The Good
The "good" is the Cuban people's high level of education and literacy; Cuba's free healthcare system and medical schools; their success against racism and growing struggle to overcome sexism and discrimination against sexual orientation; and the elimination of extreme poverty and achieving more economic equality.
Cuba's "good" is its highly educated and civilized population and the friendly way that they welcome tourists. Tourists have no fear of getting off the bus or wandering from their hotel to the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of Cuba. As an American I felt extremely welcome. All of Havana was abuzz about the 150 of us from the CodePink delegation.
The Bad
The "bad" is Cuba's deteriorating buildings and lack of adequate housing. It is not unusual for two and three generations to be living together in a small apartment. Construction of new housing and renovation of old buildings has been slow. Not much of the old city of Havana has been painted in the past 50 years.
Cuba is a poor country with limited natural resources. Cuba has some oil and nickel. "Cuba imports some 60 percent of the food it consumes at a cost of around $2 billion annually, mainly bulk cereals and grains such as rice, corn, soy and beans, as well as other items such as powdered milk and chicken" [HERE ]" .
Cuba says that it is investing in its human capital. Ironically, this has led to one of its problems, providing economic opportunities for its highly educated, motivated and younger population. Cuba has produced large numbers of medical doctors but because the pay is low some of them turn to working in the tourist industry where they can earn a higher salary. Economic opportunity is often the motivation for young Cubans to go into exile to the U.S.
Another of Cuba's "bad's" is the lack of political diversity. The only officially recognized political party in Cuba is the Communist Party. As U.S. propaganda reminds everyone, ad nauseam, Cuba is not a democracy in the sense of the meaning of that word to the U.S. government, the U.S. main stream media and most Americans.
The Ugly
When it comes to the "ugly" it is the U.S. imposed economic embargo and the unnecessary hardship it imposes. The Cuban people call it a U.S. blockade for good reason.
The blockade prevents not only U.S. and Cuban trade, but also trade with other countries. Anything manufactured even in another country that contains over 10% Cuban content is banned from import to the U.S. and vice versa. Further, any ship that docks in Cuba is banned from U.S. water for six months. U.S. banks and financial institutions are forbidden to settle Cuban transaction under threat of being accused of laundering money for terrorists. Often many corporations, financial institutions and countries avoid transactions with Cuba just out of fear that they may run afoul of the U.S.
General Impressions
After my experience of visiting Cuba with CodePink, I have formed two general impressions:
Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
