only Fisher , the english ambassador who was promoted beyond his abilities has stated otherwise..but yet the British are ignoring him and increasing investment here ,,The French ambassador ,who is a most charming person and who works in the French embassy and consulate that have been restored beautifully in Zona Colonial , speaks from what she sees and her response is positive. That is what I see also ..a country with a solid future!!

not exactly the best photo op to endorse a business climate...lol

I guess it all boils down to the color of glass from which things are viewed. Having a positive attitude lets you see things from a different perspective. Looking through "rose-colored glasses" is an optimistic way of looking at the situation of the DR.

But our country is essentially a paradox, full of ironies and incongruencies, a place that while standing at a stop light you can observe a horse and carriage waiting side by side with a very expensive Ferrari. You can ask the opinion of ten different people with regards to the Dominican economy and you will get 10 different answers. It is even evident here on DT, each and every posters will give their own interpretation and all make valid arguments. But in the end it all depends on who you are and how things affect you directly. Remember history always written by the victors. One thing I believe is true, there are a terrible lot of lies going about the DR, and the worst of it is that half of them are true.Just ask Josean.

The picture shows how any foreign investment in the DR has to be protected from greedy Dominicans and the left wing spinners like Ricardolito.

They mistakingly used a photo of the military unloading their coke shipment.

She's an ass!

yes guillermone...the DR is a country full of contradictions, and of contrasts in every sector and section and of inconcruent events and actions,,,and I wonder if that will ever much change and if the country is better being Dominican rather than a mirror of another country .We all say there are many things we hate here buttaaaaking the general picture , you have to deal with the problem areas and enjoy everything the country has to offer ..
The Dominicans are tigueres ,in different degrees but if you can get past that , a wonderful life is here for a fraction of the price you pay elsewhere.
However there is one area that HAS to be fixed and that is the legal system from top to bottom

that is what i see also ..a country with a solid future!!

ok! if u say so it must be true?
please list a few postive things {going in the right direction} that tells why u made this comment.}
i see it a lttle different why?
no real police force,no education for the young, no real leaders in the government.{at least a few that dont steal},, its the every man for himself thing and when getting a job in the government, well as they say "its my time to make some real money now"}.
new malls like the blue mall, choo choo trains {going no where with very few to ride them} some new hotels-------so what?
where ever u look today its technology......... if the dr literacy {which the new pres said will he gone by the year 2014....... really? is that just talk? or will he put this hugh effort for this to even begin for this happen in the dr?

the dominicans are tigueres ,in different degrees but if you can get past that , a wonderful life is here for a fraction of the price you pay elsewhere.
gas and food is more in the dr. then in many other places, people that play their f%&*ing music as u very well know this all night long and dont give a s....... about the next guy, barking dogs and car alarms blasting all night long, try and cross a street s........t they will run u over with their suv' not much elec. in the dr and u have and ever will have any real friends in the dr its the money and greed game played by most in the dr this is why every home,apt
are covered for protection with bars and gates. {i did not cause this to happen most dont like what i have to say... u know why the bars are their dont u?.....
more later......for my fan club....
chief danny00 speaks the truth.....

fraction of the price you pay elsewhere

man dont listen to this s.... u are going to pay a hugh price and it could not only be money iam talking about..... local domicians run evey day from this hell-hole... boats leave every day going or trying to go to puerto rico
price is right? not on this show....

choo choo choo train.
all aboard suckers......

Choo choo, did you take your Med today?

What a LOSER, your hoby is to hate on us, then again, you can help it, that's what Haitians do when it comes to D.R. and everything good that happens here, by the way, how's life at Overtown your neigborhood?

I agree, DR can be a wonderful place to invest and to live, but right now there is too much uncertainty when you ponder what our future might hold. Will we continue to give away our resources like we are doing now with our gold? Will we continue to allow foreign enterprises to set up business without paying a fair amount of taxes? Will political corruption continue to plague us in the future? Will Fernandez be re-elected again? Will our education system be significantly improved? Because I have to say a very large percentage of our students lack the ability to even read and write properly which means that the future generation will be semi-illiterate as well.

I love my country, but i am also a realist...

The last time French Troop were in Dominican Soil was 1809, we cut head, kill over 1500 French and we neglected to claim independents, Thank you Juan Sanchez Ramirez.
Batalla de Palo Hincado 1808

telemeco-Do you propose we do the same again, but expecting different results- "cut their heads and burn their houses"?

The French Hate the Anglo Canadians so THE ENEMY OF OUR ENEMY is currently our Friend nothing more or nothing less!

The French would have more credibility if they Retuned all they Stole from Haiti and took on their historical responsibility towards their former Colony which they Raped and now looks to DR to Dump its Poor!

guillermo, i was stating a historical fact, If Juan Sanchez Ramirez will have declare Independence them, we MIGHT no have the Haitian invasion 15 year later. i think the French have come a long wait since they were here, we just have to live with the living reminder of they past mistake with our neighbor to the west

Firstly the french do NOT hate the french canadians...you only have to see so many french tourists in Montreal to realise it is the opposite ,,that is simply not true ,,Secondly the Haitians gained their independance . Much of the alleged rape of Haiti by the French was in fact a negotiated settlement at the time of Haitian independance when Haiti paid a large amount to France as a form of compensation for French settlers who were to leave .
Notreally on the subject but necessary to correct some facts

The payment was 90 million gold francs which is the equivalent of about 17 billion dollars now ...many countries wanted France to repay this after the earthquake

Dominicana keeps moving ahead !!!!

With or without Barrick Gold !!

An endorsement of the D.R.s investment climate by the French is like an endorsement of press freedom from the North Koreans

by: josean,=4****s

I believe Josean said:"The French hate the ANGLO CANADIAN not FRENCH CANADIANS.
I don't know where you get that Haiti had to pay France 90 milliom gold Francs,when France pulled its troops and dependats out because they were needed by Napoleon in the Crymeas.
The bastion ammunition and weapons were freely given away to Mexico,Gran Colombia for its
independence,left behind by its troops with a small garrison to cover the entire Island.That is when the Haitians marched on us being also under French rule.The Dominicas felt betrayed by
Simon Bolivar who turned his cheeck away in exchanged of Haitian caches of Fernch made,top of the line tweapons .Without those weapons LA would had never being free Where would Haiti find 90 millions gold Francs as war reparation?or as you say compensation?

Good one, jasfalon! :-D

Unemployment in France is 10.6 according to the French Government, Most reputable reports put it at closer to 20%

You want accolades or advice from those people?

F the French.

The only thing they know how to do well is to surrender to the Germans.

Mr T ,,,the original demand was for 150 million gold francs and this later reduced to 90 million and the threat was that if it was not paid Port au Prince would be put into toal ruins , The amount was more than Haiti had...The figures are in all French and international history books and King Charles was immensely happy .
As to the French in war , I believe they have decalred more times than any other nation and have the lowest winning percentage

Big difference is the FRENCH are bribers and bribe takers historically. No wonder she would find that normal behavior.

I'm one of those die-hard optimists. The reason being, that not all one sees or hears, represent the true reality of the situation in hand.
One attribute in many a wealthy person, (not that I am), is the ability to see things in Technicolor. Things are hardly ever black and white. There are aspects of it revealing shades of gray and other colors.

There is obvious beauty and ugliness in mostly everyone and everything before us. What we choose to see depends much on how we feel and experience life in general.....I love my DR, warts and all....

I believe we're on the right path to a better, happier future.

Ricardito:
I believe King Charles was not longer in the throne of France but Napoleon who had requested that The Emperor of Haiti be brought before him in a cage,which they did. if you remeber your history.

@TMR-Where would Haiti find 90 millions gold Francs as war reparation?or as you say compensation?

You are absolutely correct. Initially France demanded reparations of 150m francs in gold. Haiti did not have the money to pay, but got into debt because it had no choice. After a dramatic slave uprising that shook the world, and 12 yrs of war, Haiti finally defeated Napoleon’s forces in 1804 and declared independence. For the freedom gained, it basically had to mortgage their future which in part is the root cause as to why Haiti remains the poorest country in the western hemisphere.

Although in 1947 it finally paid off the original reparations, plus interest, in doing so it was left destitute, corrupt, disastrously lacking in investment and politically volatile. Haiti was trapped in a downward spiral, from which it is still impossible to escape. As a consequence, it remains hopelessly in debt 200+ years later, never fully able to recover regardless of paying all obligations to Fran

@Ricardolito-"the original demand was for 150 million gold francs and this later reduced to 90 million"

It was again reduced to 60m francs in the 1830s, but it was still far more than the war-ravaged country could afford. Haiti was the only country in which the ex-slaves themselves were expected to pay a foreign government for their liberty. By 1900, it was spending 80% of its national budget on repayments.

guillermone:

What I don't understand is why would Haiti be forced to pay France 90m gold francs,when it was

Napoleon's small contingecy that was beaten after pulling its troops to fight the Russians.The

French were irradicated from Haiti and had to run to DR.So where does King Charles come to the

picture in all these? Unless France was asking for war reparation in the name of Napoleon after

he was beaten and all the munition and military equipment Haiti gave away to the AMERICAS?

Another possibility is all the damages that Haiti inflicted on to DR for 22 years then Saint

Dominique part of France ,combined with all the weapons given away that was not theirs.If the

latter is so then all the LA countries starting with Venezuela ,Mexico that beneffited from those

weapons cache should had help Haiti pay for the war reparation.

guillermone,
Some nice writing - was it all yours?

anthonyC,

states
"An endorsement of the D.R.s investment climate by the French is like an endorsement of press freedom from the North Koreans."

Agree
Also after WW1, when the other allies were prepared to go easy on Germany regarding the reparations, it was France who insisted on them being paid, creating economic hardship on many Germans, and the seed-bed of discontent for Hitler's Nazi Party to grow.

It was basically extortion. The French extorted the money from Haiti and after 12 years of war it no longer had the strength to fight any further and pretty much gave in to their demands.

The idea was initiated by the former white plantation owners who suffered millions in losses after the slave uprising and encouraged Frace to invade Haiti and re-enslave the Blacks. France issued the Royal Ordinance of 1825, which called for the massive indemnity payments.

In addition to the 150 million franc payment, France decreed that French ships and commercial goods entering and leaving Haiti would be discounted at 50 percent, thereby further weakening Haiti's ability to pay. And to further impress the seriousness of the situation upon the Haitians, they delivered the demands by 12 warships armed with 500 canons.

To make matters worse for Haiti, the French anticipated and planned for Haiti to secure a loan to pay the first installment on the indemnity. Haiti was forced to borrow the 30 million francs from a French bank that then deducted the management fees from the face value of the loan and charged interest rates so exorbitant that after payment was completed, Haiti was still 6 million francs short.

Roy:

Bull, It was Hitler that was not too happy with WW1 war reparation by all the allies as a group.Sure
the armistice was sign in the same truck France was forced to surrender in WW2. Same as the re-armament of Germany after WW1,size of army,military equipment to be used and size.All that was thought by British Prime Minister Churchill half Gringo and half Limie,a veteran of WW1 also.
How come when Hittler requested a loan for war reparation and to get Germabny on its feet from RuthChild Bank,Churchill refused ?

The 150-million-franc indemnity represented France's annual budget and 10 years of revenue for Haiti. One study estimates the indemnity was 55 million more francs than was needed to restore the 793 sugar plantations, 3,117 coffee estates and 3,906 indigo, cotton and other crop plantations destroyed during the war for independence.

When it became clear France would no longer be in a position to further expan in the Western hemisphere, they agreed to sell the Louisiana Territory, an area 74 times the surface area of Haiti, to the U.S. for just 60 million francs, less than half the initial Haitian indemnity.

Even though France later lowered the indemnity payment, the cycle of forcing Haiti to borrow from French banks to make the payments chained the Black nation to perpetual poverty. Haiti did not finish paying her indemnity debt until 1947!

@Roy-"Some nice writing - was it all yours?"

I wrote a paper about Haiti and the DR while in college. I saved it on disk, copied and paste parts to help respond to TAR. I wrote it years ago and unfortunatley I can't specify which was quoted. But I can provide the references use. However, there is neither the time nor the space to do that here.

But most of it was my writing and believe me it took months of research and editing before I was able to produce a final product. I can assure of one thing, I do not have the level of skill to present the kind of work seen here at the speed, accuracy and output quality with just a few minutes to post. If I could, most definitely would not be on this forum, but rather at the employ of some major publication being reasonably compensated.

By the way, I did get an A- for the paper although I thought I deserved an A+ but regardless, I was still just as happy as a pig in mud.

Mr Guillermone:

After all said and desputed ,you deserve my respect and hope you stay with us as a Historian !

Thank you

Thelmo

Thanks MrTMR-You also have my respect as well, because you also bring a high level of expertise to the table in your specialization. But in terms of being a "historian" I appreciate the compliment, I am humbled, but it was only a college paper on a subject matter I was extremely interested. Outside of this area, I am probably no different and just like everybody else, still learning

Nevertheless, because of the knowledge gained, I got a different perspective on Haiti. I no longer directly blame them for their stations in life. My new awareness made me realized that it was not necessarily because of fate, because they are a majority black nation, not due to character flaws, the practice of vodou or witchcraft, but rather a consequence of socio-economic, political and the highly explosive historical dynamics that has transpired for the last three centuries on this one third island nation, but most importantly "the general hostility and unfairness of the universe" and France behind.

Mr Guillermone:
I also showed some interest in Haiti's history. To find out it was the second to declare independence in the Western Hemisphere and first LA country to do so. Noticed I did not say
Ibero_American.To find out the greatest writer of those days was born in Haiti under French
dominium(Victor Hugo),gives us something to think about. The only thing us as Dominicans
have against them were the 22 years of uppression under a tyrany of (Black Superiority) which
did not help them to gain favoritism in Europe.
As you well know after studying in this country we were told the "Monrroe Doctrine" was to keep the Imperialist Europeans out of the Western Hemisphere.What happened in Haiti's case ?
Were they the forgotten children,just because of their color? To the present were send to DR
instead of giving them visas to better themselves in developed countries such as Canada,USA,
Germany,France.It makes you think they are not wanted ,not even by their BIG BROTHER.....

Furthermore,

When Dominicans become free from Spain in December 1821, Boyer soon invaded in 1822.

Boyer's idea of invasion, was in relation to the Haitian debt with France.

By invading the Dominican side he would gain the economic means to pay France,

by forcing us to pay that debt.

Reason why immediately after the invasion,

Boyer raised the taxes upon Dominicans, as a measure to recuperate war expenses,

and (to increase the funds to pay off or acquit the debt with France.)

Taxes that steadily increase during the occupation period,

and which the commercial elite of Santo Domingo, where so much against.

Against that heavily imposed burden, that was not ours to pay,

but had been indirectly imposed upon our people.


Similarly, it is happening today,

we are being forced by the international community,

to carry the heavy burden of Haiti's misfortune.

Proof of that is, Dominicans spend RD$1,004 billion in health care, for illegal Haitians

The answer and the solution will always be the same:

Expel all illegal Haitians from Dominicana now !!!!

rokete-Although I sympathize with your feelings and I also agree to the solution, yet no matter how much we scream and hard we try, there are greater forces at work, but it seems to fall on deaf ears. I neither see the will nor resources of the DR govt to completely rid Haitians out of our country.

I am one of those voices that you think, has no effect and is falling on deft ears.

That is wishful thinking Guilli gumbo.


You will be surprised, when the (((camiona))) starts ridding again full of Haitian illegals,

towards the border.

There is already a movement, that you don't know about,

more powerful than you wish to believe.

Working under the shadows, like the Trinitarios,

to get Haitians illegals out of our country soon.


P.S. Thank you for your comments in this forum,

this adds to the fire, and wakes many compatriots Dominicans,

to the reality or point of view of Haitians like you.

Have you not notice that France, is still directly or indirectly against Haiti's well being.

Wishful thinking means, the US and French Canadians,

your big advocates, are losing economic power.


Dominicans main advocates are France and Britain.

Let me refresh your history:

The first nation to endorse Dominican independence was Britain in 1844,

followed by Argentina and France.

There are new challengers, confronting the US in the international arena,.

that are defending DR on the subject, specially France, Britain, Germany, Italy, Spain and all of Latin America.

Also Brazil, China, Japan, South Corea, Russia, many Islamic Nations,

and other countries, are challenging the US and Canada on the subject.


So don't sing your victory song, as far as the international community is concern.

The US and Canada are not the world.


Furthermore, your Jamaican advocates,

are not going to solve your problems,

when the ((Camiona)) rides again.

I agree with Ricardito the future of the DR is bright. Let's hope that the political climate is steady and maintained otherwise foreign investors will look somewhere else.

rokete,
Agreed, USA and Canada are not the world, but perhaps the two most important countries for the Dominican Republic?

RoyStone

That is only true if we let it be.

Things change in this world in the blink of an eye.

I intent to keep working, on making a change of direction.

Making Dominicans more aware of better choices of commercial partnerships.

Such as with Germany,Britain, Poland, Japan, Scandinavia, Ireland and Russia.

Like it or not, rokete,
USA is still the most powerful country by far, militarily and economically, and happens to be very close geographically.

According to the UN, the biggest economies by GDP are:
1 United States 14,991,300
2 China 7,203,784
3 Japan 5,870,357
4 Germany 3,604,061
5 France 2,775,518
6 Brazil 2,476,651
7 United Kingdom 2,429,184
8 Italy 2,195,937
9 India 1,897,608
10 Russia 1,857,770
11 Canada 1,736,869
12 Australia 1,515,468

Rokete-I am not Haitian. I just about given up. The Haitian crisis is getting worse by the minute. They reproduce like rabbits and we pay for them to give birth at DR hospital, let thousands cross the border and let them live and work illegally. We see them walk freely all over the DR so what are you talking about Rokete? It is reality and it is happening in our very own faces and no one is doing anything about it. Everyone just stands there and look. Now you say there is an underground movement going on right now to stop the flow of Haitians? Well if that is true, I sure hope you are right.

Guilli Gumbo

You may give up all you want, the reality of today that you mention, is not permanent.

Giving in or giving up is not the solution,.

perseverance against the current state of affairs is

Roy

I don't like it, but I can live with it, while we diversify our economy

and aim towards partnership with Germany, Japan, China, Russia and Brazil.

Oh and Australia,mind you.

LOL

rokete,
Germany, Japan, China, Russia and Brazil all have a substantial manufacturing base which the Dominican Republic lacks. With the exception of Brazil, those countries lack tropical produce which the Dominican Republic can provide. The DR is also rich in minerals, but can't extract or process them, and needs to learn how to negotiate (and stick to) robust, mutually-beneficial contracts. The DR needs clean energy and Australia has huge reserves of uranium, and huge, uninhabited, seismically-stable areas for storage of spent fuel rods. Amongst other things, Australia has become a substantial "exporter" of education which the DR could use, maybe in return for beautiful Dominican women?

Mr. Roy, You keep hammering on the nuclear option. I wonder why, instead of trying to export it, Australia does not build reactors and uses its "huge" reserves of Uranium to power them?

On the other hand, how many beautiful Dominican women would it take in exchange for building one of your proposed monstrosities?
Even when including the ugly ones, I don't think we have enough of them!
We may end up womenless. Then what?...Masturbation isn't an option.!

RonEvane,
ponders
" I wonder why, instead of trying to export it, Australia does not build reactors and uses its "huge" reserves of Uranium to power them?"

Because the Dominican Republic does not have a monopoly on stupidity. Many Australians are stupid to. The fact that the majority of people around the world believe in the invisible, all-powerful man in the sky, and that when they die they don't really die, confirms that the majority are stupid.

As for the exchange-rate on Dominican women, I have not done sufficient sampling to make an estimate.

Roy Morgan Research is an Australian market research company headquartered in Melbourne.
Their most recent (2011), foray into human trafficking, reveals surprising results. It is estimated that Dominican women’s worth, in terms of desirability, have now risen to a par with Colombia’s.

To wit: The very beautiful, (stunning), are traded in the international market, at no less than USD$1, 856.00/lb.!

Other open market quotations:

$708.46--Semi-beautiful, but still proud to have.
$540.66—Not so pretty, but great body.
$332.21—Ugly face, nice body.
$201. 44—Homely, but good in bed.
$98. 18---Ugly, but good housekeeper, and able to satisfy.
$44.96---Really ugly, but still good for “head jobs.”
$14.99---Emergency partner when all else fails.

There are several other downgrades, but no solid figures to speculate on.

A disclaimer: These are estimates. Prices can fluctuate wildly depending on season and availability.

Ron............LOL

That is the best piece of humorous creativity I have read in a while.......

Please post that on my Jokes, Humor, funny stories thread.

"Please post that on my Jokes, Humor, funny stories thread. "

Where's that?

Where's that?

Click on FORUM above and then on the next page
click on Active Topics and look on the list for the title: "Favorite Jokes, Humor and funny stories" and make your contribution.

Ron - behave
Or Super Yenny will be around to spank you!

"Super Yenny will be around to spank you! "


Oh, God, oh, God, oh, God!! Oooooh, yes, yes, yes!.....Oh!!....