“Se necesita materia prima para construir un pais”

My host sister from Ecuador always forwards me junk, but I found this slide she sent me to be interesting, so I translated it. The point of view very harshly criticizes the Ecuadorian people, and largely blames them for their own state of misery. I don't agree with everything the creator has said here, but it is an interesting perspective. :::

We say that Mahuad didn’t serve well [as president]; the same we say of Bucaram and Gutierrez; Now they’re saying that Correa isn’t any good either. And the one that comes next will not be sufficient either.

I suspect that the problem isn’t with the corruption of Bucaram, nor in the ineptitude of Mahuad, nor in the autocratic Correa. The problem is with us as a PEOPLE, as the main component of a country.

I belong to a country where newspapers will never be able to be sold as they are in other countries, that is, putting boxes on the sidewalks where one pays for a newspaper and takes out “A SINGLE NEWSPAPER.”… leaving the rest where they are.

I belong to a country where the people feel triumphant if their neighbors’ cable gets turned off, where people cheat on their taxes in order to pay less… where unpunctuality is a habit… where there is no interest in the environment; people throw trash in the streets and later complain about lack of street maintenance.

[I belong to a country] where a culture of reading does not exist, where there is no conscience, no political, historic, economic memory… Where driver licenses and medical degrees can be “bought” without taking any kind of test… where a senior citizen, a woman with a child in her arms, or a handicapped person get on the bus and those who are seated pretend they are asleep in order to not give up their seats… Solidarity does not exist. We don’t share anything with anyone.

Even if Correa resigned today, his successor would have to keep working with the same defective people. Unless someone first finds a way to eradicate our vices that we have as a people, no one will ever serve as a sufficient leader. Is it that we need a dictator, to make us obey the law by means of force and terror? This idea is also lacking something.

It is wonderful to be Ecuadorian. But when that autochthonous Ecuadorian-ness begins to damage our possibilities of development as a Nation: that is where the line must be drawn. We ourselves have to change; a new president with the same Ecuadorians will not be able to accomplish anything. This is very clear. It is we who have to change. SEND THIS MESSAGE TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW. We need to raise awareness. We’re already damned, and if we keep on this way we’re going to go even father in the wrong direction. OR NOT? What do you think?