Yes, there were “Errors of the Revolution” in our neighbor nation. They’ve corrected many of them. It’s time for the U.S. to correct our own errors there, too.
You keep talking about "blockade", and that doesn't sound right to me, it's called embargo, and it forbids trade with the government, not the cuban people, thing is, the government wants to funnel all the cash and feed it's bureaucratic apparatus, a very corrupted one. First off, I'm Cuban, I've lived all my life in Havana, and truth be told, if you ask a Cuban, any "regular" Cuban, not one that belonged to the government like your reverend (FYI being part of the parliament equals commie, ask any Cuban if you don't believe me) no one wants them there (the commies). That's why last year alone 4 percent of Cuban population fled the country, those "corrected errors" were fuckups your Comandante did (I see how you lauded him in the article), he basically made the revolution himself and his ego, and although US is partially to blame for Cuba's current state, the real culpable are the communist filth that runs the country. Please stop perverting up any ideas Americans have, it's not your fault, it's the military in control since last century. Did you know the communist party is above the Constitution? Maybe make an article about that
Chuck, the article filled in some interesting information about Castro and Cuba. As a humanitarian, I feel rage at the punishments inflicted on the Cubans by the USA. The fact that we continue using our military power and political influence to deprive Cuba of things that are available to people almost everywhere else even after 60+ years is outrageous, especially in light of most of the country being within a few hundred miles of us. Obama made good moves to end this travesty, but then his successor reversed much of the move forward that had been made. Thank you for writing it.
Wow this just brushed aside what the communist dictatorship has done to us Cubans!!! since 1959!!! None of you have lived this suffered this or have the trauma!!! I came in 1980 at age 8 in the Mariel Boatlift. My was father was a communist but a real one not like the ones in power. But then after the embassy of Peru incident he saw the injustices. And we started our journey to freedom. I came from a family of Authenticos which was a left wing social democratic but anticommunist party that brought the most progressive constitution of the time 1940. Till Batista took power with the miliary in 1952 and end to Democracy. So much history but Americans in the Midwest fall for these stories from non-Cubans who are extreme left wing. Who makes us left wing Cubans embarrassed and angered that they pretend to speak for us. You do not speak for us on the island or off the island you are not Cuban!!!!!!
Your thoughts mirror mine Chuck. We just came from Cuba a couple of months ago. I was prepared to be viewed as the ‘Ugly American” based on the years of profit taking from American industry and subsequent blockades. My expectation was incorrect. The correction was best illustrated by my discussion with a resident of Vinales names Julius Caeser (yes, that was his real name) who said that the people of Cuba and America have no qualms with one another. It was our governments that fought like children.
The other correction for me concerned happiness. As you noted, the abject poverty is everywhere, especially noticeable in Havana. Although it may have been too blunt a question, I asked a number of people if they were happy. Without exception, everyone I talked to game me a reserved “Yes”. As I have pondered this over the last several months I have come to take these responses at face value. I recently heard an essay talking about the attitude of children who grew up in America during the Depression. Eighty years after the Depression the now senior citizens were asked if they were happy during this time of their lives. Inevitably the answer was “Yes”. I believe the common element between Cubans and the children of the Depression was that they didn’t have much and nobody else did either…there was no basis for ‘want’ because it was out of reach and beyond hope…and everyone else was in the same boat. On further reflection I conclude that the affluence is not a burden that troubles Cubans unlike the never-ending desire for more stuff that burdens those of us in wealthy nations. Certainly, any Cuban who lived through the Special Period appreciates being a step above drowning waters.
You keep talking about "blockade", and that doesn't sound right to me, it's called embargo, and it forbids trade with the government, not the cuban people, thing is, the government wants to funnel all the cash and feed it's bureaucratic apparatus, a very corrupted one. First off, I'm Cuban, I've lived all my life in Havana, and truth be told, if you ask a Cuban, any "regular" Cuban, not one that belonged to the government like your reverend (FYI being part of the parliament equals commie, ask any Cuban if you don't believe me) no one wants them there (the commies). That's why last year alone 4 percent of Cuban population fled the country, those "corrected errors" were fuckups your Comandante did (I see how you lauded him in the article), he basically made the revolution himself and his ego, and although US is partially to blame for Cuba's current state, the real culpable are the communist filth that runs the country. Please stop perverting up any ideas Americans have, it's not your fault, it's the military in control since last century. Did you know the communist party is above the Constitution? Maybe make an article about that
Chuck, the article filled in some interesting information about Castro and Cuba. As a humanitarian, I feel rage at the punishments inflicted on the Cubans by the USA. The fact that we continue using our military power and political influence to deprive Cuba of things that are available to people almost everywhere else even after 60+ years is outrageous, especially in light of most of the country being within a few hundred miles of us. Obama made good moves to end this travesty, but then his successor reversed much of the move forward that had been made. Thank you for writing it.
Wow this just brushed aside what the communist dictatorship has done to us Cubans!!! since 1959!!! None of you have lived this suffered this or have the trauma!!! I came in 1980 at age 8 in the Mariel Boatlift. My was father was a communist but a real one not like the ones in power. But then after the embassy of Peru incident he saw the injustices. And we started our journey to freedom. I came from a family of Authenticos which was a left wing social democratic but anticommunist party that brought the most progressive constitution of the time 1940. Till Batista took power with the miliary in 1952 and end to Democracy. So much history but Americans in the Midwest fall for these stories from non-Cubans who are extreme left wing. Who makes us left wing Cubans embarrassed and angered that they pretend to speak for us. You do not speak for us on the island or off the island you are not Cuban!!!!!!
Your thoughts mirror mine Chuck. We just came from Cuba a couple of months ago. I was prepared to be viewed as the ‘Ugly American” based on the years of profit taking from American industry and subsequent blockades. My expectation was incorrect. The correction was best illustrated by my discussion with a resident of Vinales names Julius Caeser (yes, that was his real name) who said that the people of Cuba and America have no qualms with one another. It was our governments that fought like children.
The other correction for me concerned happiness. As you noted, the abject poverty is everywhere, especially noticeable in Havana. Although it may have been too blunt a question, I asked a number of people if they were happy. Without exception, everyone I talked to game me a reserved “Yes”. As I have pondered this over the last several months I have come to take these responses at face value. I recently heard an essay talking about the attitude of children who grew up in America during the Depression. Eighty years after the Depression the now senior citizens were asked if they were happy during this time of their lives. Inevitably the answer was “Yes”. I believe the common element between Cubans and the children of the Depression was that they didn’t have much and nobody else did either…there was no basis for ‘want’ because it was out of reach and beyond hope…and everyone else was in the same boat. On further reflection I conclude that the affluence is not a burden that troubles Cubans unlike the never-ending desire for more stuff that burdens those of us in wealthy nations. Certainly, any Cuban who lived through the Special Period appreciates being a step above drowning waters.
Thank you for this helpful information. I entirely agree with your conclusion.