About SOCIALISM in Cuba. I am Cuban..ask me about my experience

Tom B · May 13, 2009

Quote from captain_trips:

In this country, you gotta make the money first. Then when you get the money, you get the power. Then when you get the power, then you get the women.

is this an accurate statement?

That quote sounds familiar.

toc · May 13, 2009

I would disagree, US has one of the best medical care standards in the world. It is little expensive and even wasteful to some extent.

Angrycat · May 13, 2009

Quote from toc:

Healthcare, Education and Public Transportation were provided for free in Socialist Countries. But there was little variety of products I think. One one brand of icecream i.e. Vanilla, one brand of bread.......white bread that is it. Also huge inefficiencies in nearly every functioning department...........electricity fails several times a week, corruption and bribes every step of life like to just even get a license to drive renewed (for those few who had cars!). This from an American pal who visited Russia in 1994 on a government sponsored exchange trip.

Socialism with lots of western flavor and ethics can work to some extent like in Canada, UK or France. But that is the maximum one should go in this direction. Soviet Bloc socialism was worth puking.

Oh, allow me to give you a taste of "healthcare" in the soviet union: One toilet per 76 patients. No hot running water. No medicine due to rationing and underproduction. When I was 4 years old, they ran out of anesthesia in the middle of my surgery. They had to finish up while I was held down - terrified and in pain. But, really, that's nothing. All this medical care was "free" except that NO doctor would touch you and the ambulance would arrive but refuse to take you to the hospital unless and until you paid them a bribe. If you died because of this, so what? Socialist life is cheap as you're all just a cog in the glorious state.

As for variety of products - that's a laugh. We weren't looking for variety. We would have been happy with consumer goods. Full stop. We didn't lack variety. We lacked any kind of edible food, toilet paper, shampoo, etc.

Central planning at its best.

jueco2005 · May 13, 2009

Quote from maxpi:

We have a "both" in the US. Got to your doctor and get diagnosed. He has the best diagnostic equipment and the worst therapies... so after diagnosis you really hit the internet and the library and find out if there can be a diet cure or some odd therapy that works really well but the medical establishment doesn't like it...

Doctors there have indirect authority to employ any methods to cure you. Also when they can't do something they help you off the record with real advices. Because the system is not based on making money this can be done.

jueco2005 · May 13, 2009

Quote from Angrycat:

Oh, allow me to give you a taste of "healthcare" in the soviet union: One toilet per 76 patients. No hot running water. No medicine due to rationing and underproduction. When I was 4 years old, they ran out of anesthesia in the middle of my surgery. They had to finish up while I was held down - terrified and in pain. But, really, that's nothing. All this medical care was "free" except that NO doctor would touch you and the ambulance would arrive but refuse to take you to the hospital unless and until you paid them a bribe. If you died because of this, so what? Socialist life is cheap as you're all just a cog in the glorious state.

As for variety of products - that's a laugh. We weren't looking for variety. We would have been happy with consumer goods. Full stop. We didn't lack variety. We lacked any kind of edible food, toilet paper, shampoo, etc.

Central planning at its best.

Jesus man that sucks. It is bad in Cuba now, but it used to be awesome. Still, I have been told my my family there that you have to pay for supplies, give doctors a little gift or something like that in order to kind of pay for it. But still it is very humane, I hasn't gotten that nasty. At least not yet.

LEAPup · May 13, 2009

Cuba has some of the most beautiful beaches, scenery, etc., around. Minus Hurricanes, they have a GREAT climate!

Also, I'm a little embarrased. You guys are talking about the healthcare, and I'm sitting here watering at the mouth wanting a nice mild-medium cuban cigar. Sorry about that.

toc · May 13, 2009

'Central planning at its best.'

Thanks for detailed clarification, my information was second hand to begin with. One German pal told me that in West Germany there was a saying 'Communists are the best Capitalist'.........no wonder bribe and corruption culture....they had to make money no matter how! There was more individualism and self thinking in Socialist countries that in the US.

jueco2005 · May 13, 2009

Quote from LEAPup:

Cuba has some of the most beautiful beaches, scenery, etc., around. Minus Hurricanes, they have a GREAT climate!

Also, I'm a little embarrased. You guys are talking about the healthcare, and I'm sitting here watering at the mouth wanting a nice mild-medium cuban cigar. Sorry about that.

Enjoy it. Our cigar and beaches will always be there.

crgarcia · May 13, 2009

Quote from jueco2005:

About SOCIALISM in Cuba. I am Cuban..ask me about my experience.

Before coming to the US in 2000, I lived in Cuba for the first 17 years of my life. 1984-2000.

For those in favor/against socialism..........you can ask me for real facts about a REAL experience.

I would be honored to answer all your concerns.

THANK YOU.

Is it true that many cubans prostitute their mothers/sisters/girlfriends/aunts/etc. to tourists just to have something to eat?

ElCubano · May 13, 2009

and a Cuban is not allowed in the hotels, so they set up shop in peoples homes who get a cut, An old lady with 5 rooms etc.. The revolution has been a disgrace to the Cuban people. Many young are a product of years and years of brainwashing only to now realize that it has always been a farce and for the purpose of one thing.... For Fidel's coffers...the stories are of an endless cornucopia of wealth for him and his cronies and nothing but misery for Cubans....I don't care what anyones says. For someone to jump on a raft to nowhere speaks volumes.