I have been to Haiti and the feeling was true desperation, hopelessness and misery and in the DR the feeling is survival and some comfort. I have been to parts of Africa to volunteer and the feeling is just pure third world where people have no internet, tv, running water, electricity at all, jobs or anything. Just these little huts and living off the land. They cant even dream of grabbing a computer or something and seducing foreigners. Far worse than the DR. I spent a lot of time in Puerto Rico and it felt almost the same as the DR. You get an average GDP of like 16,300 grand with US prices for homes and stuff and compare it to a GDP of about 10 grand with cheaper homes, they are very similar conditions and Puerto Rico is not anywhere near third world. Puerto Rico is 1st world.
- Thread starter SantiagueroRD
- Start date
Is the Dominican Republic a Third World Country?
The biggest issue I see in people's perception of whether the DR is moving forward or not, is that for many people progress is measured in terms of efficiency, orderliness, and a bunch of other things that are not a part of the Dominican DNA. I accepted this a long time ago.
The DR is developing, but its not going in the direction that would make it a mini-UK or a mini-USA or even a mini-Japan or mini-any other organized country. The DR is headed towards the way of Italy or Greece. Wealthy countries with a relatively high standards of living and yet, they are some of the most disorganized and corrupt countries in the developed world. People there throw garbage where ever (especially in southern Italy), they drive like maniacs, motorbike drivers were not too happy when a helmet law was passed in Italy and to this very day, plenty of people simply refuse to wear them. Nepotism is considered a good thing, the government is quite inept on so many levels, the Catholic church has great power, noisy, highly extroverted people.
In so many ways, Italy is a European and wealthy version of the DR. I see it as the future, for better or worse.
And I think that's the difference between the few that are positive on the DR and the many that are not. The first ones know that there are some things that will never change unless a dictator seizes power (the only time the DR has been quite organized as a society was under the Trujillo regime, before and after it has been a chaotic society and the fact that after Trujillo, all norms of organized living fell apart is a testament - at least to me - of the natural way of Dominicans as a people. The second group recognizes this limit, but they want the DR to become a much more organized and in some ways much more serious country, and despite the visible improvements in well-being and wealth (anyone that has been acquainted with the DR for more than a couple of decades knows the country has moved forward in terms of overall material well being), the lack of organization is what fuels their pessimism.
As for the whole 3rd world/1st world/whatever world argument, aside from the fact that those terms are obsolete, I don't really care much if the DR is considered a 3rd world country or not, now or in the future. As long as the DR of the future is better off than today, I'm content. I don't expect the disorganization, the corruption, and all the other things that makes the country what it is to change much, if at all.
If it does, I will be pleasantly surprised. But lets be realistic, that will not happen.
The DR is developing, but its not going in the direction that would make it a mini-UK or a mini-USA or even a mini-Japan or mini-any other organized country. The DR is headed towards the way of Italy or Greece. Wealthy countries with a relatively high standards of living and yet, they are some of the most disorganized and corrupt countries in the developed world. People there throw garbage where ever (especially in southern Italy), they drive like maniacs, motorbike drivers were not too happy when a helmet law was passed in Italy and to this very day, plenty of people simply refuse to wear them. Nepotism is considered a good thing, the government is quite inept on so many levels, the Catholic church has great power, noisy, highly extroverted people.
In so many ways, Italy is a European and wealthy version of the DR. I see it as the future, for better or worse.
And I think that's the difference between the few that are positive on the DR and the many that are not. The first ones know that there are some things that will never change unless a dictator seizes power (the only time the DR has been quite organized as a society was under the Trujillo regime, before and after it has been a chaotic society and the fact that after Trujillo, all norms of organized living fell apart is a testament - at least to me - of the natural way of Dominicans as a people. The second group recognizes this limit, but they want the DR to become a much more organized and in some ways much more serious country, and despite the visible improvements in well-being and wealth (anyone that has been acquainted with the DR for more than a couple of decades knows the country has moved forward in terms of overall material well being), the lack of organization is what fuels their pessimism.
As for the whole 3rd world/1st world/whatever world argument, aside from the fact that those terms are obsolete, I don't really care much if the DR is considered a 3rd world country or not, now or in the future. As long as the DR of the future is better off than today, I'm content. I don't expect the disorganization, the corruption, and all the other things that makes the country what it is to change much, if at all.
If it does, I will be pleasantly surprised. But lets be realistic, that will not happen.
I agree in part with NALS comparison of the DR with "wealthier" Euro countries like Italy. The only part I would leave out of the comparison is the "wealthy" part. I don't see the "wealthy" part coming to the DR in any near term. Of course I have only been involved with the DR for just over 10 years now so I may need more time to see reality here.
where do you get your GDP figures? the NOMINAL GDP of Puerto Rico is 23,000 dollars. the nominal GDP of the DR is less than 6 grand. i fully understand that because of the costs of living, the GDPPPP will be lower in PR, but Puerto Rico is a far wealthier state than the DR, in every metric. secondly, PR has to adhere to US standards in certain services, so is more advanced, as is to be expected. the post offices are considered a part of the US postal service, so your mail does not lie in the post office for 8 months. little things like that make a difference to developmental state. Haiti is worse than 4th world, the DR is 3rd world, no argument about it.
At least you realized what you said is hilarious. I was about to ask what color the sky was in your world. Telling Edenorte that there are people illegally connected and having them do something about it is beyond any realm of possibility. Several years ago they had a watchdog agency that attempted to disconnect those stealing electricity. They lasted about a year a failed miserably.
Edenorte already knows who is stealing and never do anything to disconnect someone unless you are a gringo and fail to pay your last months bill - Then watch and see how quickly they pull your meter.
The "Prosperity"of the DR, is, sadly, "On Loan" from many countries in the "First World"!!!!
They owe many "BILLIONS" of USA dollars in unpaid loans.
They also "owe" Venezuela's "Petro Caribe" 2 Billion us FOR "oIL" THAT IS FINANCED.
This will certainly lead to a big devaluation of the Dominican peso, and if "History Repeats It's Self", which it WILL,
the DR will have to default on,(Means Not Pay Back), on those loans.
Who will be the next country to want to bail the DR out????
The point is not weather "First World "advantages" are available here in the DR, they ARE!
But only to the very few who can afford to purchase them.
Get out of the cities, and into the "Campo", and you will find that people a living to day, just about the same as they have for centuries.
I could list all the "THINGS" that they "Don't Have", but I don't have the time, or interest to do so.
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They owe many "BILLIONS" of USA dollars in unpaid loans.
They also "owe" Venezuela's "Petro Caribe" 2 Billion us FOR "oIL" THAT IS FINANCED.
This will certainly lead to a big devaluation of the Dominican peso, and if "History Repeats It's Self", which it WILL,
the DR will have to default on,(Means Not Pay Back), on those loans.
Who will be the next country to want to bail the DR out????
The point is not weather "First World "advantages" are available here in the DR, they ARE!
But only to the very few who can afford to purchase them.
Get out of the cities, and into the "Campo", and you will find that people a living to day, just about the same as they have for centuries.
I could list all the "THINGS" that they "Don't Have", but I don't have the time, or interest to do so.
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"Some" of IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not ALL, but SOME!!!!!!
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Not ALL, but SOME!!!!!!
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Not sure if I understood correctly but ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)
Mexico : 14
Republica Dominicana : 71
GDP (in millions of dollars)
Mexico : 1,155,206
RD : 55,433
and just to clarify ... Im not Mexican
and I know for a fact they consider themselves part of the third world.
and just for the laugh and enjoyment :
THIRD WORLD - 96 DEGREES IN THE SHADE - YouTube
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)
Mexico : 14
Republica Dominicana : 71
GDP (in millions of dollars)
Mexico : 1,155,206
RD : 55,433
and just to clarify ... Im not Mexican
and I know for a fact they consider themselves part of the third world.
and just for the laugh and enjoyment :
THIRD WORLD - 96 DEGREES IN THE SHADE - YouTube
What percentage of homes have both hot and cold tap water(potable) and enough water pressure to take a respectable shower?
Pretty good indicator, as far as I'm concerned.
Pretty good indicator, as far as I'm concerned.
forget China. remember that the genius Leonel cast DR's lot with Taiwan in the dispute over which China should be recognized by the UN.
Right , it could be a way to partially measure country development but accepted facts to do it are :
1. Gross domestic product
2.Per capita income
3.Level of industrialization
4.Infrastructure (this is where hot water showers contribute)
5.General standard of living
The Communist Chinese Gov. cares much more about Trade $$$$$ than a position on Taiwan.
Does "Chavez" sell "OIL" to the USA???
Does the USA buy it?
"Nuf" Said!
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Does "Chavez" sell "OIL" to the USA???
Does the USA buy it?
"Nuf" Said!
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I work for Chevron and I do not like them importing from a person who hates USA
If the US applied such policies based on who hates them, there would be very few countries to import anything from...
To compare any two countries, you have to look at this information on a per capita basis. Of course Mexico has a much higher GDP, it is a much more populace nation.