Poverty is only relevant to the person in question, not to the person judging. Obviously what some of you consider poverty is not, and it does show the blinkered view some hav on the country and probably life in general.
I wear shoes as little as possible, I walk the dogs barefoot, I go to the Colmado barefoot, when I'm building something I work barefoot. Infact pretty much the only time I wear shoes is when I have to, to comply with modern society. My daughter plays in the street barefoot, and I prefer it this way. Shoes or not is a sign of poverty? haha, incredible.
I see people in poverty, but nothing I would consider serious, I don't see many people starving, no one dying from starvation (unlike the expat lady in Sosua not long ago as friends stood around and forgot about her). Yes kids die of neglect, occasionally, but this is life. I don't think people (even Doms) would consider themselves living in poverty if they had visited some other places in the world, opened their minds, see the big picture. I am not saying people have it easy, I am saying on the big scale of things, DR is not as bad as it could be or is made out to be. In general families always invite others to eat if they have nothing, in general will help their own if they can, a bed, a bit of work, food, even clothes. People help each other out. To me that is not outright poverty, it is shanty living, an entirely different thing altogether. Poverty is when there is no help, as no one has anything to help with, no homes, and no one who cares (elderly woman in sosua again) etc. Dirty clothes and no shoes is shanty, not poverty.
The people in Campo with very little tend to be happier than the general population with issues and attitude. So our opinion of what poverty is is irrelevant. I don't like this obsession we have with trying to make the rest of the world the same as what we feel is correct, who says so, because this is how modern society lives? I tell you, I go to the city and all I hear is how sh1t life is because they don't have enough money, can;t buy nice clothes blah blah blah. Go back to campo and people don't moan all day, they are not as exposed to the society people say is correct (Americanized), they don't see it and are not brain washed by it and so are rarely depressed for the same reasons of those who are exposed.
Before you start I am not saying that poverty does not exist, I know there is an issue in the country, and not something to be taken lightly. But the generalization that everyone from Campo with or without shoes or a flushing toilet etc is unhappy, living a truly pathetic life is simply arrogant and narrow minded. People live quite happily with very little, happier than many with a lot.
I wear shoes as little as possible, I walk the dogs barefoot, I go to the Colmado barefoot, when I'm building something I work barefoot. Infact pretty much the only time I wear shoes is when I have to, to comply with modern society. My daughter plays in the street barefoot, and I prefer it this way. Shoes or not is a sign of poverty? haha, incredible.
I see people in poverty, but nothing I would consider serious, I don't see many people starving, no one dying from starvation (unlike the expat lady in Sosua not long ago as friends stood around and forgot about her). Yes kids die of neglect, occasionally, but this is life. I don't think people (even Doms) would consider themselves living in poverty if they had visited some other places in the world, opened their minds, see the big picture. I am not saying people have it easy, I am saying on the big scale of things, DR is not as bad as it could be or is made out to be. In general families always invite others to eat if they have nothing, in general will help their own if they can, a bed, a bit of work, food, even clothes. People help each other out. To me that is not outright poverty, it is shanty living, an entirely different thing altogether. Poverty is when there is no help, as no one has anything to help with, no homes, and no one who cares (elderly woman in sosua again) etc. Dirty clothes and no shoes is shanty, not poverty.
The people in Campo with very little tend to be happier than the general population with issues and attitude. So our opinion of what poverty is is irrelevant. I don't like this obsession we have with trying to make the rest of the world the same as what we feel is correct, who says so, because this is how modern society lives? I tell you, I go to the city and all I hear is how sh1t life is because they don't have enough money, can;t buy nice clothes blah blah blah. Go back to campo and people don't moan all day, they are not as exposed to the society people say is correct (Americanized), they don't see it and are not brain washed by it and so are rarely depressed for the same reasons of those who are exposed.
Before you start I am not saying that poverty does not exist, I know there is an issue in the country, and not something to be taken lightly. But the generalization that everyone from Campo with or without shoes or a flushing toilet etc is unhappy, living a truly pathetic life is simply arrogant and narrow minded. People live quite happily with very little, happier than many with a lot.
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