Inefficiency of the Dominican Economy

[the gorgon]

* Hispanics prefer monomorphic leadership as opposed to the non-Hispanic preference of polymorphic leadership. This simply means that Hispanics tend to rely on one person whom they respect for advice in several different areas as opposed to non-Hispanics that tend to prefer leveraging many experts that are specialists.

why do you think that Leonel Fernandez cuts the ceremonial ribbon to every major project? how many other Presidents do you see doing that? anybody think that George Bush would be trekking across the USA to go and open an overpass in Boise?

 

[eurodominican]

You have to be careful here...you may be assuming that those Dominicans have already made it all the way to suburbia, where they may be living a quite middle-class life, in a nice house, with a decent car, decent schools, etc., etc..

The fact is that great many Dominicans living elsewhere are nowhere near that status...they may be living in a crime-ridden inner city neighbourhood, with poor services, struggling to make ends meet with a low-paying dead-end job, or 2!, etc...that reality may be quite different from what you have in mind...those Dominicans would easily return if they had a realistic chance...they don't in most cases...they are hoping to somehow manage to save up some money with which to start some type of business back home, but realise those savings have proven elusive...they may simply be stuck.

I'd say the vast majority of Dominicans who leave for economic reasons will want as a minimum retire back home...but would prefer to come back early with some modest capital to start some business...most will be reluctant to come back "empty handed", though, to basically start all over again.

I agree !!! In this book Oppenheimer revers also to South Korea on this matter.

I suggest everone to read this book; It will make a lot very logical:

"Basta de historia" from Andres Oppenheimer

 

[the gorgon]

You have to be careful here...you may be assuming that those Dominicans have already made it all the way to suburbia, where they may be living a quite middle-class life, in a nice house, with a decent car, decent schools, etc., etc..

The fact is that great many Dominicans living elsewhere are nowhere near that status...they may be living in a crime-ridden inner city neighbourhood, with poor services, struggling to make ends meet with a low-paying dead-end job, or 2!, etc...that reality may be quite different from what you have in mind...those Dominicans would easily return if they had a realistic chance...they don't in most cases...they are hoping to somehow manage to save up some money with which to start some type of business back home, but realise those savings have proven elusive...they may simply be stuck.

I'd say the vast majority of Dominicans who leave for economic reasons will want as a minimum retire back home...but would prefer to come back early with some modest capital to start some business...most will be reluctant to come back "empty handed", though, to basically start all over again.

in the beginning, maybe they entertain ideas of getting together some kind of nest egg, and returning to the DR for their later years. they get some sort of job, and manage to stabilize, somewhat. then, they have a brace of kids, if they did not already have them. they take the kids home for Christmas, to visit abuela, and they look forward to attending a few tipico parties, themselves. in 2 days, the termites want to go back to the Heights, because they have never seen a latrina, and are afraid that they will one day be attacked by a giant scorpion. abuela does not have cable, only a wire hanger sticking out of the back of a 17 inch tv. how can this be? doesn't everbody have plasma? how am i going to get MTV? and just what is this salami crap? where is my Oscar Mayer thick sliced bacon? you mean that i have to trek out in the mud with abuelo, while he digs up some yuca, and mess up my 175 dollar Reeboks? no can do. take me back to Audobon. the lights never go out there. now, what's a mother, or father, to do? can't just give them up for adoption, and return to Sanchez without them, can you?

 

[Lobo Tropical]

Dios Lo Quiere

You guys are putting way too much enphasis on the "si Dios quiere", "con Dios adelante", etc. These are simply idioms. They've been passed down from generation to generation. Back in the old days, people were very religious.
.

Well,

Let's say since the arrival of the Spanish.

Gracias a dios:classic:

 

[Dominicaus]

in the beginning, maybe they entertain ideas of getting together some kind of nest egg, and returning to the DR for their later years. they get some sort of job, and manage to stabilize, somewhat. then, they have a brace of kids, if they did not already have them. they take the kids home for Christmas, to visit abuela, and they look forward to attending a few tipico parties, themselves. in 2 days, the termites want to go back to the Heights

And what gives you the idea that the situation you describe is typical? Does every Dominican living abroad have to come back all the way to the rural area? Lots and lots and lots of people in the DR (most in fact) live in urban areas...and great many do have cable TV and a decent TV...they aren't that expensive...have you checked prices recently?...Electric service could be very bad in some areas at some times of the year, but quite tolerable in others...Dominicans typically have an iversor with some batteries to get by at least when the service is not horrible...There are also positive points...those winter blizzards aren't exactly fun, and again, they may not be exactly living the middle-class suburban life some of you may be consciously or unconsciously assuming.

 

[bob saunders]

in the beginning, maybe they entertain ideas of getting together some kind of nest egg, and returning to the DR for their later years. they get some sort of job, and manage to stabilize, somewhat. then, they have a brace of kids, if they did not already have them. they take the kids home for Christmas, to visit abuela, and they look forward to attending a few tipico parties, themselves. in 2 days, the termites want to go back to the Heights, because they have never seen a latrina, and are afraid that they will one day be attacked by a giant scorpion. abuela does not have cable, only a wire hanger sticking out of the back of a 17 inch tv. how can this be? doesn't everbody have plasma? how am i going to get MTV? and just what is this salami crap? where is my Oscar Mayer thick sliced bacon? you mean that i have to trek out in the mud with abuelo, while he digs up some yuca, and mess up my 175 dollar Reeboks? no can do. take me back to Audobon. the lights never go out there. now, what's a mother, or father, to do? can't just give them up for adoption, and return to Sanchez without them, can you?

Humourous and true for some, especially teenagers, but we have a number of Dominican American kids going to my wife's school and children are very adaptable. There are internet shops everywhere, lots of LCD, LED, and Plasma screen TVs and even many poor Dominicans have computers or access to one. The young guy below me is visiting from Florida and he loves it here. If it wasn't for lack of work $$$$ he would stay here forever. It's really the lack of opportunity that makes them want to leave, not the lack of amenities.

 

[pollogringo]

* Hispanics prefer monomorphic leadership as opposed to the non-Hispanic preference of polymorphic leadership. This simply means that Hispanics tend to rely on one person whom they respect for advice in several different areas as opposed to non-Hispanics that tend to prefer leveraging many experts that are specialists.

why do you think that Leonel Fernandez cuts the ceremonial ribbon to every major project? how many other Presidents do you see doing that? anybody think that George Bush would be trekking across the USA to go and open an overpass in Boise?

I saw him driven by on his way to an inauguration on August 1 somewhere around Moca as I was playing dominoes in the front yard(we won). Out in the middle of nowhere. I couldn't believe it.

 

[the gorgon]

And what gives you the idea that the situation you describe is typical? Does every Dominican living abroad have to come back all the way to the rural area? Lots and lots and lots of people in the DR (most in fact) live in urban areas...and great many do have cable TV and a decent TV...they aren't that expensive...have you checked prices recently?...Electric service could be very bad in some areas at some times of the year, but quite tolerable in others...Dominicans typically have an iversor with some batteries to get by at least when the service is not horrible...There are also positive points...those winter blizzards aren't exactly fun, and again, they may not be exactly living the middle-class suburban life some of you may be consciously or unconsciously assuming.

i have no idea what put your panties in a bunch, but that is the biggest problem facing people who migrate, then wish to go back home..THE KIDS!!!most people, by the time they have settled down , to any degree, have kids that are old enough to go to school, and who have seen how things function in the USA, for better or worse. this is not exclusive to the DR. it pertains to immigrants of all poor countries. if you are 40 years old, and migrated to the USA, or another first world country at 25, you will accept the lights going off every 6 hours, if you return. your 10 year old kid, who has never see a blackout, is not going to come back home with you, when the lights go out every time Big Papi comes up to bat.

 

[the gorgon]

I saw him driven by on his way to an inauguration on August 1 somewhere around Moca as I was playing dominoes in the front yard(we won). Out in the middle of nowhere. I couldn't believe it.

he was probably cutting the ribbon to some water fountain in the public library.

 

[Dominicaus]

...you will accept the lights going off every 6 hours, if you return. your 10 year old kid, who has never see a blackout, is not going to come back home with you, when the lights go out every time Big Papi comes up to bat.

Again, you are showing your big ignorance...I already answered the electricity issue...it depends where you are, at what time of the year, and whether you have an iversor, generator, etc...In some parts of the DR there is reliable electrical service...take it to the bank...choose where to live if you can afford it...there are also counter-measures you can take...inversores, generators, etc...so think of something else...As another poster pointed out children are quite adaptable...and heck...go back just a century or so and all of the sudden...NOT A SINGLE human being has electricity...believe me many people did live happy lives a hundred years or so ago...so, don't make it sound like no one can survive several hours a day without electricity (assuming you cannot afford an inversor or generator or to live where electricity is reliable)

 

[the gorgon]

Again, you are showing your big ignorance...I already answered the electricity issue...it depends where you are, at what time of the year, and whether you have an iversor, generator, etc...In some parts of the DR there is reliable electrical service...take it to the bank...choose where to live if you can afford it...there are also counter-measures you can take...inversores, generators, etc...so think of something else...As another poster pointed out children are quite adaptable...and heck...go back just a century or so and all of the sudden...NOT A SINGLE human being has electricity...believe me many people did live happy lives a hundred years or so ago...so, don't make it sound like no one can survive several hours a day without electricity (assuming you cannot afford an inversor or generator or to live where electricity is reliable)

Dominicaus, i am going to burden you with some troubling news. we are not living 100 years ago. children are adaptable, but not in all cases. there are millions of families stuck in the USA, and such places, because of simple things their kids have gotten used to, which are not readily available back home. not the least of these is SCHOOL. they do not want to go to some school where they are smarter than the teacher. yes, some families might have 24 hour electricity, and an inversor. others do not. the demographic that emigrates is usually from the lower rungs, and things happen to the best of folks. when last have you been to the Edenorte office, and seen the lines of people waiting to get their electricity reconnected? when some kid in the USA has internet, and wants to watch a video on youtube, he watches it. in the DR, i know of many people who need 20 minutes to download a 3 minute song. kids get socialized into the culture in which they are raised. some 12 year old kid, whose last visit to the DR was when he was 2, does not want mangu. he wants a Big Mac, and supersize the fries. and what is Pollo Fausto? why is there no Kentucky Fried on the next block? ok, if there is none, i will settle for a Wendy's burger. what? i have to go to the capital for that? take me back to the USA, tomorrow, or sooner.