The Cuba I Dream Of
By Pedro P Morejon
HAVANA TIMES – No more divisions. People from Oriente are no longer palestinos (Palestinians), people from Pinar del Rio are no longer dumb and people from Havana are no longer stuck up and obnoxious. Our differences no longer divide us. The atheist, agnostic, Christian, santero, white, mixed-race, black, left-wing or right-wing person lives in peace with his neighbor. We are all Cuban at the end of the day.
Young people dream about having a future on the island. Many young people have stopped prostituting themselves and nobody is obsessed with emigrating. Dead bodies in the Florida Strait or the Central American jungle are nothing more but a sad memory. Families are finally reunited.
People go to work wanting to get things done because their wages cover their basic needs and one or two small luxuries such as a vacation in Varadero. Nobody is told they have to belong to a union, but they aren’t banned from joining or creating one if they want to.
You don’t have to agree with the ruling party’s ideology to be able to inspire trust in a position. May 1st is a different day, workers take to the streets with their unions, no political party is telling them what to do. Everything is spontaneous. They protect or reclaim rights from a State that respects them. And they don’t have to worship any Messiah or give gratitude for their misery.
Forces of production become free of the State’s shackles, free of any dogma. Foreigners and nationals can invest, and there are both state-led and private companies, all of them efficient. The State no longer patronizes the economy and isn’t concerned about wealth accumulation; its priority is now to collect taxes so they can be invested in the social programs and services. National currency is unified.
The country is at the head of Latin America. We are leaders in food production, science, tourism, education, health, communications, building, energy… and much more. We are the diamond of the Caribbean. Everybody talks about the Cuban miracle; we even have immigrants. And if that wasn’t enough, we have even become an example of democracy, a sovereign country with a moral strength that doesn’t sway before the world.
There are no longer any political prisoners in our jails. Amnesty International has made up its differences with the island’s government. Nobody is repressed or a victim of slander just because they think differently or speak their minds. The press is free, it is no longer manipulative, political propaganda, and now informs the people.
People can mobilize, they create their own organizations, unions, parties etc., and they fight for their projects. Everything is legal, they are no longer mercenaries.
Politicians come to power via periodic, direct and transparent elections. They have to render account for their actions when in office. Rule of Law is strong, that’s why there is a zero-tolerance policy against corruption.
Cubans are once again proud of their homeland, their history and flag.
I imagine some of our forefathers. Maceo, so dour, who was never been seen to cry, now cries with happiness. Maximo Gomez exclaims that we have finally done it, and Jose Marti shows his smile, which had been hidden for so long, when seeing his dream come to life.
That is until reality smacks me in the face with the sound of my alarm clock. It’s 6 AM, I need to wake up and start another vulgar day and write this article with fear.
I am in favour of both the literal and non-literal usage of the English language (and indeed, other languages).
Churchill was a great one for quotes. You produced half of one.
The other half:
‘The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings’
Throughout much of the world Capitalism is still winning it’s long and bitter fight against Democracy. It’s scaremongering propaganda channels are well-honed and effective…….
However, I am one of life’s natural optimists and hope to see the pendulum swing back from destructive, neo-liberalist, undemocratic, capitalism to something where blessings are more sustainable and more efficiently distributed.
One of these days…….
Hi Nick!
As you well know, I am totally in favour of freedom of expression – we have been in disagreement for years but still respond to each other. At times when I am at home in Cuba that I regret is not possible. However, I also think that we should accept that words have defined meaning. I agree however with Manuel that “contrived engineered poverty” as for example in Cuba, is designed to keep people in their place. Once again Churchill’s comment that: “the inherent vice of socialism is the equal sharing of misery” aptly equates with Manuel’s description.
Hello Mr MacD,
You seem to be dictating that English language usage should always be literal.
Such a diktat surely only serves to stifle freedom of expression.
No Manuel, you are confused. Dictatorship is by definition “government by a dictator”. An employer merely employs people to perform mental or physical work for remuneration. In most economically developed countries, employees have defined rights – under dictatorship there are none as illustrated in Cuba.
Luck, or contrived engineered poverty to keep you in your assigned place in the socio-economic hierarchy of those that command the wealth in the particular society ? Lets face it ; In private enterprise your employment is at the pleasure of your employer and is that not also a dictatorship ?
Yes Manuel, you are very fortunate. Pedro has no such luck living in Cuba.
Morejon, that is a long list of wishes that you can ask Santa Claus to provide. Sometimes in life’s journey we can’t get all that we want, but hopefully what we need. I live in The North American Empire. Empire yeah, that’s what it is.
When your dream becomes a reality, I will immigrate!
I was saddened by Pedro Morejon’s clever article about what Cuba could be if it could remove the shackles of communism and live in a free society. No doubt the fuddled minds of people like Elio Legon will believe that the article describes reality rather than being a wonderful dream about what could actually be achieved if Cubans could control their own destiny.
I find that yet again I am reflecting upon the future for my eight year old God-daughter. Will she in her lifetime know the Cuba that Pedro Morejon imagines? The current bleak reality is that the communist dictatorship is determined to deny her generation opportunities to fly free and to live in the free world of challenge, open expression and progress. All that communism offers is continued poverty, denial of individual expression and control backed by overwhelming power.