When some foreigners compare and contrast the DR with the country they come from, they tend to use the lowest common denominator rule. If one policeman spends his gas money on a plato del dia, they all do. If one is corrupt, they all are. Not everyone feels this way and that certainly isn't the reality, but to swim upstream on a forum invites conflict as some have an opinion and they are sticking to it no matter what.
The DR has its good, bad and its ugly just like everywhere else. I do not see many of the issues raised by some, but then again I'm not putting myself in situations that invite exploitation. I'm not saying it doesn't occur, just that I have to work really hard to trip over it.
I feel for these victims of crime. It's tragic and probably completely unnecessary but bad things do happen from time to time and one needs to understand that the DR may not be paradise all the time for everyone.
RIP.
I think everyone will agree with the truisms you have stated, and may I add the sky is blue. The real question is, is this endemic to the society, or are people cherry picking incidents to reach their own pre-conceived biases.
Almost everyone started out with the paradise conception, and as bad things happened would say, well bad things happen everywhere. The point is the level of the bad and corruption, and that is the assessment that needs to be done.
The question comes down to who is the more informed and has come to the right logical conclusions, the one that sees the corruption and says it is not for them or the one that just says bad things happen everywhere.
Police corruption is everywhere, judicial corruption is everywhere, but the extent in the DR and the effect it has on the "gringo" that decides to reside there is much different. Does one wait to have the unbelievably horrible experience happen to them before they learn it is real, or can one see what is happening to others and come to conclusions about the situations they may end up in.
I find it interesting how people will point to others as being happy in the DR. Most people I've found like that were either experiencing senility or completely incapable of empathizing with others experience. One told me a story of how his completely innocent friend had to escape the DR after being in a car accident, but in know way could relate to him being in the same situation since it had not happened to him (yet).
Anyone can learn from their own experience, intelligence is learning from others experience and coming to conclusions prior to you having to experience it.
