Heads Up On The Series: "My Trip To Cuba"

FYI: On the sister blog "Uncategorized Rantings" I give a full account of my recent trip to Cuba.

Just imagine if the United States had pictures of its "founders" and/or giants plastered everywhere.  The phrase "Never Forget Our Revolution Lest The English Red Coats Come Back To Get Us" is plastered in key areas to remind the people that their enemy is not the present government who at times forces them to do things they don't wish to do, but instead the oppressors of the past (and the present big evil one to the north) is who they need to be focused upon.

Just imagine if "national tragedies" - in this case the World Trade Center attacks - where prominently displayed by the government for all to see on a daily basis.

Just imagine if the Americans held hostage in Iran were heroes of folklore, detailing the injustice rendered upon our nation.

Just imagine if a flurry of bookstores at the airport had a selection of books that focused more on ANTI-{fill in the blank with your enemy} POLITICS and the leader who has been in power for 50 years than it did books that focused upon:

• The geography of your nation
• The cuisine of your nation
• The tourist attractions of your nation

If you can imagine this then you will have a good picture of Cuba - the POLITICAL nation.

Let me be clear - as an island - the place is beautiful.  If I was out of touch with the political realities and how it bears upon the people - I might even choose to move there myself.  

Yet as my friend asked our tour guide Juan if he had ever been to "New York or Atlanta or Miami" it did not dawn on my friend that he is nether allowed to travel outside of this paradise nor does he have the money to do so.

My tale of Cuba is done from the eyes of an American.  I am attuned to the American way of life and I am biased to the right.

The summary statement that I made about my journey is as follows:

In a matter of hours I went from a place who's latrines in the men's bathrooms were of the hand lever flush style, which on occasion did not work; over to a neighboring island who's latrines had the automatic flush via motion sensor.  I returned home to a country who's airport bathrooms had both the motion detection upon the latrines and the soap dispensers, water faucets and towel dispensers.

It is not that Cuba is unlivable - most certainly it is not - its abundance of window air conditioning units merely shows that as one focuses (at least theoretically) on having the government spread the wealth - the opportunity for capital investments in creature comforts that make our lives more productive is deemphasized.  

I hope to be fair in my reporting but I will not claim to be balanced as sometimes the unintended consequences of a given system must be called..

At the end of the day it was the document pictured below that proved to be the most valuable one in my possession - allowing me to return home to the land that I know and love.

The greatest asset from my trip is the book "Fidel & Religion" which was written in the 1980's.  It is a long series of interviews with the Cuban leader Fidel Castro on the subject of religion.  Castro attempts to make the parallel between Christianity and Communism.   This book is a treatise on leftist thought.  The slight of hand used throughout the book will go unnoticed by those who are predisposed to support left-wing positions.  The unshakable truth, however, is that "Jesus sought to change the consciousness of the poor so that they might recognize that they are been made into his own image".  Fidel Castro and others proclaim that by "taking care of the poor", providing them with "maintenance payments" so that they might endure - and doing this all via government rather than through religious faith - that "common outcomes" might be had.  This is preposterous.  There is only need to "believe in the revolution" (and not criticize it) that is expected from the Cuban.   As for the Christian - salvation comes through belief that Jesus Christ is one's savior.