"Spontaneous Generation and the US Embargo on Cuba"
Alberto N. Jones
October 26, 2009
In preparation for the upcoming vote at the United Nations General Assembly on the everlasting, unilateral embargo imposed upon Cuba by the United States, I decided to read Cuba’s full report, which will be presented to argue and counter this monstrosity.
No significant differences are presented compared to previous reports during the past seventeen years except, for the ever mounting damages, our collective shame or impotence, when all votes are counted and the world clamor for justice, will once again be brutally ignored.
Shortly after, I read an article entitled “A thousand-faced monster called the CIA 10/22/09, in which Dr. Nestor Garcia dissect an apparent innocuous, supposedly objective article entitled Cuba’s fate: balanced on razor’s edge, by Dr. Susan Williams from the Freedom Socialist Party, on 10/19/09
If I were to add my personal experience during a month long (9/09) visit to Cuba, in which I was privy to a wide range of opinions from friends, family members, ordinary people in every venue and my personal observations, speaks of the complexity and urgency of the critical moments Cuba is undergoing.
There has been and continue to be albeit a different rhetoric from the White House , a strong, concerted, amply funded effort by the US government to destabilize, weaken and overthrow the Cuban government. That is not news! This multi prong, all encompassing effort is especially geared to undermine and corrupt the minds of the younger generation, through mesmerizing images of our free market, consumption society.
Tens of thousands of Nintendo’s, violent games, pornography videos and other escapists material, have been widely distributed through the island, transforming our once thoughtful, science inclined students into disaffected, low esteem, apathy prone, foul mouthed youngsters, mimicking the gangster-like behavior of many of our middle and high school inner cities students.
Not confronting head on this growing malignancy, may lead to a Columbine type event which have never happened in Cuba.
Thousands of DVD featuring the most outrageous, distorting and degrading social programs of the Spanish speaking TV such a Cristina, Casos de Familia, Quien Tiene La Razon, all Springer/type garbage that is shunned and kept out of the living room of all family oriented household, have become hits, top rated entertainment in Cuba.
Flashy magazines exhibiting all sorts of products especially cars, garments, food, homes and travel, are having an impact on this vulnerable sector of society, who never stop to question, if those visitors peddling these diversionists tactics, enjoys such lifestyle in their working class Hialeah neighborhood.
It is a widely known fact, that hundreds of less educated or purported disaffected Cubans arriving in the US, their greatest dream is fulfilled, after their first year in the US and having obtained their Green Card, is to return to Cuba wearing an array of necklaces, rings, bangles, watches which are for the most part, “purchased” from local pawn shops, where they are promptly returned for a user’s fee, as soon as they return to the US.
Renting luxury cars in Cuba, giving hefty tips and throwing neighborhoods parties, are some of the regular family activities of these visitors, intended to fascinate their neighbors, not withstanding the weighted credit card debt with its loan shark interest that will haunt them for month to come.
In Cuba on the other hand, decades of neglected, unfulfilled basic needs of the population housing, food, clothing, transportation, recreation and other important human needs, have been compounded by poorly thought-out bureaucratic restrictions, which have fueled apathy, disenchantment, social breakdown and moral fissures.
Corruption in Cuba first raised its dirty head in the early 70’s. Hundreds of Cubans opposing this plague, were quickly silenced and consumed in a fake counterrevolutionary altar that was created by some, to protect their criminal activities. Today, this cancer have metastasized across the country and is devouring its soul.
No longer shop clerks exhibit any shame for overpricing or keeping the change, nor cabby drivers turning off taximeters, bus conductors pocketing fares, reservations agents expecting a kick-back and many health, educators or managers processing important documents, expect a meaningful gift.
Years of indifference or pretending this was not happening, allowed millions to be tainted. Any attempt to reverse this malady through legal or coercive measures are past due and are doom to create a far reaching backlash of unprecedented social consequences. Fully addressing the root cause of this crisis, is the only way of restoring the nation moral fiber.
The Skin written by Cursio Malaparte at the end of WW II, details like no one else, the horrific effects that hunger, sickness and other social needs, may inflict on any vulnerable society. Italy, Germany, the Soviet Union, Japan and others, are prime examples of such maladies and the reflective, intelligent, non repressive way in which they dealt with it.
Cuba’s economical situation today is not unique and it should not pursue unique solutions for this universal problem. Cool heads and minds must prevail over hot headed improvisations.
Fortunately, Cuba’s only uniqueness lies with the wealth of untapped, ignored resources sitting across the country, which any serious attempt to address the people’s need, could provide overnight, all the material resources necessary to obliterate every human, social, development need the country may have.
For much too long, most administrative branches of the Cuban government became accustomed to the easy answer of saying, we do not have it, “invent it”! Nothing need to be invented, when our nation is sitting on hundreds of billions of untapped resources, either because of near-sightedness, indifference or both. Life suggests, we test any of the following options:
- Parcel and develop one million home sites across the country and lease/use for 25 years to carefully selected families around the world at prices ranging from $40,000.00 to $1,000,000.00 each, depending on location.
- Open Joint Venture bids with foreign enterprises for the operation of all groceries, garment, household, pharmacies and building supplies corporations.
- Open Joint Venture bids with foreign enterprises for the operation of land, air and sea transport corporations.
- Open Joint Venture bids with foreign enterprises for the operation of agriculture, fishing and mining corporations.
- Open Joint Venture bids with foreign enterprises for the operation of heavy, light industry, chemical and power generation corporations.
Such influx of financial resources would allow the government to offer a hefty relocation package to thousands of migrants from all provinces living in sub-human conditions in Centro Havana, assign plots of agriculture lands, funds for its development, house construction, machinery and personal transport in a location of their choice, clearing this prime city area for its future urban development.
Invest millions in water supply, wastewater treatment, solar industry, urban development, ports and highway construction. Initiate a massive restoration/construction of ultra modern healthcare facilities, educational centers, recreational facilities and cultural development.
Cuba can and must occupy the hard earned position it deserves in the world. This will happen through hard work, intelligence, vision and not by relying on spontaneous generation.
