[robmik43]

I've been to Cuba many times. Yes, it was vacation, but we always took
both school and medical supplies, as well as shoes & clothing for the poor
shack dwellers near the resort. The ones who don't get into politics much.

The schools ? When we went there..they looked good, all the kids
in nice uniforms, but with no pencils, paper, chalk...is the USA
the only country in the world who can supply pencils, paper and chalk ?
The medical clinic ? We took in dressings, disinfectant, aspirin, salves..
is the USA the only country in the world who can supply dressings, disinfectant,
aspirin and salves ? The clinics never had any from their own government.
Needless to say the teachers and nurses looked forward to visitors
bringing supplies, because their Socialist shangri-la had none...
a miserable failed experiment in jackboot-enforced Marxism.

You lefties here are complete idiots to laud the 'accomplishments'
of Castro's regime.

[Wada]

It's perspective. I mean to some the US is good for tourists with money, even with more poor folks than Cuba.

[Toro]

OPP OPP:

Cuba's doing better than they ever would with a pro-american government even if it did mean extensive sanctions from the U.S.

What's your evidence of this? Compare Cuba with other countries in the Caribbean.

This data is a couple of years old and I haven't updated it, but the basic message is the same.

.............

From the CIA factbook online, Cuba does well in some areas and very poor in others.

Of eight major Caribbean nations - Barbados, Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Trinidad, Puerto Rico and Cuba;

Cuba has the lowest infant mortality rate of 6.33 per 1000. Next lowest is Puerto Rico at 8.24.

Cuba's life expectancy is 77.2, in line with Jamaica at 76.3 and Puerto Rico at 77.6. Everyone else is lower.

Literacy is 97%, in line with Barbados at 97.4%, Bahamas 95.6%, Trinidad 98.6% and Puerto Rico at 94.1%.

Net migration in Cuba is -1.58 per 1000, Puerto Rico -1.34, Haiti -1.68 and Barbados -0.31.


GDP per capita

Bahamas $17,700
Puerto Rico $17,700
Barbardos $16,400
Trinidad $10,500
Dom. Rep. $6,300
Jamaica $4,100
Cuba $3,000
Haiti $1,500


Telephones per 1000 inhabitants

Barbados 0.98
Bahamas 0.84
Jamaica 0.68
Peurto Rico 0.65
Trinidad 0.63
Dom Rep 0.34
Cuba 0.05
Haiti 0.03

[Wada]

Which of those are sanctioned by the US? Cuba?

[Toro]

Wada Wada:

Which of those are sanctioned by the US? Cuba?

Man, this is such bizarre logic.

So in other words, the Big Bad Evil Exploitative Americans have made all the above countries better off. If only Cuba were allowed to trade with the Big Bad Evil Exploitative Americans, Cuba's communist revolution would be a success!




For the record, the embargo is a failure and should be dropped because not only would trade and investment benefit the Cuban people - as trade and investment does everywhere around the world - it would stop giving Castro and his apologists a stick to beat the Americans with and deflect their own abject failures.

[ridenrain]

Cuba is nothing more than the victim of it;s own rheroric.

Big kudo's for robmik43: that evil right wing, puppet of the running dog lackey, Bush for actually doing far more to help Cuban people than all the bleeding heart lefties put together.

[Wada]

"For the record, the embargo is a failure and should be dropped because not only would trade and investment would benefit the Cuban people - as trade and investment does everywhere around the world - it would stop giving Castro and his apologists a stick to beat the Americans with and deflect their own abject failures."

I mostly concur. Further to the record, The US still has an embargo. They still have more poor and homeless and I've seen pictures of the hospital the Americans are using for their troops and flies are only a minor problem at this facility.

[herbie]

$1:

is the USA
the only country in the world who can supply pencils, paper and chalk ?

It must be. I had to buy all that shit for my kids every Sept. here in Canada.
Do Cuban kids tell their parents they need laptops and DSL too?

End the sanctions and trade with the fuckers. The US does exactly that with other 'hostiles'.
Canada has screwed up all along by not filling in.

[OPP]

Toro Toro:

Wada Wada:

Which of those are sanctioned by the US? Cuba?

Man, this is such bizarre logic.

So in other words, the Big Bad Evil Exploitative Americans have made all the above countries better off. If only Cuba were allowed to trade with the Big Bad Evil Exploitative Americans, Cuba's communist revolution would be a success!




For the record, the embargo is a failure and should be dropped because not only would trade and investment benefit the Cuban people - as trade and investment does everywhere around the world - it would stop giving Castro and his apologists a stick to beat the Americans with and deflect their own abject failures.

It means that Cuba is in the black book of THE superpower. Who'd want to trade or send aid to Cuba if it meant pissing the evil empire off? Not many.

[Toro]

OPP OPP:

It means that Cuba is in the black book of THE superpower. Who'd want to trade or send aid to Cuba if it meant pissing the evil empire off? Not many.

Canadian and European companies invest in Cuba, primarily in the tourism industry but also in mining.

The embargo is stupid, not only for the reasons I stated above but also because when Cuba opens up - and it is only a matter of "when" - American companies will be behind their competitors.

[herbie]

Toro Toro:

OPP OPP:

It means that Cuba is in the black book of THE superpower. Who'd want to trade or send aid to Cuba if it meant pissing the evil empire off? Not many.

Canadian and European companies invest in Cuba, primarily in the tourism industry but also in mining.

The embargo is stupid, not only for the reasons I stated above but also because when Cuba opens up - and it is only a matter of "when" - American companies will be behind their competitors.

They are doomed to be behind their competitors. US business will pull it's usual bullshit and demand reparations for shit that happened in 1959, file counter-duties as repressive as the blockade ever was.
They'll be expecting to be welcomed in with open arms and totally unable to comprehend why they aren't.
Watch, they'll fuck it up. It will be the gong show of the next decade.

[fifeboy]

ShepherdsDog ShepherdsDog:

$1:

I'm sure if the Castro regime had the power to abuse people outside of their borders they would do so. What stops them is a lack of power, not some sort of moral superiority.

Cuban military 'advisors' were invoaved.... Weren't a few of them shot in Grenada? Bart could likely comment on this matter better.

I saw that, on the news, when the Great Grenadan War happend. Cuba claimed they were construction workers. I saw them. Their pot bellies and orange hard hats pointed strongly to their being an elite military force.

[fifeboy]

ManifestDestiny ManifestDestiny:

Cuba was once a US territory annexed after the Spainish American war. Along with Puerto Rico for example.

The latter is still a US territory, Who do you think is better off Cuba or Puerto Rico?

Hey Dude. Check out some stats before you make these claims. See

http://www.nationmaster.com/country/rq-puerto-rico/hea-health

http://www.nationmaster.com/country/cu-cuba/hea-health

Cuba appears to be on a close par with Puerto Rico, better in some areas and not as good in others.

Then check out some other fine Caribbean Islands.

http://www.nationmaster.com/country/bb-barbados/hea-health

http://www.nationmaster.com/country/jm-jamaica/hea-health

That great beneficiary of American military largess http://www.nationmaster.com/country/gj-grenada/hea-health



and everyones favorite whipping boy:http://www.nationmaster.com/country/ha-haiti/hea-health

No one claims Cuba is a Social Paradise, but it has, against extreme odds, made an effort to help the mass of Cuban people.