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**BopeDolaNeone** · 10-02-2006, 08:00 AM

Golo,
I think I can understand your frustration. What we call chopos my grandmother called "la plebe". But I guess we can't blame her and her contemporaries for that. Things were indeed quite different back in the days when the DR was even more tribal than now. Your comments re. traditions etc., virtually letting people to know 'their place', are not news to me. I'm afraid that I'm a recovering elitist myself. But keep in mind that "social traditions" until relatively quite recently included slavery. I think most of us would agree that that's one tradition not worth keeping. Chopos belong in the DR just like you and me do. Like them or not. On the other hand, elites in themselves are not a sin. Every society has, or has had one. And they can sometimes be productive and humane. But an elite that scorns and ridicules those not up to their preferences ultimately proves to be unwise. Historically, anywhere in the world you look, when the elites fail to constructively engage the masses they end up paying the price for that kind of attitude. Marie- Antoinette probably regretted her divine right to be supefluous seconds before guillotine sliced her neck. We are a different generation from our grandparents' and ought to deal with things a bit more open-mindedly. Your frustration over the cultural shortcomings of many of our compatriots should not overwhelm your circuits to the level that it seems to do so. What are we talking about here? Mostly lack of manners and an awful taste in clothing and music, not major crimes against humanity such as cannibalism or the sexual perversions of people like Trujillo. You come across as very angry and it must be precisely because you seem to think that there is no remedy for the chopo problem. You're clearly a very intelligent person and the best informed guy in this DR1 town with regards to all the political gossip in the DR. Your evaluation of Suberví, for example, is right on the mark as he is a dangerous troglodyte, possibly worse than Hippo. But I would hope that your asessment of him is based on your political opinion and not just because the guy is or isn't a chopo. Chopos are so many that you either learn to have them around (at the distance of your preference) or you make efforts to help them change. We can't be so pessimistic as to give up and let them condemn the whole country to eternal misery. Go on and give it a try. I also used to worry re. chopos completely ruining the country. But if those of us who are not chopos don't do something to help, then who is to blame? In summary, I respecfully disagree with your assertion that chopería can't be modified. People are not born wanting to be a chopo. They are taught how to be a chopo. They likewise could be taught how not to be.
Peace.
-Tordok
new slogan: Help the Chopos be less Chopos. NOW!

10-02-2006, 08:00 AM	#38
BopeDolaNeone Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 402 Senior Member	Golo, I think I can understand your frustration. What we call chopos my grandmother called "la plebe". But I guess we can't blame her and her contemporaries for that. Things were indeed quite different back in the days when the DR was even more tribal than now. Your comments re. traditions etc., virtually letting people to know 'their place', are not news to me. I'm afraid that I'm a recovering elitist myself. But keep in mind that "social traditions" until relatively quite recently included slavery. I think most of us would agree that that's one tradition not worth keeping. Chopos belong in the DR just like you and me do. Like them or not. On the other hand, elites in themselves are not a sin. Every society has, or has had one. And they can sometimes be productive and humane. But an elite that scorns and ridicules those not up to their preferences ultimately proves to be unwise. Historically, anywhere in the world you look, when the elites fail to constructively engage the masses they end up paying the price for that kind of attitude. Marie- Antoinette probably regretted her divine right to be supefluous seconds before guillotine sliced her neck. We are a different generation from our grandparents' and ought to deal with things a bit more open-mindedly. Your frustration over the cultural shortcomings of many of our compatriots should not overwhelm your circuits to the level that it seems to do so. What are we talking about here? Mostly lack of manners and an awful taste in clothing and music, not major crimes against humanity such as cannibalism or the sexual perversions of people like Trujillo. You come across as very angry and it must be precisely because you seem to think that there is no remedy for the chopo problem. You're clearly a very intelligent person and the best informed guy in this DR1 town with regards to all the political gossip in the DR. Your evaluation of Suberví, for example, is right on the mark as he is a dangerous troglodyte, possibly worse than Hippo. But I would hope that your asessment of him is based on your political opinion and not just because the guy is or isn't a chopo. Chopos are so many that you either learn to have them around (at the distance of your preference) or you make efforts to help them change. We can't be so pessimistic as to give up and let them condemn the whole country to eternal misery. Go on and give it a try. I also used to worry re. chopos completely ruining the country. But if those of us who are not chopos don't do something to help, then who is to blame? In summary, I respecfully disagree with your assertion that chopería can't be modified. People are not born wanting to be a chopo. They are taught how to be a chopo. They likewise could be taught how not to be. Peace. -Tordok new slogan: Help the Chopos be less Chopos. NOW!
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