OFF TOPIC:
Doug:<<<As a Canadian I was able to visit Cuba last August. Let me tell you that Jibacoa is fantastic. >>>
You don't have to tell me about the area since I now it well, all the beaches from the Eastern coast of Havana to Varadero, although I have not been there in more than 40 years.
You don't have to tell me either about the Cuban people, since I also know them well and they have been able to maintain their high spirits in spite of forty years under one of the most cruel Communist dictators. Only the Cuban people know what they have endured and suffered all through these years.
Most Cubans, at least those that have been able to get out of Cuba, don't look with good eyes on Canadians, Germans, Mexicans and others that go to the island, although we realize they just go seeking a good time and at a good price, and most are not aware of the political situation.
Cubans feel that the tourists are giving Castro the means to keep in power.I guess most Cubans should not complaint, since the same thing happens with the millions of dollars that are sent to Cuban relatives from abroad.
To most people it is incredible that the United States have been able to let that Communist regime 90 miles from US shores all through these years, when they were fighting Communism in Viet Nam, Korea, etc. While Castro have kept spreading Communism throughout Central & South America. Most people blame Kennedy, and they feel if Eisenhower, or Nixon had been in power when the Bay of Pigs fiasco,the results would have been different.
When Castro took power in January 1959, he had more than 95% of the people behind him, The people were happy to get rid of the dictator Batista. Castro initially said he was not interested to keep in power and was going to call elections in less than 18 months. At that time he would have won an election without problems. Something similar as it happened in Venezuela recently with Chavez. Castro knows that if an election would be held today he would not get 20% of the votes at most. He knows that after people realize what Communism is like in reality (may be on paper it looks good)they don't want it. He knows what happened to the Sandinistas in Nicaragua and to the Communists in East Germany and Russia. He knows that if the Chinese people were able to have free elections they would not want Communism either.
I must tell you that whenever the Cuban people regain their freedom, all those hotels( the Spanish Sol Melia, Italians, Germans, etc.) will be expropiated by the Cuban Goverment, and it will be hard to give them some compensation, since most people feel that they have helped Castro to maintain his dictatorship.
Well, this has gotten longer than I intended.
Have a good day.
Bernard |
