Gary
I worked for Eastern Airlines back in the 40's at Hobby, Houston airport and recall an incident that has stuck in my mind ever since.
I believe it was Ibn Saud, then Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, who was visiting the various oil companies headquartered in Houston, who was REFUSED seating for his entourage in the Main Lobby of the Terminal because he was considered to be Black. He very politely allowed his group to be seated in an obscure area where the circulation of cool air was non-existant. He appealed to the management a little later for a change of location and was refused outright. I'm sure such treatment did not set well with him at the time, but he accepted such as part of OUR way.
When I hear about "human rights violations" supposedly perpetrated by others, I think about that demonstration of our own "violations". Additionally, it was only in the 20's that the US began to allow women the right to vote, hold public office, etc.
Then I begin to think about our society's subjugation and bellittlement of the former slaves and their subsequent anticedents by our society and think just what the He&& are we talking about when we accuse OTHER nations of "human rights" violations. We fail to remember that MLK led the "black" world out of subjugation just 45 years ago! So, I say, let's lean up our OWN act before we point our "holier than thou'er" finger at others!
So, in light of those scenarios, to name but three, I think our own "holier than thou" approach to human rights requires a very great deal of introspection before we attempt to force it on others. This whole scenario on human rights has it's place in the scheme of universiality, but must be viewed from the standpoint of being a very young movement within universal society that requires a great deal of cautionary implimentation.
"You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink".
Now, after that off-thread commentary, lets get down to brass tacks and discuss just what the DR has to offer to the rest of the World in light of it's economic recovery.
1) Farm products. The DR is primarily an agrarian society and has plentiful vegetables that can be canned and shipped to foreign consumers. It has a plentiful rice production capability which can overproduce and the surplus shipped to those same consumers.
2) Organically grown Bananas, melons, etc. that are currently being shipped in large quantities to both Europe and the US. That market can be expanded to other parts of the world.
3) An infant fish farming industry, which if properly managed and expanded, can provide for both the domestic and foreign market demands of those products. I know of a couple of guys in Luperon who have the business plan, the land committed, etc. and who are looking for investors for the project. If anyone is interested, contact me for reference.
4) Opportunities for foreign investors abound. This country is at the bottom of an economic situation which sends itself to a broad horizon of investment and future growth.
I could go on and on, but that would require a book to be written and i'm just not scholar enough to do that.
Think about these things optomisticaly. Pessimism is the road to failure, while optomism is the road to success. That's got to be a paraphrase by someone (?). Anyone know who???
Texas Bill