The Cuban Revolution: 50 Years Of Freedom

There's a nice page on the BBC's website about the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution. It's rather complete for a one-page blurb, and offers insights into both sides of the long-standing argument, which are on one side that the Revolution actually brought freedom to Cuba, and on the other, the U.S.' opinion and pledge to ''free Cubans''.

Once more, the U.S.A. is alone on their side of the equation, pissed off that a tiny island can survive on its own despite a communist government and little else, 145 kilometers from their shores.

Reacting to the anniversary, a White House spokesman said the US continued to seek freedom for the Cuban people (...)

"The Castro brothers have not treated their people particularly well," said White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe on the eve of the anniversary.

"Many political dissidents are in jail. The economy is suffering and not free. And the United States will continue to try to seek the freedom of the people of Cuba, and support them."

Yeah. And people who disagree with the U.S.' policies for the past 60 years haven't... right. They wiretapped John Lennon, for fuck's sake. They imprison political dissidents daily with their Patriot Act, where they can abduct people from their homes without charging them with anything and have no rights to attorneys. Much better.

The article goes on to say

Fifty years on, the legacy of the revolution is complex. There is free education and health care but the state-controlled economy means wages for many Cubans are very low, on average about $20 to $25 a month.

yet doesn't mention that even the lowest wages amount is enough to provide with more essential stuff than welfare would in the U.S., and that the education and health care part will always be lacking in the States - and is going out of style in Canada too, as a matter of fact - along with the levels of quality it was known to have.

It also fails to mention that there are few nations and peoples as happy with their life as Cubans are - anywhere on earth. That a vast majority of them view the Castros and Che Guevara as both heroes and founding fathers, with an added touch of ideals to achieve and pride. That before this year, even natural disasters couldn't put a dent in the island's residents' spirit.

The article, though, mentions a kind of hope that change will occur, as Barack Obama could loosen up parts of the embargo, which would definitely be a step in the right direction.

So we solemnly celebrate 50 years of Freedom in Cuba, as the country was hit with its most difficult year in a long while, and hope for a much better one to come, and plenty more anniversaries in both the near and distant future. They have shown us that living on this planet can be done outside the American model without having to skimp human rights (unlike, say, China) and focusing on what is essential to create independent individual human beings - food, lodging, education and health care. Bravo.