Will CP please Define Cuba?

[parsley]

cottonpickin,

Craig is complaining, so here's a thread for the continuum.

I view Cuba's political system as not being able to feed their people,and not allowing their people to leave the country.

You defend the Cuban system by saying:

"It would take a lot of words to explain what cuba is"

Explain it to me, cottonpickin. I'm listening.

mustardman, at least TRY to make some consistent/convincing arguments about your postings instead of trying to make evasive comments. You will have more credibility.

AS, your last comments could only be made by an ASS.

Parsley

[wd9]

In case anyone is confused read "Anyone delivering #1 wheat"

http://www.agri-ville.com/cgi-bin/forums/viewThread.cgi?1167803365

[silverback]

They have a couple of nice beaches!

Maybe that is what he means?

[cottonpicken]

People are allowed to emmigrate legally.Clinton started allowing it in 1994(clinton-castro accord).As far as traveling the only difference is you need an exit permit.
I am unaware of people starving to death would you enlighten me?
Their literacy rate is one of the highest in the world and they have universal health care.America cant hold a candle to them in education&health(are these important to you parsly).
After the soviets collapsed cuba was cut off from the world by american trade embargos and everyone thought the country would slide into chaos.But it didnt,they are struggling although no falt of there own.How long would we last if the worlds most powerful country decided to kick us around.
As far as democracy there is some locals are elected to serve in government.Everyone also knows castro would win any election hands down unless of course che came back to life and ran against him.
Religion in the country is very diverse and thriving.
Sports,pound for pound cuba is at the top.
Most anti-cuban retorect is fueled by a small number of cuban nationalists who have a strong lobby group in us politics.
Cuba is very respected internationally especially by third world countries.They are the unofficial spockesman.They send doctors and aid all over the place.Aid they cant afford to send.
Is this enough or should i keep going on batista,bay of pigs,assasination attemptes etc,etc.
Parsley would you care to describe your views on this evil commie regime?
I suggest you get your news from somebody other than cnn.You shouldnt ASSume their telling the whole story.

[AdamSmith]

Parsley,

didn't know that it was politically incorrect to comment about the size of someones grain truck.

I guess now I know.

[silverback]

1) Why did Castro supposedly have to go to Spain for treatment if the medicare is so good?

2) If Cuba is the dream of the third world /dictators, why are they not immigrating there by the thousands like they do to Canada?

3) Is your name Justin Trudeau CP?

[silverback]

From The people I know personally who have been there Cuba is not the same place as CP was talking about.Bottom line is Cuba has fences keeping people in,And the U.S has fences keeping people out.When it comes right down to it the people who work at the 5star resorts have a standard of living far below what we consider poor.Why do people risk death to leave that place if it is such a wonderful country.

[silverback]

The cwb mandate is to "return all grain sales proceeds, LESS MARKETING COSTS to producers.

I have e-mailed my director, the cwb, and my mp, demanding a rebate on my grain sold, which has this NON_MARKETING cost tacked onto it. So far no one has had the guts to respond in one week. I let it be known I will not give up on this rebate, which also includes I must mention, a rebate for money spent on lawyers and court costs to fight Minister Strahl's effort in trying to limit the board from self promotion. That which the lefties call a 'gag order'.

We who want freedom must keep the heat on these poor "stressed" WESTERN cwb employees.

Can anyone here explain how the above are marketing costs? The cwb is obviously trying to find me an answer, and it's taking them some time!

[chaffmeister]

Birth rate (2006 est.):
Cuba: 11.89 births/1,000 population
Canada: 10.78 births/1,000 population
US: 14.14 births/1,000 population

Death rate:
Cuba: 7.22 deaths/1,000 population
Canada: 7.8 deaths/1,000 population
USA: 8.26 deaths/1,000 population

Net migration rate:
Cuba: -1.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population
Canada: 5.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population
USA: 3.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population

GDP - real growth rate (2005 est.):
Cuba: 8%
Canada: 2.9%
USA: 3.2%

GDP - per capita (PPP):
Cuba: $3,500
Canada: $33,900
USA: $41,600

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
Cuba: 1.8%
Canada: 1.1%
USA: 4.06%

Trafficking in persons:
Cuba is a source country for women and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced child labor; Cuba is a major destination for sex tourism, which largely caters to European, Canadian, and Latin American tourists and involves large numbers of minors; there are reports that Cuban women have been trafficked to Mexico for sexual exploitation; forced labor victims also include children coerced into working in commercial agriculture.
Tier rating: Tier 3 - Cuba does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so.

Illicit migration is a continuing problem; Cubans attempt to depart the island and enter the US using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, direct flights, or falsified visas; Cubans also use non-maritime routes to enter the US including direct flights to Miami and over-land via the southwest border. The US Coast Guard intercepted 2,712 individuals attempting to cross the Straits of Florida in fiscal year 2005.

Government……..
Executive branch:
chief of state: President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Fidel CASTRO Ruz;
First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz; note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government.
head of government: President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Fidel CASTRO Ruz;
First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz
cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the president of the Council of State and appointed by the National Assembly or the 31-member Council of State, elected by the Assembly to act on its behalf when it is not in session.
elections: president and vice presidents elected by the National Assembly for a term of five years; election last held 6 March 2003 (next to be held in 2008).
election results: Fidel CASTRO Ruz reelected president; percent of legislative vote - 100%;
Raul CASTRO Ruz elected vice president; percent of legislative vote - 100%

Legislative branch:
Unicameral National Assembly of People's Power or Asemblea Nacional del Poder Popular (609 seats, elected directly from slates approved by special candidacy commissions; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 19 January 2003 (next to be held in 2008)
election results: percent of vote - PCC 97.6%; seats - PCC 609

Judicial branch:
People's Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo Popular (president, vice president, and other judges are elected by the National Assembly)

Political parties and leaders:
Only party - Cuban Communist Party or PCC [Fidel CASTRO Ruz, first secretary]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

Economy:
The government continues to balance the need for economic loosening against a desire for firm political control. It has rolled back limited reforms undertaken in the 1990s to increase enterprise efficiency and alleviate serious shortages of food, consumer goods, and services. The average Cuban's standard of living remains at a lower level than before the downturn of the 1990s, which was caused by the loss of Soviet aid and domestic inefficiencies. The government in 2005 strengthened its controls over dollars coming into the economy from tourism, remittances, and trade. External financing has helped growth in the mining, oil, construction, and tourism sectors.

Telephone system:
General assessment: greater investment beginning in 1994 and the establishment of a new Ministry of Information Technology and Communications in 2000 has resulted in improvements in the system; wireless service is expensive and remains restricted to foreigners and regime elites, many Cubans procure wireless service illegally with the help of foreigners.

Internet:
Private citizens are prohibited from buying computers or accessing the Internet without special authorization; foreigners may access the Internet in large hotels but are subject to firewalls; some Cubans buy illegal passwords on the black market or take advantage of public outlets, to access limited email and the government-controlled "intranet" (2005).


Learn from Cuba, says World Bank
Washington (IPS) - World Bank President James Wolfensohn extolled the Communist government of President Fidel Castro for doing "a great job" in providing for the social welfare of the Cuban people. His remarks followed publication of the Bank's edition of 'World Development Indicators' (WDI), which showed Cuba as topping virtually all other poor countries in health and education statistics. It also showed that Havana has actually improved its performance in both areas despite the continuation of the US trade embargo against it, and the end of Soviet aid and subsidies for the Caribbean island more than ten years ago.
http://www.wicuba.org/world_bank.htm

[parsley]

cp,

1. Let's take chaff's stats. Could you live on $3500.00 per year? You probably spend more on your telephone/internet/cable in one year.

$3500 is what Fidel's long range planning has realized. Don't blame anyone else. It's where central planning has gotten Cubans.

2.A few years ago, we had Cuban gov't officials (not from CNN, at our farm wanting to buy beans. They explained they needed to import x lbs of beans because their citizens didn't have enough protein to survive the winter. What??

3.Rule of Law...From what I understand, US citizens and companies bought property in Cuba, and the Cubans expropriated it. No compensation. Americans lost their investments. Does that sit well with you? (Tim Horton wouldn't appreciate if the US expropriated his donut shops).

4. Farming is with machets. No mechanization. Tractors/air conditioning?...dream on. Your idea of how to farm? Think about it CP.

5.Have you ever tried to get an exit permit in Cuba? Perhaps you've tried hatching dinasaur eggs.

6. NFUer hit the nail on the head. Cubans are trying to escape. We don't have 2700 Americans trying to escape to Canada! How many reading this thread are attempting to escape from Canada?


Surely you will acknowledge Cubans are trying to escape from Cuba. Smart people, with leadership from hell.

Sometimes you just have to give your head a shake, cottonpicken, and concede that things are not always what you want them to be.

Parsley

[mustardman]

pARSEly, The question you have to ask is why Cuba is socialist or why have so many latin american and s.american countries tried to go that route.
Simple answer - U.S foreign policy-
The U.S has used and abused many of these countries taking every thing out and putting nothing back - bullying tactics that continually backfire. Because it causes the people to want to be in charge of their own country and this gives rise to leaders like Che guverra and Fidel.
Nicaragua -same thing- people elect a socialist gov't instead of the US puppet ,so U.S arms and trains the opposition party and causes the deaths of thousands - Ronald Regan called them freedom fighters, sure sounds like a noble cause eh ?

Chille -same thing-people elect socialist gov't ,so CIA back and train an army under Agusto Pinochet, assassinate the elected leader and Pinochet is installed where he goes on to butcher ,torture , **** and pillage
(Sure he is a Dictator but at he's their Dictator) When people think of 9/11 in chille they are thinking of Sept 11 1973 when there leader (iendez)
was killed and the brutal regime took over.
The U.S talk alot about freedom and democracy but the truth is they don't care as long as the dictator in power allows them easy access to any wealth their country might have.
Most of The Sept 11 2001 terroist came from Saudi Arabia - one family controls entire country- House of Saud-
However U.S administration is on good relations with Saudi Arabia (due to OIl ) So they don't need to invade there heh how about invading Iraq,
we don't get along with Saddam (even though he was trained and supported by U.S when Iran was common enemy)

So parsley I think we have to remember that the U.S is a great friend and ally BUT when they are doing something wrong I think we have to tell them. They are upset that we trade with Cuba, too bad they should get over the bay of pigs and start trading with Cuba as well instead of trying to starve them out.

[cottonpicken]

New i shouldnt have bothered.
I believe there are 2700 americans escaping to canada-even if you just count the fags.2700 in a country of 11 million is not mass exodus.
Parsly why do you suppose the people rose up and got rid of batista?Maybe the majority was making a few hundred dollars a year when the americans were in charge?
How many countries import food?Lots, even fully developed ones.For you to state people are starving rather than the truth of importation makes you a liar.
Sex trade?Open up your own phone book and go to the word escort.Prostituion has been legal here for a long time.
By the way i'm not the only person who believes the embargo america put on cuba is idiotic-WHICH CAUSED CUBAS ECONOMIC STRIFE NOT FIDELS POLICIES-a great number of americans feel the same way.
In case none of you know who Che is hes the guy whos picture is on a billion shirts,you would know it to see it.I guarantee he will be remembered forever by billions of people.A very interesting figure of history that few on this forum would reconize.

The cold wars over guys you can all come out of your mental bunkers its safe.

[cottonpicken]

Whoops-good post mustardman,accidently overlaped some of your thoughts.

[mustardman]

Hey Cottonpicken don't worry ,I think its going to take a lot more info from us to counteract what looks like an overdose from the "Orielly Factor "

[parsley]

Good Morning,

Cuba has designed their political regime and are enjoying the rewards.

Cuba's political system provides Cubans with $3500.00 per year. I would not want to live on $3500, so the question was, do you? ... and your diversionary answer, by both, was to bash Americans.

Doctors and lawyers and dentists in Cuba work in the tourist industry in order to financially survive. Huh?

No American dollars are allowed in Cuba, so they deal in special convertible pesos. Cubans actively/quietly seek American dollars. Huh? Imagine if Canada blackballed any currency.

The blackmarket economy flourishes in Cuba. This underground open market system is what supplies Cubans with the goods they obviously want to purchase. If Cubans hate Americans, they show it by buying American goods on the blackmarket. Huh?

The Cubans exist under the system they have designed, but meantime, they seek consumer goods, American dollars, exiting, freedom, modernization, technology etc. Cubans can see what economics does for the everyday guy like me. Economics.

I expect more than 'bash the USA' answers.

No system is perfect, but do you want, no, are you prepared to live on, the $3500.00 per year emulating from what the Cuban government has carved out?

Parsley