My Challenge to a Cuban Blogger

[Dermezel]

http://www.desdecuba.com/generationy/?p=1123

Supposedly Cuba's biggest dissident Blogger. My challenge is simple, she can come here for six months or a year and live like a Working Class person. And I can go to Cuba and live like she lives.

We can then see who cannot stand who's lifestyle. Whether I cry uncle after living as a State subsidized University Professor with free health care and housing and being so oppressed I have my own blog.

Or whether she calls it quits after trying out life as a Wal-Mart, or McDonalds, or Factory employee. I have worked all these jobs in all these areas (service, fast food, shipping and factory. )

And we can see who is full of shit.

And by this challenge, which I have presented to her several times already, and emailed to various Cuban State-media sites like the Havana times- I do not mean we get Special Favors. Like I get extra rations- presuming they even have a rations system, and she gets some kicks from a CEO or media.

I mean a straight up test- like how a real person in her position would live there, and how a working class person lives here in the US.

Heck, I'll even take a Working Class position in Cuba. Whatever.

[Dermezel]

BTW I am listed as "Restricted" for defending the People's Republic before the Counter-Revolutionary Global Mod "Khad".

[LeftSideDown]

BTW I am listed as "Restricted" for defending the People's Republic before the Counter-Revolutionary Global Mod "Khad".

"Typical wages range from factory worker's 400 non-convertible Cuban pesos a month to doctor's 700. That is only around 17-30 U.S. dollars a month.[32] After Cuba lost subsidies in 1991, malnutrition resulted in an outbreak of diseases.[33] Cuba's poverty level is one of the lowest in the developing world, ranking 6 out of 108 countries, 4 in Latin America, and 48 among all countries.[34]. Pensions are among the smallest in the Western hemisphere at $9.50."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Cuba#Poverty
Have fun :).

[Dermezel]

"Typical wages range from factory worker's 400 non-convertible Cuban pesos a month to doctor's 700. That is only around 17-30 U.S. dollars a month.[32] After Cuba lost subsidies in 1991, malnutrition resulted in an outbreak of diseases.[33] Cuba's poverty level is one of the lowest in the developing world, ranking 6 out of 108 countries, 4 in Latin America, and 48 among all countries.[34]. Pensions are among the smallest in the Western hemisphere at $9.50."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Cuba#Poverty
Have fun :).

Cuba ALSO has price controls, state subsidized housing, state guaranteed food, health care, and utilities.

You have to compare wages to cost of living pal.

It is well known that the cost of living is above what Working Class people make in the US:

http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/employment.html



Wages and Income
While past years have seen growth in real wages at all levels, wage growth has collapsed over the past six months. Nominal hourly wages of production workers grew at only one-sixth the rate from December 2007. Also workers also face a cut in hours and nominal weekly earnings have declined. As the recent growth in wages has declined, it illustrates that the recession affects everyone including those able to keep their jobs while adding pressure to the consumption growth which experts estimate will further delay economic recovery (Economic Policy Institute, 2009).


Low-wage workers have been particularly hard hit by wage trends. More than four decades ago in 1967, a year-round worker earning the minimum wage was paid enough to raise a family of three above the poverty line (Solar, 1995). From 1981-1990, however, the minimum wage was frozen at $3.35 an hour, while the cost of living increased 48% over the same period. Congress raised the minimum wage to $5.15 per hour in 1996, and it has not been raised until 2007. In 2007, President Bush signed into law a plan that would increase the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour, over two years. This increase has not kept up with the ground lost to inflation in the last 20 years; thus, the real value of the minimum wage today is 26% less than in 1979 (The Economic Policy Institute, 2005), worth only $4.42 in real dollars (AFL-CIO, 2005). In today’s current market, a full-time minimum wage worker working 40 hours a week and 52 weeks per year would earn $13,624. This puts him nearly 25% below the $18,310 (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2009) poverty level for a family of three. This worker falls below the poverty line even after factoring in the earned income tax credit, which was created to bring low-wage workers up to the poverty line (The Economic Policy Institute, 2007). The Economic Policy Institute estimates that by 2009, the minimum wage increase will raise full-time minimum wage workers above the poverty line for a family of two for the first time in more than ten years (The Economic Policy Institute, 2007). Even after the next wage increase to $7.25, a family of three will remain about $3,000 below the poverty line, and a family of four will be more than $6,000 below it [U.S. Health and Human Services (http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/08Poverty.shtml)]. Contrary to popular belief, the majority of minimum-wage workers are not teenagers: approximately 79% of minimum age workers are 20 or older (The Economic Policy Institute, 2008).
In addition to the erosion in the value of the minimum wage, there are other factors that contribute to the decline in wage decline. As more countries compete against each other, the result may be adding a downward pressure on wages. Also, the weakening in union power and labor policies may have some affect on the wage decline (International Labor Organization, 2008).


Declining wages, in turn, have put housing out of reach for many workers: a household would need more than one full time minimum wage worker to afford a two-bedroom rental apartment at fair market rent (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2009).[1] (http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/employment.html#1) In fact, in the median state a minimum-wage worker would have to work 87 hours each week to afford a two-bedroom apartment at 30% of his or her income, which is the federal definition of affordable housing. In addition, 40% of households with "worst case housing needs" -- households paying over half their incomes for rent, living in severely substandard housing, or both -- have at least one working person. The most recent HUD report (2005) shows that there were nearly six million households with “worst-case housing needs” in America.
The connection between impoverished workers and homelessness can be seen in homeless shelters, many of which house significant numbers of full-time wage earners. A survey of 23 U.S. cities found that eleven of the cities reported an increase in the number of employed homeless people, one city reported a decrease and seven other cities reported no change from the previous year (U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2008).


In today’s economy, one of the hardest burdens for workers is the continued dramatic decline in wage growth. For the first year of the recession, wage growth remained relatively strong; nominal (non-inflation adjusted) hourly wages for production/nonsupervisory workers (who comprise over 80% of payroll employment) grew 3.9% from December 2007 to December 2008. Since that time, however, wage growth has slowed abruptly; in May 2009, wages grew at a 1.3% annualized rate, one-third the earlier pace (Economic Policy Institute, 2009). If this percentage continues to drop, it will become harder for a blue-collar worker to support his or her family. Additionally, rising costs of gasoline and food are taking large portions of these workers’ pay checks (Economic Policy Institute, 2008).


Meanwhile Housing and Rent costs shoot through the roof. That is why almost 40% of homeless people have jobs in some parts of the US. Also that is why so many families (the vast majority) are in debt.

[Dermezel]

BTW the "oppressed" "freedom fighter" has resorted to deleting my comments.

[Nolan]

BTW the "oppressed" "freedom fighter" has resorted to deleting my comments.

Not surprising. They know everything they say is bullshit and exaggerated. All they care about is getting money from the mob and the cia to pay the bills and imagine life after socialism when they'll be a billionaire and hero in the capitalist media.

[Dermezel]

Not surprising. They know everything they say is bullshit and exaggerated. All they care about is getting money from the mob and the cia to pay the bills and imagine life after socialism when they'll be a billionaire and hero in the capitalism media.

Sounds like it. So many on the blog said they would love to trade places with me but it is "impossible". Why is that exactly? Mexico allows people to go to and from Cuba. The Cuba government allows people to leave for visits. They are just making lame excuses.

[Imposter Marxist]

BTW I am listed as "Restricted" for defending the People's Republic before the Counter-Revolutionary Global Mod "Khad".

Restricted? For that? Wtf?

[#FF0000]

Isn't the place to talk about restrictions, btw.

[Invincible Summer]

I find it sort of ironic when these bloggers write about how oppressed they are when they still have a very nicely kept blog page and (seemingly) unrestricted access to the internet

[Raúl Duke]

Supposedly, the blog is hosted elsewhere outside Cuba and this blogger, if it is who I think it is, sneaks into European hotels to use the internet and/or has someone else post her posts.


The Cuba government allows people to leave for visits. They are just making lame excusesI'm not sure if the Cuban government thinks that letting this person go to the U.S. just for you to prove a point is a valid point for a "leave and visit"

[Dermezel]

Supposedly, the blog is hosted elsewhere outside Cuba and this blogger, if it is who I think it is, sneaks into European hotels to use the internet and/or has someone else post her posts.

I'm not sure if the Cuban government thinks that letting this person go to the U.S. just for you to prove a point is a valid point for a "leave and visit"

BS. The person has an entire list of Cuban Bloggers:



BLOGS FROM CUBA - English Translations




Bad Handwriting (http://lamalaletraen.wordpress.com/)
Crossing the Barbed Wire (http://cruzarlasalambradaseng.wordpress.com/)
Desde Aqui/From Here (http://www.desdecuba.com/reinaldoescobar_en/)
Dimas’s Blog (http://dimasblogen.wordpress.com/)
Hunger Strike (http://cocohungerstrike.wordpress.com/)
IndoCubans (http://indocubanoseng.wordpress.com/)
IntraMuros (English) (http://intramurosen.wordpress.com/)
Island Anchor (http://migueliturriaen.wordpress.com/)
Ivan’s File Cabinet (http://desdelahabanaivan.wordpress.com/)
KubaSepia (English) (http://kubasepiaen.wordpress.com/)
Laritza’s Laws (http://leyesdelaritzaen.wordpress.com/)
Notorious Injustice (http://notoriousinjustice.wordpress.com/)
Octavo Cerco (English) (http://octavocercoen.blogspot.com/)
Ombudsman Cuba / English (http://ricardomedinaen.wordpress.com/)
Photos From Cuba (http://photosdesdecuba.wordpress.com/)
Post Revolution Mondays (http://orlandolunes.wordpress.com/)
Re-Evolution / English (http://reevolucion90en.wordpress.com/)
Retazos / Fragments (http://retazosen.wordpress.com/)
Sin Evasion /Without Evasion (http://sinevasionen.wordpress.com/)
The Children Nobody Wanted (http://hijosnadieeng.wordpress.com/)
The Voice of El Morro (http://lavozdelmorroen.wordpress.com/)
Through the Eye of the Needle (http://rebecamonzoen.wordpress.com/)
Travel Reports (http://reportesdeviajeen.wordpress.com/)
Veritas (English) (http://lealveritas.wordpress.com/)
Voices Behind The Bars (http://vocescubanas.com/voztraslasrejas_en/)

Are they all sneaking away into European hotels on planes every night? The person claims she makes 30 bucks a month- how does she afford a European Hotel for every blog with that measly sum?

Also, I'm pretty sure the government is aware of the Blogs. She claims they are anyways: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/08/cuba-yoani-sanchez

Her full name and photo are on her blog- why haven't they arrested her?

Also let's look at the Blog Dates: April 19th, April 16th, April 14th. That's a lot of traveling to Europe for a person who's travel is restricted and who is living off 30 bucks a month.

[x371322]

This would make a good reality show.

[Drace]

She said she and Pardo were walking to a "march against violence", organised by fellow dissidentsYou mean they don't kill dissidents?

Although her account of being beaten is pretty brutal.

[Raúl Duke]

Are they all sneaking away into European hotels on planes every night? The person claims she makes 30 bucks a month- how does she afford a European Hotel for every blog with that measly sum? She doesn't use a plane, you can walk into one in Havana or whatever. Yoani speaks German, is white, and has lived in Switzerland: she's probably able to get into a hotel by pretending to be a tourist (now that is no longer the case, Cubans can go into the hotels these days). She doesn't book a hotel room when she goes.

Link 1 (http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2428363120071010)
Link 2 (http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3826971,00.html)

All because there's an entire list of bloggers doesn't dispute that the site could be hosted elsewhere. If it was hosted in cuba, it could have been easily taken down.

[Dermezel]

You mean they don't kill dissidents?

Although her account of being beaten is pretty brutal.

Yeah the account where she provides no photos and she begged her assailants to kill her. Sounds like a movie drama.

[Dermezel]

She doesn't use a plane, you can walk into one in Havana or whatever. Yoani speaks German, is white, and has lived in Switzerland: she's probably able to get into a hotel by pretending to be a tourist (now that is no longer the case, Cubans can go into the hotels these days). She doesn't book a hotel room when she goes.

Link 1 (http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2428363120071010)
Link 2 (http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3826971,00.html)

All because there's an entire list of bloggers doesn't dispute that the site could be hosted elsewhere. If it was hosted in cuba, it could have been easily taken down.

The government knows she is blogging. They have not arrested her or barred her. And she admits Cubans are alllowed to blog.

She says it costs 6 bucks an hour to blog, and she makes 30 bucks a month. Now think about it, in April she made 10 blog entries. All at least an hour apart (she says it costs 6 bucks an hour. )

How is she affording the hotel and so much net time when she makes 30 bucks a month?

Your article states:


For Cuba's freelance bloggers, the difficulties in getting online can mean days, weeks and even months between one post and the next.

She made two blogs just today. She made 2 on the 16th, one on the 14th, one on the 10th. Is it possible that the person is simply a compulsive liar?

[Yazman]

The government knows she is blogging. They have not arrested her or barred her. And she admits Cubans are alllowed to blog.

She says it costs 6 bucks an hour to blog, and she makes 30 bucks a month. Now think about it, in April she made 10 blog entries. All at least an hour apart (she says it costs 6 bucks an hour. )

How is she affording the hotel and so much net time when she makes 30 bucks a month?

Your article states:



She made two blogs just today. She made 2 on the 16th, one on the 14th, one on the 10th. Is it possible that the person is simply a compulsive liar?

She's either a compulsive liar or she's funded by the CIA.

[Nolan]

She's a compulsive liar funded by the CIA.

Fixt

[Dermezel]

Apparently she's sensitive to criticism. In which case, I'm not sure if anyone else here has worked for a corporation, like Wal-Mart, but yeah, if you're not able to handle criticism you literally won't last two days.

I always notice that about such types, a large corporation can do the exact thing they claim these Communist countries do, but worse, and of course it is okay when they do it.