new DR citizenship

AlaninDR

Mr. Chunky Skin
Dec 17, 2002
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135
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Just as a point of curiosity I wonder if any expats that talk, debate and comment about the state of affairs (political, legislative and economic) in DR have become citizens willing to be active in changing policies or trying to make an impact on DR. Is there any validity to the statement "if you're not part of the solution then you're part of the problem"? Do the DR citizens that have moved to other countries but retain their citizenship still vote in DR elections? Is there a such thing as absentee voting in DR? It seems to me several posters that complain the loudest haven't even bothered to legalize residency even though they live in DR full time. Perhaps they just want to live out their remaining days in paradise inactive except for the occassional bitch session. It makes no difference to me if women come for sankies, men come for puta's or if you just like the climate. There is a choice or reason for every person.
My own shallow reasons are because I like coconut palms, Presidente beer, the investment opportunities and the climate. DR beats Texas in winter and summer, no contest.
Once again, i'm just curious.
American by birth, Dominican citizen by choice. Purple party
 

Amber

New member
Jan 24, 2003
318
2
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Purple Rocks!

To answer your question about Dominican expats, if one was born here then became citizen of US, one has dual citizenship while on DR soil, with right to vote as any other citizen. All I had to do was take out a cedula and presto.
 

Jigglebelly

New member
Aug 12, 2003
46
0
0
what for?

I honestly cannot see any advantage to going through the trouble of acquiring DR citizenship for most expats. Permanent residents have all but the right to vote.

There may be the occasional American millionaire, who would find a DR passport useful for investing in countries that would routinely refuse his business. For anyone else, I just dont see the sense. You do not gain much domestically and visa free travel is very poor.

Is there some other reason to gain DR citizenship, that I have overlooked?
 

Keith R

"Believe it!"
Jan 1, 2002
2,984
36
48
www.temasactuales.com
Scott, why are you going for citizenship? I thought you were content with residency, saw no real advantage to citizenship. Did I misunderstand some of our past conversations, or maybe Alzheimer's is hitting me?:confused:
Best Regards,
Keith
 

goatfarmnga

Bronze
Jun 24, 2003
548
0
0
OK I will get residency..

Residency should certainly be enough..What was I thinking? Confused as usual! Pam
 

AZB

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
12,290
519
113
One advantage: no renewal of the residency every 2 years. This alone will cost you a whole day's trip to santo domingo and money and bribes, maybe even a lawyer.
You will be able to vote (like it really makes a difference).
 

AlaninDR

Mr. Chunky Skin
Dec 17, 2002
702
135
63
Re: what for?

Jigglebelly said:
I honestly cannot see any advantage to going through the trouble of acquiring DR citizenship for most expats. Permanent residents have all but the right to vote.

There may be the occasional American millionaire, who would find a DR passport useful for investing in countries that would routinely refuse his business. For anyone else, I just dont see the sense. You do not gain much domestically and visa free travel is very poor.

Is there some other reason to gain DR citizenship, that I have overlooked?

I wanted the right to vote and have at least a small impact on my future as opposed to sitting idly by complaining about things I cannot change. Too often there is complaining by those that have no solutions. Perhaps in the future there will be a place in public office for me. I'm sure stranger things have happened although I can't remember any. Being proactive rather than reactive.
 

Criss Colon

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
21,843
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yahoomail.com
"Get Real"!!!!

Who would want to be a Dominican Citizen,if you weren't born here??? How can you pledge "Loyalty" to two countries??? Is that a "Mormon Citizenship"? Cris
 

Jigglebelly

New member
Aug 12, 2003
46
0
0
Being proactive rather than reactive.

As an American, it would be prudent to recognize the nativist consensus that has been building in the US for years. I think it is too much to expect Congress to resist acting upon it.

It used to be that, if you acquired another citizenship, then you would be stripped of your American citizenship. That was found to be unconstitutional, but nothing would prevent Congress from disqualifying you from recieving Social Security benefits. Social Security is on shakey ground, as it is. Trimming its rolls will become increasingly attractive to the politicians.

For the rich, it is next to impossible to lose American citizenship. The government wants to continue to tax you. For the not so rich, it would make more sense for the goverment to push you out the door.

Be careful.
 

AlaninDR

Mr. Chunky Skin
Dec 17, 2002
702
135
63
Re: "Get Real"!!!!

Criss Colon said:
Who would want to be a Dominican Citizen,if you weren't born here??? How can you pledge "Loyalty" to two countries??? Is that a "Mormon Citizenship"? Cris
Evidently me for one.
I see no conflict that would test my loyalty to either I.E. choosing one country over the other.
I simply believe in supporting the place of my residence. I can always move if my thoughts, beliefs or requirements change.
 

Pib

Goddess
Jan 1, 2002
3,668
20
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Re: "Get Real"!!!!

[B]Criss Colon[/B] said:
Who would want to be a Dominican Citizen,if you weren't born here??? How can you pledge "Loyalty" to two countries??? Is that a "Mormon Citizenship"? Cris
Wow!

I tell you how I see it. Flag-waving is BS. I was born here. I have my family and most of my friends here. I like the weather, the climate, the culture, the people and I am USED to living here. I pay taxes, I respect the law, and I enjoy the advantages (few or many, depending on how you see it) of having been born here. That is as far as I go. Patriotism? Pledges? Feh! I am a country of one, I pledge allegiance to myself and the people I love, not to the piece of land that I happened to be born in.

Don't mistake me. I love it here, that is why I am here. Trust me, I am not tied to this country, although I didn't chose to be born here I've CHOSEN to STAY here. Sometimes that choice have meant that I've given up other things that had been dear to me.

IF (humongous if) I chose to live in another country I will still love this one as much, BUT I will try best I can to let my voice heard wherever I am (If I am contributing to a society they might as well listen to me). As things are today one has to be at least citizen of that country to have an opinion that goes beyond words: you need to vote.

I don't think myself, or anyone who's switched nationalities as traitors, they are just real. Papers mean little to me. In a perfect world people like Chirimoya and D.D. (whom I know well) and Criss Colon (whom I don't know so well) should have more of a right to vote than I do for all the reasons listed above.

Believing, as AZB does, that voting is something to be taken for granted, or that has little influence on the outcome of things, is what put us in this mess in the first place. The people who were informed and that contributed somethig to this society didn't frigging get off their sorry a$$, and now roll over and play dead. They deserved whatever %!%$@# they got.

Now I will pick my soapbox and go see if the power is back.

YMMV
 

Chris

Gold
Oct 21, 2002
7,951
28
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www.caribbetech.com
Voting???

Where should I vote?

Born South African, a US Permanent Resident, lived in South Africa, Zimbabwe, the UK, the US, the Turks and Caicos Islands and choose to live in the Dominican Republic for the rest of my life.

My husband, (born in the US from a Swedish Immigrant father, and a Daughter of the American Revolution Mother) lived in South Africa, Sweden, Germany, Japan, India and Ethiopia.

Between us, five children (three adopted). Two children in South Africa, one black son a converted Muslim with an Indian wife, one daughter a black South African Xosa. One son in the US (irreligious), one daughter in New Zealand (anti-religious) and one daughter and granddaughter with us in the DR (too young to have figured out what their religion is).

One sister in Dubai, one sister in Scotland and one brother in the US.

To paraphrase Pib - We're a country of many. Family reunions put the United Nations to shame. The only difference is that there is "much more luv".

Why should I vote?
 

AlaninDR

Mr. Chunky Skin
Dec 17, 2002
702
135
63
Re: Voting???

Chris said:
Why should I vote?

I only speak for myself. I vote so I can ethically complain about the government. I have the right to vote so I use it. In a small way I feel i'm in control of my destiny. Many people do not exercise their right to vote and in my opinion it removes their right to complain about the elected officials.
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
17,850
982
113
Think globally, act locally!

Thanks for the 'vote' of confidence, Pib.

Chris, your life story sounds as complicated as mine - I hope some day we can sit down together and compare experiences.

The right to vote in the Dominican Republic would be a welcome thing for me, and although I would vote I believe that none of the current main parties has the courage to make the real changes needed - namely breaking the cycle of clientilism.

There are things you can do without voting that have more effect, in my case one of the things I have done is to offer my services to organizations that are working to reform and modernize the political system.

I so agree with Pib about our nationality being no more than an accident of birth. We are all citizens of the world and the sooner we realise that the quicker things will improve.

Chiri
 

Chris

Gold
Oct 21, 2002
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www.caribbetech.com
I think these days that even the act of voting lends legitimacy to a process that is corrupt from the gound up - and this happens just about everywhere. Does anyone here feel that the next DR election lineup supplies the voting community with a real choice? Or is it a fact of who is the best in amongst a pretty dismal lineup? The lesser of the evils, instead of the best of the best? Ever thought what would happen if no-one turned up to vote? And the population stood steadfast in a demand for honorable politicians and people to step up to take leadership so that there is real choice? And not just election promises and false retoric?
 

AlaninDR

Mr. Chunky Skin
Dec 17, 2002
702
135
63
Chris said:
I think these days that even the act of voting lends legitimacy to a process that is corrupt from the gound up - and this happens just about everywhere. Does anyone here feel that the next DR election lineup supplies the voting community with a real choice? Or is it a fact of who is the best in amongst a pretty dismal lineup? The lesser of the evils, instead of the best of the best? Ever thought what would happen if no-one turned up to vote? And the population stood steadfast in a demand for honorable politicians and people to step up to take leadership so that there is real choice? And not just election promises and false retoric?

So not voting would do what?
Actually to me there is a real choice, I support Lionel. Why would anyone out of the loop want another four years of hippo?
Pure symantics on "lesser of the evils" and "best of the best". Hitler is not running against Stalin nor is Washington running against Lincoln.
If no one turned up to vote, then they deserve whatever is served to them. They had the opportunity and chose to ignore it.
If a population stood steadfast, who or how would a person take leadership? Wait for a coup to take place? Maybe communal living or anarchy?
 

Pib

Goddess
Jan 1, 2002
3,668
20
38
www.dominicancooking.com
[B]Chris[/B] said:
I think these days that even the act of voting lends legitimacy to a process that is corrupt from the gound up - and this happens just about everywhere. Does anyone here feel that the next DR election lineup supplies the voting community with a real choice? Or is it a fact of who is the best in amongst a pretty dismal lineup? The lesser of the evils, instead of the best of the best? Ever thought what would happen if no-one turned up to vote? And the population stood steadfast in a demand for honorable politicians and people to step up to take leadership so that there is real choice? And not just election promises and false retoric?
With all due respect Chris (and trust me, this is not clich? :) ) your position seems a little naive to me. I can find a zillion flaws in Democracy but I can find 10 times more in any other system of government that humanity has implemented. There is not such thing as a perfect democracy. Let's just be glad that at least we have that. Not voting is just as bad as voting for the wrong person. IMHO that is. YMMV and all that.