With the abrupt inclination of technology, and the introduction of futuristic machinery, the human population within developed countries like the United States of Americas has ultimately ceased to make a living. Haiti on the other hand is an underdeveloped country that is deeply rooted by culture, tradition, and the social unification. Haiti is therefore incomparable to the United States of America.
Over the years, modernization has been responsible for various positive changes on a global scale. With the abrupt inclination of technology, and the introduction of futuristic machinery, the human population within developed countries like the United States of Americas has ultimately ceased to make a living. The cultural identities that once distinguished peoples slowly eroded. Subsequently with such emphasis posed on jobs and careers. The traditional "I Thou" relationship established by Martin Buber has been totally eradicated to establish an "I It" relation between humans and the tools used to finally make a living and not a life; and establish a house but not a home. Fortunately, developing countries like Haiti do not hold the same fate.
First and Foremost, various contrasts within both nations' potential futures ultimately lay within their pasts. Evidently the only way to understand the issue at hand is to explore in detail the core comparisons that will eventually distinguish these two already contrast demographic bodies of land. The Republic of Haiti in itself symbolizes unity while the American nation is the correct denotation for individual freedom. On the island of Hispaniola then, the individuals in question established a common point of focus. The United States was founded by several groups of people from various backgrounds who were unhappy with their current way of life. They were in search for an alternative to their status quo and for basic freedoms and rights. These people were immigrants and travelers trying to escape the oppressions of church and government. Those who founded the United States were concerned with themselves. They were fighting for their rights and beliefs and acquiring what they wanted in order to better their lives. The movement was based on Individualism. Because of the vast variety of people and diversity that populated what is now the United States, the concept of "individual rights" was coined. Every individual went after something personal and the only aspect that relates them from one another was the fight for independence. All these aspects lead to the multicultural environment that exists in the United States. It is vastly diverse and the people who inhabit this great nation are broken down into separate castes.
Haiti on the other hand is an underdeveloped country that is deeply rooted by culture, tradition, and the social unification. Haiti is therefore incomparable to the United States of America. . Since the original natives of Haiti have been completely annihilated, those we call Haitians today were people who were born into slavery. A system of social classes divided them, each seeking a way to better their lives for survival. The social class was composed of the white colonist, the black slaves, and the mulattos that were given certain rights. With a great deal of time and sufferance, the two social classes were unified towards a common goal. For in the end, what they both were actually in search for was freedom.
Haiti today is years behind in terms of development and organization. Obviously, development has a great impact on the values and social relationships that exist there. There is a significant difference between the relationships of two entities in Haiti versus two entities in the United States. In Haiti, there exists I-Thou relationships where people engage in closer, enduring, and more personal relationship with those around them and in their community.
In the United States, the I-It relationship exists where most people are mostly concerned with themselves and who or whatever comes attached. It is the relationship that exists when the communication between one and another is manipulated by technology. For instance, communication has changed for ever. We have gone through physical conversations to phone conversations where we can't see the other person's facial expressions but at least hear the truth in their voices. Now, in this new day and age, we have chat conversations where what the person says is almost meaningless because the personal connection no longer exists. We can do all our banking and shopping online so "we don't have to be bothered with trivial obstacles in life such as a small conversation with the cashier." It is a time when one has not the time to enjoy the simple things in life and interact with those that one does not know too well.
As mentioned earlier, it is only obvious that such a paradox is nothing more than a direct result of the advancements of a country. The paradox described by George Carlin is the inevitable result of an imperfect society. Because of the imperfections of man himself, society at large is basically an imperfect system being compelled to exceed its limits and surpass its technological accomplishments but unable to do so without the presence of the basic flaws of humanity that is exchanged in the process. Alas Utopia does not exist. To simplify it, technology facilitates our ways of life. It allows us to accomplish more in less time, with the least possible confrontation with others. The continuous progression in technology thus further isolates the individual and strengthens the gap between one person and other. Advancements in technology also allow us to have larger and more productive organizations, where people's lives become more and more repetitive. We have become robots, dehumanized and impersonal. We perform the exact task that is expected of us without giving consideration to ones "special case." This loss of personal connection has lead to the disintegration of values that once existed in the United States. As we continue to advance, the result is unavoidably the loss of values and humanity.
With the introduction of technology, we loose grasp of what really matters in life and gradually obtain the I-It relationship with the world. It is a price we pay for the advancements and developments. This is why we are blinded by the materialistic world, where we spend more time indoors than outdoors. And when we manage to actually go outside, we are preoccupied by our work, money, power, respect, and reputation, which is in the end the path toward the material world.
Having said that, I do in fact acknowledge what makes Haiti unique and incomparable to the United States. There is a profound sense of personal connection between two or more strangers that one does not feel in the United States. Is it a wonder why Haiti is so underdeveloped? Maybe it is the price that is paid for having such a hold on values and I-Thou relationships. Furthermore, one may notice that those in the provinces are even more deeply rooted in their culture and values than those in the capital. One may also notice that the capital is more developed. In the process of becoming a "modern" country, such a paradox described by George Carlin cannot be avoided even by Haiti and other third-world countries.
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