True, great point!

To me, culture always matters, however if certain places in the world are willing to accept and embrace another's influential way of life willingly they are entitled to do as they wish, but usually that happens with places that were already in some level of disaccords within their own society already and had to choose between what are lesser evils. I do not know if you will or can understand where I would like to take this or even what I am trying to say.

It is like, me and you are bother and we are fighting over the same piece of toy and rather than let me have it, you say you would rather our parents destroy, split in half and so forth or even would rather give it to someone else than for us to share it since the tension between us and the desire to want to have the toy is so great when all along the kid next door has always been wanting to have this toy and even envied us for having the toy, and now due to our divisiveness here is his chance to possibly have it. All he has to do is pretend to play nice.

My theory is that the rate of literacy on those three countries played a large role in how well they have fared since then, Manhattanite. You have to remember that, when Latin America began its experiment of being independent, it would do so with a huge, illiterate population on their hands (without understimating the greed of the elites and their wish to maintain the status quo as they saw fit, also).

True and indeed our ancestors have much of the blame to contend for. Which is why as new generations, we have to be careful as to how we are letting those inherited divisiveness of differences cause us to make those very same mistakes. Luckily for us this generation, we know of the mistakes and where they were made or at least why and have realized that we have not so much benefited from them socially and diplomatically in terms of civility and amicable relations. Do we not have an obligations to ourselves to start getting involve in the prospect future of the Island of Hispaniola or the societies we live in? When do we make a stand for more peaceful strives?

:The crisis passed, and democratic continuity was more or less established in 1966. "

No such thing. A twelve year dictatorship with the semblence of a civil democracy under Balaguer is what emerged.

And after that, eight years of disorder and kleptocracy from the PRD govs. Which would make possible for Balaguer to stage an spectacular comeback on 1986.

My point exactly,

I hope I am not sidetracking, but education is the first plausible solution for any kind of change we seek and need by getting rid of old premises that have served us and have given us nothing but division thus is the premises of hate given to us by those whose intention had always been to see us divided as people. There could be two fully great sovereign independent Nations which could both get to co-exist amicably and with way more better civility than we are right now in terms of trade, relations and diplomacy.

we're out there, but since we are not loud as other so we're hard to notice.

Oh boy,

Here comes Carlos (l l)! Well, we can rest assured Arcatype is on his way (l l)!!!

For democracy to "work" there has to be both an EDUCATED ENGAGED ellectorate to hold the represenitives accountable, and represenetives able to work together to govern by concencous and compromise, Unfourtunatly the Arab or in any 'tribal' society there are inherant road blocks to this process. But If we are here long enough for the young people to see how we live and give them a choice to CHOOSE between modern i.e. western society and the backwards traditions that have kept their forbearers in the 12th century, Then we will see. Im not garunteeing anything but if it does work we will all be better off for it. In the mean time the Iraqis owe us an @ss load of oil. The Afghans...well they make good Hash and Shish kababs...thats about it but the young people I know all want to escape this 'culture' which crushes dreams and rellegates the pursuit of happiness to heresy.

I miss the hashish there too, buddy... Nothing like American bongs (l l)!!!

However yeah, I feel your point made.