Do you really think by letting the world know you are poor it will help "alleviate" it? Do you think the world doesn't know Haiti is a poor Country? How has it helped Haiti
You should not focus on the negative. This is an emerging country. Advertising the fact that there are people here who are lacking the initiative to do better for themselves does not help the country. You should have a section on your web site of Dominicans who are doing great things for this country, not the ones who are wallowing in poverty or playing dominoes at 10:00am. Why don't you just go ahead and invite your readers to take a drive around the 'poor' neighborhoods of any city where you will find beer and play time a daily habit. Did you know that no matter how "poor" you think you are in the Dominican Republic you can get a university level education for free? Did you know you could become a doctor or a Lawyer if you want to? Try that in the US.
Have you heard of people say "we are poor but we are proud"? That is ridiculous. People should be proud of their accomplishments in life, not of being poor. Anyone can be poor! It takes no effort to be poor. If you are poor and proud of being poor, you are then proud of NOTHING!
Telling your readers this country is full of people who are poor will only discourage tourists from even coming to this country for vacation...forget about wanting to do business with Dominicans. Telling people on the other hand this country is full of wonderful hard working people will bring honor to the name Dominican. It is like when you are raising a child; if you constantly tell that child that he is stupid and lazy, he will never be more than a stupid, lazy man because that is what you have convinced him (and the world) that he is. However, if you tell him that he is smart and if he makes a noble effort he can be whatever he wants to be in life, he will naturally have goals and will reach them.
Forget of what others can do for this country out of pity. Focus on what this country is doing for itself and it will instill pride and ambition in the country's citizens. I hope you will concentrate your efforts on understanding my message rather than coming back with justifications.
From: United States, Orange County, California
The lack of education is the worse disease in human society. People are poor because they do not have a good education. With good education many things can be accomplished and many of our problems would be solved. Governments do not like spending in education because it takes years to see results, that is why they prefer to build a metro in order to influence the population that the country is getting better and life is improving every where.
From: Spain, Ibiza, Minorca, Mallorca
I don't get what the argument is about?
Is Arturo Moises one of the staff at DT complaining about what articles it includes on any given day?
Or, is this a lucky guy who is not using his alias (used on DT to post) to give DT a piece of his mind? How lucky can you get?
Is this what they call the "Fairness Doctrine" in the U.S.; Giving equal airtime to dissenting opinions. How democratic of DT?
About Poverty:
Poverty will be around till the cows come home; no matter how much education a person has. There will always be a hit and run pregnancy, a single mother raising 3 or 4 kids, etc.
How do you stop that? Fatherless families = equal poverty;
Not education, but, responsibility is the key.
Be a man and take care of your own! It's that simple. No orphans, no poverty!
Fight poverty 1 child at a time...Start at home.
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
he says " You should not focus on the negative." I agree ....I liked the article ....it reminded me of " Slumdog Millionaire "......get out and do it for yourself
From: United States
Haiti receives a lot of humanitarian assistance, but the NGO vultures, the Haitian government and some foreign governments have not been helpful.
From: Spain, Ibiza, Minorca, Mallorca
ZD says:
You are totally wrong ArsenioALembertJr, education is the key for getting out of poverty.
Oh yeah?
ZD, when I first left DR as a child the population was 3.5 million, and about 60% of the people were literate. Also, there were vast areas without power, or roads. When I returned in 1974,
the population had grown, poverty also increased, in spite of mass education initatives. By then there was UNPHU in the Capital, also APEC, in Santiago UCAMAIMA, and also another Universidad del Este in San Pedro Mcx, etc....In 1989 I saw kids coming from school with bookbags in un campo 15 Kilometer outside of Higuey. Now in 2008, the population has grown past 9 million, there are schools practically everywhere. Poverty is not caused by lack of education.
Birth control is part of the solution. No job, you don't give birth!
People can't reproduce like they are cattle. Unless you plan to eat them!
Look at Cuba, any skinny balsero is a doctor... Yet, they're starving!
From: United States, Richmond, Texas
Arsenio,
There is another side of this equation that also needs to be addressed. I have a 16 year old niece in Venezuela that just gave birth to a little boy, but yet she says she is too young to get married!. As long as I have known her (11 years) she has bounced between her mothers and fathers home. How does one teach values to ones offspring if they hold none themselves? There is also an attitude of "Soy de barrio" and my response is always "Y" Que significa eso? A lot of cultures in this world place stygmas on society classes by birth or by birth place (barrio) and sadly the attitude is never changed by the same people who live there but instead purpetuated by stealing electricity, spousal abuse and claiming it is always some one elses fault for thier own demise. Education is a key, but how do you teach one that they can overcome the obstacles that they place in front of themselves.
From: Spain, Ibiza, Minorca, Mallorca
Written by: texasshoe, 18 Feb 2009 1:04 PM
Arsenio,
There is another side of this equation that also needs to be addressed. I have a 16 year old niece in Venezuela that just gave birth to a little boy, but yet she says she is too young to get married!. ...
Tex shoe:
The way I see it is that there's a break-down in Society.
Not just in the poor countries; Not just in the slums, the ghettos, the barrios of the people of color.
No, it's world-wide...Look at Texas, or Louisiana....The prisons are full, women raise children without fathers. the state keeps them on relief they grow up on big macs, and slurpees.
Tex, when I grew up in the sixties it was an insult to be told your family was on "RELEIF";
Now, a man will live off a woman on welfare and feel no shame. It's a new day!
Never has so much decadence passed for normal. We had insane Assylums for insane people! The slide started in the 60's; Now everything goes! 2 Moms; 2 Dads; Lesbian adoptions, etc.
It's the end
From: United States
Every one wants to use education as a single formula, one size fits all "solution" the panacea for societies ills. However, in and of itself education is simply not enough. An example given by Arsenio L,jr is Cuba, one of LA most educated, but we are all well aware of the many issues of this island nation. Additionally, among others are Venezuela, Colombia & Argentina highest average literacy rates in the region. Yet, they suffer from the same varieties of political, social and economic miseries atypical to countries with much less education. So eventhough education is very important and crucial to the growth and development of any society, it is over rated. Homeless shelters in the almighty USA are full of college educated. Calvin Coolidge once said that "The world is full of educated derelicts..Education will not (take the place of persistence); Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'press on' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race"
From: Spain, Ibiza, Minorca, Mallorca
guillermone, 23 Feb 2009 11:21 AM
From: United States
The slogan 'press on' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race"
The voice of reason has risen to the ocassion to point out the futility of education as the cure-all of all of society's ills.
My Mother was an elementary school teacher at la Escuela Peru in the Capital. Mom taught me to read and write by the time I was four; But, my Parents taught me also to respect them, elders, the laws of the land, to be courteous to strangers, and many other civic principles.
Yet, if I strayed away from all the things I was taught I had to blame myself, not my parents.
Education begins at home. If the Parents are ignorant of basic ettiquete and morals, there's a huge problem!
Colombia used to have a branch of the Real Academia de la Lengua Española; Look at Colombia now. Education is only part of the solution, the rest is up the student...Right or Wrong!
guillermone: Thanks the sobering words.
From: United States
ArsenioALembertJr-I could not agree with you more. The combined forces of a good education along with solid human and moral values, citizentry and civism are essential, but has now been lost. You can not believe how many well educated people I have met which are deficient precisely in these very same areas, in addition to good manners, courtesy, honesty and a sense of humanity. It is unbelievable and appalling for me is to know that society has had to resort to teach "Ethics" as college level courses. I believe it is too little and too late. This has and must continue to be done similar to how your mother taught you. She inculcated values and principles during your formative years, until it was deeply ingrained in your mode of thought and behavior, which is exactly what society lacks and the reason why "there's a huge problem" in today's world.
From: Dominican Republic
guillermone, AL,
I have to agree. Our society does not value family, hard-work, resilience, responsibility. That is what is keeping us back. If you want a loan in the US, you get yourself good credit. In SD, you tell your prima-la-querida-del-gerente-del-banco o Mimilo, tu-amigo-el-que-juega-softball-con-el-sobrino-del-gerente-del-banco.
From: United States
I agree 100 % with Mr. Lambert's points.
No so in vane , Duarte, the Fatherland, select the Verse of Juan. 8:32 ,and place open the Bible on it , place over our National emblem:" the thruth will set you free"
Its is a evidence. all over, the goberning Class implement the principle. " to count with obedients and loyal subdicts, you shoul keep them in the innorance and in misery. Using its , the Haitians and Dominican "Politician" , are exelents; # 1 on the list.
From: United States
By the way the Cow wish may not " return home: seems to be a Asean especiment.
Written by: abc200, 15 Mar 2009 8:55 AM
From: United Kingdom, Dominican Republic
Countries such as Thailand also concentrate on happiness:
youtube.com/watch?v=HjZXWkn_Bp0&feature=user
Poorer provinces in Thailand win out.
http://www.boston.com/travel/arti...._for_happiness_try_bhutan/?page=1Happiness can come through sense of community, tolerance ( e.g. the Dutch ), adequate social provision - housing health services, freedom from hunger etc. Also freedom from religious people whose maxim follows St. Augustine:
Saint Augustine's maxim, Dilige et quod vis fac,- if you but love [God], you may do as you incline
The World we move towards:
http://johnlennon.lyrics.info/imagine.htmlS.
From: United States, New York City
ABC, if you are suggesting being happy as a recipe for success, then we need to eradicate religion. "Religion is an insult to human dignity. Without it, you'd have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But, for good people to do evil things, it takes religion." Stephen Weinberg, Nobel Prize, Theoretical Physicist. Nuff said. F#%k religions!
Written by: abc200, 15 May 2009 10:47 PM
From: United Kingdom, Dominican Republic
I agree - but from experience some forms of religion are better than others. Poverty in many societies through injustice ( e.g. land distribution ), laws, etc. as the resource base is often sufficient to support the population but a powerful segment of society - e.g. the clergy in Europe in the early middle ages, salvationists now can profit from poverty. It is not only lack of education but
institutions and laws that promote poverty. Health promoted by good housing, good nutrition, medical treatment, public health all contribute to the human poverty index - one measure of poverty.
http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/indices/hpi/The argument persists - does increased consumption increase happiness beyond a certain point?. Is there a new economics focused on happiness?
http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2008-01-10-145885540_x.htmBy the way the this is not the debate of extreme left but increasingly mainstream.
S
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Is Arturo Moises one of the staff at DT complaining about what articles it includes on any given day?
Or, is this a lucky guy who is not using his alias (used on DT to post) to give DT a piece of his mind? How lucky can you get?
Is this what they call the "Fairness Doctrine" in the U.S.; Giving equal airtime to dissenting opinions. How democratic of DT?
About Poverty:
Poverty will be around till the cows come home; no matter how much education a person has. There will always be a hit and run pregnancy, a single mother raising 3 or 4 kids, etc.
How do you stop that? Fatherless families = equal poverty;
Not education, but, responsibility is the key.
Be a man and take care of your own! It's that simple. No orphans, no poverty!
Fight poverty 1 child at a time...Start at home.
You are totally wrong ArsenioALembertJr, education is the key for getting out of poverty.
Oh yeah?
ZD, when I first left DR as a child the population was 3.5 million, and about 60% of the people were literate. Also, there were vast areas without power, or roads. When I returned in 1974,
the population had grown, poverty also increased, in spite of mass education initatives. By then there was UNPHU in the Capital, also APEC, in Santiago UCAMAIMA, and also another Universidad del Este in San Pedro Mcx, etc....In 1989 I saw kids coming from school with bookbags in un campo 15 Kilometer outside of Higuey. Now in 2008, the population has grown past 9 million, there are schools practically everywhere. Poverty is not caused by lack of education.
Birth control is part of the solution. No job, you don't give birth!
People can't reproduce like they are cattle. Unless you plan to eat them!
Look at Cuba, any skinny balsero is a doctor... Yet, they're starving!
There is another side of this equation that also needs to be addressed. I have a 16 year old niece in Venezuela that just gave birth to a little boy, but yet she says she is too young to get married!. As long as I have known her (11 years) she has bounced between her mothers and fathers home. How does one teach values to ones offspring if they hold none themselves? There is also an attitude of "Soy de barrio" and my response is always "Y" Que significa eso? A lot of cultures in this world place stygmas on society classes by birth or by birth place (barrio) and sadly the attitude is never changed by the same people who live there but instead purpetuated by stealing electricity, spousal abuse and claiming it is always some one elses fault for thier own demise. Education is a key, but how do you teach one that they can overcome the obstacles that they place in front of themselves.
Arsenio,
There is another side of this equation that also needs to be addressed. I have a 16 year old niece in Venezuela that just gave birth to a little boy, but yet she says she is too young to get married!. ...
Tex shoe:
The way I see it is that there's a break-down in Society.
Not just in the poor countries; Not just in the slums, the ghettos, the barrios of the people of color.
No, it's world-wide...Look at Texas, or Louisiana....The prisons are full, women raise children without fathers. the state keeps them on relief they grow up on big macs, and slurpees.
Tex, when I grew up in the sixties it was an insult to be told your family was on "RELEIF";
Now, a man will live off a woman on welfare and feel no shame. It's a new day!
Never has so much decadence passed for normal. We had insane Assylums for insane people! The slide started in the 60's; Now everything goes! 2 Moms; 2 Dads; Lesbian adoptions, etc.
It's the end
From: United States
The slogan 'press on' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race"
The voice of reason has risen to the ocassion to point out the futility of education as the cure-all of all of society's ills.
My Mother was an elementary school teacher at la Escuela Peru in the Capital. Mom taught me to read and write by the time I was four; But, my Parents taught me also to respect them, elders, the laws of the land, to be courteous to strangers, and many other civic principles.
Yet, if I strayed away from all the things I was taught I had to blame myself, not my parents.
Education begins at home. If the Parents are ignorant of basic ettiquete and morals, there's a huge problem!
Colombia used to have a branch of the Real Academia de la Lengua Española; Look at Colombia now. Education is only part of the solution, the rest is up the student...Right or Wrong!
guillermone: Thanks the sobering words.
I have to agree. Our society does not value family, hard-work, resilience, responsibility. That is what is keeping us back. If you want a loan in the US, you get yourself good credit. In SD, you tell your prima-la-querida-del-gerente-del-banco o Mimilo, tu-amigo-el-que-juega-softball-con-el-sobrino-del-gerente-del-banco.
No so in vane , Duarte, the Fatherland, select the Verse of Juan. 8:32 ,and place open the Bible on it , place over our National emblem:" the thruth will set you free"
Its is a evidence. all over, the goberning Class implement the principle. " to count with obedients and loyal subdicts, you shoul keep them in the innorance and in misery. Using its , the Haitians and Dominican "Politician" , are exelents; # 1 on the list.
youtube.com/watch?v=HjZXWkn_Bp0&feature=user
Poorer provinces in Thailand win out.
http://www.boston.com/travel/arti...._for_happiness_try_bhutan/?page=1
Happiness can come through sense of community, tolerance ( e.g. the Dutch ), adequate social provision - housing health services, freedom from hunger etc. Also freedom from religious people whose maxim follows St. Augustine:
Saint Augustine's maxim, Dilige et quod vis fac,- if you but love [God], you may do as you incline
The World we move towards:
http://johnlennon.lyrics.info/imagine.html
S.
institutions and laws that promote poverty. Health promoted by good housing, good nutrition, medical treatment, public health all contribute to the human poverty index - one measure of poverty.
http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/indices/hpi/
The argument persists - does increased consumption increase happiness beyond a certain point?. Is there a new economics focused on happiness?
http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2008-01-10-145885540_x.htm
By the way the this is not the debate of extreme left but increasingly mainstream.
S