U.S. Hypocricy Needs to Change

   For all of the money and effort spent by the folks in Washington to create an opposition movement in Cuba, and all of the pressure put on the nation of Cuba by the laws enacted by Washington, Cuba continues to advance in peace.  Cuba remains on the U.S. terrorist list, yet no evidence can be found that Cuba has supported terrorism, nor has it been an aggressive nation.  It is acknowledged by military and intelligence officials as not posing any threat to the U.S.  Record numbers of Americans are traveling to the island explaining upon their return that the image of Cuba presented to us in the press doesn't match what they experienced.  Within the community of Cubans living in the United States, there is a growing support for changing the policies that have endured for over a half of a century.  The business community in the U.S. has been openly speaking of the advantages of opening more trade with Cuba.  Many cities in the United States have sent delegations to Cuba expressing good will and hopes that things can change so that relationships can be expanded.

   In spite of all of the positive attitudes that exist, the official line of the United States is to continue to state that Cuba must change its form of government and that Cuba must respect human rights.  It is none of the business of Washington to determine what kind of government Cuba should have.  The complaints about human rights in Cuba is a talking point which has nothing to do with Cuba's reality.  Washington complains of arrests of supposed dissidents while protesters are routinely arrested in the U.S.  This is pure hypocrisy.  The supposed dissidents who are arrested on the island have been shown to be working with the U.S. government which openly considers itself an enemy of Cuba's government.  Is a nation supposed to allow some people to work to undermine it on behalf of an enemy government?  Of course not.  What is truly absurd is that the protesters in the United States who are arrested are never found to be working for a foreign government.  Their dissent is natural.  Their dissent is born from a feeling within the United States. 

   It is not considered a human right in the U.S. to have a home or shelter.  If it were, the U.S. would be a massive violator of human rights.  Homelessness is rampant here and increasing.  Also not considered human rights are medical care and education.  These are considered commodities that are to be bought by those who can afford them. 

   Cuba has a different perspective.  There are no homeless people in Cuba.  Cuba has taken all possible measures to ensure that people have a place to call home, even if the conditions aren't what the average citizen in developed countries would expect for themselves.  Medical care is provided for free for the people of Cuba, even the so-called dissidents.  Higher education is also available for no charge by anyone who decides to pursue it. 

   The disconnect from reality by our politicians serves nobody well.  It simply helps perpetuate the ignorant status quo of Cuba policy in Washington.  Hopefully the positive forces that have been growing within the United States can force their way ahead of the extremist interest group which is headquartered in Miami.  When the thoughtful voices are taken seriously, there will undoubtedly be positive engagement between Washington and Havana for the benefit of everyone.

Efforts and Achievements

   The world has 146 million children suffering from malnutrition according to UNICEF.
 There is not a country or politician who doesn't say that this is a terribly difficult and
 unfortunate fact.  If wars are easy to make, a solution to the problem of malnutrition seems impossible.

   UNICEF has said that Cuba is the only country in Latin America and the Caribbean
 to have solved this horrible problem.

   Cuba has many difficult issues. Every country has difficult issues. But what
stands out about Cuba is its serious commitment to these types of problems.

   Once again, Cuba presents the world with evidence that a concentrated effort
with just goals can lead to solving problems that in other countries are simply
considered just an unfortunate fact of life.

   It hasn't the natural resources nor the size to ever be considered a superpower,
but it has the will, determination, and resolve to see to it that it can perform
in a manner that seems to elude the countries that claim themselves to be
examples of what's right.

   All of the children in the world who go to bed or wake up with hunger in their
bellies, most certainly couldn't care less about what the stock markets are
doing today, they simply need something to eat.

   Cuban children may not get to decide if they want a Pop Tart or a Happy Meal
with a cute toy inside, but they don't suffer from something so fundamentally
awful, malnutrition.

An Example of Manipulation in the Free Press

   This is what I think about the over-hyped media creation of the "dissident" movement in Cuba and how the supposed "free press" chooses to report about it.

   This statement by the Church has disappointed the dissidents receiving financial support from the US government and extremists in Miami, but they have to smile and bite their tongues and sound happy about it. They are looking to create the impression that something similar is happening in Cuba to what is happening in the Middle East. What they face is not government repression, although it is possible that sometimes police as anywhere else  may be too rough with them. They face a public which, if they even are aware of them, view them as pawns for the US and rightly so.
    "The mobs are made up of members of pro-government groups" states the woman who is the spokesperson for the Ladies in White. Does she deny that there are people on the island who support the government? Does she suggest that Cuban people, ordinary Cuban people, who oppose her need the government to organize them to oppose her group? What kind of irrational person believes that the Cuban government doesn't have any support? Populations are easily emotionally charged when they believe that there are people working on behalf of foreign powers to subvert their sovereignty? Even if one chooses to look to Freedom House's reports about Cuba, one would see that their is a good number of people on the island that support and trust the government in Cuba.
    “Any other way of looking at Cuba’s reality that could affect peaceful coexistence and break down the nation’s well-being cannot find any support among those of us who have a Christian vision of the world,” the statement from the Church added. “It is not necessary to ask for the church’s opinion,” he said. “It is well known, and we have reiterated it various times, that violence of any kind against defenseless people has no justification.” They are right.
    But what these Ladies, and a few men, are looking for is not an opinion. They are looking for a way to further the slander and media manipulation about Cuba. Their group was wisely not mentioned in the Church's statement. As the statement said,“In the past few days journalists have asked for the church’s opinion on incidents in which the wives of some former prisoners . .. had been mistreated, according to their own declarations." Journalists were the ones being offered a response, not the Ladies in White. As Mr. Tamayo points out, the statement was carefully written. The Church officials are certainly no fools and they are intentionally avoiding elevating the stature of this particular group, not out of fear, but out of knowing that it would be irresponsible to perpetuate the notion that they are independent actors.
    Nothing will come out of this. Cuba is moving ahead with the reforms that they believe will improve the country. People are finding new ways of employment. People still live in one of the safest countries. Children still go to school then go home and laugh and play. People still have free health care, including the "dissidents" who decide to go on hunger strikes or are allegedly bruised by the authorities or angry neighbors. As much as some people wish to see scenes in Cuba similar to those in Egypt, they will be perpetually disappointed.
    Isn't it strange that those who are often quoted in our press are the ones who make regular visits to the Interests Section? Why does that detail always manage to be absent from the articles presented to us? If these people have such fantastic stories, why would that be left out? Do the reporters here like Mr. Tamayo, feel that if that was a known fact by Americans, we too would be as cynical as ordinary Cubans as to their "independence". Of course if our press were to tell us that these people meet with the American diplomats, receiving money, materials, and gifts these people would simply be laughed off as stooges. But our cherished free press is free to report things however it likes even if it isn't the full story. It is quite a disservice to those seeking to learn about things.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/09/05/2392024/cuba-denies-targeting-dissidents.html#ixzz1XC9tNaUC

There is another article in the Miami Herald that covers the same topic.  In the other article written by Paul Haven, the typical anti-Cuba slant can be seen, but to his credit, he chooses not to use quotes from the "dissidents" and even points out the possibility that they are untruthful.  This article is an example of how a reporter can maintain the anti-Cuba idea without stooping as low as Juan Tamayo by quoting obvious lackeys of the US and extremists in Miami. Mr. Tamayo can't find it in himself to report that these women may be phoning false information into "exile" radio and TV stations.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/09/05/2391522/catholic-church-knocks-abuse-of.html#ixzz1XCCd0BcX

Responding to the Editorial Board of the Miami Herald

The editors of the Miami Herald have expressed the unsurprising view against the imprisonment of Alan Gross.  They have filled the opinion with ignorance and inaccuracies as they have tried to twist the unfortunate situations caused by the actions of Mr. Gross and USAID into reasons for restricting family visits and remittances once again.  By reading the comments that follow the article, it is clear that they have not convinced many of the readers of the Herald.

 

It's not "if" he was guilty, he was found guilty in Cuba which has its own laws and they apply to foreigners as well as residents.  Cuba's crime is not acting like Pakistan which released a CIA agent after he committed murder, probably because its dependence on American foreign aid.  "Democratic" Pakistan went on and did this against the popular opinion.  To the Pakistanis who were treated by Cuban doctors after the earthquake, those Cuban doctors probably smelled a lot better than their "elected" representatives.

There are groups trying to urge people in South Florida to get their citizenship for the very reason of being able to vote out these people who don't care to represent the residents of their respective districts.
 
The Cuban government can do anything possible under the sun and the majority of the press here will never suggest that it "smells like a rose."  It can educate poor Americans for free allowing them a chance to become doctors and still, they don't "smell like a rose."  They can have a nation with no homeless and our press can only point out that the quality of housing is poor.  They can provide free universal health care and all our press can point out is some pictures of dilapidated hospital rooms.

 
Our "free press" doesn't care to go beyond these facts and explain the difficulties that Cuba has faced over the years in obtaining certain medical equipment that is restricted by US laws.  The "free press" finds it difficult to point out anything about the problems in Cuba without trying to lay all blame at the feet of Castro, who himself and now his brother take responsibility for many of the mistakes that they have made.

If the route of trading Mr. Gross for the Cuban 5 is one that the US isn't interested in then there is nothing that we can do about it.  That is how our "democracy" works unfortunately.  Hopefully, those who are in positions to make those decisions will find the political courage to consider this option before it is too late for Mr. Gross' sick mother and daughter  to be with him again.  They are all pawns in this geopolitical stalemate and those grandstanding on the issue won't particularly be personally affected by the possible tragic personal outcomes of these real people.  

Silly editorials that choose to pretend a different reality serve no purpose than to act as a cheerleader for a particular side, in this case the extremists in South Florida.  This sham of an opinion is simply trying to argue for a return of the Bush policies in regards to remittances and family visits.  That policy did nothing to Cuba and did draw much criticism from the Cubans in this country.  If there was no Alan Gross this newspaper would be finding another excuse to support turning back the clock on our policies. 

That Sen. Rubio exclaims that the punishment is vastly disproportionate means absolutely nothing.  His opinion on the punishments handed out in Cuba have no value nor merritt when it comes to what Cuba decides to do as punishment.  This Senator possibly doesn't have a passport or if he does, doesn't care to understand what our own State Department has written inside of it.  The sixth item under important information says (and it is quite appropriate for a response to the Senator's nonsense) "6. Remember, while in a foreign country, you are subject to its laws.  Penalties for violating local laws, even if unknowingly, CAN BE MORE SEVERE THAN IN THE US FOR SIMILAR OFFENSES."  (My capital letters)

It is clear for anyone at the editorial board, in the senate, or anyone who is a passport holder. 

The notion that this is only a "crime" in Cuba is dishonest.  Surely it is a crime to receive aid and act as a contractor for an enemy state everywhere.  I don't know if Mr. Gross registered as a foreign agent in Cuba, which was one of the crimes that the Cuban 5 were convicted of, but I'm sure that he didn't as he entered the country with a tourist visa.  This willful ignorance by so many in our press should be more than enough to suspect that the "free press" is a mere mouthpiece for certain groups and cares little about actually reporting in an unbiased way.  There is much reason to question the ability of our press as much as we like to question the press in other countries.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/08/07/2347220/unjust-verdict-unjust-regime.html#comment-279619964#ixzz1ULchP7wh

Human Rights (Medically Speaking)

   The World Health Organization, in 1989, called Cuba's  health care system a "model for the world."  It ranks Cuba 39th in the world even as it spends just a couple of hundred dollars per year per capita.  The mighty self-proclaimed king of human rights, the United States ranks 37th.  In terms of fairness, Cuba ranked 23rd, while the U.S. 54th. 
   Cuba's constitution guarantees free healthcare for its people.  The same cannot be said about the U.S. constitution.  Health care is treated as just another industry with the purpose of making profits.  Cuba sees health care as a human right.  What an interesting idea!  Stating that the people of a nation could be guaranteed healthcare without having to worry about if it fits in their budgets.  In spite of an intentionally harmful economic embargo against the island of Cuba, it has found a way to ensure care for its people.  The U.S. hasn't yet found a way to prevent this, nor has it tried to find a way to ensure that the 50 million uninsured people will receive healthcare on the level that Cuba has managed to provide for its people. 
   This is a shame for the United States, the country with the largest economy in the world and the so-called standard bearer of human rights.  Just as President Obama did nothing to earn his Nobel Prize after being awarded the honor, the U.S. is morally insuperior and its words are hallow when it comes to human rights in the field of medicine.  Perhaps Cuba should blockade its northern neighbor until it decides to recognize true human rights!  Would Cuba want to be seen supporting such a regime!?

Part 3: Response to Freedom House Cuba Report

   In the subsection of this report called "Daily Needs"  The report begins by pointing out that Cubans are preoccupied by their economic situation.  Cubans in the survey described their situations as "tight."  The fact that the Cuban economy has intentionally been obstructed by the policies of the United States is totally ignored as emphasis is given to salaries from jobs are usually supplemented by black market earnings.  Just as in the United States, many people have had to find jobs unrelated to their degrees.  This could be due to the fact that the U.S. would not serve as a market which would allow certain sectors to flourish leaving for example, an engineer who rents rooms in two houses for a living.  If there is limited ability to apply his engineering skills he must obviously look for something else to do.  But unlike the situation in the U.S., jobs are not outsourced for cheaper labor, they are simply not yet in demand.  With a growth in the economy, it would be logical to conclude that there are many educated and prepared people to fill the necessary positions.  Since tourism at this point is one of the more lucrative sectors of the economy it makes sense that now people are earning livings within this sector.  The problem of the black market stems from more than one reason and it is a difficult cycle to break.  Low level workers steal from their workplaces only to create scarcity and then cause the price of goods to be higher on the black market.  Some people certainly justify their actions as a way to make more money without realizing the negative effects that their actions have on the rest of their society.  Althought the wages are relatively low, the personal economic situations are made even "tighter" due to the black market.  By legalizing some of the goods and services that formerly were part of the black market, the society will be in a better position to prevent the values of goods and services from spiraling upwards in relation to salaries.  Scarcity will lessen as people are more personally tied to the goods that they aren't expected to steal. 
   One man commented that it is easy for foreigners to defend the revolution when one doesn't have to endure life within it.  To an extent that's true.  What is also true is that many foreigners are defending priciples that they share with the revolution.  By living outside of Cuba, one is able to see positive aspects of the acheivements in comparison to what they have in their own countries.  A Cuban has a tight situation, yet never has the fear of losing their home or medical insurance. 
   The report cites a musician who complains that some imported goods must be paid for in CUC while he receives a salary in national pesos.  These can easily be exchanged, but the inconvenience of a dual currecy system is not the actual problem he faces.  The problem is that whether he has national pesos or CUC he still doesn't have enough to make his puchase of instruments.  A currency exchange may be inconvenient but the value of the purchase remains the same.  If he had enough money in national pesos then the only problem was one of having to go to a currency exchange place (Cadeca). 
   Some respondents said that they had concerns about the ability to have a family if they have a tough time supporting themselves.  I would venture to guess, although not scientifically(!) that this is a concern for people in any country.  Having children is more costly than not, but many of the expenses that people face such as doctor bills and such are not at all of concern in the free universal medical system in Cuba.  Certainly it is responsible to think of how able one is to support a family, but there are babies being born in Cuba and they are being fed.
   Complaints about the transportation system are common among  the respondents are high and suggestions that this impedes the ability to take advantage of the healthcare system.  Though this is true in certain situations, neighbors with cars are usually willing to help out in an emergency.  There are medical clinics all over the island availible to anyone and most times are within walking didtance.  Besides that, I have personally witnessed doctors going to the peoples's houses to give medical attention to patients, all of which are free.  That is probably why healthcare (along with free education and low crime rates) are frequently mentioned as a main source of happiness.  The report felt it necessary to include concerns about recent spikes in crime but apparently it didn't detract from the sentiment of happiness for the low crime rates.  Nor did the suggested uselessness of the educational degrees the were mentioned earlier detract from the happiness of having free education.  Almost half responded that their families were their greatest source of happiness and which Freedom House has decided that by being happier with family than free medical, education, and low crime rates there must be a shift in people's attitudes (suggestively towards worse) since the last survey.  Quite an assumption! As if people being happier with their families than social services is a symptom of a problem in Cuban society!