tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068633250101025716.post4058806440285273481..comments2023-09-29T11:23:38.668+02:00Comments on For what we are... they will be: Cuban "dissident" earns $6,000... monthly!Majuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12369840391933337204noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068633250101025716.post-59491073312098743042013-01-02T21:08:54.291+01:002013-01-02T21:08:54.291+01:00I would not trust the NYT too much on making any r...I would not trust the NYT too much on making any realistic analysis out of the box of the Capitalist Regime. The reality is that corporations, notably financial ones, led by Goldman Sachs, are growing into menacing neo-feudal baronies ad citizens are becoming serfs again with the pretext of austerity. Austerity for the commoners, that is - the rich are getting richer and richer and nobody touches them. <br /><br />I just closed in another tab a criticism of NYT's approach to Latvia which you may find interesting: http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2013/01/philip-pilkington-the-new-york-times-bizarre-and-misleading-praise-of-austerity-poster-child-latvia.html<br /><br />Also: must watch: <a href="http://forwhatwearetheywillbe.blogspot.com.es/2012/06/great-latvia-success-story.html" rel="nofollow">Great Latvia Success Story!</a>Majuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12369840391933337204noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068633250101025716.post-9676520220909541852013-01-02T21:02:58.364+01:002013-01-02T21:02:58.364+01:00Double room apartment: apparently (for Cubans, not...Double room apartment: apparently (for Cubans, not for tourists) hiring an apartment for a month is as cheap as going to the theater. Housing is a public service in Cuba and fees are symbolic. However you may not be able to choose the home - although a home swapping scheme has been introduced recently. <br /><br />But housing is also a public service, even if many not as extremely cheap nor maybe so common, also in many advanced capitalist countries like Switzerland, Netherlands, Denmark, etc. Essentially in my mind an advanced country is one where the basics (housing, healthcare, education and to some extent food and clothes) are free or nearly so and widely available. Cuba, with all its differences, is therefore in the same league a Switzerland or Scandinavia (or in the past also the Soviet bloc). Instead China does not provide free healthcare, a clear sign of it not being a true socialist regime - among others.<br /><br />You can read the list <a href="http://lapupilainsomne.wordpress.com/2012/12/28/la-dolce-vita-de-yoani-sanchez-infografia/" rel="nofollow">at the original blog</a>; it's in Spanish but a very simple ad lengthy list of what she could be able to pay with her capitalist cadre salary. Majuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12369840391933337204noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068633250101025716.post-79604777938680344902013-01-02T19:29:52.454+01:002013-01-02T19:29:52.454+01:00A nice feature with images on the problems people ...A nice feature with images on the problems people are facing in different parts of Europe ~<br /><br /><b>The problems in these countries are largely rooted in complex financial instruments that are hard to understand — and bloodless — but the fact is that they play out in the lives of ordinary people that don’t know what hit them.</b><br /><br />http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/31/the-human-toll-of-europes-economic-statistics/Jhangorahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00623450037458968378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068633250101025716.post-89833823546838657522013-01-02T19:15:18.377+01:002013-01-02T19:15:18.377+01:00As the EU and the US economies face increasing dif...As the EU and the US economies face increasing difficulties the people with lots of money would definitely like to invest in newer places. I just hope the Cuban and the other Latin American people say a polite no. <br /><br />I checked out Wikipedia and it seems Cuba has done a good job in some sectors ~<br /><br /><b>Cuba has a 99.8% literacy rate, an infant death rate lower than some developed countries, and an average life expectancy of 77.64. In 2006, Cuba was the only nation in the world which met the WWF's definition of sustainable development; having an ecological footprint of less than 1.8 hectares per capita and a Human Development Index of over 0.8 for 2007.</b><br /><br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba<br /><br />BTW, food, books, and fuel seem really cheap in Cuba. While pure Capitalism provides us lots of apparent choices - many times we don't have the time to consume them. I've always valued my freedom and time. <br /><br />Did you get the room rent right? $ 6000 for 24,000 months of rent. <br /><br />Jhangorahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00623450037458968378noreply@blogger.com