I found Cuba most interesting. It was quite a learning experience about a country under communism. Also, I can no longer be BSd by CCN, et al. because like them, I’ve been there too and can think for myself.
I take issue where the article states that most of their money was spent in state-owned stores. I wandered into one of these stores by mistake in the middle of one afternoon, and there was nothing to buy unless one was interested in detergent products. The meat area was empty of meat. This store was tiny, but I had not been in others with which to compare it. There is also practically nothing to buy in general in Cuba because Cuba has practically nothing to sell other than some handicrafts, paintings, and t-shirts. My entire purchase was one inexpensive t-shirt and a small paperback travel book.
Gulf widens between Cuba's haves and have-nots ***My travel companion's mugging in a desolate Havana neighborhood summed up Cuba's plight. A boy, perhaps 13, had tried to snatch her money belt. He failed, but she was badly bruised and scraped. At a hospital, she received immediate attention. The visit was free, of course. But it took stops at two pharmacies to fill prescriptions for an antibiotic and ibuprofen. Even with its own biotechnology industry, Cuba still suffers from shortfalls of basic drugs.
The next day, as we waited for a cab, a man idling on a corner befriended us and asked my friend about her injuries. His concern seemed genuine. But when we got into a cab, he hopped in, too. He insisted on staying with us to make sure there would be no more trouble. It wouldn't cost much, he said. When we declined his offer, he shrugged and exited the cab. It was worth a try. Such constant asking must take a toll on the collective soul of Cubans. As neighbors of the United States, they are also reminded ad nauseam of Americans' voracious consumption of the luxuries they are denied by the embargo.***
It's the communism!
Without morons, there would be no Democratic party.