Portside

According to leading Ebola experts, major cuts in funding from the U.S., Britain, and European governments to the World Health Organization (WHO) contributed to critical delays in responding to the Ebola outbreak in west Africa, which allowed the epidemic to spin out of control. Citing the international recession, Western governments dramatically reduced their contributions to the WHO, and also failed to implement much-needed structural reforms.

Last week Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier died, signaling the passing of the last Duvalier to rule Haiti. But corruption in Haiti is still rampant, and the U.S.-backed regime of President Michel Martelly uses the political toolbox developed by the Duvaliers to control the country. "Papa Doc" and "Baby Doc" Duvalier are dead; but Duvalierism lives on.