A couple of weeks ago the Daily Planet ran an item on how a bunch of Berkeley residents would be heading off to Merry Olde Cuba for yet another look at 'an alternative to Capitalism.'

And y'know, of course I was cynical, but I had a little hope. Maybe this time the irrefutable evidence that Cuba is a craphole dictatorship couldn't be glossed over. Perhaps this crew would catch a glimpse of something horrible that would dissuade them. Maybe they'd have a Ronald Radosh moment where some Cuban brags about how his country has more lobotomies per capita than any other country. Or they'd be pestered by the one encouraged industry on Cuba: prostitution. Or Castro would make an offhand remark about how much he enjoys jailing homosexuals.

We almost got lucky: a group of Cubans rammed into the Mexican embassy in hopes of freedom while the Americans were visiting. What other object example does anyone need? But it happened shortly after they left, even if it would've mattered.

But no, there's no hope. They had a super time. Viva Cuba! Viva Castro!

The group, which spent time in the capital city of Havana and the rural province of Pinar del Rio, visited a pair of radio stations, a facility which produces chamomile and aloe vera for medicinal purposes, and a local doctor participating in Cuba’s system of nationalized health care.

'Participated' like New York 'participated' in 9.11 or an inmate 'participates' in prison. Good word choice.

With the countryside struggling to produce and transport an adequate supply of crops to the cities, he said, the government gave away land to urban residents willing to produce crops. Today, according to Bourque, one-third of Cuban produce comes from city gardens.

God, isn't this an obvious lesson? The 'countryside' has struggled because of the inefficent method of collectivization. Only privately run city gardens can run anything, and that's no better than a stopgap. But no, this is a wonderful alternative.

Bourque said the exchange of ideas in the press was limited, but not as limited as some Americans might think.

“Any fundamental critique of the government isn’t reported,” he said. “But there is a lot of debate within the system. I think that’s something people miss when they say, ‘oh, it’s state-run media.’ ”

'They murdered hundreds of thousands of Tutsis,' he said, 'But some escaped to the hills and forests. I think that's something people miss when they say 'oh, it's genocide.'

Bourque added that the Cuban media does not dig into the personal lives of politicians like the American media.

“It’s refreshing. Why should we spend so much time on a president’s personal life,” he asked, in reference to the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, “when there are such pressing public issues?”

Which aren't allowed to be reported on? Oh my. Worse than I thought.






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