Visit the "warmth of collectivism" in Cuba.
The American Spectator | USA News and Politics
"It’s unlikely we will see developments toward a replacement of the Cuban regime before the midterms. But when those are over, don’t sleep on Cuba. It will come to a head, and soon."
"For reasons obvious to most readers of this column, I’m currently doing lots of podcast and radio interviews about Cuba. It’s been a timely subject for most of this year, though right at the moment there isn’t a lot happening which would augur a major transformation of that “imprisoned island,” as President Kennedy called it.
"It’s timely, because everybody understands that the status quo in Cuba can’t endure for much longer. The current regime in Cuba is running out of time.
"No country which can only supply a few hours a day of electricity to its people can survive for long. No country where the average worker pulls down $16 per month can survive for long. No country where sewerage systems and trash pickup have collapsed can survive for long. (RELATED: Cuba Is Next)
"Cuba is in a state of slow-motion collapse. Its population has decreased from 11 million to less than 9 1/2 million in the space of five years as the young, mostly 20-somethings and 30-somethings, are departing for the chance of a better life elsewhere. With those people, who would be most likely to actively topple the current regime, leaving the country, it’s actually somewhat stabilizing for the government. Demographically, Cuba is now one of the oldest, if not the oldest, countries in the Western Hemisphere. Septuagenarians are unlikely to take up pitchforks and torches against soldiers with rifles, though they might take to banging pots and pans in frustration against bare sustenance and candle-lit houses.
"Search the blogosphere for stories of daily life in Cuba, and you’ll find discussions of which books must be kept and which can be burned for kindling on charcoal stoves. You’ll find stories of dauntless entrepreneurs scratching out an existence as private trash haulers now that the government has largely given up on providing basic municipal services. Interestingly enough, American manufacturers of solar panels are beginning to find Cuba a growing market as those Cubans who do have the means are buying American-made systems to light and cool their houses; the state exclusively buys Chinese solar equipment as it seeks to supplement its moribund electric grid. (RELATED: DSA’s ‘Solidarity’ With Cuba Looks a Lot Like Solidarity With Castro)" . . . More.
Scott McKay is a contributing editor at The American Spectator and publisher of the Hayride, which offers news and commentary on Louisiana and national politics, and RVIVR.com, a national political news aggregation and opinion site.
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