Despite some strides, Cuba still suffers in its isolation

Despite some strides, Cuba still suffers in its isolation
By Bob Flannigan| Guest Columnist
Saturday, August 15, 2009

Having just read my colleague Matthew Bosisio's op-ed piece "Isolated
Cuba is making remarkable strides" (Aug. 8), I feel compelled to offer a
different perspective.
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I, too, have recently spent time in Cuba. In 2001 with a group of
Georgia college professors, I spent two weeks in Cuba. I, too, was
fascinated by what I saw. Obviously, much about Cuba is unique and
different, but the most startling impression is that it is a country
frozen in time.

It is hard to imagine a capital city such as Havana where nothing has
changed, where there is no new construction, where the buildings never
receive repair or even a new coat of paint.

For the tourist, the buildings throughout Cuba possibly could be
described as examples of beautiful colonial architecture; however, the
cement that lies on the street in front of many buildings is evidence of
crumbling balustrades and decay.

For the history buff or architectural aficionado it is fascinating to
see Cuba the way it was at the time of the revolution in 1959 - or, for
that matter, at the turn of the 20th century - but for the ordinary
Cuban, it is a daily reminder of how difficult life is.

Apart from a handful of buildings that have been restored in one small
section of Old Havana (undoubtedly for the tourist trade) and a few new
hotels (only for tourists, although recently the Cuban government has
given permission to Cubans to stay in hotels in their own country
assuming they can afford it), there is no new construction.

For an American who lives amid constant change it is fascinating to
observe how time can stand still. But for the average Cuban, it is a
constant reminder that life is difficult, dull and depressing.

Prof. Bosisio points to the education system as a matter of pride for
the Cuban people. It is true that Cuba has the highest literacy rate in
Latin America. It is true that they educate many more health care
personnel per capita than any other country in Latin America. It is true
that there are numerous university students.

That "the focus is on preparing students for the jobs of tomorrow" is an
entirely different matter. How that is to be done, given the almost
total lack of technology, economic infrastructure and finance is a
questionable matter.

While it is true that Cuba enjoys a 98 percent literacy rate, it is not
a terribly valuable skill in the Cuban climate, where there are
virtually no books. Having visited several book stores, there is nothing
to read unless you are interested in the life of Che Guevara or
retrospectives on the Cuban Revolution.

There are no kiosks, because there are no magazines or newspapers. Oh,
there is Granma, the Communist Party daily of about six to eight tabloid
pages, but that is only useful if Raul Castro wants to tell you that
Cuba is going to run out of toilet paper by the end of this year, as he
recently announced, or what the production of rice is per province. But,
never mind. There is always the Internet.

Well, not exactly. A friend recently described what it was like to stand
in line for hours in the July heat to get into one of the few Internet
cafes in Havana. Even if ordinary Cubans had access to a computer, there
would be restrictions on what they could access. Only government
officials, academics and researchers are permitted to have their own
Internet accounts.

The success of the health care system is also open to question.
Certainly life expectancy is high. For one thing, there are no vehicular
deaths - that would require vehicles. There is no obesity-related death
- that would require food. There are no homicides - a police state
reserves that right to itself.

By definition, the lack of equipment, the lack of medicine and decaying
facilities make the health care system less than optimal. Since American
visitors are asked by their Cuban friends to bring aspirin, ibuprofen
and Pepto Bismol, not to mention shampoo and soap, you would not want to
be treated for much more than a broken arm in a Cuban hospital.

If additional evidence were necessary, reports in the Spanish press
about what they called Fidel Castro's "three failed operations" that
necessitated a Spanish surgeon to be flown to Havana would seem to be
sufficient.

Granted, that is anecdotal evidence - just as is the conversation I had
with a Cuban surgeon who gave me a ride back to my hotel in his 1950s
vintage car. He told me he made more money on a weekend driving tourists
around than he did in a month from the government. Hardly surprising,
since the Cuban government currently pays dentists $18 a month.

I, too, would like to see better relations between the United States and
Cuba. The issue, however, is not about what the American government
should do. If life is to improve in Cuba, surely that suggests some
responsibility on the part of the Cuban government.

After all, it is the Cuban government that must establish the conditions
that will allow the Cuban people to improve their lives.

(The writer is an associate professor of Spanish at Augusta State
University.)

From the Saturday, August 15, 2009 edition of the Augusta Chronicle

Despite some strides, Cuba still suffers in its isolation 081509 - The
Augusta Chronicle (15 August 2009)
http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/2009/08/15/op__544465.shtml