There are so few frontiers left for multinationals to exploit. Is Cuba at risk of being carved up and sold off to private foreign interests too?

and the US gov't has been sponsoring people in S. Florida universities to create their own Post-Castro plan for Cuba. which even includes destroying their national free health system which has wrought miracles for people not only in Cuba but throughout the Americas, and their fantastic education system which stamped out illiteracy at a great price: people from the U.S. were going into
Cuba and trying to murder the young teachers the Cuban government had sent into the rural communities, and into the mountains, etc. to teach everyone to read and write. They would go into the villages and wait until those who were working returned from their work and sit up with them, with lanterns in all the places without electricity.

They fanned out all over the island, and were enthusiastic workers, succeeding at bringing knowledge to a vast majority of Cuban people who had never had access to education any time before the revolution. In the meantime, the "exiles" and others of their mercenary brigades were hard at work digging in and trying to murder them.

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Over 270,000 teachers went throughout the country, some of them teenagers. Now Cuba has the 2nd highest literacy ratio in the world, .9 percent higher than the U.S. They have sent teachers throughtout other countries, teaching the same method.

~snip~

"Yo Si Peudo" is the name of the Cuban Literacy Program that is now implemented across the world. The program works with coutnries such as New Zealand, Mexico, Canada, and Boliva. In 2006 UNESCO recognized Cuba's innovative methods and recognized its work with over 15 countries to improve social conditions through literacy.

"They don't need that fancy education just to flip burgers at McDonald's Havana, or gluing soles onto Nikes" you can almost hear them say

But I know damn well how much hungry drooling is going on, too

little judgmental?

It's a country of mandated mediocrity.... Except for the selected political elites, of course, the ruling dynasty lives just fine.

Hopefully they have learned the lessons of other Caribbean nations (I'm looking in your direction, Dominican Republic) who sold off ownership of prime real estate/national industries up front for the short-end money

the scammers are licking thier chops .

Judi Lynn

I guess it is still the Cuban authorities who decide who is to do business in Cuba - and not the american business companies ?

And I doubt that Cuba will be a colony like Cuba was before 1959 - and that american business, if they choose to doing business - have to do it on Cuba's terms - not on their own terms...

And hopefully Cuba would be able to build on what they have managed to build - without being another disaster in the caribian...

Diclotican

not the benefit of the corporations, instead.

I hope so much, like you, that the Cuban officials will stay strong, and true to their country, and refuse to be pressured or bribed into serving U.S. business interests, instead.

That would be evil.

Thank you, Diclotican.

Judi Lynn

I think it is important if the cuban government is able to stay strong - true to their country - to their revolution so to say - and not to be preassured and forced into anything that is not to the benefit of the cuban pepole...

That would absolutely be evil...

Diclotican

nt

At which point I would remind people that the communists sometimes used to claim that the Berlin Wall was built to keep out aggressive capitalists--salesmen, exploiters, con artists, swindlers, crooks, etc. (Or something like that.)

The Soviets were a little more forthright about it being built to both prevent a brain drain and make it harder for western spies to enter, but Erich maintained until the thing fell that it was there to keep McDonalds out.

but one day in the future Cuba will be a state in the USA.
Bank on it, because its coming

If they do, then what's the issue.

Too many here think they have to "protect" the poor Cubans from their own choices.

Fuck that paternalist superior attitude.

Castroistas: "The Yankee embargo is what is keeping Cuba in poverty!"

U.S.: "OK, you are right. Let's end the embargo so the Cuban people have access to the stuff they need for a modern life."

Castroistas: "Whoa, hold on a minute, you capitalist swine! You are attacking socialism by selling stuff instead of just giving it to Cuba!"

You are attempting to trivialize and attack "Castroistas" (your way of commie-baiting) by attempt to claim progressive posters want the U.S. to "give" "stuff" to Cuba. How unbelievably odd.

If you even paid any attention to actual communications, to the point you could understand them, you would be less likely to make such bizarre, and irresponsible remarks.

Remind me of the Campus Communists back in the 80's trying to convince everyone of how great Cuba is. If it's so great, why does the country forbid people from leaving?

Since when has America been a true broker for fair trade in the Americas? History is rife with imperialist aggression. What now we are supposed to believe we're the good guys?

However, most Cubans want open trade with the US, so who are you to say you know better?

It comes off as paternalistic.

Paternalistic is hardly the word.

You want to attack someone but have nothing sensible to say.

And you do have a "I know what's best for the Cubans" attitude.

Most Cubans are looking forward to better trade with the US

Watching people with that kind of mindset talk out of their asses hurts my head.

The Vampire Banksters must be drooling.

for out of country business

now it is 20 a month.

The workers would be some of the most well paid Cubans on the island.

Cuba: say hello to...

crime
unemployment
drugs
corruption
Americanization of local culture
megaslums

I am honestly shocked at the apologists for a totalitarian state here.

Next we'll see sympathy for the PRK.

Cuba's relative isolation from the rest of the world has led to it being dubbed the "Accidental Eden". While the lowlands were cleared for farming centuries ago, much of its mountain and hill regions, and nearly all of its coastal areas, have seen minimal disruption and have been managed in a fairly sustainable fashion. The island has a well integrated bicycle culture, and the government actually enshrined the concept of sustainable development right into its constitution in 1992.

As American money and values flood the nation, it will be interesting to see whether the Cubans can maintain the status quo, or whether they fold in the face of profit.

The Puerto Rico islands of Vieques and Culebra are also "accidental Edens" as the US military had bases there which stopped tourists and locals from destroying the reefs.

Then careful management of the opening of the society could create a pretty awesome place.

We'll see what they really want.

loaded with high fructose corn syrup.

That alone would be worth restoring trade relations with Cuba.

holding the passports of the workers, keeping them in squalid huts, cut off from civilization, paying the sugar barons rent for the hideous primitive hovels offered them, paid at slave wages or worse, to start with, and using them up like toilet paper, while they suffer grotesque injuries, and are returned home used up and destroyed, if they are lucky.

There have been federal cases taken to court and won after the workers suffered so wildly so long they were drivien to make that desperate call for help.

Their plight was even the subject of a long, long news special on CBS years ago.

So damned ugly, so wrong.

The U.S.A. is last to the party.

A British DU'er has told us he's met tourists from other European countries, and of course, Latin Americans have always been able to go there, and I've found photo blogs on the Internet of tourists from Australia, Asia, etc.

A lot of right-wing trolls like to gibber that Cubans couldn't come to the U.S., while people in Florida have known Cubans have made trips to Florida on vacation, also for years, and Cubans have gone freely all over Europe, Australia, etc., etc.

Very very strange when political hacks simply shout down people with real information, or harass them until they explode, and get banned, as the trolls alert the moment they blow up, or they leave because it's just not worth it any longer putting up with their B.S.

A lot of real information concerning Cubans seems to hardly ever make it beyond Florida, unfortunately. They intend to keep their war on Cuba going as long as they can, and the truth reveals always that we've been duped regarding Cuba.