7284: Durban on Haitian Qualities to Admire (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Lance Durban <lpdurban@yahoo.com>

I have certainly enjoyed the various comments on Gladys Lauture, a woman
who I have never met and had never even heard of until the recent
discussion... suppose that just shows how out of touch I am.

That latest laudatory 'Curriculum Vitae' of Ms Lauture however, got me to
thinking about just what traits I might most admire in a successful
Haitian Elite.  The anonymous poster of that CV left three unasked
questions which would certainly help me form an opinion of any member of
the Haitian elite:

 1. What kind and how many vehicle(s) does the individual own?
 2. What is the square footage of the individual's principal residence?
 3. What is the individual's annual (non-food) personal spending?

In a country where the vast majority scrape by on next to no income, the
opulent levels of conspicuous consumption displayed by the Haitian elite
never cease to amaze me.  I can hear the response already:  "Oh, but we
earned it, and life is so hard in Haiti I really need my comforts.....
etc. etc. etc.".

Sorry, I don't care how many orphanages you are sponsoring, my opinion of
you will be mostly based on the car you drive, the house you live in, and
the vacations you take.  Your lifestyle, displayed to the less fortunate
people of this country speaks volumes.  Indeed, it is but one of the
intractable cultural problems confronting this country.  And no, I don't
imagine we will see improvement anytime soon.  

L. Durban

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