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Ear to the Ground

How Cubans Make It Work

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Posted on Jan 4, 2007

Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 removed much of the padding from Cuba’s economy, Cubans have found some creative ways to alleviate the financial hardships of life under the communist system.

BBC:
It is established practice in Cuba for elderly people on low state pensions to buy copies of the newspapers and re-sell them to the public for one peso each.

It helps them to make ends meet and allows their fellow Cubans to assist them without compromising their dignity.

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By vet240, January 6, 2007 at 6:36 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

The irony of the U.S. embargo of Cuba is the fact that it stands as an example of the hipocracy of Americas stand for freedom. The embargo states to the world that America stands for freedom as long as you accept it’s will, if not then you get deprivation.

The irony comes with the fact that instead of having a healthy country with which America could conduct internationl trade and discourse, we have proof of of Americas callous attitude toward innocent humans.

While I don’t fully understand the position of the Cubans in Florida I see It is a pathetic example of the power of a few politicians using the abuse of the Cuban people for the support of voting blocs in Florida.

The Cuban people of Florida should accept the fact that they are partly responsible for the plight of the people still on the Island of Cuba. It’s time to move on. Renew relations and commerce, and give them a chance to make their lives easier.

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By Boggs, January 5, 2007 at 8:55 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Cuba was never a revolutionary state just for the sake of being at war, but they refused to let a country like the U.S. dictate and hold power over them.
Why do we have to dictate to others and choose the type of government they should have. They would have done well for themselves if we had not kept them suppressed.
As it is they are looking better then the U.S.
We have medical students who go to Cuba to get their med degrees. How about that?

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By vet240, January 4, 2007 at 11:01 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Bu$h once said, “I have said that the sanction regime is like Swiss cheese—that meant that they weren’t very effective.”
  —George w. Bush
02/22/2001
during a White House press conference

The fact is the US has used sanctions through many different Congresses and Presidents.

Now if poor stupid George knows this why does’nt anyone else get it.

You may ask yourself, Why do we do that, knowing sanctions never work against the leaders of any country. They only harm the peoples of those countries. Could it be, because our military industrial complex needs assurance of long-term enemies in order to do their budget planning?

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By HeadlessHessian, January 4, 2007 at 3:19 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

There is nothing like old news to remind of the past, and in this case the present.  This is not new, and has not been new since I left that island as a child in 1961.  My parents sent me here, to this country, with my 15 year older brother.  Soon the authorities separated us, but that is another story. 
As for Cuba and rationing and misery…that was quite common in 1961 when I left, so the assertion that it started in 1962 is bunk.  Although I am sure that the embargo just made it worse.
Us Cubans are very proud.  One of our best qualities is the ability to ‘resolver’.  Which means to resolve something…to fix it, to make it work.  ‘Vamos a resolver!’,  I remember my father and mother saying that (they arrived in 1962, I was one of the lucky ones).  Anyhow, Resolver is a Cuban mantra.  I’ve used it all my life, work, play, marriage..anything.  Voy a resolver.  I will make it work.  Thanks to the generosity of this country, and our ability to resolver, we cubans have made it here.  We work hard at everything.  And so back to your article and comments.  These folks are just ‘making it work anyway they can’, ‘estan resolviendo!’  they are making it happen, regardless of adversity!  Its our way!  Asi somos!  Its our ‘Raison d’etre’.


Headless

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By Geronimo, January 4, 2007 at 2:46 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

What matters is whether the revolutionary spirit is still alive in Cuba.  If so, material disadvantages will not derail the revolution because the Cuban people will keep it going.  If not, it’ll return to its pre-revolutionary status as a US colony, with all the exploitation and humiliation that such dependency entails.

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