here come the cheap shots from the " Naysayers "

The middle paragraph was inserted as a bait and as such is not attributed ,,,the people were actually chanting HAIL CAESAR

Progress. The traffic in SD is just brutal. Finally a beneficial government project.

the DR is being dragged into the 21 st century for good and for bad

Obviously, since the transport unions will boycott that overpass which is the work of their enemy the PLD government, traffic will flow like a breeze since no trucks or carritos or buses will use it.

I can't defend any politician as I believe that by its own nature and instinct politics is corrupt. However, I do feel that as a nation and culture we (Dominicans) need to start being more objective about what we say. While i can't put my hands on fire for Leonel I've witnessed him for 10 years and I do believe he is better than what we've had in the past. What's troubling to me is that Dominicans have become so blinded to good deeds that when they do happen we're not ready to recognize them. While LF and his administration does have its faults, we can't blame them for every little thing that happens in the country. This attitude is irresponsible and will have devastating effects on the people of the Domincan Republic as we are developing a culture where all of our troubles are blamed back to the government. We can't create a nation of responsible citizens until everyone plays its role and takes responsibilities for his/her own actions. We can't forget that politicians are....

Oh man - anything that speeds up traffic in Santo Domingo is a bonus. The Dominican is being dragged kicking and screaming into the real world.

...are a reflection of the people that they serve. If our politicians are corrupt, the people underneath them are just as corrupt (generally speaking). If you ever took one of those free bags of food that Balaguer was giving out (which I did) you are just as corrupt as the one giving the back for your vote.

@sanchezgp2001, I agree with you with earleir statement that you wrote, seems lie keverything wrong in the country they blame it on governmet or president Fernandez. Everything that he deos good they criticise him and the ywants the government to solve all thier problems. They can not find a job, they blame it on him, go to school and get a better education and qaulify yourself and you will get a good job. Like President Kennedy said before its not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country... stop complaining and do something.

They can not find a job, they blame it on him, go to school and get a better education and qaulify yourself and you will get a good job.,

NOT A BAD COMMENT.....
MOST LIKE TO PARTY ALL NIGHT LONG...WHY SCHOOL?
BIG PROBLEM IS THAT THE YOUNG MAKE HEROS OUT OF DRUG DEALERS AND LADIES OF THE NIGHT.
MOST KIDS I TRY TO HELP TOLD ME WHEN THEY GET OLDER IS TO GO TO NEW YORK CITY AND SELL DRUGS, FOR THE GIRLS THE HOPE WHEN THEY REACH 12-13Y'S THEY CAN BECOME LADIES OF THE NIGHT.

now your going to hear about but lots dont have the money to send their kids to school.
they also dont have money to pay for the luz, their rent if they have any, ect!
but always they have money for the pres. beer and diso's and all night parties.
this they have the money for.

Without getting too philosophical the biggest challenge in changing a behavior is the sacrifices that are required for such change. Culturally, it appears to me that Dominicans aren't to give up the freedom that a disorganized society affords them. While everyone wants stable electricity, security, well behaved politicians, no one is willing to pay the price for it. In other words, no one is willing to pay for the electricity bill that stable electricity brings, give up some of the freedom individual freedom that security requires and play by the rules that ethically behaving politicians will demand. In the end, la 'la cura resulta mas cara que la enfermedad' ('the cure is more expensive than the decease'). Net net, human behavior will only change when it is ready to rationally accept its evolution. Until that happens, we will continue to behave in the ways that we know and feel deeply comfortable with, regardless of whether we realize it or not. Like the saying goes..........

....'you can take a donkey to the river but you can't make him drink'

Bravo Sanchezzgp2001!

When Fernandez decides that Dominican women and girls have equal rights in Dominican society, then I will approve of him.

As it stands now, he has caved in to the Catholic Church, and as of last May, it is illegal in DR to have a safe procedure (an abortion), NO MATTER IF IT IS RAPE, INCEST, OR TO PROTECT THE HEALTH OF THE MOTHER.

This archaic and totally irrational law does nothing to protect the poor women and girls in the villages and barrios, from predatory sexual assaults.

And while I am here, let me say that this President does not and has not done ANYTHING about the pedophiles that are taking over the country. They are everywhere, and preying on young girls and boys, while the police look the other way. What is wrong with DOMINICAN REPUBLIC?

Mariposa,

Your points are noted and LF should move forcefully to change these archaic attitudes and cultural norms. But here we face the enormity of this process of modernization. I think LF wants to attempt this by way of greater interactions between Dominicans and the outside world. This process is not very fast and may well take a generation or more to bring about the kinds of international standards we would all, or let's just say most of us, want for the DR.

@danny00. You're completely right, most young Dominicans the only thing in thier mind is New York City. They feel as if when you reach the Big Apple all your problems are solve. They don't know what it is to live in another man's country illegal struggling. They see other Dominicans that lived in U.S.A when they come D.R on vacation spending money and all dress up, and they automaticall assumed that if you go to the States you will see money on trees and on the streets. Bullshit! Most of them don't want to go to school and only want to drink Brugal and Presidente but they are always complaining that things are hard in D.R and they have no money to pay bills but they have money to buy alcohol and spend on women at bars and discos. Same thing with young women, most want to find a rich man to take care of them or find a forieghner to take them to U.S.A or Europe.

Atabey,

Thanks for your comments. I agree with everything you said. But please keep in mind that LF is the one that helped to institute this harsh restriction on women's reproductive rights IN MAY OF 2009.

And my other point is that it is almost half a century since Trujillo was assassinated. Wasn't it May of 1961? It is now almost 2011. I, like you, want to see progress, but the only progress I see when I go to DR (I am there January through April of every year), is the increase in the wealth of the wealthy. There are no "restraints" on building, no zoning laws, tall towers going up where a medium-size home used to be, etc.

The country does not progress because those in power like the status quo. Keep the poor oppressed, and the wealthy will take care of themselves. It's a formula that is found everywhere in third world countries.

FIFTY YEARS, Atabey........half a century. If not now, when?

mari says ......." It's a formula that is found everywhere in third world countries. " ....you mean like Venezuela and Cuba and Zimbabwe etc.

Marisposa, as Atabey points out, I believe that LF strategy is to allow this process to naturally plays itself out in the international arena through cultural assimilation. One huge benefit that the DR has over other third world country is its exposure to more modern societies by way of immigration. A large % of our population lives outside the DR and getting exposure to other perspectives. The hope is that as a culture we can intelligently use this exposure to grow as a society. That being said, this same benefit, unfortunately, is also working against basic cultural developments in the DR. I fear (as someone one pointed out earlier) that as a society we've taken the easy road of giving up the present in the DR for an uncertain future in foreign lands. In other words, we have giving up building the future in our own land in favor of a dream visa. Before the DR can ever move forward this social/cultural condition needs to change. We will never see the light until..con't

...we're able to settle in our own home and see the real issues affecting us and our psychology. As a culture we have two options: either continue the blame game or take individual actions that will hopefully affect those around us and in time create a more consicious culture. Non of this will happen through external policies unless culturally we're also transforming ourselves. This is the reason why these things happen at a very slow pace and those of us waiting for a quick and game changing transformation will continue to be dissapointed. This is the reason why we have a need to see small gains, recognize them and embrace them when they show up. When we condition ourselves to see all as bad, we become oblivious to good deeds.

Thanks, Sanchez.

Thank you Sanchez.

Very insightful post. What I'm convinced of is this -- the Dominican people are always in fear of SPEAKING OUT against the "government". They fear for their lives, for some reason. That, to me, does not indicate a real democracy. The people in charge are the politicians (who are almost always corrupt) and the military who back them up (also corrupt), and of course the ruling elite class who are like the three monkeys -- see nothing, say nothing, do nothing.


Other than that, it's a GREAT place! A bit of sarcasm there, sorry. :-)

Thank you Mariposa and all others that commented. This is my first time posting my opinion and I have found really good points throghout...hope to see you all soon commenting on important Dominican issues.