vlasta,

The title of this thread is Freedom. I have no problem giving people the freedom to express their opinions so long as they at least make some sense to me.

Why can’t you have the power? Library cards are free and so is google blogger. Open your own site and build a following.

If you want to keep posting ridiculous comments and asking to be banned, I will ban you again…Don.

By the way… where in Cuba are people starving? Will anyone answer this question?

Did their government stop providing ratio books?

I would like to know…

Publisher: I do not care about conspiracy at all… As I have told you: I believe only my eyes…

I would appreciate any arguments about your statements.

I will take your advice and open my site. You will be welcome there.. It will possible for anyone to post whatever they want there and nothing will be deleted. The reason is simple: I respect different opinions because they make me think and that is good.

Any oposer for me is not an enemy but a source for thinking in different or new ways…..

My relative (living in USA) killed a man that was trying to get into his house at night… He still believes he had the right to do so…...I say he did not think enough before he started to shoot.

The man was trying to use his keys to get in….that would make me think.

He killed a drunk man that lived next door….

Sometimes it is not easy to say who is right…

Vlasta,

Don’t be stupid!

I respect different opinions too but if you think any human can live for one WEEK on the monthly rations, you are seriously misguided, again. Just like Don, I can’t argue with ignorance.

I’ve about had it with your bomb throwing. You insist that I be fair to you when you continue to make stupid comments that you have to know are absurd.

This is your first of two warnings.

Keep pushing to get banned and you will get your wish and kill opportunities for all Vlastas and Dons to come after you.

Oh yes, and Michael Moore is a genius. Right? Fahrenheit 911 and sicko. Both factual documentaries, right? You saw it with your own eyes.

Moore’s Bowling for Coumbine really raised a red flag in my book when he mentioned nobody in Toronto locked their doors (yeah right) and we have no gun problem.  Must be a different Toronto than the one I live in.  Have taken everything else from him with a big quesstion mark.

Publisher: I enjoy your temperament… really… especially when you call me Don..

The very true is: I am not Don. Sorry, my friend… you are wrong.

But I do not mind… if you wish to call me Don…just go on. It does not hurt me a bit.

To your question:

I DO NOT care for any power… I do not care for money….I care for simple life.

The reason is also very simple: Life is short and there is nothing more valuable but to enjoy the beauty of it. Since everybody dies…....!

I would never try to take advantage of anyone and ruin their lives for my well being… And a huge part of my own freedom is the feeling as follows: I never did ( and never will ) take advantage of anyone in my life… and believe or not: it makes me feel happy.

I do not hate anyone. I am an open person…...When I said no american can offend me… you answered: Because you are Fidel’s son…..heheh.. I would not mind if I would be…. simply   we do not have a choice of the “w….” we are coming to the world through, right?

I was just smiling when I was reading your post to me..

The reason I entered this forum is (also ) a simple one:

I visited Cuba for the first time in 1982 ( now you understand I am not a young kid…) and I started to love Cuban people.

Why?

I was living in a socialist country at the time…and I logically compared….

The standard of living in Cuba was lower than in my country.. I started to look for the reasons…I had no problem to understand people in Cuba. Combination of Russian and English language worked good. I did not know a spanish word at the time.

The most important thing I realized during the first visit… 21 days spent in Cuba: Cubans were much more honest than people in my country.

Why?

I can tell ..... ( If anyone cares, of course ).

But I do not know if the publisher (owner of this site ) allows me to…..

This is a question for you, my friend: you have banned Don before… and maybe other people… I do not know..  I know it is my turn now….I was not here at the time you opened this site. I do not (really ) mind to be banned here… There are sites that have no restrictions whatsoever.. hm…
I understand you are an american: I may be wrong…just you act that way.. O.K.  You pay for the ownership of this site… you make the rules… I fully understand it. Ownership is the way to dictace.. I have spent enough time in the USA to understand… hm…

I will tell you something before you kick me out:

I keep contacting Cuban authorities, I keep contacts with people over there.

My primary question is: Where are the starving Cubans. I do care about it much more you can imagine. Please, please, do provide this info.

Thanks, Vlasta

1. You think that we Americans want to go in and push the Cuban people aside and rape their country. That might be the old Cuban exiles in Miami but not me. I hope to invest in Cuba and by that I mean employing people in web design, call centers and tour guides. The talent pool is huge in Cuba and I think it’s a win/win in a post Castro post Fidel Cuba.

I don’t think the Cuban people will be exploited. The days of Fidel saving his people from the Mafia are long gone. I see things in a positive light but I sense you try to see the negative…if only the negative in the US.

Anyway, I’m not going to ban you for posting good comments but every country has starving people. Every country has poor people for many different reasons. You should read up on the political prisoners in Cuba and you’ll find your starving Cubans.

And PLEASE don’t tell me there are no political prisoners in Cuba. The are all agents of the US, right?

Dear Publisher:

can we go through the ratio books?

I do believe it makes sense.

Are you ready?

I will respect your arguments. Please, go ahead.

Here’s the listing at wikipedia (that’s a good source of information for most people).

See if you can live on this for one month http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rationing_in_Cuba

Product   Quantity   Price (CUP)
Rice   6 lb   0.70 / lb
Beans   20 oz.    0.32 / lb
White (refined) sugar   3 lb   0.15 / lb
Dark (unrefined) sugar   3 lb   0.10 / lb
Milk (only children under 7 years)    1 lt / day   0.25 / each
Eggs (*)    12   0.15 each
Potatoes/bananas   15 lb   0.40 / lb

Enjoy! Hope your not hungry.

Publisher: thank you for your reply to me, I do appreciate it.

Yes..  What you say is pretty much the same I have heard from from my Cuban friends.

Yes.. there is not much to enjoy out of the ratio book. It is for sure.  But they are not left behind whatsoever. Which other coutry provides the same:?

But still what I have to say is: there is no ratio book existing in the USA. Or in another country. Do you agree? If Cubans will not have even this chance, there will be in a real problem. I guess you do not think so.. O. K.  We will see. ...

Cuban people still have a kind of “back up” provided by Fidel… I know better they want more than this… CARS first of all!!  but there is no lunch for free… american saying…
Cuba is an Island. Every single island I have visited has a problem not having a chance to produce everythign and having a problem to import what they need. It is a natural problem. Yes, it is.

I will give you a simple question: when you were in Cuba:  Did you watch people when they worked?

I did .

Can we talk about it?  That is another “point”  that Cuban people do not like to hear from me… BUT ..

I INSIST: based on my experiences: American workers work much more harder than Cubans… noone liked to hear that…I understand why…but I cannot help it; I say what I can see.. That is it.  I would like you to see how people in Switzerland work… I was really shocked when watching them… So…Different countries.. different conditions.. everything is different in Europe… .. In Asia, too.. There is no universal pattern in the world to use…

However, I INSIST: Life is short, that is the reason for cooperation to enjoy the the time of living..

I am sorry for mistakes.. English is not my native language. Love, Vlasta

Publisher - 09 July 2007 03:53 PM

1. You think that we Americans want to go in and push the Cuban people aside and rape their country. That might be the old Cuban exiles in Miami but not me. I hope to invest in Cuba and by that I mean employing people in web design, call centers and tour guides. The talent pool is huge in Cuba and I think it’s a win/win in a post Castro post Fidel Cuba.

I don’t think the Cuban people will be exploited. The days of Fidel saving his people from the Mafia are long gone. I see things in a positive light but I sense you try to see the negative…if only the negative in the US.

Anyway, I’m not going to ban you for posting good comments but every country has starving people. Every country has poor people for many different reasons. You should read up on the political prisoners in Cuba and you’ll find your starving Cubans.

And PLEASE don’t tell me there are no political prisoners in Cuba. The are all agents of the US, right?

Publisher: I have no reason not to believe what you say. And as I have said, I am a very open person. Yes, there are political prisoners in Cuba… as in every other country… we know that…. it makes no sence to pretend it is not existing..  It does.. Not only in Cuba…  It is not correct… but it is really necessary to know every single case to make a statement. 

One young Cuban man (22) wrote me a letter…..saying he was in trouble to go to jail for eating beef… he said it was not allowed in Cuba to eat beef… I was confused for a while… and I started to look for a lawyers in Cuba to help him out… The result: He was a member of a group that was stealing cows… killing them and selling their meat on black market.. hm…when I asked him about what I have had figured out, he just said: I want money to buy a car… You can drive any car you like… I cannot…

I can believe you do not plan to push Cuban people aside and rape their country. But I know for sure you cannot provide them what they used to have. And they will be exploited from their view points… no matter you will do everything not to exploit them. The socialism provides more than you can offer…

I will give examples ( I did not joke around when I said I knew socialist law… yes I do ) ... if you are interested to know.

Just a simple example: Under socialist labor code everyone at he age of 33 was aligible for 1 month of paid vacation.. 2 weeks the employee could take whenever they liked, 2 weeks the employer could make a decision..

Can you imagine that? Every time someone did not feel well had the right to visit a doctor… being paid the same money as they would work….

In case of illness: the first 3 days: 60% of income… the following days 90% of daily income up to 365 days..

Under socialism: people do not pay any health insurance….there is no coopay and there is no payment for any medicine.

Under socialism: when a member of family gets sick, there is a chance of 5 days off (paid of course ) for one member of family to take care..

Under socialism: A pregnant woman stays at home 4 weeks before delivery of a child ( paid ) and receives support money ( 90% of her income ) for another 26 weeks.

If single mother - 35 weeks.

If the mother comes back to work after this time she has the right to get the same job position…. that means employer has no chance not to accept her back or hire someone else..you know.. this is the problem here in the USA, something like this no employer can offer….

But people living under socialism are acustomed to it…

I can give you more info, if you are interested….

Much more details….f.e. in case of injury.. at work…. and so on.

Vlasta,

Prisoners get feed. Cubans are prisoners on the island and Fidel has to feed them. How about that?

I can’t argue with you any more. You should move to Cuba and enjoy the free food, healthcare and education. Enjoy!

many of the benefits that you mention are also in Germany (unless they’ve cut back since I left).  6 weeks paid vacation a year, basically unlimited paid sick leave, only need a doctors certificate after 2 days , generous maternity leave.
Nothing wrong with that as long as thats what everybody wants and is prepared to pay the indirect costs for . 

Another poster above mentioned about the cubans not working as hard as some others.  Don’t know if this applies across the board, but at most resorts the staff work 12 hours a day, 6 days a week - so if thats your work week, you’re going to pace yourself a little slower too.  And lets face it.  There is very little incentive to be a better producer in a centrally controlled society like Cuba. You keep yourself out of trouble much better by keeping your head low rather than thinking outside the box.

manfredz - 10 July 2007 03:24 AM

And lets face it.  There is very little incentive to be a better producer in a centrally controlled society like Cuba. You keep yourself out of trouble much better by keeping your head low rather than thinking outside the box.

Right! That’s the point. That is why communism will never work. Why try hard? Why take risks? Why be entrepreneurial? Why do any of this if you will not be rewarded for your risk?

Someday Cubans will hate Fidel for this oppression. The Cuban people are very smart and resourceful. Imagine what they will be able to do when they are free!

Publisher:

Cuba is not accepting immigrants… otherwise I would go to live there. If you know a way how to come there (legally ), let me know.

All you can get is a turist visa for 30 days, can be extended (cost is $25) for another 30 days. There is no way to stay there behind 60 days….

Don’t you think I have the right to comapare socialism and kapitalism? I have lived under socialism for 30 years. And I have 2 master degrees (economy and law ).

I mean I have good knowledge of socialist labor code and one of my jobs was to handle a part of state budget…..as to the benefits to working people.

What you may do not know, the socialist constitution quarantees everyone the right to have a job, which no capitalist country can provide.

I was serious when I said in another of mine posters: the best what you can do and all Cubans as well: to go to any post socialist country to see how it looks like after changing socialismus to capitalismus… People are crying there, commiting suicides for such a reason like not having a chance to find a job.

Without job you cannot pay for anything, what is your freedom of speech god for then?

Look: statistically the everage age of Cuban people is 78.  There are many older people ... who will support them if they do not get social security ?

There are other aspects that everyone needs to consider….. If you are not open to discuss about them, it is hard to come to any conclusion how to help Cuban people.

I believe you could provide jobs to certain of them, but how about the rest of the nation.

There is another problem that needs attention. Cuba is an island. No islad is selfsufficient and import is expensive…

How much do you think you would be able to pay your employees?

Have you heard about american radio broadcasting in Europe? Radio Free Europe?

Do you know their human resources policy? How they pay local people?

If you are interested I can tell you.