During the Batista Regime

[AnarchoCommieAviator]

What was cuba like before castro took over? In other words how was life like for the cuban people, especially the workers, when Fulgencio Batista was reigning? The revolution was obviously better for the cuban people, but what specificaly was bad during the times before it?

[which doctor]

Cuba was considered a third-world country. At least most of the people lived in third-world conditions. Not many people had running water and very few had any electricty.

Due to it's proximity to America, tropical climate, and sugar cane, it became a haven for booze barons and mobsters. There were a few casinos and gambling halls.

In other words, income disparity was high as hell.

[Janus]

what specificaly was bad during the times before it?
Almost everything. Batista was simply a dictator who seized power for himself. After he became friendly with the US, US corporations thrived in Cuba and exproprited wealth and exploited the Cubans as they did in many other Latin American nations. The US industries had a monopoly over the nation's resources. Batista did implement some basic reforms but his reign was characterized by corrption and repression.

[Brekisonphilous]

If you can, you should watch the film 'Soy Cuba'.
Though some of it is just soviet propaganda, it does a good job displaying some of the conditions of cuba under Batista.

[R_P_A_S]

this doesn't sound anything different than what castro has been doing. besides the U.S. involment.

[which doctor]

Originally posted by [email protected] 7 2006, 10:40 PM
this doesn't sound anything different than what castro has been doing. besides the U.S. involment.
I will admit Castro is no godsend, but condtions have dramatically improved since Castro took power.

There is no longer a dictatorship.

Literacy levels are some of the highest in the world.

Running water and electricty are now found all over the island as opposed to just the cities.

Healthcare and education are free for everyone.

There is much less income disparity.

No more big-time American mobsters.

[CCCPneubauten]

Originally posted by Fist of [email protected] 7 2006, 11:16 PM
Cuba was considered a third-world country. At least most of the people lived in third-world conditions. Not many people had running water and very few had any electricty.

Due to it's proximity to America, tropical climate, and sugar cane, it became a haven for booze barons and mobsters. There were a few casinos and gambling halls.

In other words, income disparity was high as hell.
Cuba is still Third World. But it has improved no doubt.

[which doctor]

Originally posted by CCCPneubauten+Jun 7 2006, 11:10 PM--> (CCCPneubauten @ Jun 7 2006, 11:10 PM)
Fist of [email protected] 7 2006, 11:16 PM
Cuba was considered a third-world country. At least most of the people lived in third-world conditions. Not many people had running water and very few had any electricty.

Due to it's proximity to America, tropical climate, and sugar cane, it became a haven for booze barons and mobsters. There were a few casinos and gambling halls.

In other words, income disparity was high as hell.
Cuba is still Third World. But it has improved no doubt. [/b]
I would call it a second-world country.

[pcb]

Cuba is a third world country due to the ongoing enbargo. If Cuba had been allowed to develop there is no doubt that it would be a shining star for the other countries in that area. The USA has basically tried to destroy Cuba since 1959 by covert military and overt economical actions. There is still alot of room for improvement especially politically, but for education and healthcare they shame most western countries. I hope that the next generation of cubans will carry on the revolution and not be dragged into the greed based society I belong to. I also believe that after the passing of Fidel and Raul the country is capable of staying the course.

[The Grey Blur]

Some of the responses here are disgusting, as if spineless liberals were writing them

The fact is Batista was a cruel dictator who oppressed the people of Cuba and was happy to allow American super-exploitation of the Cuban work-force and peasants so long as he wasn't held accountable to the laws they hypocritically demand should be enforced in other countries

Cuba under Catro's deformed version of Socialism is still a million times better than Batista - in truth the two regimes are incomparable - if you want evidence think of the Bay Of Pigs invasion - ordinary Cubans organised themselves to repel Batista's forces - without the Government's command

[Wiesty]

With America's embargo on Cuba, they are not only saying no to communism, but to the entire cuban population. They are a big reason many suffer. Under Batista's rule, mass executions, and hangings took place in the streets constantly, people worked just to survive, and to make the borgeoise live more luxurious. Now in Cuba everyone can go to school for free, which is why there is such a large literacy rate, everyone has the right to own what they work. Sure there are injustics taking place, but they're are in america, every day. they are only pointed out in a so called "3rd World" country, because they disagree with americas ideals.

[Raubleaux]

In Cuba prior to the revolution, rampant racism and capitalism were the norm. The bourgeois white elite ruled the country hand-in-hand with American corporations, who essentially owned the Cuban economy. Workers, peasants, and revolutionary students were oppressed with tactics that were wanton and cruel -- including torture and summary executions.

The main commodities produced by the Cuban economy -- like sugar -- were controlled by U.S. corporations, or by local Cuban elites friendly to America. Cuban cities became a haven for organized crime, prostitution, and gambling. Basically Cuba was an island where rich, white Americans could go and get their kicks during the summer.

The sweat of Cuban laborers and the bodies of Cuban women only existed for the racist exploitation of the Cuban elite and their imperialist masters.

[Che Guevara 1967]

Batista was a monster. If it wasn't for Che Guevara and Fidel Castro, Batista would have eventually destroyed Cuba, both economically and morally. I only wish that I could have had five minutes with Batista in a secluded room. Oh yes, there would have been blood... (I am referring to Batista's blood)

[Elsoon]

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[Mariam]

(CCCPneubauten @ Jun 7 2006, 11:10 PM)
QUOTE (Fist of Blood @ Jun 7 2006, 11:16 PM)
Cuba was considered a third-world country. At least most of the people lived in third-world conditions. Not many people had running water and very few had any electricty.

Due to it&#39;s proximity to America, tropical climate, and sugar cane, it became a haven for booze barons and mobsters. There were a few casinos and gambling halls.

In other words, income disparity was high as hell.


Cuba is still Third World. But it has improved no doubt.


I would call it a second-world country.

I&#39;d say it&#39;s still a third world contry, but FOB would you mind explaining how could cuba be catigorized as a second world country?

[Karl Marx's Camel]

There is no longer a dictatorship.


Cubans will disagree. So will a lot of other people.



Literacy levels are some of the highest in the world.

Yes.



Running water and electricty are now found all over the island as opposed to just the cities.

Cuba has had a huge problem with electricity for many years, but it is starting to improve.

The access to water is not that great. If I recall correctly, I think Cubans still have to boil water in order to drink it.



Healthcare and education are free for everyone.

Education, yes.

Healthcare, in theory, yes. In real life, no.

Cuba has an almost lack of doctors these days, as a huge number of them are sent overseas. Cubans have to wait long to get the proper treatment, and if it is really neccesary you might have to wait way too long. So you can bribe the doctor for 10 dollars. But that is a monthly salary. Some people can&#39;t afford to bribe the doctor.

So the rich can always get a doctor. But not the poor.


A lot of cubans are jalous at foreigners. Cubans want to have such good medical treatment as foreigners in other countries receive by cuban doctors who are sent to foreign countries.


There is much less income disparity.

Partly true.

However, rich and poor cubans live side by side due to the housing policy. It makes the poor very angry, and a lot of people have wondered if there will soon be an uprising of the poor agains the rich.



No more big-time American mobsters.

True.

However, now there are only Cuban mobsters.

CDR people, people in the military bureaucracy, etc. taking advantage of their position.

[Karl Marx's Camel]

What was cuba like before castro took over? In other words how was life like for the cuban people, especially the workers, when Fulgencio Batista was reigning?

Lack of most things, including toilets. Most people didn&#39;t even have a privy. Most people lacked bathroom and shower. A lot of unemployment, especially during off-season. No social security.

Relative wealth during sugar season. Relative poverty off-season.


If you want to have a short summary, neo-colonial Cuba was a hellhole-extreme, while Cuba today is hellhole-light, with a few comforts.

If you were to describe it differently, you can say that the Batista period and the Special Period is like a really bad hangover.