How Dominicans View The President

[DR_DEFENDER]

that the Dominican citizen views the president as if what he says goes? Why is it that they don't do much to stop the catostrophies of the current government? I mean, the president came to power with the promise that he was there for the poor and who is going to be affected now with the increase of the tolls? The poor people of course because the cost of living is increasing. He (Hipolito Mejia) knowing this doesn't even seem to care. He talks with such pride as if no one can touch him. He seems to be so damn cocky it makes me sick to my stomach. He talks about how he is not scared about the huelgas as if to say that anyone who apposes him will be crushed. Who the hell does this campesino think he is. Is it not supposed to be a democracy? Does he think that only his opinion matter? I don't know but it seems to me as the Dominican people are just there to be pushed around. Are the people not informed? Do they not see it in the news? And if they do why don't they do anything about it?

How different it is here in the states. See, here the president usually tries to get the approval of the people when ever he wants to make a big decision but in the DR its f@#$ the people.

Oh yeh innocent and uneducated people

DR_DEFENDER

 

[KenoshaChris]

One Fact and One Opinion

Fact: They don''t sell very many newspapers down there because nobody cares to read them.

Opinion: The majority of Dominicans allow their corrupt government to push them around because they don't watch the news either. An informed population is a powerful electorate.

 

[mondongo]

Glad to see another Dominican get outraged at the pillaging and ransacking of the country at the hands of Mejia and his henchmen.

They dont think they are doing anything wrong. Take this quote from Rafael Calderon (elcaribe.com.do):

"No ha habido ning?n incremento real de la deuda externa."

That pretty much sums it up. They feel they have carte blanche to continue to rape the country.

They have also "negotiated" into the contract of the company that collects the tolls...that this private company has the right under law to raise tolls to ensure profitability. Last time I checked, free markets and capitalism do not ensure anyone a profit.

 

[Drake]

Newspapers

Totally disagree with your suppose KenoshaChris's fact. That they do not sell many newspapers in the DR. They actually don't have to. There are three or four free newspapers and many regular ones. Distribution is nationwide. Literacy is 84% and growing. Many people from all walks of life regularly read newspapers.

I think that the real reason why your average Dominican is so tolerant to Hipolito's brash comments and contradictory statements is that on the whole people trust him as being non corrupt and as having ultimately good intentions.

 

[Hillbilly]

Sorry Drake, you are wrong

Literacy here is maybe 54%....but if you ever travel on an airplane with a Dominican sitting next to you, you will be asked to fill out his immigration and Customs Declaration," because I forgot my glasses."

"The total number of papers published in the country of 7.5 million does not exceed 500,000-including the freebies..

HB

 

[jhm]

Re: One Fact and One Opinion

Fact: They don''t sell very many newspapers down there because nobody cares to read them.

Opinion: The majority of Dominicans allow their corrupt government to push them around because they don't watch the news either. An informed population is a powerful electorate.

they don't sell many newspapers because most of the population can't read. what are the most popular tv programs? the newscasters reading the newspapers in the mourning.

 

[Hlywud]

"Quote" the president came to power with the promise that he was there for the poor . LMAO "Every politician is for the poor in every country"
As long as they can make money from outsiders and get under the table graf, one politician is no better than any other. "All crooks" whether it be Hippo. Clinton, Bush or whoever,
I wonder how much they are getting from the latest promo for Shakira, when they could spend money for a domincan pretty face to do their promo video and keep some of your tax dollars at home.
Only the opinion of one but likely many have the same feelings.
A non dominican who loves the country but is getting really p.... off at the events that are taking place. "TAX TAX TAX" and some poor sob has to pay, eat rice and beans while the politicians feast on cordon bleu and champagne.

 

[KenoshaChris]

Tarjeta Verde

Filled out a few of those for a few people. May God bless those good souls. Literacy, Literacy Literacy!!!! Get ready, pretty soon again I'm going to start letting people know that they're cheap bastards if they don't donate to the Sosua area childrens' educational fund. Knowledge equals power.

 

[Mickey]

I would have figured 55% to be a reasonable figure too, but CIA Worldbook pits it closer to 85%, 82.1% to be exact. Their definition of literate is "over 15 years of age and able to read and write". To what extent though?

Other figures:
MS Encarta: 91%
World Bank Group: 82%
American Red Cross :82%

Again, the definition of literacy could mean recognizing a Presidente billboard or being able to sign your life away, who knows.

 

[richard]

Re: Tarjeta Verde

Filled out a few of those for a few people. May God bless those good souls. Literacy, Literacy Literacy!!!! Get ready, pretty soon again I'm going to start letting people know that they're cheap bastards if they don't donate to the Sosua area childrens' educational fund. Knowledge equals power.

For sure Chris. Here is the link for the Sosua Kids Association. Last year, thanks to the generosity of the local ex-pats and tourists they had almost 40 kids in school, so please, when you are in Sosua stop by at the Britannia Pub and make a donation.

http://www.geocities.com/sosuakids/;)

 

[jojocho]

My personal opinion on the topic

Amazingly enough dominicans are still living with the inheritance from the Trujillo days. During the dictatorship the figure of the president (in this case Trujillo) had to be pretty much worshiped as a god of some sort (there was an actual Balaguer poem called Trujillo and God, comparing them!!), and goverment decisions could not be criticized. Many families learned the hard way not to intrude in government affairs, and this produced a general state of apathy that has carried on until the present.

How much longer is it going to take the shake this off from our collective memory? I have no idea, but the only solution that I believe would work is educating the people about their civil responsabilities. I know this is not something easy to accomplish, but I'm gald to see that private groups such as Participacion Ciudadana and FINJUS are taking important steps towards a solution to these problems.

I will be moving back to the DR after spending three years in the US and I'm looking forward to getting involved with some of these initiatives. If someone knows of other groups currently dealing with this please send some information.

Regarding the literacy rates ...... I'm pretty sure that statistics are based on government information, which is rarely accurate. In your cedula it says (or at least it used to say) whether you could read and write, but this was determined only by your abbility to sign you own name, hence the high literacy rate reported. I think the current rate is probably hovering arround 60%.

 

[Criss Colon]

I think that the Dominican mentality of;"I need someone to take care of me"

Goes back to the time of my "Namesake" and the Spaniards who followed him to Hispanola.The "Patron" system.You are a poor ignorant worker on my farm.You do all the work,I take care of all your needs! I provide a "roof",food,and "protect" you from the "evils" of life.A culture of being self-sufficient was never needed here.The earliest colonizers of Canada and the United States had to be self-sufficient or they didn't survive!The slaves brought to the Carribean and to North America only served to re-inforce the "Patron" mentality in a new group of "forced" immigrants.This,"Suvival of the weakest" has brought us to the present situation in the Dominican Republic.The "Most Dependent" have survived and continue to reproduce in large numbers.The poor and ignorant Dominican "worker"!They think that once they are "hired" and show up for work you are obligated to take care of them.Look how the "Law" works in regards to terminating an employee.After 90 days of employment,if you "fire" an employee you have to give them severance pay.If they quit on their own you don't have to give severance.Reward the poor employee!The people are seeking their "Patron".The Political Parties fill this role for the vast majority of dominicans.The poor are looking for a few pesos and some food.The rich and educated are looking for that job,or perhaps 2 or 3 jobs,and the all important "Jepetta"!Life goes on in the DR,but it doesn't change very much!CRISCO

 

[jim mann]

WHAT????

Mickey, do you beleive all the CIA tells? Shame on you.

 

[mondongo]

Mickey, The CIA Fact book has the wrong number for DR GDP. They claim that it is ~US$40billion when its closer to US$20billion.

 

[Criss Colon]

The CIA doesn't include "Value Added"!

For the Trans-Shipping" of "Drugs"! About 20 Billion US per year! "NARCO" CRISCO

 

[melphis]

WOW!!!! I just stumbled across a thread that is touching 20 years old that is still active and it has so much political BS in it that I just had to comment on it.

The good old days I guess

It also had a comment from Criss Colon before he did the cccccccooolllooonnn thing ( I don't think I did it right).

 

[aarhus]

I think Dominicans have moved on a little since then. I came during Leonel and I sometimes think I wouldn’t have stayed if I had come here first during Hippolito even though I do find him entertaining at times and like his shirts.

 

[El Hijo de Manolo]

I think Dominicans have moved on a little since then. I came during Leonel and I sometimes think I wouldn’t have stayed if I had come here first during Hippolito even though I do find him entertaining at times and like his shirts.

Fernandez was President in the 1996 term as well

 

[aarhus]

Fernandez was President in the 1996 term as well

I came around 2005-6 and if not anything else Leonel at least seemed very calm and articulate.

 

[AlterEgo]

I came to DR under Balaguer. 😳

A different DR for sure.