FOX News' solution to the Haitian problem

[Chip]

It is kind of funny that this idea get's presented every so often - as if it would ever happen.

Imagine the Palestines and Israelis combining to forma new country - not!

Everybody too seems to forget Haiti and the DR are sovereign nations and don't answer to foreign public opinion - nor the UN for that matter.

 

[Adrian Bye]

i guess we just need to be more realistic.

1. the world has an outpouring of support for haiti which ends once its off the news.
2. political leaders of wealthy nations send as little as possible to satisfy the pledges they made during the news coverage
3. the ngo's come back and waste more money
4. haiti goes back to normal
5. the rest of the world goes back to normal

a bit sad, but i guess thats how it is.

 

[suarezn]

I'll hijack this thread for a bit to honor our founder and my hero Juan Pablo Duarte. My hero because he was a guy who gave it all so we could have a country and who took nothing in return, unlike everyone else since then. A guy who could have had a very comfortable life (He came from money), but gave it all up for what he believed. Thanks to him we're now having this discussion instead of just being "The Poorest Island Country in the Western Hemisphere"

Here's a poem he wrote while in exile (Sorry in Spanish).

LA CARTERA DEL PROSCRITO
Cu?n triste, largo y cansado,
cu?n angustioso camino,
se?ala el Ente divino
al infeliz desterrado.

Ir por el mundo perdido
a merecer su piedad,
en profunda oscuridad
el horizonte sumido.

Qu? triste es verlo pasar
tan apacible y sereno,
y saber que all? en su seno
es la mansi?n del pesar.

El suelo dejar querido
de nuestra infancia testigo,
sin columbrar a un amigo
de quien decir me despido.

Pues cuando en la tempestad
se ve perder la esperanza,
estr?llase en la mudanza
la nave de la amistad.

Y andar, andar errabundo,
sin encontrar del camino
el triste fin que el destino
le depare aqu? en el mundo.

Y recordar y gemir
por no mirar a su lado,
alg?n objeto adorado
a qui?n ?te acuerdas? decir.

Llegar a tierra extranjera
sin idea alguna ilusoria,
sin porvenir y sin gloria,
sin penares ni bandera.
Juan Pablo Duarte

 

[Adrian Bye]

this might be sacrelige to say, but 150 years ago when duarte was around
- the US was in civil war
- slavery was standard
- the english were fighting the opium war with china
- haiti was a relatively powerful country

things have changed a lot since then

 

[bilijou]

this might be sacrelige to say, but 150 years ago when duarte was around
- the US was in civil war
- slavery was standard
- the english were fighting the opium war with china
- haiti was a relatively powerful country

things have changed a lot since then

Out of the 4 points you mentioned above, only 2 are relevant. 150 years ago a "merger" would've been more feasible than now. The eastern side would've benefited from merging with a richer country. The blacks who made up a considerable chunk of the population in the eastern side would've benefited from Haiti abolishing slavery.

Even then, DR opted to stay poor and independent. The blacks in the eastern side, against conventional wisdom, fought in independence against the Haitians because they shared little in common with them aside from looks. The only thing that's changed in 150 years as that each country has grown even more culturally different.

 

[Chip]

Even then, DR opted to stay poor and independent. The blacks in the eastern side, against conventional wisdom, fought in independence against the Haitians because they shared little in common with them aside from looks.

While this may appear odd to many foreigners, the majority of "blacks" on the eastern side no doubt were mixed mulattos like you see today and even more influential was that they were no doubt Catholic, in addition to speaking a completely different language and having different customs. Therefore they would have rejected any culture that wasn't similar and especailly one with a "false" God by Catholic standards.

Also, if people still think they should have identified with the "blacks" of Haiti, they should look at Africa's checkered past with it's "ethnic" cleansing and numerous divisions. Nigeria today is a good example of this. This idea that all "blacks" are of one mind is basically an American idea, not something that applies to many other areas in the world.

 

[Big_Poppi2]

I think a lot of times, articles are written out of a lack of either understanding or knowledge of the place of which they are written. I am glad that everyone, mostly around the world have decided to help the Hatians in there most darkest hour, but we will see how far the aid goes when time goes on and the hatian people still need our help. Hati you are in my prayers, and God bless everyone that is helping them!!!
Biggs

 

[Borg]

There is also the point, that no one has mentioned, with regard to this ridiculous proposal. "Like a business merger", he says...can any body mention one single thing that Dominicans would benefit from such a merger? Just one please. No need for paranoia here, NO ONE would take such a proposal seriously.

 

[suarezn]

There is also the point, that no one has mentioned, with regard to this ridiculous proposal. "Like a business merger", he says...can any body mention one single thing that Dominicans would benefit from such a merger? Just one please. No need for paranoia here, NO ONE would take such a proposal seriously.

One word...COCOMORDAN

http://www.dr1.com/forums/men-mars-women-venus/81326-cocomordan-discussion.html

 

[domr21]

good facts / mercy college clown

Yugoslavia... didn't work.

Czechoslovakia... didn't work.

"Original" South Africa.... didn't work, Namibia got away.

Indonesia.... didn't work, extremely tiny East Timor literally fought its way to freedom from Indonesia.

Malaysia before the 1960s... didn't work, they actually expelled Singapore from the union, it was that bad.

"Original" India.... didn't work, Pakistan and Bangladesh needed to be on their own.

Are we seeing a pattern? :tired:

BTW, I find it interesting how almost everyone that mentions one of the two countries not agreeing to this, the one that always is mentioned is the DR. Last time I checked, Haitians don't really want their country to be merged with the DR either.

very good factual information. thanks.

mercy college clown: in journalism there is a principle which says that "who says something, is more important than what is being said". no offence to the graduates of mercy college, but the fact that this part time "professor" is from this almost irrelevant institution means that his views are not worth discussing (he is probably trying to call attention to himself with such a nonsense). this clown is aware that there is no better topic to get the passions in both countries going, which cannot come at a worst time, as the focus must be helping out haiti and nothing else.

 

[Willowtears]

This articles sounds like a task-force after-school program put together by High School students to teach them how to think outside the box.

You can't teach and old dog new tricks - Dominicans cannot change Haiti's culture and patriotic Dominicans will certainly not change their culture to accommodate Haiti's need.

It's the most ridiculous proposal I have read. I give this professor an "A" for creative writing.

 

[NALs]

mercy college clown: in journalism there is a principle which says that "who says something, is more important than what is being said". no offence to the graduates of mercy college, but the fact that this part time "professor" is from this almost irrelevant institution means that his views are not worth discussing (he is probably trying to call attention to himself with such a nonsense). this clown is aware that there is no better topic to get the passions in both countries going, which cannot come at a worst time, as the focus must be helping out haiti and nothing else.

Well, not being familiar with that institution ignited my desire to learn more about it, and this is what I found.

Mercy College a Tier 4 school, nuff said. The school is not even ranked.

Not that the students from Mercy College are bad, but for reasons that will not be explained here, its clear that its not "top quality" as say a Tier 1 or "mediocre quality" Tier 2 or even "less-than-mediocre" Tier 3 school.

Now that I have a better understanding of his educational background, everything seems to make sense. :cheeky:

BTW, no offense to the alumni of Mercy College. The guy from the article is simply not the best representative for what your alma mater probably stands for, that's all.

 

[Adrian Bye]

Now that I have a better understanding of his educational background, everything seems to make sense. :cheeky:

by that metric, pretty much everything from the DR should be ignored since it is a third world country. I guess this might include anyone dominican?

 

[cobraboy]

Well, not being familiar with that institution ignited my desire to learn more about it, and this is what I found.

Mercy College a Tier 4 school, nuff said. The school is not even ranked.

Not that the students from Mercy College are bad, but for reasons that will not be explained here, its clear that its not "top quality" as say a Tier 1 or "mediocre quality" Tier 2 or even "less-than-mediocre" Tier 3 school.

Now that I have a better understanding of his educational background, everything seems to make sense. :cheeky:

BTW, no offense to the alumni of Mercy College. The guy from the article is simply not the best representative for what your alma mater probably stands for, that's all.

In that case most grajuates of higher edumacation in the DR should be mocked...

 

[Chip]

Nals

I checked the link you provided and the webpage, usnews, notes that Mercy College is actually among the best tier 4 colleges.

In other words, where they went to school is mostly irrelevant, as most universities have a diverse student body anyway. Throw in too the amount of pc propaganda proliferated by news agencies about the whole Haitian-Dominican issue and it's understandable that people will come up with apparently "good" solutions.

 

[cobraboy]

The author of the Op-Ed did not attend Mercy College. He teaches there part time.

Here is his bio from the Think Tank he co-founded:

Daniel Rodriguez is Founder and Managing Partner of MGR Group, a marketing, media and government-relations firm that provides strategic and crisis communications counsel and solutions to businesses, as well as campaign management to elected and non-elected individuals. Mr. Rodriguez is also Senior Vice President at Prestige Media Inc., a full-service advertising concern specializing in out-of-home programs. Before founding MGR in 1994, Dan held various Executive positions in marketing, corporate communications and government relations at Gannett Co., Hughes Television and PBS. He also worked on the staffs of Congressman Ben Gilman, Senator Daniel P. Moynihan, and Senator Alfonse D’Amato; as well as with various New York State and Westchester County governmental organizations. Dan brings extensive experience in government and the role that financial regulation played in the crisis of 2007-2008.

Dan is a graduate of Fordham University, where he received a Bachelor’s in Communication, and in 1991 he was awarded a National Urban Fellowship, making him the youngest recipient ever to receive this prestigious award. As a NUF Fellow, Dan obtained a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Baruch College’s School of Public of Affairs.

Hard to call this guy a dunce.

 

[Adrian Bye]

I'd certainly welcome seeing bios from "NALs" & "domr21" who were questioning this guy's credibility

 

[? bient?t]

If some of you knew ALL the criteria used to rank schools, you wouldn't be mocking those ranked at the bottom. Parents worry about it, but some college professors and administrators don't buy the hype.

NALs, you're SOL, since Wikipedia may not tell you how it's done. Poor guy. Tanta vaina, pero pa' na': amolando y siempre boto.

 

[? bient?t]

Hard to call this guy a dunce.

Agree with you. And before anyone disparages Baruch, I'd suggest they look it up.

 

[ExtremeR]

Andy Dauhjare, the economist who almost brought the DR to the ground graduated in Harvard.

But the guy of the article is clueless to say the least, he stated in that article that the west side of Hispaniola Island was once dominated by the British before the French regimen.