Throwing out the soap with the bathwater

Written by: Staff, on December 31st, 2010

As Cuba moves away from its 5 decade old ration book, many are still asking questions. Is this all just a cost cutting measure propped up by propaganda of greater freedoms? What is the average Cuban getting “new” these days?

Well he can request to start a business in a pathetic array of vocations for which, unless he is to “inventar”, there are no raw materials available, all these being monopolized by a state working on 300 to 500% mark ups. Most Cuban´s already worked for themselves anyway, to make ends meet so, now they get to do the same thing but also pay the Cuban state taxes? Don´t think so…

There´s still one one newspaper and two TV channels… Oddly, no media opportunities are being offered to relieve Cuban´s of the states strangle hold on information. Anyone trying to blog will find internet cards strangely lacking, even tourists are quietly complaining on Tripadvisor, Lonely Planet and other forums of being unable to get access cards.

The rose colored eye glasses worn by tourists do not portray the absolute destitute state of the economy. Quaint photo backdrops of kids playing with homemade toys seem so cute at first glance. Behind these miserable scenes are unrelenting times of disappear for the average Cuban.

Massive change is to hit Cuba soon. The angst of a newly unsupported people, with no accessible opportunities to make money is an inevitable reality. The calm relaxed fun loving place Cuba was, a place Cubans seemingly “played at this game called life”, while having food placed on their tables by the state, is drawing to an end. With it will arrive the dawning of a new reality. Hunger and desperation will undoubtedly change the landscape of the passive welcoming Cuba into a more dangerous unwelcoming place.

2010 will go down in history as the year that the Cuban people changed forever and, the beginning of a Cuba that few will wish to behold