This is the last post about Cuba. This shows some of the things that are about reality that many will not see. It is a beautiful country and the people are wonderful. It definitely shows (in my mind at least) the pitfalls of communism, socialism, whatever you want to call it. It makes for a very small middle class which is very important to a country. You have a greater difference between the haves and have nots.
No one is starving here, and food is plentiful. The country is very safe for the most part because if you break a law, you suffer the consequences. Which is the way it is supposed to work. Freedom of speech not so much.
The government owns everything the buildings, cars and motorcycle are a privilege that can be taken away, same as your home. The government building and the businesses that generate income from tourism are well taken care of. Then you look at where the everyday none government employees live it is totally different. Havana you can tell was one of the most beautiful cities but is slowly falling into decay. If you don’t own your home, why take pride in it, after all it can be taken away just because of your attitude.
One person told how his son works for 5 dollars a month and his wife makes 15 dollars a month as a teacher. He thinks things should change. He does not believe the current system is sustainable. This was in a small city we visited.
We stopped at an old gas station and store while traveling. I wanted to purchase a bottle of water, but the clerk said no, not yet. There were three pallets of bottled water sitting there but they had not been counted by a government official and released for sale. Until then, no one could purchase.
In Havana you can see the difference between the have a have nots much more clearly. An example was the restaurant near where we were staying on the waterfront. It was surrounded by buildings that were in need of work. This place stood out, had doormen helping people in. I only saw new cars there and young people who looked well off. Since it was close and had great views of the bay, we went there a few times. I was there on my last night in the country when the manager struck up a conversation with me. She was young, well dressed and spoke English like a native. She asked what I thought about the food and the service. I assured her that both were very good. Then I asked if the restaurant was owned by a government official and she had a surprised look and asked me why I would assume that. I pointed out that it was very nice place, the furnishing, and the fact that the building had been restored, and a lot of money had been invested. I was very curious but instead of an answer she and sadly ended the conversation by walking away.
Everyday Cubans would like the USA and their government to make amends. It makes sense, the past should be forgotten, and normal trade should resume. The US dollar is king here and many families survive off money sent from the USA. It’s not a secret and would be better for both countries, in my mind anyway.
I liked Cuba and the people. Sure, like all countries it has the tourist area where scams are the normal, but you cannot use that to take anything away from the country in general. Communism is working for some but not all, like it pretends to. Your personal choices are very limited because of it if you live there. I’m sure some people would disagree with me.
Would I go back to Cuba, yes. There are still places to explore. It is not high on my list but if the right opportunity presents itself, I would be interested.
The below pictures are near the waterfront.
