This is Cuba and The Outside Influences
...rived from his own personal experiences in Cuba: "Cuba's schools have two essential functions: to enhance the critical thinking education, and to indoctrinate the child into the Revolutionary program , which in turn translates into society. To deviate from the Revolution is to be antisocial, contrary to the cause, a hindrance to the progress Cuban socialism... the ultimate goal of Cuba's school system is to prime children for future membership in the Communist Party... " (Corbett p. 165-166) What ever the children are able to accomplish academically becomes an accomplishment of the regime and these accomplishments pigeon hole the kids many times into a future that might appear to be one of great prestige but the truth of the matter is many of these children's futures are mapped out by the government that requires a new generation to carry out the will of the old. The truth of the matter is if you show above average skill or aptitude in a specific area your are predetermined by the Cuban government on a specific field that they create a demand for positions for and choose who gets them to insure they get the ones they decide are the right ones for the job. This is in stark contrast in that of the American idea that you can be what ever you want in Cuba you don't have the luxury of deciding to be a 2 physicist or an artist. These are futures that are decided for you by test scores and other means of academic prerequisites established by the Cuban government. The mantra of the Cuban Educational system "The child's role is to study, to work, to learn, to conquer the future." (Corbett p.167) The Cuban Survival Kit The United States Embargo against Communist Cuba which has become known as the "Special Period" has taken a toll on the country of Cuba that is not known by the majority of United States Citizens. The country has been rationing everything from toothpaste to rice since 1962 although since the collapse of the Soviet Bloc in the early 1990's it has become an increased struggle to obtain what are deemed the necessities like rice and beans. It is also increasingly hard for people who are living on about on average anywhere from 40 to 90 USD annually to obtain a standard of living just at subsistence. Cuba is a country where for many just about everything that is taken for granted in economically developed countries is a luxury or a commodity. Even a plastic shopping bag, that is usually just discarded as trash is something that makes their daily lives go round. These plastic grocery bags serve as a means of transports of rations to one place to another. The only place where these are given away with your purchase are at the dollar store where most of the time the destitute can not afford to shop at. In the streets these bags can sell for five for a peso or in the country side where the dollar stores are scarce you can get three for a peso on the black market. The rule has become if it is sold for dollars they will give you a bag but if you buy it for 3 pesos you are to bring your own. Along with your jaba vinyl (plastic bag) you wouldn't leave home with out a few pieces of Granma, a newspaper that also doubles as cheap toilet paper. Another concept unfathomable by most. To ensure the "success" of the governments rationing system, each house hold is issued the Liberta. Even Castro has a Liberta, even though it has become the subject of many jokes, to think the President of Cuba would have to ration anything. Disputes will occasionally arise over the system of the Liberta as can be seen with the women in the Bodega where people will quarrel over what they have and haven't received for the rationing period. It wasn't always like this though. The shelves used to be filled and disputes were few and far between. The Soviet Union before it's collapse had held at bay the impact at the trade embargo by the United States. Without that support though the people have suffered under the polices of countries like the United States and without any kind of foreign intervention it looks like the rationing system will be continuing into the foreseeable future and the lines of the masses waiting for what they need will grow. Cuba's Stable Instability The Collapse of the Soviet Union left the Cuban regime struggling to make ends meet economically. The best way to do this was through tourism. This Is Cuba plays on the main theme of tourism. Without it [tourism] Cuba would have perhaps folded it's socialist cards years ago without the benefit of Soviet money and constant pressure from the United States embargo against the country. Once the s...