Nation building

The future

Interesting story on the front page of The Wall Street Jorunal today discussing how the Guerrero Brothers - Vlad, Wilton, Julio and Eleazer - are investing their Dominican hometown. Unlike a lot of other DR stars who cash in big in the major leagues, the Guerreros aren't just giving away money. Instead, their building buisness and the community by investing in the people. They start businesses, give loans and create farms, which leads to building supermakets, hardware stores, and construction firms which ideally will support the community. Many locals make a good living (by DR standards) and the money gets pumped right back into the local economy.

Whether or not this form of economic development is successful in the DR remains to be seen. Only time will tell.

Reading this article, I'm reminded of Paul Theroux's Dark Star Safari, a travelogue documentating his return to East Africa after living there more than 20 years ago. Theroux was discouraged to see how much worse life had become in that part of the world. Decades before, he had helped to set up schools, build infrastructure, and teach sustainable farming practices. Most of that work, and the people to do it, had vanished. This economic and social decline is the result of a wide variety of reasons - AIDS and wars chief among them. But also, decades of handouts turned that part of Africa into a virtual welfare state, where people and nations came to rely on the aid. Once the aid disappeared, a large societial gap was created. I recall Theroux discussing the problem with a local. When Theroux asked, and I'm paraphrasing here, "What can be done to help - what is the answer?" The local man replied "Maybe no answer." So it goes. Maybe there IS no answer.

Whether or not the Guerrero's succeed on a smaller scale will be interesting to watch indeed.

I'm listening to sleepy music today. Miles Davis' "In A Silent Way; the Complete Sessions"....