Yes, Cris, I have been here long enough to realize that the financial, political and social problems endemic to the Dominican Republic will not be solved in this generation. I just wish I were wrong.
And, we can offer solutions to all three problems 'til the cows come home, but we know , while doing so, that those solutions are wistful thinking on our part.
What I'm afraid will happen is that the country will be taken over by those who still think in terms of "reform" in the form of public ownership of all the factors of production and their distributive shares. That "dream" of society has failed in every country into which it has been introduced. China, North Korea, Viet Nam, Russia and others. In each instance, the population has eventually found themselves in worse straits after such a transition than they were in before such took place. It is also instructive to note that those nations have begun to embrace capitalism at last.
I find it instructive that those people who advocate such a society are usually from the more affluent segment and are acting out of a highflighty attitude of "I know better than the present leaders what the world needs".
We see MORE monopolism in such a society than in a capitalistic one. I think it is the forces of a free society, unencumbered by dictatorial federalism, that make the world go around. To each belongs the fruits of that labor by virtue of that labor. Not by the dictates of those who don't produce within the society. To remunerate a person according to his needs, regardless of his production in that society, is to undermine the basic tenent of humanity. Survival of the fittest is still the underlying reason for the success of the human race in our world. To deny that is to deny the truth of our present existance.
To those who would defame me for those statements, I say that the support of those who cannot/will not produce for themselves ,for whatever reason, is up to the family to support that person. Not the State. If that person has no family, then friends should band together to render that support. If no friends are to be found, well then, maybe we should ask ourselves, why bother? I'd hate to be in that situation, but I'm not my brothers keeper if he hasn't made the effort to provide for himself.
Texas Bill