jimjam wrote:a recent picture ^ of skinster in Cuba
^
Pants-of-dog wrote:This is becoming much like a noir thread.
I called it before you, but yes, it appears that is still the case. Me, to Sivadnoir:
skinster wrote:^ Are you working for the American version of the Hasbara War Room? Because if not, consider it a job option.
QatzelOk wrote:Yes, but proof-by-spam never convinces anyone. It just makes for a crap thread.
Sivad has convinced precisely no one, but if he got a paycheck for his spamming, I hope he spends his money on a Cuban vacation package.
Same.
Sivad wrote:It's tough to win an argument when the facts aren't on your side, but you still can't just make shit up. I mean you can, but people don't do it because it would destroy their credibility and they'd be viewed as clowns and bullshitters by their peers. But that doesn't seem to bother you though, you just keep plugging away even after you've been completely exposed as a intellectually dishonest fraud. you're certainly not a quitter so I guess that's something.
Holy projection.
QatzelOk wrote:And Cuba most certainly lets its doctors emmigrate. Venezuela has thousands, as do several other desperately poor and doctorless countries.
When disasters hit in the Caribbean, NATO usually sends soldiers, while Cuba sends doctors.
Cuba wanted to send doctors to the US after Hurricane Katrina, but the US refused, while also providing inadequate support to the people who suffered that hurricane.
As for the argument that Cubans can't leave, well, I'll have to email lovely Pedro, who gave me a bike tour, and let him know that his planned trip to Sweden next month is imaginary. I'll also have to let Fabricio, who gave me a tour around central Havana and who did speak openly about how he wasn't fully supportive of his government, that his next visit to Spain - where he used to teach - is also imaginary. He returned to Cuba because he's an only child and wanted to take care of his elderly parents. He did speak somewhat negatively about Cuba, but when I pointed out that if his elderly parents had cancer or even diabetes, that they could go bankrupt if living in America, he smiled and agreed that yes, Cuba has many good things, like how it cares for its people and offers basic human rights.
I had an excellent time in Vedado, a neighbourhood which is less tourist-y than Central Havana. I stayed with a couple who didn't really care about the government, but I didn't press them because they seemed reluctant to speak. Had they spoken, I wouldn't report them to the government like Sivadnoir stated I would, I simply accept that some people view things differently and have different wants or ideas, but at least in Cuba, your basic rights like medical care, education and homes are given to you by the state.
The people of Cuba were lovely. It was wonderful to walk around and say hello and smile to people on the street. The food was hit and miss but everything was super cheap. You can get a meal and 3/4 drinks and that would cost you less than $20.
One thing I liked in particular was how men acted towards women; the lack of sexual harassment. Men would sometimes hiss in your direction if they liked you, usually after you walked past, and you could just smile and they wouldn't go any further. It was entirely non-threatening and they wouldn't go further than simply making it clear they thought you were attractive or whatever. This is very different to how men are in the West, where there's always the fear that if you don't pretend you didn't hear them or quickly walk away, that things could escalate and they can and have done, become threatening. I wonder if the prohibition of pornography has a lot to do with this. Either way, I love that Cuba bans its people from consuming porn, since porn is highly misogynistic.
Also, women are elevated in Cuba's history. There were parks and massive tombs for them and the bike tour guide spoke about the famous women of Cuba's history very passionately. I haven't seen the same in the US or even England, and certainly not in my country of birth.
Another thing about being a woman in Cuba is that Cuba is very safe. I went to Cuba alone! It was my first holiday alone and I was slightly nervous since it was my first time et all, but I immediately got very comfortable and walked around day and night for hours, without any fear, even after having a few drinks.
May Day in Cuba is fucking fantastic and made my heart very happy. I hope to be in Cuba for the same again next year. I was told it would begin at 7am but I awoke at 4am by the sounds of horn-tooting by Cubans heading towards Revolution Square (which was a 20 min walk from my apartment). When I got out of my apartment to head over to it, Calle 23, a main strip in Vedado, was like a ghost town as far as motor traffic is concerned. But the streets were full of so many people, singing, dancing, on their way to the parade and doing the same at the square celebrations. A million or so people attend this event every year I hear, I've never seen a parade so huge and even felt a bit claustrophobic surrounded by so many people, at a couple of points. I have no idea how the government managed to force a million or so people to not only attend, but appear very happy while doing so. That's some mad trickery at work!
The bike tour - Qatz, you should do it! - was great, we rode around for 4 hours and Pedro told the four of us about the history of the places we rode around, which were Havana forest, the largest cemetery in the world (Christopher Columbus cemetery), Revolution Square and Havana University. Two of the others on the tour were nice chaps from Miami, they told me about all the negative things they hear about Cuba from exile-friends of theirs and felt that since being in Cuba, that they weren't properly informed. I think if people - ahem, I won't name any names
- feel so strongly about a particular country, to the point of arguing with many people about it (particularly those who have been to the island) that maybe they should go and see if its the gulag state they think it is. Kind of like how I really would love to go to Palestine, but unfortunately I cannot because I'm a BDS activist and the state bars those of us who are public in their support of the movement.
Speaking of Palestine, besides the Turkish-German guy I met and hung out with and chatted loads to, because that's easily done in Cuba since people are very sociable there, I met another guy after the parade. He told me he was Palestinian but he was actually Israeli, one who supports Palestinian rights and believes the land belongs to the natives. He was put in jail for a month for refusing to serve in Gaza, many years ago. We talked a lot and he informed me of potential other ways I could get into Palestine, so maybe that will be in my future, if not when Palestine is free. He also told me he got stopped at Cuba's airport, he thinks because he came in with an Israeli passport. I was amused by that. We met again and talked a bunch about politics and fun stuff like that, while drinking very fancy cocktails.
But I'm rambling now. Of course there's a lot more to say but overall, my trip to Cuba was great and I recommend everyone visit. The history, the culture, the weather, the colours everywhere, they're really worth seeing and it's more affordable than most places.
Oh yeah, one other thing the prof who gave me the tour told me, was how many Americans come to Cuba for medical tourism, he said you can get an abortion for less than $100 easy. I'll have to let all my ladies in NY know about this, since my one frand paid about $800 for the same not that long ago, here in Manhattan. Seems it'd be cheaper to go to Cuba, for the same.
The end. For now.
Free Palestine.
) with his little black bag to look me over. On the way out Mom would PAY IN FULL with a $5 bill. 
- By Tainari88
- By Negotiator
- By FiveofSwords
- By Pants-of-dog