Posted on 03/01/2006 11:51:33 AM PST by yoe
HAVANA - Over the past 10 years I've crossed Cuba many times -- by train, bus, motorcycle and '57 Chevy, transported on the backs of produce wagons and horse-drawn carts, standing in peso trucks shoulder-to-shoulder with locals, and squeezed atop water carriers. Along the central motorway, down dusty trails that pass obscure rural villages, through seemingly impassible roads after torrents of rain, my drivers took a foreigner aboard, even if it was forbidden. Some even took me into their homes and allowed me to witness their lives.
Their kindness will stay with me always. So will their terrible plight.
When you travel to Cuba, the problems begin at the airport. The question is always: What will they tax? Arrivals once were hit with a one-time flat tax of US$100. But on my most recent trip, in December, 2005, it was worse. As I stood in line, I saw customs men removing every item from passengers' bags, holding up underwear, snorkles and shave cream, each time asking "Is this a gift for a Cuban person?"
(Excerpt) Read more at canada.com ...
Canada Ping!
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Great article....thank you for a very interesting read.
Send the article to Redford, Belafonte and all the
other commies in Hollywood!
Yup... This is the once time Pearl of the Caribbean that the DUmmies over at the DUmp now claim to be a utopian paradise. Their hero, El Caudillo, his armpit-hair-for-a-beard now as gray as his skin, somehow is emblematic of the old saw only the good die young...yet, as he grows ever closer to the grave, he must shutter what will happen to La Revolution after he croaks and ends up on Satan's barbeque grill along with buddies Josef, Ho, Mao, Pol, and Adolf.
One day soon, Castro will die. Then all bets are off. We might even see Havana beach front properties selling on eBay.
The article quotes one teacher, "I am not allowed to fail any student because it would make our system look bad." Good grief! This could have been uttered by someone from our own NEA. What a good look at the future.
When that happens, we should send in the US military to clean up that island.
His brother Raul, would also have to assume room temperature before that happens.
Raul is stupid and crooked, too. Did you read about home inspections going on recently? Castro sends inspection teams to look for old electrical appliances. If, by chance, the appliances are still working, they pile them up in the yard and smash them with hammers. Then the poor Cubans are invited to buy cheap Chinese made goods. These people live on $ 15 a month! Doctors earn $ 25 a month. It's time for a counter revolution. Time to throw out the entire crew.
That was a really good link. Every time I see pictures like that, my blood boils that much more any time I see people wearing Che Guevara's image. Truly disgusting and stupid!
I used to sail a bit when I lived near the Great Lakes, and many people said that Cuba is one of the best places to sail in the Caribbean. Beautiful, and friendly people. But the thought that any money you spend there goes right to Castro is dis-heartening.
What kind of boat did you have?
If I ever travelled to Cuba, the customs man would pull out an exploding cigar from my bag and ask, "Is this a gift for a Cuban person?"
I would reply, "Yes - it's for Fidel Castro."
There is a feeling in the air these days that I can't put my finger on -- tension, unease and sadness all at once. Three years ago, I saw hope on the faces in the streets of Havana. Now, I see none.
With the support of Chavez and Morales, Castro has been emboldened. He has sought to re-entrench the chasm between Cuban people and foreign visitors. In addition, he's announced a ban on all off-market commercial activities and satellite communication systems.
Young people have been hired as "social workers." They enter every Cuban home and inspect the number of electrical goods and determine the salary of the owner to see whether there is a discrepancy. Then they test any electrical fans. If the fan works, it is taken outside, smashed, and tossed into a truck. The person then receives a chit entitling them to buy a low-wattage Chinese fan for several weeks' pay.
The same routine occurred with light bulbs, with youth squads breaking up the good ones and replacing them with low-voltage Chinese versions. The stress from these personal assaults in one's home was run very high, especially among my elderly friends. People stood astonished on street corners as their goods were destroyed.
This article is so sad.
Just today I read about how US authorities deported some poor souls who barely made it to Florida in some ramshackle raft.
So, with all the help flowing in from our South American buddies, Castro now feels "emboldened"? Next time you hear some bleeding heart complain about how US sanctions are keeping Cuba in the dark ages, tell 'em to stick it.
Yes, I am also putting it in bookmarks....people need to be educated but then again if it gets in the way of their fun they won't learn...
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