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Future China of the Caribbean?

KONRAD YAKABUSKI

Globe and Mail Update

Latest comment posted at 8:52 PM EDT 23/04/08

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  1. Joseph T from Victoria, Canada writes: China? Huh? Where's Cuba's Tibet?
  2. Steve Just Steve, That's All from Canada writes: Joseph T from Victoria, Canada writes: China? Huh? Where's Cuba's Tibet?

    ============================================

    No kidding. If they wanna be like China, they need there own little genocide campaign.

    Maybe some comrades from the motherland can go and show them how it's done Chinese style.
  3. Popeye Dillon from North Vancouver, Canada writes: Pretty funny when the country is broke and their largest potential trading partner hates their guts! Keep the comedy coming globe. Speaking about third world conditions what about those berry farmers in BC being exploited? Comments closed for a good reason I gather since you wouldn't want to expose immigrant farm owners to the wrath of honest opinion. Using their old countries migrant workers like Southern salves a century ago doesn't rhyme with the hate all things conservative mantra.
  4. Globe Insider subscriber content
    joseph walsh from Canada writes: Don't we have our own Canadian equivalent of the Cuban CDR?

    Watchful patriotic Canadian citizens have been know to report to Revenue Canada those neighbours they consider to be living too high on the hog relative to their socio-economic standing.

    Joe
  5. Chris E. from vancouver, Canada writes: I hope Cuba manages to forge a new economy based on a South and Central American- Hispanic trading zone.

    Anything but being absorbed into the gluttonous mess of the WalMart-dominated increasingly globalized North American trading zone.
  6. Canadian Woman from Canada writes: I was really surprised at this article. At first I thought it must have been written by an American, since it so unoriginally circulates all the old & tired US propaganda about Cuba, "the evildoer". Has the writer ever spent any time at all in Cuba? If so, he never left his protected resort. He says the Cuban people are probably happy because they have no hope? What kind of twisted logic is that? The Cuban people ARE happy, by and large. They have so much that we don't have here - a very strong sense of community, a powerful sense of family, a lively and joyous social life, and a very strong sense of pride in their country & culture & in what they have, with very hard work, achieved over the past fifty years - including a 100% literacy rate, a world-renowned public health care system, an excellent education system and wide-spread aid and support for various other countries around the world in terms of medical support and equipment. They are also the ONLY country in the world given the World Wildlife Fund's 2006 honour as "the only country in the world to achieve sustainable development," its 2006 Living Planet report". Canada is not even on the list. Of course they have problems, disadvantages, struggles. Don't we all. But, please author, go and TALK to the everyday Cuban people - on the street, in the markets, in the fields & offices, in the libraries, & in their homes. They sorely lack material goods, & would like to have them to help make their life easier - BUT they strongly state that they do not want these if it means they lose what they have built and become "mercenary" (as they put it). But they are not at all these repressed frightened people that you portray in your article.
  7. Carmen Schnell from Denver, United States writes: This reporter must have visited a different Havana then I did. I spent 3 weeks living in the 'decaying slums' of Havana Centro just a month ago. I lived in several different 'Casa Particulars, which are private businesses licensed and taxed by the state. The host were uniformly friendly, informative [NOT informers] and generous.

    I had free access to any Cuban I wished to speak to, and I often had a Cuban with me at different restaurants in hotels and both of us had no problem using the internet services. I am currently emailing a couple of my hosts about a return visit. I had no problem getting full names and addresses of my acquaintances, business cards are handed out at every opportunity.

    Perhaps the Cubans were having this jerk on. They certainly have an ironic sense of humor, and if someone wants to portray them as mistreated denizens of a repressive government, they'd go along with the joke. As for the cabdrivers, they were possibly laughing at his gullibility.

    Cuba is lacking in the Capitalistic urge to acquire ever more stuff and the cut-throat competition one sees in Mexico. I for one hope that doesn't change as the Fidel era closes. I do think they will move towards the SA Chavez style economy. While the Canadians are the resort tourists during the winter, in Centro, most of the tourists I met were from Latin America. just about every country was represented.

    I was traveling independently, btw, and booked my accommodation's via the internet and word of mouth. The Government wasn't tracking me closely, except for the end of the month check on a Casa's business records, which I witnessed onetime.

    Billboards? I traveled by bus to central Cuba and didn't notice them. Of course, we get our propaganda via TV commercials!
  8. P cheng from ottawa, Canada writes: It seems that G&M just want to use "China" concept to promote the rating. It is so funny that why this articles does not post 2 months ago? How many articles that have the titels "China". The adoption articles posted early this months contains "China" as the title. I just wonder how many reader will it be when there is no "china" in the title. What a shame to G&M

    Boycott G&M
  9. Springfire From ShenZheng from China writes: China's model of development is only good for China. But if there is anyone else who want to learn from our experience, then I have no problem with that.
  10. J A from Ottawa, Canada writes: Cuba - another grostique sorry little dictatorship.
  11. Bert Russell Paradox, BC from Canada writes:
    This sounds like American propaganda ... A communist country has to reduce pressure from rebelling masses. Could it not be that Castro's brother has a different perception of Communism. Really Communism was the reason for American invasion of Countries in the past (a boogyman to focus American masses to support their War Industry ... now it has changed to seeking freedom for Countries with resources that the US wants and to free women from Religious Fundamentalists. Look at the various so called Democracies in the world - all who are markedly different than Canada. Perhaps our Democracy doesn't suit the American definition, so they can free us and our resources for their benefit.
  12. the vegan ninja from Canada writes: Castro annd his strange regrime have lasted so long because of American aggression and paranoia. US repression against Cuba has been like reefer maddness, beyond all reason and counterproductive. Without the American threat used to intimidate and radicalize the Cuban people, this island would have come out of the cold, and normalized ,years ago.
  13. D Chiu from Victoria, Canada writes: We visited Cuba a few years ago, and found that people were not dirt poor (but not rich either) as the press sometimes protraited. We felt save walking around. Did not see overwhelming police presence. I think US and some Europeans can learn a lot on how Cuba has successively eliminated racism in general. Now, if people are lining up for cell phones, they can't be that poor.
  14. sean smith from Canada writes: I wonder if this "reporter" received money from the Pentagon for this great piece of propaganda? Five Miami Herald reporters have already been caught and admit to writing a certain slant on Cuban stories for extra state funds. The US has budgeted funds (at least $30 million) for this purpose to be paid to American and foreign journalists to "assist" in getting the right Cuba story out.

    The reason I ask this is because this article is incredibly one sided and slanted. Anyone who travels to Cuba can see that.

    As Chris correctly points, Cuba's future is with the new left emerging in Latin America not China (although it is an important partner it has been dismissed as a model to copy). Venezuela is Cuba's largest trade partner and Cuba is part of the ALBA trading block. Today Paraguay has its first leftist government in its history which will only add to the movement for a Latin American community that will stand on its own feet. Much to the annoyance of the US and their paid shills, Cuba is a key part of this community and their economy is averaging around 10% growth per year. Cuba is doing well on its own and I find it telling that one of the biggest complaints from this article's unnamed critics is that they are frustrated so many Cubans seem happy with their revolution.
  15. Loudan Bellicose from Canada writes: Raul, how you going to keep them down on the farm after they have seen Paris?
  16. margaret walker from Oakville, Canada writes: Without Castro's revolution Cuba would have become another Colombia or Haiti or Jamaica or Equador or El Salvador or Guatemala. Fidel has been a great leader. Hats off to the greatest General of our era.
  17. Roop Misir from Toronto, Canada writes:
    "In my whole life, I've never seen Canadian dollars....In Canada, you work and you get money. In Cuba, you work and you get nothing."

    Lots of people love Canada. But would they like to immigrate here?

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