thank you 💙😘

[@jimmydepersis3130]

If you just found his channels, you've got alot a watching to do. Pretty much everything he puts out is gold. And probably by this time next year he will have enough channels to compete with Time Warner or Comcast.

[@nmm5214]

Nice to see a video about someone from the caribbean. Even though the caribbean is a small area. And this man was a tyrant. Can you also do a video on ANR Robinson? He helped establish the international criminal court and he is from tobago.

[@tanyanike]

Well done!

[@birdielein9636]

Every time I see Simon do a Keeps Ad, I literally can't imagine him with hair. He just looks so good bald. He's got a good melon for it.

[@lapensulo4684]

Thank you

[@SiincereARC]

I'm here to verify all of his Haitian facts.

[@rejvaik00]

How good of a job did he do?

[@SiincereARC]

@@rejvaik00 9 out of 10. There wasn't enough emphasis on the fact that just because he didn't side with the communists, America just looked the other way. But yeah, him and his son's reign was definitely a tough topic to talk about amongst some families because a lot of us weren't in support of him. Musicians from those 30 years of him and his son were too scared to make political songs because they knew what would happen.

[@cindys9491]

@@SiincereARC sheesh. Even the songwriters, eh? Insecure ego Duvalier had, most dictators have one.

[@twocvbloke]

Seems to be the standard story, pesron gets power, power corrupts, they're corrupted absolutely, they end up being the walking personification of pure evil...

[@GerSanRiv]

You really want to have content you can cross reference with Into the Shadows don't you Simon?

[@aronsaga6514]

you should do Marlene Dietrich or Aleksandr Vertinskiy

[@songohan3321]

I swear today's sponsor was definitely done to mess with you.

[@roygreen9834]

He doesn’t talk about the Reparations Haiti had to pay to France for ending Slavery on the Island.

[@jaycee330]

70 years worth.

[@ARIXANDRE]

These are fascinating but extremely difficult to watch over breakfast or lunch.

[@EAWanderer]

Not as bad as Pol Pot or Joseph Stalin mind. 😅 They killed way more...😈☠️

[@jggonzalez6299]

Finally been waiting for this one

[@CooltasticOG]

Old title: Papa Doc

[@piercethelutheran]

it's amazing how Simons stamina is always full. just look at his green stamina meter over his shoulder.

[@Lansky_TV]

Finally a video on Papa Doc. About time! 🇭🇹🇭🇹🇭🇹

[@Superbatmanbro]

🇭🇹

[@Jdrizzlenet]

Great Video 🗣🌏

[@rejvaik00]

Toussaint Louverture rolling in his grave with how the leaders of Haiti have treated their own

[@badhabit05]

Brooooooo thank you

[@GIBBO4182]

I thought this was gonna be about that guy in 8 mile…I’m out

[@GrievousReborn]

The enemy of my enemy isn't always your friend.

[@ampersandmcvinegar5681]

If it wasn't for the love of money, the world would have a much different history. 😔❤️

[@SuperGreatSphinx]

Avarice

[@trevorisle5462]

Excellent, terrible, enlightening and thorough. Thank you for the effort put into these vids. 👍🏻

[@nl3064]

1:10 to skip ad.

[@heyphilphil]

He went to Cranbrook. That's a private school What's the matter, dawg? You embarrassed? Papa doc? His real name's Clarence!

[@robdon3472]

I thought his real name was Clarence?

[@pyromania1018]

(Not-so-)Fun Fact: He briefly employed Johnny Abbes, the sadistic former head of Rafael Trujillo's secret police, the SIM, after the family was exiled from the Dominican Republic. But then Duvalier got suspicious and had him killed.