JohnTheMarxist
12th October 2005, 01:10
Hello everyone,
I am a member of a peace group in my town and a friend of mine just got back from Cuba. She went with a non profit organizationt o build playgrounds for children. It was supposed to be a non-political trip. Here are the observations she brought back to our group.
She said that the people were extremely friendly and seemed more relaxed than people here in the states. She said this was due to the fact that it wasn't a high speed rat race to work and everywhere else. There also aren't billboard adertisements and constant consumerism so people aren't stressed by feeling that they dont have this product or that product. She said that everyone has housing. Everyone also has healthcare but it is limited due to lack of supplies. For example, their dialisis machines need a certain part and only American comanies make it but because of the embargo they can't aquire this part. This seems like state sanctioned murder on the part of the US. She said the people freely admit they are poor but housing, healthcare, and education thru college are all free. Food is a minimal price.
She said that no one looked like they were in need of food in fact she said they looked healthy, however peoples pets such as dogs did not look healthy. She said the housing was old and minimal but most had electricity and every house she was in had tile floors. Every day a Cuban neighborhood would cook their group a big meal. The cubans put them up in a 5 star hotel despite the groups protests. They placed a cuban flag along side an american flag for all of the gorups memebrs in their rooms as a sign of solidarity.
The flag in Cuba flies at half staff and will remain that way until the US military base at Guananamo Bay is closed. She said there is definately freedom of religion. She saw a fully operational Baptists and Catholic Church with paritioners and you could hear singing and praising coming from the churches. She was able to visit a school and was told all schools in Havana were given full internet access two years ago. Each class room has 15 students to one teacher. If you drop out of highschool you must join the military for 2 years. After your two years are up you have the option of taking a test to see what skill you are best at and the governemnt will send you back to school to major in that subject.
People were very surprised and suspcisious to see Americans in their country and many were weary of letting their children around capitalists in the begginging but soon became very friendly with the group. At the end of their trip a band played the Cuban and American national anthems back to back for the group.
My friend said it seemed as though debate is very much alive in Cuba and the big debate now is over what will happen when Castro is gone. She said most of the people that she met absolutely hate Raul Castro and hope he does not succeed his brother. They view him as stupid, lazy and resting on Fidel's popularity.
Their cab driver said all tips made by private workers must be taken back to their place of employment and evenly distributed with workers for the company who dont recieve tips. Also, it is taxed and distributed in the country. My friend aske dwhy he doesnt just pocket the money and he said " I believe it is wrong to make a profit and leave my co-workers behind."
The lone Republican in the group was amazed at the level of racial integration. Everyone in the group said they had never seen so many interacial couples and so many different ethnicities having fun and socializing and living together. My friend said they are far more racially integrated than the US. Also, she said that many in Cuba told her being gay is no big deal, and She staye dnear a gay club that was open at all hours of the night. So all of the capitlaist fear mongering about Cuba hating gays appears to be trash.
Also, she said that condoms and birth control are completely free of charge and freely available to eveyrone. Also, she said she never saw any large gap between classes in Cuba. She said that therre were some Cubans that had a little more money than other but she wouldnt say they were rich. She said the Cubans with the most money were hotel and taxi workers, and musicians. She said it seemed to be a problem because doctors and teachers were going to work in the hotels because it pays more. Cuba will have to work on this. So there are the things I was told about Cuba. Oh, and she also brought back an english translation of Granma news...the communist newspaper.
I am a member of a peace group in my town and a friend of mine just got back from Cuba. She went with a non profit organizationt o build playgrounds for children. It was supposed to be a non-political trip. Here are the observations she brought back to our group.
She said that the people were extremely friendly and seemed more relaxed than people here in the states. She said this was due to the fact that it wasn't a high speed rat race to work and everywhere else. There also aren't billboard adertisements and constant consumerism so people aren't stressed by feeling that they dont have this product or that product. She said that everyone has housing. Everyone also has healthcare but it is limited due to lack of supplies. For example, their dialisis machines need a certain part and only American comanies make it but because of the embargo they can't aquire this part. This seems like state sanctioned murder on the part of the US. She said the people freely admit they are poor but housing, healthcare, and education thru college are all free. Food is a minimal price.
She said that no one looked like they were in need of food in fact she said they looked healthy, however peoples pets such as dogs did not look healthy. She said the housing was old and minimal but most had electricity and every house she was in had tile floors. Every day a Cuban neighborhood would cook their group a big meal. The cubans put them up in a 5 star hotel despite the groups protests. They placed a cuban flag along side an american flag for all of the gorups memebrs in their rooms as a sign of solidarity.
The flag in Cuba flies at half staff and will remain that way until the US military base at Guananamo Bay is closed. She said there is definately freedom of religion. She saw a fully operational Baptists and Catholic Church with paritioners and you could hear singing and praising coming from the churches. She was able to visit a school and was told all schools in Havana were given full internet access two years ago. Each class room has 15 students to one teacher. If you drop out of highschool you must join the military for 2 years. After your two years are up you have the option of taking a test to see what skill you are best at and the governemnt will send you back to school to major in that subject.
People were very surprised and suspcisious to see Americans in their country and many were weary of letting their children around capitalists in the begginging but soon became very friendly with the group. At the end of their trip a band played the Cuban and American national anthems back to back for the group.
My friend said it seemed as though debate is very much alive in Cuba and the big debate now is over what will happen when Castro is gone. She said most of the people that she met absolutely hate Raul Castro and hope he does not succeed his brother. They view him as stupid, lazy and resting on Fidel's popularity.
Their cab driver said all tips made by private workers must be taken back to their place of employment and evenly distributed with workers for the company who dont recieve tips. Also, it is taxed and distributed in the country. My friend aske dwhy he doesnt just pocket the money and he said " I believe it is wrong to make a profit and leave my co-workers behind."
The lone Republican in the group was amazed at the level of racial integration. Everyone in the group said they had never seen so many interacial couples and so many different ethnicities having fun and socializing and living together. My friend said they are far more racially integrated than the US. Also, she said that many in Cuba told her being gay is no big deal, and She staye dnear a gay club that was open at all hours of the night. So all of the capitlaist fear mongering about Cuba hating gays appears to be trash.
Also, she said that condoms and birth control are completely free of charge and freely available to eveyrone. Also, she said she never saw any large gap between classes in Cuba. She said that therre were some Cubans that had a little more money than other but she wouldnt say they were rich. She said the Cubans with the most money were hotel and taxi workers, and musicians. She said it seemed to be a problem because doctors and teachers were going to work in the hotels because it pays more. Cuba will have to work on this. So there are the things I was told about Cuba. Oh, and she also brought back an english translation of Granma news...the communist newspaper.