More Castro shiat...
BBC NEWS | Have Your Say: Castro illness: What next for Cuba? ...
On one front:
"I have read many of the posts on this page. Just about every European has stated something positive about Castro and Cuba (and has been rough on the US). For those of you who have expressed those ideas - you are absolutely clueless. Imagine people getting in a raft in shark infested waters to get a place they have never seen before just to get out of where they live. That happens EVERYDAY in Cuba.
What I find ironic is this same thing happens with North Africans trying to get to Europe - and it's the Europeans who are turning these people away. Funny how Europeans don't want people looking at them and there faults. I just hope when our European friends decide to make comments about Cuba and the US - at least know what your talking about. Being anti-American is just to easy."
This seems to be very true. Being anti-American is very popular in the world today. It seems everyone loves the underdog and hates the ...uh... overdog? It's the popular thing to do. But, is there reason behind anti-Americanism, at least as far as Cuba goes? What do people who have lived in or been to Cuba think?
Let's take a rough tally.
Those who have lived there and LIKED it: 0 (hmm.)
Those who have lived there and HATED it: 1
Those who have visited there and SUPPORT it: 9
Those who have visited there and DONT: 5
Those who just WHINE about Cuba (pro or con): Countless
Despite the fact that the posts kept rolling past (I mean, some people's posts got skipped accidentally), I find it interesting that the one and only person I found that claimed to have LIVED there ran away from Cuba because of the regime and life there in general. But, people VISITING Cuba seemed to support it more than deride it (or its government). It makes you wonder how much of the real Cuba these yea-sayers actually saw.
More of my comments and observations (mostly counters or comments to people's posts)
"I hate to rain on your parade, but the Cuba economic, educational and health care model is HARDLY the one americans dream about, or anyone else for that matter.
Answer me one question Martyn? If it is such a utopia, why do people continue to float over here to the US on inner tubes, bathtubs or whatever they think will float?
Answer me that one if Cuba is such a communistic utopia."
...and...
"People risk their lives every year to make the 90 mile journey, often on small rafts, to flee his dictatorial goverment. That is what the people inside think of life in Cuba."
The "why do people continue to float over here" argument seems to be used an awful lot. What are they basing that on? Actual demographics? Or what they see on the news? Or, even a stereotype BASED off of the news? None of the people who have made this argument against Cuba has backed it up with ... well, anything. Other than what images the news gives us. How many people live in Cuba? How many of them wish to escape?
Other interesting viewpoints:
"Cubans flee to America for a simple yet fairly unknown reason. Migration from a third-world country to a first-world country is somehow regarded as an amazing thing when it's Cuba. Yet the flow of immigrants is far fewer than Mexico, where the US actively tries to stop immigration, as opposed to Cuba, where the US ENCOURAGES it. Cubans are not allowed to emigrate to america by US laws, not cuban laws. If, however, they hijack a boat, for example, and go over illegally, they are "fleeing the communist terror" and will be made US citizens."
---
"'Fidel is everything good and everything bad about the Revolution'. A university student shared that with me in a university class in Havana. She didn't whisper, and the other students nodded & added their comments. I had the privilege to study in Cuba a few years ago, & those words ring true for me as I continue to follow the news about the ailing leader. Yes, there are tough circumstances in Cuba, but comparatively, they live far better than the much of the caribe and Lat Am.
Cuba is NOT the only country with emigrants, especially in Lat Am. With all the talk of US immigration laws, let us not forget the good fortunes that Cubans receive when they arrive like citizenship after 1 YEAR!
Important changes are coming for Cuba, and those changes must be carried out by Cubans in Cuba."
---
"I got back yesterday from a year spent living and studying in Cuba, so I know that the latest developments will be greeted with hope and happiness by 99% of Cubans. It's true that Fidel did many great things when he came to power (eradicate illiteracy and create a free healthcare system etc) but that was over 40 years ago and times have changed. Nowadays, Fidel champions his medics and teachers abroad, but it remains unmentioned that this is at the expense of the living standard of the average Cuban. Cubans can only get good healthcare if they know/bribe a doctor, and many common medicines are only available in dollars. Standards have fallen in schools and universities. Cubans earn less than 50 cents a day. Hopefully Cuba's future will now be decided by Cubans, not by the USA or Raul."
---
"Having recently spent a month in Cuba, i found many people in favour of the continued revolution. How many "Evil Dictators" provide free eduction, healthcare, housing and food to all? As one man put it "Under this regime i know i will always have a roof over my head and food on the table for my family." How many people round the world can say that? Leave Cuba for the Cubans!"
---
"I recently visited Cuba and found a vibrant and good natured people who supported Castro. In a recent study Cuban's were in the top 8 happiest nations. [note: orly? which study was that?] I can see Cuba being destroyed by US imperialism and turned into another Las Vegas. Under the crushing US embargo they have achieve very much domestically. The US needs to realise partnership will create change not embargos and forced regeime change."
---
On one front:
"I have read many of the posts on this page. Just about every European has stated something positive about Castro and Cuba (and has been rough on the US). For those of you who have expressed those ideas - you are absolutely clueless. Imagine people getting in a raft in shark infested waters to get a place they have never seen before just to get out of where they live. That happens EVERYDAY in Cuba.
What I find ironic is this same thing happens with North Africans trying to get to Europe - and it's the Europeans who are turning these people away. Funny how Europeans don't want people looking at them and there faults. I just hope when our European friends decide to make comments about Cuba and the US - at least know what your talking about. Being anti-American is just to easy."
This seems to be very true. Being anti-American is very popular in the world today. It seems everyone loves the underdog and hates the ...uh... overdog? It's the popular thing to do. But, is there reason behind anti-Americanism, at least as far as Cuba goes? What do people who have lived in or been to Cuba think?
Let's take a rough tally.
Those who have lived there and LIKED it: 0 (hmm.)
Those who have lived there and HATED it: 1
Those who have visited there and SUPPORT it: 9
Those who have visited there and DONT: 5
Those who just WHINE about Cuba (pro or con): Countless
Despite the fact that the posts kept rolling past (I mean, some people's posts got skipped accidentally), I find it interesting that the one and only person I found that claimed to have LIVED there ran away from Cuba because of the regime and life there in general. But, people VISITING Cuba seemed to support it more than deride it (or its government). It makes you wonder how much of the real Cuba these yea-sayers actually saw.
More of my comments and observations (mostly counters or comments to people's posts)
"I hate to rain on your parade, but the Cuba economic, educational and health care model is HARDLY the one americans dream about, or anyone else for that matter.
Answer me one question Martyn? If it is such a utopia, why do people continue to float over here to the US on inner tubes, bathtubs or whatever they think will float?
Answer me that one if Cuba is such a communistic utopia."
...and...
"People risk their lives every year to make the 90 mile journey, often on small rafts, to flee his dictatorial goverment. That is what the people inside think of life in Cuba."
The "why do people continue to float over here" argument seems to be used an awful lot. What are they basing that on? Actual demographics? Or what they see on the news? Or, even a stereotype BASED off of the news? None of the people who have made this argument against Cuba has backed it up with ... well, anything. Other than what images the news gives us. How many people live in Cuba? How many of them wish to escape?
Other interesting viewpoints:
"Cubans flee to America for a simple yet fairly unknown reason. Migration from a third-world country to a first-world country is somehow regarded as an amazing thing when it's Cuba. Yet the flow of immigrants is far fewer than Mexico, where the US actively tries to stop immigration, as opposed to Cuba, where the US ENCOURAGES it. Cubans are not allowed to emigrate to america by US laws, not cuban laws. If, however, they hijack a boat, for example, and go over illegally, they are "fleeing the communist terror" and will be made US citizens."
---
"'Fidel is everything good and everything bad about the Revolution'. A university student shared that with me in a university class in Havana. She didn't whisper, and the other students nodded & added their comments. I had the privilege to study in Cuba a few years ago, & those words ring true for me as I continue to follow the news about the ailing leader. Yes, there are tough circumstances in Cuba, but comparatively, they live far better than the much of the caribe and Lat Am.
Cuba is NOT the only country with emigrants, especially in Lat Am. With all the talk of US immigration laws, let us not forget the good fortunes that Cubans receive when they arrive like citizenship after 1 YEAR!
Important changes are coming for Cuba, and those changes must be carried out by Cubans in Cuba."
---
"I got back yesterday from a year spent living and studying in Cuba, so I know that the latest developments will be greeted with hope and happiness by 99% of Cubans. It's true that Fidel did many great things when he came to power (eradicate illiteracy and create a free healthcare system etc) but that was over 40 years ago and times have changed. Nowadays, Fidel champions his medics and teachers abroad, but it remains unmentioned that this is at the expense of the living standard of the average Cuban. Cubans can only get good healthcare if they know/bribe a doctor, and many common medicines are only available in dollars. Standards have fallen in schools and universities. Cubans earn less than 50 cents a day. Hopefully Cuba's future will now be decided by Cubans, not by the USA or Raul."
---
"Having recently spent a month in Cuba, i found many people in favour of the continued revolution. How many "Evil Dictators" provide free eduction, healthcare, housing and food to all? As one man put it "Under this regime i know i will always have a roof over my head and food on the table for my family." How many people round the world can say that? Leave Cuba for the Cubans!"
---
"I recently visited Cuba and found a vibrant and good natured people who supported Castro. In a recent study Cuban's were in the top 8 happiest nations. [note: orly? which study was that?] I can see Cuba being destroyed by US imperialism and turned into another Las Vegas. Under the crushing US embargo they have achieve very much domestically. The US needs to realise partnership will create change not embargos and forced regeime change."
---
posted by xanadian at 11:34 AM
2 Comments:
UPDATE: The Happy Planet Index (happyplanetindex.org) has Cuba rated #6. That would qualify being in the "top 8".
UPDATE: This site (http://www.le.ac.uk/pc/aw57/world/sample.html) rates Cuba at #83 of 178. Mid-way. Hmm. The US is at #23 and Denmark is at #1. I believe I linked to an MSNBC article about this...
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