MIAMI.- The Dominican Republic has the best business climate in CAFTA and the fifth-best in all of Latin America, according to the third annual Latin Business Index from Latin Business Chronicle.
Although the country has seen growing interest from foreign investors in recent years, it managed to score among the worst in Latin America on the latest economic freedom from the Heritage Foundation. However, thanks to having Latin America's third-best macro environment and fifth-best political environment, it managed to end up among the top five business climate winners. President Leonel Fernandez has received widespread praise for boosting GDP growth and stabilizing inflation after receiving one of the worst macro economies in Latin America nearly four years ago.
Chile captured the top spot on the index, followed by Panama, Peru and Uruguay. The worst country by far is Venezuela, which managed to score lower than Haiti because of higher inflation, less economic freedom and a lower ranking from the World Bank's ease of doing business survey. Bolivia, Nicaragua and Honduras joined Venezuela and Haiti as Latin America's worst countries for business.
The index of 19 countries is the broadest measure of business climate in Latin America. Rather than looking at the size of a country's GDP or GDP per capita, it looks at five key categories and 27 subcategories to measure the recent, current and future business environment in a country. They are:
a.. Macro Environment (GDP growth 2006 and 2007, estimated growth this year and forecasted growth next year, inflation 2006 and 2007, estimated inflation this year and forecasted inflation next year).
b.. Corporate Environment (corporate tax rates, access to capital for entrepreneurs, ease of doing business (including starting and closing a business) and economic freedom).
c.. Globalization & Competitiveness (globalization, competitiveness, tariffs, education/ health and security for companies and businessmen).
d.. Technology Level (PC, Internet, broadband, wireless and fixed telephony penetration).
e.. Socio-Political Environment (political freedom, political stability, political outlook, business policies of government and corruption).
Brazil, Latin America's largest economy, ends up in 9th place, according to the index. Mexico, the second-largest economy in the region, fares better and ends up in sixth place.
For more details, see the story at http://www.latinbusinesschronicle.com
Written by: juanb, 15 May 2008 9:15 AM
From: Dominican Republic
I wonder what our ranking would be with the PRD in control.
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
Perish the thought.Juan..the commies and leftys wont come near this subject today...it just proves the difference between a nutty Hugo or the PRD and a Lionel
Written by: MrDom, 15 May 2008 10:31 AM
From: Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo, DN
It is amazing our country is doing really well... we have to continue working hard to keep it in this path... the only concern that I have is that our poor people never see the benefits of this giant economic growth... even thought government work in favor of this social class... should work to destroy the roots ... and business who are the big winners most of the time must involve themselves in this action…
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
Dom ..I am not a heartless capitalist as some would say....It is true the very poor are suffering terribly but we are on the right path ...These fundamental changes in attitude and education take time do not despair help is on the way through jobs and education...but first you have to build the viable economic machine ..that helps give all a chance....This is through small businesses not by growing the OLIGARCHY
Written by: Escott, 15 May 2008 12:24 PM
From: Dominican Republic, Cabrera and Sosua a few days a month
where is Belial the Be Liar now with his stupid words and no sense?
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
Beiial...aka Be Liar aka Splat..,will be visiting his parole officer this morning...He will be joining us later .Later that is if they do not press charges.....For attempting to impersonate a human being
From: United States, Brooklyn
Its amazing that DR can compete with the largest countries in Latin America... Maybe we're not doing so bad after all
From: Haiti
lol For once Haiti isn't at the bottom of the barrel. Give my country some time and it will surely rise from the ashes and prosper. Anyways kudos to the Dominican Republic. Haiti Cherie your time will come soon.
Written by: arcatype 
, 15 May 2008 3:21 PM
From: Dominican Republic
Good news for D.R.!
Written by: rom1804 , 15 May 2008 4:44 PM
From: Zimbabwe
Yeah, yeah yeah> I've been hearing that for years. Don't believe the Hype
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
Room 1804 ...just think with your IQ you will be able to pick mangoes in Bani with Chill and Rizable....I hear Rubis family has a farm there maybe he will hire you and you wont have to live in Zimbabwe any more
Written by: Trujillo, 15 May 2008 6:19 PM
From: Dominican Republic
Let's forget the dumb ways of doing politics and business of the past. Now the country is not doing that bad, let's keep this up for a long, long time. I'm glad people in the DR are voting with their heads now . We already know who's going to win tomorrow.
Written by: Belial, 15 May 2008 6:41 PM
From: United States, Texas
"Where is Belial the Be Liar now" he gloats.
0000
According to "revolutionaries" and "commies" at the Central Inteligence Agency, 42% of the Dominican people live below poverty line.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publi....-world-factbook/geos/dr.html#EconThe CIA uses the World Bank's , IMF's,and UN's definition of poverty -- moderate poverty is making less than $2 per day and extreme poverty making less $1 per day [or, more likely, nothing at all].
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PovertyIt is a certainty that the "best business climate" is a cause ... perhaps the most important one ... of both "moderate" and extreme poverty.
I wonder if the current food crisis will lift the poverty rate "in the best business climate" above 42% of the population, since the food crisis reduces the buying power of the $2 per day and the $1 per day.
So, the "best business climate" is almost half ... or more ... of the people living in extreme poverty.
Written by: Belial, 15 May 2008 6:42 PM
From: United States, Texas
What is the "perfect business climate?"
Is it when 90% or 95% of the people living in poverty?
After all, "best" doesn't necessarily mean perfect.
I suspect that the people making $3 or $4 a day are praying that the business climate doesn't get any better.
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
Keep on hittin that bong Splat and your brain tumor is going to explode ...you are like 10 pounds of excrement in a 5 pound bag
Written by: Belial, 15 May 2008 7:23 PM
From: United States, Texas
"The worst country by far is Venezuela ..." the survey using bourgeois economics finds.
oooo
How is it possible that Venezuela gets the honor of being the worst in business climate?
You would think that bourgeois economists would give this honor to Cuba, Venezuela the runner-up.
Every Cuban adult has a food rations card, education, health care, and 85% own their own homes. Unemployment is only 1.4 percent, with a monthly wage in the range of $20 to $30.
So, Cuba has no poverty as the World Bank defines it, that is, either $2 or $1 a day.
The non-existence of poverty, as the imperialists define poverty, should make the business climate in Cuba the worst ... "by far."
So, why is Venezuela which, in eight years, has reduced poverty from 49% to 26%, honored with the worst ... "by far" ... business climate?
Are the imperialists trying to break up the friendship between Venezuela and Cuba by awarding Venezuela the honor of having the worst business climate?
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
yes Venezuela another workers paradise Hugo is even nationalizing the shoeshine boys...Venezuela has been economically ruined ..... even the poor people that he tried to buy off did not vote for him in the last election { luckily they can still vote for now } but alas Venezuela will still be sending a delegation to the graveside defecation of fidel graveside no I mean on the grave of fidel....the Venezuelans can still afford papel hygenico barely.... a similar ceremony will be performed with nutty hugo when he passes
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
Splat your jealousy of the accomplishments of our little island, even without petroleum is pathetic
Written by: arcatype , 15 May 2008 8:35 PM
From: Dominican Republic
Cuba has no poverty? Belial tighten up them screws, Cuba is almost as poor as Haiti. The only difference is Cuba has a better standard in education, but plenty of cubans lack education also. Cuba lacks infrastructure at all levels it's very poor! Venezuela's bolivars arent worth a dinar, their currency is the least strong in latin america the same as Colombia for having the highest inflation in the hemisphere. And this problem with inflation in Venezuela and also Colombia is very old. The Dominican Republic is number 8 on GDP growth i might be wrong?, in Latin America not bad for a small country. The biggest problem in D.R. is the gap between the wealthy, middle class and poor.
Written by: Belial, 16 May 2008 12:01 AM
From: United States, Texas
"Cuba has no poverty? Belial tighten up them screws"
oooo
You want use two definitions for poverty -- one for capitalist and another for socialist countries of Latin America and Caribbean.
Bourgeois economists dictate the definition of poverty for capitalist countries in the region.
According to the World Bank, poverty is extreme or moderate. It's extreme if you make less than a dollar a day and moderate at less that $2 per day.
In fair play, use the SAME definition for Cuba and the DR.
By THIS definition, the one used by major imperialist institutions, Cuba has no poverty.
If you want to spit on, kick, or repudiate bourgeois ideology, I support you. But until you do, we may use the bourgeois definition.
For Cuba, you want to use a definition like "You're in poverty in Cuba unless you have a shiny new car, 4 HD tV sets, a washer and dryer, at least 3 vibrators, McDonald's gift card, etc."
But in the DR, the boss says poverty is "less than $2 a day."
Written by: arcatype , 16 May 2008 12:50 AM
From: Dominican Republic
"Long live Fidel Castro Rus"? "the anti-imperialist" "anti-yanquista" with a U.S. base "Guantanamo" right on the island of Cuba? Fidel Castro is a clown and he doesn't know it!
Written by: Belial, 16 May 2008 1:01 AM
From: United States, Texas
Perhaps a baseball metaphor will justify the use of just one definition for the same thing -- that is, "poverty" -- in many cases.
Say, we define a strike-out in the case of the DR as the sum of fouls and missing swings that equals three strikes .
But in Cuba's case, we say a strike-out is any event at bat less than a homerun.
So, if a Cuban fails to hit a homerun, he stikes out.
Then, after the game, we strut around bragging and gloating "The Cubans can't bat. They strike-out 10 times more than Dominicans. But somehow the Cubans still won anyway."
Is this fair play?
By bourgeois standards it is.
Returning to poverty, the bourgeois definition of poverty for emerging countries is making less that $2 a day. The World Bank was the first major imperialist institution to adopt this definition.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PovertyNow, IMF, UN, and CIA uses it.
But we say a Cuban must have ... not $2 ... but at least 3 vibrators to stay out of poverty.
Written by: Belial, 16 May 2008 1:21 AM
From: United States, Texas
" "the anti-imperialist" "anti-yanquista" with a U.S. base "Guantanamo" right on the island of Cuba? Fidel Castro is a clown and he doesn't know it! "
oooo
Today, "Guantanamo" is much more than a "base." And even as a base, it was never "U.S." It's has always been a stolen piece of property.
Guantanamo today is a concentration camp where people are savagely tortured, murdered, incarcerated and disappeared indefinitely without charge, trial, counsel or even family contact.
A concentration camp shouldn't be confused with prison which punishes persons the state shows broke the law. But as prisoners, they retain human rights.
A concentration camp, like Guantanamo, punishes people whether or not they broke the law. They have no human rights.
From time to time, the US imperialists invade and occupy the DR, open concentration camps, torture and murder Dominican patriots and revolutionaries, giving extreme delight to reactionary Dominicans who are yankeephiles.
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
you mean human rights like they enjoy in havana under Raul and his thugs where people are afraid to talk for fear of informers
From: United States
Arcatype,
I don't think you should compare venezuela to DR. Venezuela is doing far more better than DR, and if you don't believe me go to CIA factbook and look at the median income per person and how their gdp is still growing. Venezuela isn't favorable to foreign investment, but I think Hugo is doing a good job trying to get the cubans help improve his countries education system. He wants the money staying inside of his country, and his people being executives of the businesses. In terms of Cuba's infrastructure, I think you are being blinded by ur pride for DR. Cuba has a better infrastructure than DR. Look at what happens when hurricanes pass cuba compared to DR. Santo Dominigo or the capital is much more developed, but as a country, Cuba has better infrastructure than DR. As for poverty, I think Cuba is going to tackle that problem, but you won't see hunger strikes by the cubans anytime soon. Im not a commie, but I think ur pride for DR is hampering your thinking.
From: United States
Any economist can tell you that a large inequality gap is not good for a country. DR is doing good but the lower majority isn't, either that changes, or DR is going to have a rude awakening in the future. I hope leonel or whomever fixes that problem pronto. It may never go to where haiti is, but Haiti is a fine example in what happens during the extremes of income inequality. Where the minority of the population owning 90% of the countries resources.
Written by: arcatype , 16 May 2008 11:43 AM
From: Dominican Republic
Well ofcourse Venezuela's gdp is higher then D.R. they have a larger population smarty pants! but their inflation rate is too high, plus they have oil as a commodity which a large percent of their GDP consist of. Despite that their poor rank more numerous then many countries in the region. Cuba is just plain poor and it's infrastructure is crumbling, the D.R. has many problems especially in education and jobs im not saying D.R. is perfect is not. But the infrastructure of D.R. has improved alot, and no country in the region has had a construction boom like Dominican Republic by far.
Written by: arcatype , 16 May 2008 12:09 PM
From: Dominican Republic
Litsen i know politics has played a large part in this study, the bias against Venezuela is obvious. But the truth is, nobody can do business in a country with a control freak in power.
Written by: arcatype , 16 May 2008 12:15 PM
From: Dominican Republic
The problem with many dominicans they are too critical about their own country. But what some ignore is the situation in other countries in the region that have worst problems concerning poverty and unemployment and all kinds of social ill's.
From: United States
arcatype; please enlighten me on two subjects, if you will. firstly, you posit that cuba has a lot of uneducated people. would you care to give us your definition of UNEDUCATED? the most recent statistics have that island as being among the two most literate countries in the western hemisphere, barbados being the other. the literacy rate is over 99%. if you are not equating literacy with education, then please elucidate your insight. secondly, you state that venezuela has a higher gdp than the dr because it has a larger population. could you kindly explain the nexus between gdp and population for me. thank you.
Written by: Belial, 16 May 2008 1:37 PM
From: United States, Texas
GDP, p. 1
The GDP or economic growth is only half of the story.
The other half is the distribution of the GDP.
The GDP can be spread out more or less evenly over the whole population ... OR ... concentrated in some degree within privileged sectors of the population, the bourgeoisie and middle class.
Cuba spreads out its GDP more or less evenly over the whole population.
Venezuela is waging a bitter and prolong class struggle to spread out GDP over the whole people, but much of the GDP in Venezuela remains concentrated in the hands of the bourgeoisie and middle class.
The DR has an impressive economy with a GDP at $85 billion with a population of only 9.5 million, resulting in GDP per capita of $9,200. But the 42% poverty rate of DR demonstrates that the actual distribution of the GDP in the DR is concentrated in the bourgeoisie and middle class.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publi....-world-factbook/geos/dr.html#EconCon't
From: United States
well put, Belial. i like it when folks revert to citing statistics, and defining their meaning. i have a problem when people wander off into these subjective rants which cannot be substantiated by data.
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
these statistics can like all statistics be used to come up with any point of view for example Splats position is .....Venezuela is a better place because it has a megalomaniac with lots of cash for a president
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
Please please do not tell me what a wonderful humanitarian he is and how he looks out for the little guy
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
Lies Lies Lies and Statistics
Written by: Belial, 16 May 2008 2:06 PM
From: United States, Texas
Like the DR, Venezuela also has an impressive GDP at $335 billion with a population of 26 million for a GDP per capita of $12,800.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publi....-world-factbook/geos/ve.html#EconBut the Venezuelan bourgeoisie and broad sectors of the middle class, backed up by the low-down US imperialists, are waging a vicious class struggle against the Venezuelan people over the distribution of the GDP in accordance with principles of justice, equity, and fair play.
In most less developed [say, Haiti] or emerging economies [say, the DR], the bourgeoisie or the capitalist class or, in other words, the millionaires make up less than half of 1 percent [or about 0.05%] of the population and the middle class, broadly defined, makes up somewhere between 10% and 20% of the populaiton, leaving the "people" or "the workers and the poor" with somewhere between 80% to 90% of the population of the country.
So, who should get most of the GDP - privilege or the people?
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
you were born to late the revolution is over .....you are stuck with" Morons of the World Unite "
From: United States
on the contrary, Goulet, the revolution is just about to begin, not only in the poor countries, but all over the world. as economic conditions begin to decline, and the poor continue to get poorer, segments of society will forcefully decide, in a place such as the usa, for example, that the ceo of a company such as countrywide lending should not walk away with 175 million dollars ,while the sheriff is tossing their belongings onto the street. it does not have to be accompanied by violence, but this inequity and injustice will have to stop some time soon!
Written by: Belial, 16 May 2008 2:23 PM
From: United States, Texas
GDP, p.3
We can look at GDP in two ways -- the mass of goods and service produced during a period or, the same thing, mass of national income generated during the period.
We can basically break up national income into;
(1) Bourgeois -- dividends, interests, rents, executive salaries
(2) Middle class -- moderate salaries
(3) Proletarian -- wages AND the benefits of social programs provided workers in lieu of wages.
The bourgeoisie and its imperialist allies want about 80% of the national income, the GDP, to go into dividends, interests, rents, executive salaries, leaving the middle class and the workers to fight over scraps and crumbs of the remaining 20%.
In the DR, the imperialists demand about 40% of GDP or national incomes as payment of interest and sometimes principal on the foreign debt.
That's the main reason for the 42% poverty.
Leonel timidly resist some of the IMF demands and pressure.
So, what really matters is what's done with the GDP.
Written by: arcatype , 16 May 2008 2:24 PM
From: Dominican Republic
What good does it serve you! to have a great education and live in a country where people are driving on refurbished cars of the 50's and live in a house that's dilapidating, and your food is rationed by the goverment. Come on stop buying that leftist propaganda crap. Some people hate the rich just because they worked hard for what they earned, im 100% for social justice. But Cuba is not a good example for anything related to success!!!!!
From: United States
might the latin business chronicle explain why , with all these laudatory observations, we are faring so poorly from this trade agreement? are there other critical aspects which retard our progress, and just what might those be, in the eyes of this august journal?
Written by: arcatype , 16 May 2008 2:44 PM
From: Dominican Republic
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
There will be no grand redistribution of wealth and goods...dream on ....more just society yes,but not down the socialist commie road....you guys can stop praying for the great uprising
Written by: Belial, 16 May 2008 3:02 PM
From: United States, Texas
GC gets a crazy check every month from the government.
In Canada, the amount of the crazy check depends on the degree of disability.
In GC's case, the examining doctors all concurred that his disability was 100 percent.
In other words, there's nothing left up there.
One doctor wanted to grade his disability above 100%.
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
In the USA the top 25% percent in income paid 85% of the taxes..............period
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
Splat "Now that TV sets have been widely distributed among the Cuban population we have heard that the most popular programme by far — as a matter of fact, the only programme — on the air is: “Hey Rodríguez, face the screen and empty out your pockets!”
.".Cuba is allowing its citizens to have cell phones for the first time. The government’s calling plan isn’t the most attractive. If you roam, they shoot you. "
Written by: Belial, 16 May 2008 3:24 PM
From: United States, Texas
After GC got his crazy check, based on 100% disability, for five years, he grew dissatisfied with his benefits.
He went to his doctors and demanded a raise.
"But GC, you got 100%," the doctors pointed out.
"But I'm 200% crazy," GC insisted.
Written by: Belial, 16 May 2008 4:19 PM
From: United States, Texas
US INCOME AND THE RICH, p.1
"In the USA the top 25% percent in income paid 85% of the taxes..............period"
oooo
If the bourgeoisie and its upper middle class lapdogs don't pay for the bourgeois dictatorship in the USA, then who else will?
Here's a view on income and the rich from extreme US bourgeois reactionaries.
"As noted, the Census presents income distribution by dividing U.S. households into five groups or quintiles. The share of total income going to each quintile is then determined. The conventional quintile distribution of income for 2002 is shown in Chart 1. In that year, the Census reported that the top or most affluent quintile had 49.7 percent of income, while the bottom quintile had only 3.5 percent. Thus, the top fifth of households is shown to have 14.3 times more income than the bottom fifth.'
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Taxes/bg1791.cfmcon't
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
let me say it again dummy
"In the USA the top 25% percent in income paid 85% of the taxes..............period"
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
if you want redistribution go to Zimbabwe with your buddy
Written by: Belial, 16 May 2008 4:23 PM
From: United States, Texas
US INCOME AND THE RICH, p. 2
This "49.7 percent" is misleading because the concept of "money income" that Census uses does not distinguish between income from the sell of labor and from the ownership of capital.
Say, a married couple, in credit card and mortgage debt, makes $100,000 selling labor to the capitalist.
And, say, a capitalist also makes the same $100,000, but he gets it from a 5% return on the $2,000,000 bond holdings.
Although the capitalist and the bankrupted married couple technically belong to the same "income" group, they are different in important ways.
The difference is that the capitalist has capital or so-called "wealth."
The capitalists, domestic and foreign, own about 90% of US capital [and control all of it] and, according to the Census, get about 49% of the income of the USA.
So, who else should pay 80% of the income taxes for the bourgeois state in the USA that holds the people down?
THE END
Written by: Belial, 16 May 2008 4:33 PM
From: United States, Texas
During the interview for an increase in GC's crazy check that the government sends him every month, the doctors asked him:
"GC, rather that increase your disability to 200%, which is far above the 100% limit, why not double your medication?"
Written by: Belial, 16 May 2008 4:36 PM
From: United States, Texas
"I will still be 200% crazy, even if you doubled my medication" GC replies.
"That's true," the doctors reluctantly agree.
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
you made me do it....I have to tell you again...
"In the USA the top 25% percent in income paid 85% of the taxes..............period"
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
You are still a dummy
From: United States
i just love it when people , such as arcatype, make statements which assert that the rich are rich because they work hard for their money. why do people insist on making these nebulous connections between things, which are entirely indefensible? where is the causal relationship between hard work and accumulation of wealth? better yet; what do you consider ¨hard work¨? do you consider some haitian dude working from sunup to sundown on some construction site, lifting heavy weights all day, working with archaic and makeshift tools, sweating in the midday sun, pausing for the occasional drink of water, if he is lucky, to be ¨working hard¨? or is the hard worker the guy who bought a piece of property with some money bequeathed to him from daddy's estate, and decided to do some ¨business¨. we know who makes the real money in this scenario; i am just curious to know who ¨works hard¨in arcatypes viewpoint.
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
small businesses and working people striving to do better ..... there is no free lunch........love on
From: United States
ánd guys (and girls), please stop tossing this GDP thing around so carelessly, as if it means anything of and by itself. the GDP of a country is, simply put, the amount of money spent within the country within a specified accounting period, normally one year. what is important is not the amount, but how it is spent. i hardly think that a dope dealer buying a house for 50 million pesos generates the same social outcomes as 50,000 people enrolling in a recognised college and paying tuition! besides, if a large portion of gdp is tied to indebtedness, then this could be a bad thing; what if the rate of return on this money is less than the interest rate? and, what if the government gives the ok to build a power plant near to a population center, adding to gdp; the center pollutes the area and all the houses have to be evacuated for health reasons; is this positive growth?
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
small businesses and working people striving to do better ..... there is no free lunch........love on...increase positive social programs......do not kill the goose
From: United States
??????????
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
????????????????.......main stream opinions backed up with volumes of DATA and STATISTICS...not whining and complaining from the lunatic fringe of the left
From: United States
goulet, what the heck do you mean by main stream?
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
not lefty whiny obscure lunatic fringe stuff culled from separatist rags aimed at Losers and wind bags
Written by: arcatype , 21 May 2008 6:52 PM
From: Dominican Republic
To Dreadlocks First off that haitian that you are defending is most likely an illegal, second those illegal haitians are lowering the wages for the common dominican citizens. Third that haitian should be in his country fighting for his right, to have a goverment that will provide for him and his people. As for the rich, it's called getting an education. Or maybe you are lucky enough to have a rich daddy and mother that can provide you with capital or an inheritance.
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
Dread less verbosity less pomposity and less bellicosity Si'l vous plait
From: United States
actually, arcatype, that is not how labor economics works. haitians are not lowering the wages of dominicans. they have no say in what employers will pay. only in heavily unionised enterprises do employees, through union representatives, have a voice in salaries. the employers realise that there is a large pool of poorly educated people who are virtually unemployable, except for doing menial and backbreaking tasks. they also realise the dire straits in which this underclass finds itself, in relation to daily survival. it is because of this surplus of low skilled laborers that the wages are low, because exploitative management seeks to reduce variable costs by reducing payroll. there is no guarantee that if all the haitians were to be repatriated , that the employers would have a sudden change of heart and pay a living wage. there is a concept known as the breakeven point in economics. the managers and owners will simply pay salaries up to the point where
From: United States
mechanisation becomes a viable option. that way, neither dominicans nor haitians will have too many job opportunities.
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
ah yes the exploitative management laying in wait to screw the workers out of their menial and backbreaking jobs with mechanization ......what a pretty picture.....like I said this is "Belial Light "..."workers of the world " horse puckey
From: United States
forgive him, folks. he has to have the last word.
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
who you callin folks fool........pompous fool at that
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Its amazing that DR can compete with the largest countries in Latin America... Maybe we're not doing so bad after all
0000
According to "revolutionaries" and "commies" at the Central Inteligence Agency, 42% of the Dominican people live below poverty line.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publi....-world-factbook/geos/dr.html#Econ
The CIA uses the World Bank's , IMF's,and UN's definition of poverty -- moderate poverty is making less than $2 per day and extreme poverty making less $1 per day [or, more likely, nothing at all].
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty
It is a certainty that the "best business climate" is a cause ... perhaps the most important one ... of both "moderate" and extreme poverty.
I wonder if the current food crisis will lift the poverty rate "in the best business climate" above 42% of the population, since the food crisis reduces the buying power of the $2 per day and the $1 per day.
So, the "best business climate" is almost half ... or more ... of the people living in extreme poverty.
Is it when 90% or 95% of the people living in poverty?
After all, "best" doesn't necessarily mean perfect.
I suspect that the people making $3 or $4 a day are praying that the business climate doesn't get any better.
oooo
How is it possible that Venezuela gets the honor of being the worst in business climate?
You would think that bourgeois economists would give this honor to Cuba, Venezuela the runner-up.
Every Cuban adult has a food rations card, education, health care, and 85% own their own homes. Unemployment is only 1.4 percent, with a monthly wage in the range of $20 to $30.
So, Cuba has no poverty as the World Bank defines it, that is, either $2 or $1 a day.
The non-existence of poverty, as the imperialists define poverty, should make the business climate in Cuba the worst ... "by far."
So, why is Venezuela which, in eight years, has reduced poverty from 49% to 26%, honored with the worst ... "by far" ... business climate?
Are the imperialists trying to break up the friendship between Venezuela and Cuba by awarding Venezuela the honor of having the worst business climate?
oooo
You want use two definitions for poverty -- one for capitalist and another for socialist countries of Latin America and Caribbean.
Bourgeois economists dictate the definition of poverty for capitalist countries in the region.
According to the World Bank, poverty is extreme or moderate. It's extreme if you make less than a dollar a day and moderate at less that $2 per day.
In fair play, use the SAME definition for Cuba and the DR.
By THIS definition, the one used by major imperialist institutions, Cuba has no poverty.
If you want to spit on, kick, or repudiate bourgeois ideology, I support you. But until you do, we may use the bourgeois definition.
For Cuba, you want to use a definition like "You're in poverty in Cuba unless you have a shiny new car, 4 HD tV sets, a washer and dryer, at least 3 vibrators, McDonald's gift card, etc."
But in the DR, the boss says poverty is "less than $2 a day."
Say, we define a strike-out in the case of the DR as the sum of fouls and missing swings that equals three strikes .
But in Cuba's case, we say a strike-out is any event at bat less than a homerun.
So, if a Cuban fails to hit a homerun, he stikes out.
Then, after the game, we strut around bragging and gloating "The Cubans can't bat. They strike-out 10 times more than Dominicans. But somehow the Cubans still won anyway."
Is this fair play?
By bourgeois standards it is.
Returning to poverty, the bourgeois definition of poverty for emerging countries is making less that $2 a day. The World Bank was the first major imperialist institution to adopt this definition.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty
Now, IMF, UN, and CIA uses it.
But we say a Cuban must have ... not $2 ... but at least 3 vibrators to stay out of poverty.
oooo
Today, "Guantanamo" is much more than a "base." And even as a base, it was never "U.S." It's has always been a stolen piece of property.
Guantanamo today is a concentration camp where people are savagely tortured, murdered, incarcerated and disappeared indefinitely without charge, trial, counsel or even family contact.
A concentration camp shouldn't be confused with prison which punishes persons the state shows broke the law. But as prisoners, they retain human rights.
A concentration camp, like Guantanamo, punishes people whether or not they broke the law. They have no human rights.
From time to time, the US imperialists invade and occupy the DR, open concentration camps, torture and murder Dominican patriots and revolutionaries, giving extreme delight to reactionary Dominicans who are yankeephiles.
I don't think you should compare venezuela to DR. Venezuela is doing far more better than DR, and if you don't believe me go to CIA factbook and look at the median income per person and how their gdp is still growing. Venezuela isn't favorable to foreign investment, but I think Hugo is doing a good job trying to get the cubans help improve his countries education system. He wants the money staying inside of his country, and his people being executives of the businesses. In terms of Cuba's infrastructure, I think you are being blinded by ur pride for DR. Cuba has a better infrastructure than DR. Look at what happens when hurricanes pass cuba compared to DR. Santo Dominigo or the capital is much more developed, but as a country, Cuba has better infrastructure than DR. As for poverty, I think Cuba is going to tackle that problem, but you won't see hunger strikes by the cubans anytime soon. Im not a commie, but I think ur pride for DR is hampering your thinking.
The GDP or economic growth is only half of the story.
The other half is the distribution of the GDP.
The GDP can be spread out more or less evenly over the whole population ... OR ... concentrated in some degree within privileged sectors of the population, the bourgeoisie and middle class.
Cuba spreads out its GDP more or less evenly over the whole population.
Venezuela is waging a bitter and prolong class struggle to spread out GDP over the whole people, but much of the GDP in Venezuela remains concentrated in the hands of the bourgeoisie and middle class.
The DR has an impressive economy with a GDP at $85 billion with a population of only 9.5 million, resulting in GDP per capita of $9,200. But the 42% poverty rate of DR demonstrates that the actual distribution of the GDP in the DR is concentrated in the bourgeoisie and middle class.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publi....-world-factbook/geos/dr.html#Econ
Con't
https://www.cia.gov/library/publi....-world-factbook/geos/ve.html#Econ
But the Venezuelan bourgeoisie and broad sectors of the middle class, backed up by the low-down US imperialists, are waging a vicious class struggle against the Venezuelan people over the distribution of the GDP in accordance with principles of justice, equity, and fair play.
In most less developed [say, Haiti] or emerging economies [say, the DR], the bourgeoisie or the capitalist class or, in other words, the millionaires make up less than half of 1 percent [or about 0.05%] of the population and the middle class, broadly defined, makes up somewhere between 10% and 20% of the populaiton, leaving the "people" or "the workers and the poor" with somewhere between 80% to 90% of the population of the country.
So, who should get most of the GDP - privilege or the people?
We can look at GDP in two ways -- the mass of goods and service produced during a period or, the same thing, mass of national income generated during the period.
We can basically break up national income into;
(1) Bourgeois -- dividends, interests, rents, executive salaries
(2) Middle class -- moderate salaries
(3) Proletarian -- wages AND the benefits of social programs provided workers in lieu of wages.
The bourgeoisie and its imperialist allies want about 80% of the national income, the GDP, to go into dividends, interests, rents, executive salaries, leaving the middle class and the workers to fight over scraps and crumbs of the remaining 20%.
In the DR, the imperialists demand about 40% of GDP or national incomes as payment of interest and sometimes principal on the foreign debt.
That's the main reason for the 42% poverty.
Leonel timidly resist some of the IMF demands and pressure.
So, what really matters is what's done with the GDP.
In Canada, the amount of the crazy check depends on the degree of disability.
In GC's case, the examining doctors all concurred that his disability was 100 percent.
In other words, there's nothing left up there.
One doctor wanted to grade his disability above 100%.
Splat "Now that TV sets have been widely distributed among the Cuban population we have heard that the most popular programme by far — as a matter of fact, the only programme — on the air is: “Hey Rodríguez, face the screen and empty out your pockets!”
.".Cuba is allowing its citizens to have cell phones for the first time. The government’s calling plan isn’t the most attractive. If you roam, they shoot you. "
He went to his doctors and demanded a raise.
"But GC, you got 100%," the doctors pointed out.
"But I'm 200% crazy," GC insisted.
"In the USA the top 25% percent in income paid 85% of the taxes..............period"
oooo
If the bourgeoisie and its upper middle class lapdogs don't pay for the bourgeois dictatorship in the USA, then who else will?
Here's a view on income and the rich from extreme US bourgeois reactionaries.
"As noted, the Census presents income distribution by dividing U.S. households into five groups or quintiles. The share of total income going to each quintile is then determined. The conventional quintile distribution of income for 2002 is shown in Chart 1. In that year, the Census reported that the top or most affluent quintile had 49.7 percent of income, while the bottom quintile had only 3.5 percent. Thus, the top fifth of households is shown to have 14.3 times more income than the bottom fifth.'
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Taxes/bg1791.cfm
con't
"In the USA the top 25% percent in income paid 85% of the taxes..............period"
This "49.7 percent" is misleading because the concept of "money income" that Census uses does not distinguish between income from the sell of labor and from the ownership of capital.
Say, a married couple, in credit card and mortgage debt, makes $100,000 selling labor to the capitalist.
And, say, a capitalist also makes the same $100,000, but he gets it from a 5% return on the $2,000,000 bond holdings.
Although the capitalist and the bankrupted married couple technically belong to the same "income" group, they are different in important ways.
The difference is that the capitalist has capital or so-called "wealth."
The capitalists, domestic and foreign, own about 90% of US capital [and control all of it] and, according to the Census, get about 49% of the income of the USA.
So, who else should pay 80% of the income taxes for the bourgeois state in the USA that holds the people down?
THE END
"GC, rather that increase your disability to 200%, which is far above the 100% limit, why not double your medication?"
"That's true," the doctors reluctantly agree.
"In the USA the top 25% percent in income paid 85% of the taxes..............period"