Meanwhile, in Ecuadorean Politics...
Ugh.
So maybe this government is actually good for the country? I honestly just do not know anymore.
Here's the story: Ever since I arrived, I have heard complaint after complaint about Mr. Correa's administration. This is not uncommon, since I reside in the opposition capital. At the same time, though, I have seen two elections, and I have seen two landslides for the incumbent.
That alone means close to zero, of course. The general public's opinion is usually about as valid as a poll taken among elementary school children. They are usually just as informed on the issues. But it does tell us one pretty important fact:
The majority of the people are comfortable. They are content.
This makes for a higher quality of life. It means a happier population. It is a small thing, but it counts for something.
Now, on to the real issues...
Here is where the waters get a little murkier. I am an information junky, but information is a little harder to come by where communications are less evolved, and where the government has control over a lot of them. This alone counts as points against the president, of course. Limited freedom of the press is a shady thing, even if a lot of the press here was crap to begin with.
Nevertheless, some information from independent, neutral sources is available on the internet and textbooks. Even if not nearly as much as I would like. This information talks about a very flawed man, but one who has done what none before him, at least in my lifetime, has done: Cater to the middle and lower class. It talks about free college education and free healthcare (may not be the best healthcare, but hey, it's something). It talks about unemployment assistance and affordable methods of contraception. It talks about actually doing things to benefit the people.
All this sounds great. What does not sound so great is the way he has come down on those who are above the middle class in order to pay for it all; the way he has increased the taxes on banks, imports, customs, and pretty much anything that can be considered a luxury... even if it is not.
In a nutshell, he is a socialist. He is everything Obama is accused of being.
So the question remains: Is he what the country needs?
The country seems to think so (He has already won two elections, and is an overwhelming favorite to win reelection in three months). But ironically, the opinion of the majority might not be what matters, since that majority is largely uneducated. Among those who are educated, predominant thinking is that the country can only move forward if there are incentives in place for the job creators. In this type of economy, so very different from that in America, the country might be better off in the hands of those of higher income, better education, and who have the means to create jobs for everyone else and get the economy moving.
Therein lies the controversy, the doubt, the argument, and my internal debate.
Not that any of it matters, since everything points to another four years of Mr. Correa.
So maybe this government is actually good for the country? I honestly just do not know anymore.
Here's the story: Ever since I arrived, I have heard complaint after complaint about Mr. Correa's administration. This is not uncommon, since I reside in the opposition capital. At the same time, though, I have seen two elections, and I have seen two landslides for the incumbent.
That alone means close to zero, of course. The general public's opinion is usually about as valid as a poll taken among elementary school children. They are usually just as informed on the issues. But it does tell us one pretty important fact:
The majority of the people are comfortable. They are content.
This makes for a higher quality of life. It means a happier population. It is a small thing, but it counts for something.
Now, on to the real issues...
Here is where the waters get a little murkier. I am an information junky, but information is a little harder to come by where communications are less evolved, and where the government has control over a lot of them. This alone counts as points against the president, of course. Limited freedom of the press is a shady thing, even if a lot of the press here was crap to begin with.
Nevertheless, some information from independent, neutral sources is available on the internet and textbooks. Even if not nearly as much as I would like. This information talks about a very flawed man, but one who has done what none before him, at least in my lifetime, has done: Cater to the middle and lower class. It talks about free college education and free healthcare (may not be the best healthcare, but hey, it's something). It talks about unemployment assistance and affordable methods of contraception. It talks about actually doing things to benefit the people.
All this sounds great. What does not sound so great is the way he has come down on those who are above the middle class in order to pay for it all; the way he has increased the taxes on banks, imports, customs, and pretty much anything that can be considered a luxury... even if it is not.
In a nutshell, he is a socialist. He is everything Obama is accused of being.
So the question remains: Is he what the country needs?
The country seems to think so (He has already won two elections, and is an overwhelming favorite to win reelection in three months). But ironically, the opinion of the majority might not be what matters, since that majority is largely uneducated. Among those who are educated, predominant thinking is that the country can only move forward if there are incentives in place for the job creators. In this type of economy, so very different from that in America, the country might be better off in the hands of those of higher income, better education, and who have the means to create jobs for everyone else and get the economy moving.
Therein lies the controversy, the doubt, the argument, and my internal debate.
Not that any of it matters, since everything points to another four years of Mr. Correa.