By Dr. Harrisson Ernest
December 18, 2025
In countless conversations on social media, on the radio, in courtyards and public markets, one phrase has become a recurring mantra to describe the disorder Haitians are living through: “The society has gone mad, yet it keeps moving straight ahead.”
Behind this expression lies a reality far deeper than it appears. It is not merely an emotional outburst, but a popular, concise, and yet disturbingly accurate analysis of a country moving along the edge of an abyss—without a moral compass, without collective direction.
If Haitian society is indeed “mad but determined,” where exactly are we heading? Toward what chapter of history is this train taking us?
- When Disorder Becomes Normal, Madness Turns Collective
There is a truth many prefer not to confront: in Haiti, disorder is no longer an accident—it has become an informal system of regulation, a way of life.
– Insecurity? “That’s normal; this is how the country works.”
– Impunity? “Everyone does whatever they want.”
– Political lies? “When has that not existed?”
– Reliance on force? “You need protection to survive.”
When such realities become normalized, it is no longer a few individuals who lose their way—it is the entire social system that breaks down. Ethics fade. Rules lose their meaning. Boundaries disappear. What was once considered “wrong” becomes acceptable because it is perceived as effective, practical, or strategic.
At this stage, madness is no longer episodic; it becomes the new normal.
- “Marching Straight Ahead”: A Collective Refusal to Face Reality
The expression “mad but marching straight ahead” describes someone acting irrationally while remaining convinced they are right. This perfectly captures Haiti’s current trajectory: a country on a destructive path, yet persisting as though no alternative exists.
This contradiction is visible in:
- elites who preach morality in public while negotiating with gangs behind closed doors;
- politicians who speak of reform while reproducing the same failed practices;
- a population exhausted by insecurity yet wishing violent actors would “stay to maintain some order”;
- citizens who denounce corruption while settling their own affairs under the table, because “everyone does it.”
Everyone knows where this road leads, yet society continues forward, head down and straight ahead, like a merchant fully aware he is losing the deal but still attempting one last move.
- When Everyone Is Right, Truth Disappears
Another clear sign of a society losing its bearings is the collapse of the distinction between truth and opinion.
– every group has its own political narrative;
– every sector its own version of history;
– every leader their personal morality;
– every gang its own justification.
The result is a country unable to reach consensus on anything: security, sovereignty, the rule of law, leadership, the future of children, or even what “normal” should mean.
A society incapable of agreeing on minimum principles cannot build anything sustainable. It becomes a battlefield of interpretations, where emotion replaces reason, conspiracy replaces analysis, and shouting replaces solutions.
In such a context, madness becomes the system itself.
- Three Possible Paths Ahead
If Haiti continues to move “mad but determined,” three major scenarios emerge.
Path 1 – Final Collapse of the State
If impunity and insecurity persist, if gangs continue expanding their control, if political and economic elites remain trapped in personal calculations, Haiti moves toward state disintegration:
– isolated neighborhoods,
– local militias,
– parallel economies,
– a state that exists only in official statements.
No country survives long under such conditions.
Path 2 – Social Explosion
When poverty, injustice, and frustration reach their breaking point, an explosion becomes inevitable. It requires neither a charismatic leader nor a structured plan—sometimes a single spark is enough. History shows that societies entering this phase take a long time to recover.
Path 3 – A Positive Shock
Some societies reach a moment when they collectively say, “Enough.”
– a genuine citizen movement,
– a shift in the balance of power against actors who sabotage the country,
– a minimal consensus around fundamental values: life, justice, security, dignity.
This requires a shock, a rupture with old practices, and the reconstruction of a collective moral framework that transcends individual interests.
We are not there yet. But this is the only viable exit.
- Haiti Is Not Mad — The System Is
Describing Haiti as “mad but marching forward” does not mean the country is hopeless. It means:
– institutions are disintegrating,
– leadership lacks coherence and accountability,
– collective reference points have vanished,
– oversight mechanisms no longer function,
– citizens adapt to chaos simply to survive.
These are symptoms. The real disease is the loss of collective direction, the absence of a shared national project.
- The Final Question
Can Haiti still return to the right path?
Yes.
But not through rhetoric alone, not through hashtags, and not through the same actors reproducing the same logic for the past thirty years.
Returning to the right path requires:
– moral reconstruction as a priority,
– a new consensus on the country we want to build,
– reclaiming public space from violence,
– restoring trust among citizens and across social classes,
– breaking with the culture of permanent improvisation—the “machi-machi” system—that has eroded collective values.
Otherwise, Haiti will continue moving straight ahead, toward a void that grows deeper by the day.
Dr. Harrisson Ernest
Political analyst and commentator on governance, security,
and Haitian diaspora identity
Physician, psychiatrist, social communicator, and jurist
📧 harrisson2ernest@gmail.com
📞 +1 781 885 4918 | +509 3401 6837
