I've never been to Cuba so I can't judge. But from my limited viewpoint, what are the guaranteed consequences from the end of the regime? An explosion in criminal gangs, endemic in the region and that don't currently exist in Cuba. An increase in drug dealing, an increase in drug addiction, more pimping and prostitution than there currently is, and breakdown of law and order and a rise in street violence that currently the average Cuban doesn't have to worry about. For 20% of the population conditions would probably improve, for another 20% I'd guess they'd roughly stay the same. But for the bottom 60% I imagine they'd get worse, for some of them a lot worse. The island is tiny. The only way to achieve any kind of sustained growth would be for an influx of American capital, unfortunately a condition of that is likely the destruction of Cuban society. One thing I've wondered is why haven't the Chinese gotten more involved? Wary of provoking the Americans?
I visited Habana (for a day from a cruise ship) a couple years ago and hired a local to drive us around. She made it very and tiresomely clear how stifling her existence was, prePandemic. Kids played happily and no one had to worry about their safety. Walking around the beautiful if ruined city though, no one spoke to us or even noticed us other than one very hot little hooker, who had a lot of class in her approach. I'm sure that she, like all the other smartly dressed and healthy looking populace we observed that day, would affirm that "Everyone there understands that you need to watch what you say carefully." The bottled up energy of the populace was palpable. The problem is that peoples who have known only dictatorship often can't imagine any other form of govt. And if the rabid bat-shit crazy Cuban contingent in S. Florida is any indication, a gradual transition to some reasonable political accommodation in Cuba seems unlikely. At least the fireworks will be glorious.
In Essays Against Everything, Mark Greif said money is the solvent of identity. I wonder if Mark’s quote a lot and I think it’s a good answer to your question.
I have been there three times on a religious visa before OBama’s loosening. Religious or Scientific Visas were the only way to enter then. I was working in parts of Havana and outlying cities. We would end our trips at Varanaro which this author writes about. My view seeing everyday Cubans working is bleaker toward communism than this author. The Cuban people are awesome and generous, their government evil. My wish would be to take every woke young American socialist give them 30€ (a month’s pay for all be you doctor or ditch digger) and turn them loose in the countryside where conveyance is mule powered wagons with bus bench seating. by the way
America is so fooling, driving along the north shore Florida Straights, oil rig after oil rig while Floridians refuse to drill - all flying Chinese Communist flags.
My fear is that Cuba will fall under control of criminal gangs with a sudden fall of their current rule.
My father, retired vacation junkie he is, made it out to Cuba a few years back. I believe this was during the brief detente in the later Obama years before Trump doubled down on Cuba to ensure Florida's electoral support. He had great things to say about the country and it's people, which I found surprising from an old South Cold Warrior like himself. Big Hemingway fan, he had photos in every bar and hotel that claimed the author's patronage. There are many. I'd love to go myself, being fascinated by nations that have lived under decades of communism and also a lover of classic cars, but in this one case a US Passport is a detriment. One day, I hope.
I visited Havana for about a week a few years ago. I did not enjoy myself. The poverty is grinding and eye opening. The entire experience is catered and artificial. The food is not varied. Prostitution is rampant, and it saddened me a great deal. The "pace of life" that Nic alludes to was (sorry to admit) deeply offensive to my Protestant sensibilities.
I enjoyed the jazz clubs, I will admit that. I also attended a baseball game, about which I could write a great deal. Cuban baseball is obscenely slow paced. The fans had an unfortunate affection for the vuvuzela.
Overall, I was struck by how frankly boring the place is. One gets the same impression from visiting ancient ruins. A sort of wistful nostalgia as you wonder what it must have been like when these glorious structures were actually built and maintained and bristling with activity. Alas, I can get a similar sense of torpor in my own backyard.
How “lingering” is this anachronism? Or is us labeling it as “lingering” just proof that, even if we aim to be objective, we can’t grasp the motivations of regime supporters, not even conceptually?
It is reminiscent of our bewilderment about the unwavering support for the Taliban amongst Afghanis for almost over 30 years now.
If somebody saying “Well if after X years of Y these people still support this bat-shit evil terror-regime, there must be something positive we don’t see” offends you, I think this being offended is a good starting point for reflection.
This group Los Munequitos goes back a while and one dude I made friends is the son of an older member. Went with them to Varadero to watch them almost every week. Check the old videos from the 70's and the dance moves.
The original "Cabildos" where they kept their religion and music are still there in a couple blocks' radius from each other in Matanzas.
Mayb u'll like this book, goes all the way back to the different roots of Cuban music in Africa and Europe and puts it all together, then through the history and evolution of Cuban music styles and how they moved across Latin America. I got a lot from it.
I've never been to Cuba so I can't judge. But from my limited viewpoint, what are the guaranteed consequences from the end of the regime? An explosion in criminal gangs, endemic in the region and that don't currently exist in Cuba. An increase in drug dealing, an increase in drug addiction, more pimping and prostitution than there currently is, and breakdown of law and order and a rise in street violence that currently the average Cuban doesn't have to worry about. For 20% of the population conditions would probably improve, for another 20% I'd guess they'd roughly stay the same. But for the bottom 60% I imagine they'd get worse, for some of them a lot worse. The island is tiny. The only way to achieve any kind of sustained growth would be for an influx of American capital, unfortunately a condition of that is likely the destruction of Cuban society. One thing I've wondered is why haven't the Chinese gotten more involved? Wary of provoking the Americans?
I visited Habana (for a day from a cruise ship) a couple years ago and hired a local to drive us around. She made it very and tiresomely clear how stifling her existence was, prePandemic. Kids played happily and no one had to worry about their safety. Walking around the beautiful if ruined city though, no one spoke to us or even noticed us other than one very hot little hooker, who had a lot of class in her approach. I'm sure that she, like all the other smartly dressed and healthy looking populace we observed that day, would affirm that "Everyone there understands that you need to watch what you say carefully." The bottled up energy of the populace was palpable. The problem is that peoples who have known only dictatorship often can't imagine any other form of govt. And if the rabid bat-shit crazy Cuban contingent in S. Florida is any indication, a gradual transition to some reasonable political accommodation in Cuba seems unlikely. At least the fireworks will be glorious.
“does universal poverty reduce racial friction?”
In Essays Against Everything, Mark Greif said money is the solvent of identity. I wonder if Mark’s quote a lot and I think it’s a good answer to your question.
I have been there three times on a religious visa before OBama’s loosening. Religious or Scientific Visas were the only way to enter then. I was working in parts of Havana and outlying cities. We would end our trips at Varanaro which this author writes about. My view seeing everyday Cubans working is bleaker toward communism than this author. The Cuban people are awesome and generous, their government evil. My wish would be to take every woke young American socialist give them 30€ (a month’s pay for all be you doctor or ditch digger) and turn them loose in the countryside where conveyance is mule powered wagons with bus bench seating. by the way
America is so fooling, driving along the north shore Florida Straights, oil rig after oil rig while Floridians refuse to drill - all flying Chinese Communist flags.
My fear is that Cuba will fall under control of criminal gangs with a sudden fall of their current rule.
My father, retired vacation junkie he is, made it out to Cuba a few years back. I believe this was during the brief detente in the later Obama years before Trump doubled down on Cuba to ensure Florida's electoral support. He had great things to say about the country and it's people, which I found surprising from an old South Cold Warrior like himself. Big Hemingway fan, he had photos in every bar and hotel that claimed the author's patronage. There are many. I'd love to go myself, being fascinated by nations that have lived under decades of communism and also a lover of classic cars, but in this one case a US Passport is a detriment. One day, I hope.
I visited Havana for about a week a few years ago. I did not enjoy myself. The poverty is grinding and eye opening. The entire experience is catered and artificial. The food is not varied. Prostitution is rampant, and it saddened me a great deal. The "pace of life" that Nic alludes to was (sorry to admit) deeply offensive to my Protestant sensibilities.
I enjoyed the jazz clubs, I will admit that. I also attended a baseball game, about which I could write a great deal. Cuban baseball is obscenely slow paced. The fans had an unfortunate affection for the vuvuzela.
Overall, I was struck by how frankly boring the place is. One gets the same impression from visiting ancient ruins. A sort of wistful nostalgia as you wonder what it must have been like when these glorious structures were actually built and maintained and bristling with activity. Alas, I can get a similar sense of torpor in my own backyard.
120 - 51 = 69 days...
How “lingering” is this anachronism? Or is us labeling it as “lingering” just proof that, even if we aim to be objective, we can’t grasp the motivations of regime supporters, not even conceptually?
It is reminiscent of our bewilderment about the unwavering support for the Taliban amongst Afghanis for almost over 30 years now.
If somebody saying “Well if after X years of Y these people still support this bat-shit evil terror-regime, there must be something positive we don’t see” offends you, I think this being offended is a good starting point for reflection.
Spent a couple months in Matanzas learning some rumba and bata drumming.
Rumba
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ze2yc1ianCw
This group Los Munequitos goes back a while and one dude I made friends is the son of an older member. Went with them to Varadero to watch them almost every week. Check the old videos from the 70's and the dance moves.
Bata
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnBiUupmNRQ
The original "Cabildos" where they kept their religion and music are still there in a couple blocks' radius from each other in Matanzas.
Mayb u'll like this book, goes all the way back to the different roots of Cuban music in Africa and Europe and puts it all together, then through the history and evolution of Cuban music styles and how they moved across Latin America. I got a lot from it.
https://www.amazon.com/Cuba-Its-Music-Ned-Sublette/dp/1556526326