Analyzing Dominican social and political bahavior

By Manuel Espinal

Manuel Espinal 

Based on cyber-politics: “Signs of a fall” and Dominicanity between the gray and mental deficiency of Andrés Merejo

Sobre ciberpolítica: “Presagio de una caída”  y “Dominicanidad entre lo gris y lo oligofrénico” de Andrés Merejo

From the fact that politics represents a battle of opposing interests, even in the same political groups, the current political situation in the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD for its initials in Spanish) comes to confirm that individuals or groups have their own economic, politic and life projects which are manifested through the search of the power; and for developing or carrying out such projects, they are able to use any useful device or tools which allow them the achievement of it.

Dr. Andrés Merejo

The pursuit of that political power within PLD is an undeniable reality since there has been a battle about that party leadership from many years ago between former president Leonel Fernandez and the current president of the nation, Danilo Medina. 

The political facts indicate that Fernandez had been the most popular and charismatic leader of such party, but a series of actions related with corruption have affected Leonel’s figure, who is now out of the power, and under this situation, besides the fragmentation of the opposition parties; Medina has assumed the leadership of his party and also of the nation according to some polls recently published.

Politicians, who are not entirely ethic as to obtain the power, are able to use any strategy, stratagem, trick or any means to justify their behavior. And, talking about any means, it is what Danilo and his structure or followers used and have used to consolidate themselves from the power.

Danilo has organized a giant structure; funded from the State by the way, which includes journalists and opinion leaders within the PLD and through mass media: radio stations, TV channels, newspapers, and of course, cyberspace through social networks such as: Twitter, Facebook, blogs, Instagram, etc. whose objective has been degrade Leonel political figure and promote a divisive speech within opposition leaders.

For such purposes, Danilo and his followers drew upon people related to the drug dealing, for example Quirino Ernesto Paulino Castillo, who revealed how he cooperated with Leonel’s campaign when ran for presidency pursuing his second term of four years (2004-2008). With his statements few months ago, Quirino finished discrediting Leonel Fernandez morality, and somehow limiting his possibilities for a new presidential candidacy, as in fact happened.

In spite everything I have said till now, the most important is not Leonel popularity fall, whose presage was turning into reality at full speed, and his demoralization as a person and political leader or the opposition parties’ slowdown, but people indifference with relation to the unethical behavior assumed by the government to achieve its purpose.  

The officials of the government were completely convinced that, in spite of their unethical methods to impose the new Magna Carta modification to establish the presidential reelection, people were not about to demand any explanation on the government attitude, and if by any chance some citizens dared to protest by the indiscriminate use of money from government for bribing PRD (Dominican Revolutionary Party) legislators, the protests were confined to fail as the time was lapsing, since the government was to launch its media machinery to suppress any reaction.

Finally, to close this paper on my reflections about Merejo's articles, I must say that the dysfunction of mass media called individual or social narcotization is fulfilled, since we have many individuals who think that if they are informed or exposed to mass media, it is enough to stop social defects or the vices of politicians, however they do not carry out any action to prevent politicians from keeping their misbehavior.