5 Things I Learned From Ilana Benady's Dominican Culture Book.

[Dark_Scorpion]

Dark escorpion 'your' personal experiences and honesty on your post is commendable. It is easy to criticize your experiences from people that come from privileged back ground and whole family history.
We tend to be overly proud of our race accomplishments and cover some for their short comings... which you dont and in your case it seems you want to break the cycle of neglect and provide for your kids.

I can't believe it.......someone here actually understands me! Yes, you are right, that is exactly what I'm trying to say. I want to break this pathetic cycle of stupidity, ineptitude and mediocrity that has plagued my family/people for generations, and if I have to sever ties with them in order to do so, so be it! Everyone knows that eggs must be broken to make omelets!

 

[Dark_Scorpion]

At a minimum I envisioned them becoming doctors or successful lawyers, but here we are and neither one of them is interested in any of that.

Suarezn, so they're not interested in becoming doctors or lawyers......so they became scientists instead? Entrepreneurs? Government bureaucrats? Dentists? They did do something, right? They are contributing to society, are they not? Because my kids are going to do something, and whatever they do, they're going to be damn good at it. If they don't want to do anything with their lives, fine, I've already thought of that and I have contingencies set up. If my children turn out to be losers, I will deal with them accordingly.....

 

[porkman100]

This is one of the reasons why Africa is unlikely to advance. Have you ever seen the works of Jared Diamond? He is the guy who wrote the book Guns, Germs, and Steel. This book explains the truth behind why Europeans where able to conquer the New World and Old World. Diamond reveals that it has less to do with innate/genetic European superiority and more to do with the European geography. Put in simple terms, Europe, especially Northern Europe, is one of the best pieces of real estate on planet Earth.

I was playing this online game a few weeks ago, and another player on the game asked me where I was from. I told him I was in the Caribbean and he laughed and said he is so jealous of me, since he lives in cold and rainy Germany. I thought to myself, yes, Germany may be cold and rainy compared to the DR and Caribbean, but geopolitically and geography, Germany is superior to the DR and all the other Caribbean islands. This is why Germany is so rich while the Dominican Republic is poor, it isn't so much because Germans are superior to Dominicans, it is just that Germans just happen to have better land. Regarding Africa, it will be extremely difficult for African nations to advance because they lack navigable rivers and they are packed with rainforests and jungles. You're not driving an 18 wheeler through a rainforest, and the cost of clearing that rainforest or jungle to build a highway system would not only bankrupt the state financially, it could also have dangerous ecological costs. Tropical nations, whether in South America, Africa, or Asia, generally have a history of instability and chaos, just look at Columbia or Rwanda.

So.. escorpion how do you explain the caribenos cubanos represent 3% of the u.s. senate, and a bunch in lower house? when we are only a fraction of a fraction of u.s. population. And according to an old census ( cant remember the year) the average cubano made more than the average american (w..)

 

[Rumble2005]

Regarding African Americans, the USA is not really their country. You can't call a country "yours" when your people don't control the politics, military, or economics. Colon, if the USA was truly the country of African Americans, we would see Martin Luther King or Malcolm X or some other Black figure on the American currency........we do not. Black Americans are little more than a minority group living in a country where they have zero control over the politics or destiny. Black Americans did not write the Constitution or Bill or Rights, those documents were written by White American men. Therefore, the USA belongs to White Americans, Black Americans just live there and take up space.......

OK. I am Canadian, not American so maybe I am not as sympathetic to the social ills as I should be?
I can say as a Canadian I see the Queen of England on our currency. Do I like it? No. Does it effect my view of the world? No.
Get over who is on your currency, life is too short. If said currency pays the bills, move on.
Once again, I am not American but as an outsider I see that you have a white dude on your currency, you have a black president, you have at minimum, one black and one hispanic supreme court judge.
I am not trying to be difficult or argumentitive but I do not get your point. Perhaps it is just a cultural thing.

 

[Dark_Scorpion]

So.. escorpion how do you explain the caribenos cubanos represent 3% of the u.s. senate, and a bunch in lower house? when we are only a fraction of a fraction of u.s. population. And according to an old census ( cant remember the year) the average cubano made more than the average american (w..)

You answered your own question above, they are only 3 percent of the U.S. senate. The USA is a country of majority rule. Everyone knows that Whites run the USA, I really don't even see the need to discuss this further. Anyone who can't see that is either blind, stupid, or delusional. Who are the richest men? Who runs wall street? Who controls America's nukes and top secret weapons? Who are the richest families in the USA? Who wrote the Constitution and Bill of Rights?

I'm not being mean to African Americans, I'm just being brutally honest, as usual. Black Americans don't run jack in the USA, and they didn't found the country. Therefore...........it isn't theirs. Despite being born in America, I do not see the USA as being "my country." It is just a place I happened to be born. If I were Japanese I could call Japan my country. If I were Chinese I could call China my country. But as an African American, to call the USA my country is a bit ridiculous. In order for something to be yours you must run and control it lock, stock and barrel. The Japanese control Japan. The Russians control Russia. Italians run Italy. Black Americans do not run the USA therefore no, it is not ours.

This brings me back to the topic of this thread. Dominicans do in fact run their country(at least to a certain degree). A Dominican man or woman born in the DR could, in fact, claim the DR to be their country, because it was Dominicans who fought for their independence from Haiti. Dominicans write their own laws. Do not let Barack Obama fool you, he doesn't not have true power. If you know anything about American politics, you know that true power in the USA rest in the hands of the FEDERAL RESERVE chairmen, Ben Bernanke, as well as the Fed's shareholders. They have FAR more powerful then president Obama.

 

[suarezn]

Wow, this is one of the best posts I've seen so far! I've never considered that regarding daughters, you've allowed me to see this issue from a different level. And I've found that book you recommended above on Amazon, it has been added to my wish list.

Your last paragraph revealed something that I've also suspected as well, that environment plays a role in why Dominicans are the way they are. I've read some books by George Friedman, and he seems to hold the view that geography ultimately dictates the success or failure of society. In your final paragraph above, you state that you believe the ambiance of the Caribbean plays a role in the negative side of Dominican culture, since they don't have to save nuts for the winter. But let me ask you this, how is it that the Japanese have been able to do what they've done? Could it be because Japan is farther north and has colder winters? If so, what about Taiwan? Taiwan is an island nation that has made startling advances in technology. How have the Taiwanese been able to do it, but the Dominicans haven't? What are your thoughts on this. Will definitely read that book you recommended.

For the record I always save my nuts for winter...my winter trip to The DR that is...:cheeky::cheeky::cheeky::cheeky:

Scorpion: Believe it or not I actually get what you're saying and agree with some of your premises. Your issue as I see it is that unfortunately the world is not black or white as you're trying to approach it...there are many shades in between. Marriage as a business transaction? Sure it works in certain cultures and you're correct the divorce rate is a lot lower, but only because those women are not allowed (legally or through cultural pressure) to divorce. Ask them if they're happy...

It is true that in general people from the northern climates tend to be more industrious than us caribenos, thus wealthier, but are they happier? That's debatable.

A while back I saw a report of a "lost" tribe they had found in The Amazon. It occurred to me that to these people the world that we know doesn't even exist. They probably believe they're the only inhabitants on earth and probably think the earth is flat and there's nothing but unlimited jungle in either direction.

These people have never heard or can even envision any of the things we take for granted in our society. It also occurred to me that these people probably lived much happier lives than a great deal of us...Never having to worry about paying a bill, making money, their credit score, etc...so what if they never learned how to read or watched a movie or drove a car? These things they never saw or couldn't even imagine they will never miss. Their whole lives consist of being born, playing around, making sure they get enough to eat, having sex, hanging out and so on until the day they die...that's it.

We on the other hand spend our lives stressed out of our minds trying to "make it", to achieve that goal, to have enough money to pay that bill, etc...and in the end we will die just as well. Maybe our modern medicine will helps us live a few more years that these people, but in the end the same fate awaits...

 

[the gorgon]

You used the word "pussy whipping," and by doing so you confirm what I said in my previous post.......that seduction is the ONLY weapon women ultimately have against men. They have nothing else. A friend of mine always says that "sex is the only thing women have on us, and he is right on." Cleopatra gained her power through Julius Caesar, you think I haven't studied history? That is how she gained power, and most women who have gained power and wealth have mastered seduction and charm. So if I have a daughter, and I decide to teach her something, teach her the skills of seduction and charm. Hell, I don't even know how I would teach her that, which is one reason why I don't want a daughter.

Sons, on the other hand, you can really teach them some amazing things. Why? Because men don't have the restrictions in the DR that women have, and anyone here who thinks otherwise is just kidding themselves. All the cards in the DR are stacked in the favor of the man, which is why I'd prefer a son. A daughter wouldn't be the end of the world, I'd just have to totally change my plans for her upbringing. But I definitely wouldn't raise a daughter in the DR to grow up with that "strong independent woman" stuff, because it would only hurt her in the long run. Dominican society won't tolerate it.

how do you, as a man, propose to teach a woman the art of seduction and charm? it is like saying that you will teach your dog to bark in an intimidating way. to you, these attributes are abstractions. you understand their existences, and purposes, but have no idea of how they are accomplished, because you are a different species.

 

[the gorgon]

This is one of the reasons why Africa is unlikely to advance. Have you ever seen the works of Jared Diamond? He is the guy who wrote the book Guns, Germs, and Steel. This book explains the truth behind why Europeans where able to conquer the New World and Old World. Diamond reveals that it has less to do with innate/genetic European superiority and more to do with the European geography. Put in simple terms, Europe, especially Northern Europe, is one of the best pieces of real estate on planet Earth.

I was playing this online game a few weeks ago, and another player on the game asked me where I was from. I told him I was in the Caribbean and he laughed and said he is so jealous of me, since he lives in cold and rainy Germany. I thought to myself, yes, Germany may be cold and rainy compared to the DR and Caribbean, but geopolitically and geography, Germany is superior to the DR and all the other Caribbean islands. This is why Germany is so rich while the Dominican Republic is poor, it isn't so much because Germans are superior to Dominicans, it is just that Germans just happen to have better land. Regarding Africa, it will be extremely difficult for African nations to advance because they lack navigable rivers and they are packed with rainforests and jungles. You're not driving an 18 wheeler through a rainforest, and the cost of clearing that rainforest or jungle to build a highway system would not only bankrupt the state financially, it could also have dangerous ecological costs. Tropical nations, whether in South America, Africa, or Asia, generally have a history of instability and chaos, just look at Columbia or Rwanda.

do you think that it is superior land that explains why the Germans can make medical centrifuges and caribbean people cannot?

 

[Dark_Scorpion]

how do you, as a man, propose to teach a woman the art of seduction and charm? it is like saying that you will teach your dog to bark in an intimidating way. to you, these attributes are abstractions. you understand their existences, and purposes, but have no idea of how they are accomplished, because you are a different species.

You're absolutely right, and this is why I don't want a daughter, because I don't know how to teach her those things. But if I'm going to raise her in the DR, I don't know what other skills will be useful to her. We all know how Dominican society is regarding women. Any daughter I have here will be limited in the opportunities available to her. This is why I keep saying that daughters are complicated. The path for a son is clear cut, I know how to raise and teach a boy. But girls require special needs and I'm not even sure where to begin.

 

[Dark_Scorpion]

do you think that it is superior land that explains why the Germans can make medical centrifuges and caribbean people cannot?

I didn't know that people in the Caribbean don't produce medical centrifuges, but if that is true it doesn't surprise me. Indirectly, I would say yes. Germany was always destined to become a great nation. Like the other countries in Europe, Germany has excellent geography and river systems. This allowed Germans to build an industrial base which bought them the prosperity that allowed them to invest in a robust educational system. This robust educational system further allowed Germany to advance because it produced a skilled work force capable of advancing their industrial economy. Plus, because Germany has constantly faced threats from its neighbors, the country has been keen on keeping its military weapons up to date.

By contrast, the Caribbean islands have no neighbors who threaten them, so they've historically had no need to build up a robust military. Plus, most of the Caribbean islands are populated by Blacks who are the descendants of slaves, and as a result these Blacks have no real connection to Africa nor did they bring any capital with them to the Caribbean, which means they don't even have the capital to build up the tourism sector on their islands. This is one reason why the tourism sector in many Caribbean islands has been financed by foreigners rather than locals, simply because the locals lack the capital. A lack of capital means a lack of a robust educational system, and so on.

 

[Dark_Scorpion]

For the record I always save my nuts for winter...my winter trip to The DR that is...:cheeky::cheeky::cheeky::cheeky:

Scorpion: Believe it or not I actually get what you're saying and agree with some of your premises. Your issue as I see it is that unfortunately the world is not black or white as you're trying to approach it...there are many shades in between. Marriage as a business transaction? Sure it works in certain cultures and you're correct the divorce rate is a lot lower, but only because those women are not allowed (legally or through cultural pressure) to divorce. Ask them if they're happy...

It is true that in general people from the northern climates tend to be more industrious than us caribenos, thus wealthier, but are they happier? That's debatable.

A while back I saw a report of a "lost" tribe they had found in The Amazon. It occurred to me that to these people the world that we know doesn't even exist. They probably believe they're the only inhabitants on earth and probably think the earth is flat and there's nothing but unlimited jungle in either direction.

These people have never heard or can even envision any of the things we take for granted in our society. It also occurred to me that these people probably lived much happier lives than a great deal of us...Never having to worry about paying a bill, making money, their credit score, etc...so what if they never learned how to read or watched a movie or drove a car? These things they never saw or couldn't even imagine they will never miss. Their whole lives consist of being born, playing around, making sure they get enough to eat, having sex, hanging out and so on until the day they die...that's it.

We on the other hand spend our lives stressed out of our minds trying to "make it", to achieve that goal, to have enough money to pay that bill, etc...and in the end we will die just as well. Maybe our modern medicine will helps us live a few more years that these people, but in the end the same fate awaits...

The world is changing; I wouldn't say that death is inevitable. I have a book by Ray Kurzweil that might interest you, according to him, with the advances being made in technology, humans will have a life expectancy of 5,000 years by the year 2100. Your post above is based on current technology. However, I've recently received information from a very reliable sources which indicates that the fountain of youth has in fact been found, through stem cell technology. A new type of blank stem cell has been discovered/invented which can transform every organ in the body into the state they were in when you were born. It is really complicated and I don't want to get into the details, but these are special stem cells.

With this technology a 70 year old man can have the heart of an 18 year old. And if he can have the heart of an 18 year old then he can have the skin of an 18 year old since skin is an organ. That means aging can be stopped and reversed with this technology. And this is just the beginning, Kurzweil shows in his book that death will likely be defeated eventually, which would mean immortality for humans. Immortality has to be possible.......because if immortality where impossible then the human mind could never conceive of such of a thing. But overall I get what you're saying. Regarding marriage, it is good to be happy but the family lineage is more important than everything. I just think love and romance is overrated. I approach a relationship/marriage from a business standpoint, is this person or individual going to help me increase my bottom line, or lower it. Will my future step son better my daughter and family, or make it worse? What will he bring to the table? Women are just way to illogical and emotional to ask these questions when choosing a mate.........and that is why many of them end up single mothers raising kids by themselves.

 

[IslandDreaming]

Regarding African Americans, the USA is not really their country. You can't call a country "yours" when your people don't control the politics, military, or economics. Colon, if the USA was truly the country of African Americans, we would see Martin Luther King or Malcolm X or some other Black figure on the American currency........we do not. Black Americans are little more than a minority group living in a country where they have zero control over the politics or destiny. Black Americans did not write the Constitution or Bill or Rights, those documents were written by White American men. Therefore, the USA belongs to White Americans, Black Americans just live there and take up space.......

damm lazy "Blacks, " maybe someday the black population of the USA will wake up politically, maybe even in the next 100 years or so a Black man will be in consideration for President?

 

[Dark_Scorpion]

damm lazy "Blacks, " maybe someday the black population of the USA will wake up politically, maybe even in the next 100 years or so a Black man will be in consideration for President?

You just don't get it, do you? Are you really naive enough to think that Obama has real power? If you do then I must say you know nothing about American politics. The USA is run by men you've probably never heard of. Besides, Obama isn't really Black anyway, he is technically a mulatto, and I'm not the only Black person that feels that way. The man is a figure head, plain and simple. His term as president will do nothing for the Black American community.

 

[IslandDreaming]

You just don't get it, do you? Are you really naive enough to think that Obama has real power? If you do then I must say you know nothing about American politics. The USA is run by men you've probably never heard of. Besides, Obama isn't really Black anyway, he is technically a mulatto, and I'm not the only Black person that feels that way. The man is a figure head, plain and simple. His term as president will do nothing for the Black American community.

If "getting it" means developing your rather strange, no weird perspective, of life and world events, no I have not and pray to my God that I never do

Actually, I have a pretty good grasp of US Politics, before Obama's "term, during it and now during his second

To day he is a figure head with no power would certainly discredit an awful lot of people that are angry at proposals he as made and changes accomplished, but then again he isn't really "black" now is he?

In one post you complain about the cost of a haircut from your limp wristed barber, in the next you tell us how you will live forever with stem cell transplants. Were you and Michale Jackson room mates?

It appears most on this forum are stringing you along to keep up the fun while laughing behind your back at your juvenile and simplistic views on life, I will be the first to plainly say "You sir are warped" and in need of help!

 

[cobraboy]

Allow my daughter to chart her own course? HAHAHAHAHA ROFL! Oh yeah, sure, we all know where that leads.....to teen pregnancy! Or maybe a pimp will take her! I can't allow my daughter to chart her own course, young women aren't rational enough to do that, I will need to chart the course for her. I think the very idea that Western fathers allow their daughters to choose their own husbands is ridiculous, a lot of Asian and Middle Eastern men have sense enough not to.

Totally disagree.

If you imbue a solid emotional and intellectual foundation in her she will NOT be another teen pregnancy statistic.

She will chart her own course anyway and at some point there is nothing you can do about it short of shooting suitors.

The work comes when she's a young skull full of mush. If you don't do YOUR job there don't blame her for her decisions...

 

[dv8]

i think the best thing here is that kids so often, oh SO often grow to be totally different to their parents. the last laugh is on us, scorpio, the laugh is on us....

 

[Celt202]

Tamborista!

Are you out there? Could you arrange an introduction for Dasco with Boca Chica's Delores?

Delores is one of the more prominent characters in Boca Chica and is well known to anybody who has spent serious time there.

She is not to be confused with any other Delores' on the island.

 

[Criss Colon]

"DS", you are "Weird" to say the least, and insane to say the most!
I expect to read soon, your 100 page "Manifesto" on the internet.
Thank god, (Sorry Robert!) you are not a father, because you could never be a "DAD"!!!!!
I do admire one aspect of your ramblings, you are NOT "PC"!
I wonder what have been your life experiences to twist you into what you have become????
I am not angry with you, I am sorry for you!
There are a multitude of wonderful experiences in life, that you will not, and can not, ever experience.
I guess it's true,
"A Mind Is A terrible Thing To Waste"!!!!!!!!
Your "Hitler" comments are absurd!
It's like saying the "Newtown" monster was, "Nice To His Mum!"
May, "Someone" have mercy on your soul, and let you find some happiness in your future, 'cause it looks like your past has been unfortunate, VERY Unfortunate!
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[Tamborista]

Tamborista!

Are you out there? Could you arrange an introduction for Dasco with Boca Chica's Delores?

Delores is one of the more prominent characters in Boca Chica and is well known to anybody who has spent serious time there.

She is not to be confused with any other Delores' on the island.

Done, just send me the details, she is on Fayboo now, and has a whole new set of teeth and wardrobe, thanks to the internet.

 

[Dark_Scorpion]

She will chart her own course anyway and at some point there is nothing you can do about it short of shooting suitors.

You're giving me some dangerous ideas...........