I think 95% of us on this board are oppossed for obvious reasons. however for those in favor here is a scenario to consider. if DR and Haiti merged, what would the resulting nation-state look like?

politics: the resulting legislature would be dominated by Dominican politicians. the more organized, efficient thieves and demagogues of the Dominican political class would capture most ministries, joined by the few well off in Haiti.

military & police: there is no army to speak of in Haiti side so it would be a military with a vastly Dominican officer corp and general staff.

telecommunications: again a realm that naturally would become dominated by Spanish language, due to head start on the Dominican side + the entire continent to the SOUth + Latino diaspora in the north generating Spanish media

agriculture: less to say here than in military matters.

business: I know DR has a ways to go in the realm of business. still it is safe to say firms on the DR side have a head start on accumulating capital, especially in the realm of tourism. firms on the Haitian side would do the most profitable thing and align/merge/sell out to Dominicans or foreigners already doing business in DR.

population: the one item where Haiti has an upper hand, because they have even more desperate masses to mobilize.


so if you add this up, all advantages go to one culture/nation and the other one has only numbers on its side. one group would disproportionately become an under-class for the manipulation of elites from the other side, who will speak a different language. advantages vs numbers ... sounds to me like a formula for Haitian revolt against what they would perceive as oppression.

political bloodshed, is that what proponents of unification want?

What they want (specially the gringo ones) is for the haitians to be kept on the island, well away from the floridan coastline. If the price for that is the slaughter of the entire dominican population, then so be it, they say. And there are also the traitors a la Junot Diaz, brainwashed by the culture of political correctness and the one drop rule prevalent on the US, specially on the liberal side, and the traitors a la Josean, which will not shed a tear for this country's demise, cuz' it will mean ruining Leonel Fernandez and the PLD. In other words, fools that are willing to sacrifice the well being of the country in order to pursue their political partisanship and hatreds, the very thing that was the undoing of the french when they were the masters on the western part of the island, with their stupid divisions between royalists and republicans, grand-blancs and petit-blancs and so on.

The difference between portuguese (and later imperial) Brazil and french Saint Domingue is the fact that on the former, despite the fact of having the same proportion of 10 to 1 between whites and blacks/coloureds as Saint Domingue, they whites were united as one man whenever a slave uprising reared its ugly and destructive head. Plus, they weren't as repugnant as the french blancs were for militia service, and this explains the level of professionalism shown by the brazilian army afterwards, which was successful not only in destroying the slaves rebellions, but in kicking the arses of all the other countries of South America, and making substantial land-grabs in the process.

a thought just shot across my world If only there was equity in the two different countries with their distinct cultures .....meaning s financial basis and a less bleak ecological moonscape in Haiti and political stability ....What a wonderful tourist destination we would have a kind of Spanish/French StMaarten/.Martin offering visitors a wonderful cornucopia of options.........I can dream cant I

Can't blame you on this, specially if we take into account that the haitian coastline is larger than ours, and in relatively virgin state. It's a mine waiting for a more ambitious and far-seeing owner.

unification would seem an extreme long shot unless it was imposed by an occupying force the cultural differences are profound to say the least .....let alone the antipathy expressed by either side toward the other....experience tells us of the futility of this concept as it has been applied in Europe for example

I think we all have been missing the boat on this one Hatero let make sure we understand the issue as outlline :

1.Outright unification
2.Free trade, free movement of people, good services
3.Union a la europe

the first option in my opinion not feasible, however the following option 2 and 3 have greater support on both sides and see as a viable alternative by the international community, however alot depend on Haiti financial outlook in the next 5 to 10 years there are some slow however positive indication they are moving on the right path.

Haiti being DR second trade partner is a testament there will be a natural progression or pressure to integrate the markets.

Let me remind to the nay sayer, since we share an island it is logistically easier to trade with your neighboor than across the atlantic, the sad reality is what happened in either side may affect the other, interestingly enough the prosperity that the Dominicans have enjoyed so far appear to have not trickle down west

It's not going to happen.

but i can't say that it wouldn't be nice though.

Our island would be the most diverse tourist destination ever.

French on one side Spanish on the other.

Yes it is notable that Europe did not become a peaceful place until they realized they could not get along unless everyone had their own designated patch of land


Antonio even #2 and #3 are not good ideas unless both sides are standing closer together. Any sort of political union while one side is down can only result in a clash, even just loose federation. Even #2 seems like a distant goal judging from the headlines we get here regularly about disputes in border trade.

I would say that unless the economic imbalances and health deficiencies in both countries are more balanced, no integration, assimilation, or even contemplation, of some sort of common goals can not be planned for both countries.
As Lautaro, mentioned, as soon as you cross the border your life expectancy increases 20 years immediately, and that is a fact. Haiti is a basket case as far as infrastructure, and the sanitary facilities are in shambles, and there is little power or running water. Most people including mulatto Dominicans are classist, not racist in any way, shape or form, and the two concepts must not be mistaken.

Recently, my dad and I were on a trip to the other side of the border, and I couldn't help but notice that he's on the treshold of life expectancy limits over there (56 years of age). How can a country advance when even elderly people are an oddity in it?