33 in Cuba
Out of context: Reply #6
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- rafalski0
There has been a great change in Cuba already, they let western tourists in and let Cubans smell the $. There are many opinions as to what will change when Castro dies. His cult is live. The guy just kept wearing green uniform, talking bullshit for hours and they loved him. A taxi driver told me that Raul doesn't have Fidel's honesty and is more prone to be corrupt by power, because he likes wearing suits.. Excuse me, but they're the same twat dictators to me, it's just Fidel knows better how to put on a show. Castro family have lots of property around the world, some have Spanish passports. Escape routes Batista-style have been ready for years, but I doubt they will be ever used.
Cubans don't seem to want to rise against their system. A lot of them believe in achievements of the revolution. There is "equality", meaning nobody has anything, ie you own your house but cannot sell it. Free healthcare - well, not really free, because they're ripped off their money in the first place: people earn $15 monthly. Well.. handful of nt-ers could fund a decent hospital if doctors were paid $20/month. You still have to bribe in Cuba in order to avail of medical service, otherwise you have to wait for your turn. Free education - like in many EU countries, just more capitalist: if you have a foreign sponsor who wants to help you out of the country, you have to work for the revolution for 2 years to pay for your school. Cuba is relatively safe, but any country would be if there were police on every corner and they could do what they wanted to to the baddies. A municipal guard in Trinidad told me they regularly kicked the shit out of troublemakers who posed threat to tourists. He also offered me blackmarket cigars and a ride to the station - he worked as a bicitaxi driver off-duty. He did not seem to care about the fact that bicitaxis cannot transport foreigners, only state taxis can. Actually, bicitaxis take tourists almost exclusively, because they can afford the rides. That's how the country works.
I saw a street roasted peanut dealer bribe a cop with a ballpoint so she could sell her illegal nuts!
Many Cubans still believe that American embargo is the reason they've been poor for years. Who could blame them, plenty of Europeans believe it too.I think nothing will happen when Fidel dies - they will get a tad more economic liberty just to keep quiet, but that's about it.
They see foreigners with their cameras, ipods, wallets.. They talk to them and really seem to want a change, but they want things to happen themselves - they will not do anything to help it other than blatantly steal from the state.Thanks guys for the wishes!
Bolus, thanks again for sending me there :) and don't think my views haven't changed. I believe going there and spending money, talking to people might be good even if it preserves the system. Maybe it is a way for Cuba to slowly change, possibly a better one than proper system bankruptcy in eastern-block fashion :)