June 09, 2009
by Paul Jacob
A viral video is making the rounds of Latin America. You can find it on
YouTube. It's an interview with a man on the street, and another Cuban
man walks up and steals the show. He points to his open mouth. In island
slang he says he's hungry, and that "what Cuba needs is food."
A lot of people blame America for Cubans' hunger. And our government is
now considering removing the embargo we have had against Cuba since its
Communist-inspired revolution. But that should be done — or not — for
reasons that have nothing to do with the motto "Cuba needs food."
Think about it. Cuba can trade with the rest of the world. In fact, on a
cash basis, even with the U.S. Plenty of opportunities to produce and
purchase food.
And hey: The resorts in Cuba are well-stocked with food. Canadians and
Europeans and Arabs and others visiting the island don't complain about
a lack of food. But the common folk do.
Why?
Well, Cuba suffers from a kind of apartheid. Everyday citizens get
ration cards. Their food shelves are bare. They cannot visit tourist
beaches, shop at tourist supermarkets, or eat at tourist restaurants.
They have to make do with the meager food they've been rationed.
So much for the abolition of the class system by Castro!
To feed Cubans, just one thing is needed: Freedom — an end to
socialistic apartheid.
Paul Jacob's "Common Sense" is published by the Citizens in Charge
Foundation. Their website can be visited at www.citizensincharge.org.
The Free Liberal: Cuba Needs Freedom (9 June 2009)
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