A Revolution in Cuba
Time, by its very definition, cannot stand still. It can shift, it can salsa, occasionally it can do the cha-cha, but it must move forward, with every second, a time machine in real time. Have you ever met someone who was a popular in high school, and their entire life is a sad attempt to recall those few glorious years when they scored the touch down, or ruled as prom queen? High school, before jobs and unions and kids and beer guts and divorce and rich bosses who look just like the guys everyone used to pick on. This is Cuba, half a century after its fantastic, incredible, Against-All Odds Revolution. “How could I just let you walk away,” they sing into the night, “just let you leave without a trace?” The Revolution! When the people triumphed against corruption and tyranny, rising up to demand justice for all. The Revolution! When Cubans “stood up” to take their place amongst nations, influencing global events far beyond the expectations for the largest island in the Caribbean. The Revolution! Led by brave, handsome men with strong beards and rock star names – Fidel, Che, Camilio, Raul - men of ideals, hope and charisma. Here were leaders who knew how to take risks, who knew how to capture the imagination! Their Revolution was certainly glorious, but after failing to inspire similar revolutions in Africa and Latin America, it became apparent that the Revolution was a distinctly Cuban victory, a Cuban story. Our fading jocks failed to realize that Revolution and Government are not the same. Revolution is the youthful process of change – an explosive transformation from one status quo to the next. Government is the mature process of management – a stable, plodding infrastructure designed to protect and benefit its citizens. My dear Cuba – so full of life and passion and music and heat. You’ve always been a head turner, and your musical skills are legendary. But Cuba, seriously, look around you. We’re not in high school anymore. Technology, economics, globalization. I’m not saying it’s perfect or fair. But the world has moved on my friend. And it’s time for you to grow up.
In the late 1990’s, tourism became Cuba’s number one source of income. With the disintegration of the Soviet Union, poof went the generous subsidies and sugar market that kept the Revolution afloat. Today, most tourists visit from Canada, envied as a country of wealth and stability. As the tourists pack into all-inclusive hotels along Cuba’s gorgeous coastline, think about the consequences. According to the BBC, the average wage of a person in Cuba, whether you’re a doctor or a labourer, is $20 a month. The vast majority live on rice and beans and chicken, while on the resorts, lobster and steak and salmon get served up daily. Tourists can access goods, services and a quality of life denied to the very people that serve them. Even the currency is different. Tourists change their dollars for the Convertible Peso (CUC), which is worth 25 times more than the domestic peso that locals earn and have access to. The clincher? Luxury goods, supermarkets, restaurants and services are priced in CUC, thereby placing them out of reach for anyone with no access to the mighty tourist peso, or remittances from family members abroad. The dual economy was intended to be a short term measure to build the economy. “Fidel lied to us. Twenty years later, we are still being paid 25 times less than the things we actually want are worth,” an old man tells me. It was obvious to see, within a few hours of my landing in Havana, that the Revolution dedicated to freedom and equality has created absolute inequality, a total have and have not fiasco. No surprise that current members of government and the elite political ruling class are more equal than others. Factories lie dormant in disrepair. Goods and services are in short supply. Internet is prohibited or exorbitant to access, even for academics. The US Embargo has strangled the economy as it was intended to do, but within Cuba itself – a country rich in resources and imagination – tourists seem to flaunt their wealth and privilege. Whatever it is we have on the other side of that ocean, it doesn’t look half bad. I found myself taking notes like “2 Currencies = economic slavery?” and “everyone on the hustle, I’m a walking meal ticket.” I’ve encountered poverty and desperation many times on my travels, but Cuba is far more complicated because nobody is starving or sick. 100% literacy rate, fantastic health care, food supplied by the state. When socialism works, it’s a beautiful thing (anyone who wants to argue should just walk around an African city, and see what happens when there’s no support structure in place at all). Yet literacy and healthcare are only one piece of the puzzle. What about aspiration – the desire to improve your lot in life and achieve more, so you can provide more for your family? What about opportunity – the option of having the same choices as everyone else? A free market economy wrecks havoc too, just look at the disaster of privatization, the greed and corporate irresponsibility pumping black oil into the human soul. There’s got to be a balance somewhere. 70 miles across the ocean, the United States leans one way. Cuba leads another. So here I am, walking a tightrope in the middle, clutching a mojito, and chewing on a fine cigar.
Next Page »
