What Castro Has Put in Place

It is appaling that this Marxist currently infests the house of representatives, the sad truth is that she is not the only one. You will notice that she describes Castro as "one of the brightest leaders she has ever met," this is not saying much considering she claimed that she had returned from allover the far east Visiting "China, Beijing, Honk Kong, China, Taiwan and Guam." The last I checked China, Beijing, Hong Kong and China are all the same country.

Congresswoman Watson also speaks so glowingly of how the Cuban revolution has kicked out all the wealthy. It would seem to me that without the wealthy there are only the poor, sort of like how it is in Cuba where the average salary is about 333 pesos a month or about $16.70, but what do I know I'm not a Marxist. This hipocracy spues from the mouth of a woman who's personal salary is $177,000, who's staff expenses and Cuban vacations have burdened the American Tax payer for more than $1 million is 2009 alone. Which by the way is payed for the top 10% of wage earners.

Let's take a look at "what Castro has put in place" when it comes to healthcare, As far as I can tell Cuba practices a sort of medical segregation. The stories of magnificent medical centers told by advocates of socialist medacine are true to some extent, However places like La PraderaInternational which boast a resort type of atmosphere, large clean rooms, and high end treatment are only the public face of Cubas system.

Facilities such as this cater to the political class, tourist, and other persons of privilege who pay hard currency for services, Health care for the average Cuban is much different. According to many Cuban Refugees & dissidents Health care centers for most Cuban citizens lack important resources are extremely unsanitary and in some case medical equipment predate the communist revolution.

This Photo was taken at the Ancianos Marina Azcuy facility in Pinar Del Rio province

Lab equipment like this has not been seen in an American hospital for at least 50 years.

But this is not all that "Castro has Put in place," Representative Watson's socialist utopia offers,

a food distribution system know as libreta abustecimiento, (supplies booklet) this rationing book entitles the families of Cuba with their monthly stipend of basic food items.

This is an individuals ration for a single month

(Source: http://cubamigo.org/merengue123/alimentacion.html)

Rice6 pounds (2.7 kg) 0.70 / lb

Beans 20 ounces (570 g) 0.32 / lb

White (refined) sugar 3 pounds (1.4 kg) 0.15 / lb

Dark (unrefined) sugar 3 pounds (1.4 kg) 0.10 / lb

Milk (only children under 7 years) 1 lt / day 0.25 / each

Eggs (*) 12/0.15 each

Potatoes/bananas15 pounds (6.8 kg) 0.40 / lb

(*) Only from September through December. (In other words eggs are rationed during this period)

A couple of things you might notice here, First meats are not included, that's because meats are rationed separately, one person is allowed 1 lb of beef or 2lbs of chicken every month, The beef is usually distributed in a ground mixture of soybeans & beef. Second you might notice the subsidized price for example, eggs 15 cents each, this is cheap, but keep in mind Cubans must go outside the rationing system to actually fulfill their nutritional needs, food items purchased on the open market or black market are 20 times more expensive, so outside of the government bodegas a dozen eggs would cost $36.

But if your thinking you can just go into you government subsidized neighborhood bodega and grab what you need, think deliveries of various supplies are often late, which leads to long lines when the products actually show up. Sure makes you appreciate a country where anyone can go into any buffet and grab an 8 0z sirloin.

Advocates for socialism will blame the U.S embargo for Cuba's woes, but not so fast, most of the imported food which is rationed in Cuba was grown in ample supply before the revolution. (Cuba is the 33rd leading importer of American agriculture products.) And the international medical supplies manufacturer Combiomed is based in eastern Havana.

Seems to me what Castro has put in place is a State where Cubans are second class citizens in their own country.

Anthony D Dolpies