May 19, 2004, 06:50 AM
Re: Cuba's standard-of-living
Below, our own 'Midnight Writer' brings up the issue of Cuba. This is actually a matter that bothers me particularly, because there are so many misconceptions among those on the left concerning Castro's supposed “accomplishments.” They seem to believe that socialism has met with some success there, and that a free market democracy might actually harm ordinary Cubans. They either downplay or ignore the degradation that Castro has brought to his own people by arguing the success of his social programs.
Former President Jimmy Carter, for example, said that “Cuba has superb systems of healthcare and universal education” during his much-acclaimed 2002 visit to the island. He noted that Cuba is guilty of human rights violations, but then observed that “[m]y nation is hardly perfect in human rights.”
However, the reality is that Castro has accomplished nothing. Ranked internationally, Cuba has actually fallen in most healthcare statistics. In 1957, for example, Cuba had a lower infant mortality rate than France and many other Western European nations, while under Castro, virtually every Western nation ranks superior. The same goes for literacy rates, which are also often cited by those attempting to find some virtue in Castro's socialism.
Economic indicators, of course, are appalling in Cuba. Before Castro, Cuba ranked third in Latin America in food consumption. The people are poor under Castro; before him, the average standard-of-living was much higher. This is why today we see makeshift boats arriving in south Florida. It's why Elian Gonzalez's mother died. There are no real opportunities in Cuba anymore.
So the next time somebody tries to convince you that Cuba is better off under Castro, remind them that things were actually better before. It's a lesson much of the world has failed to learn.
(Statistics on Cuba in this piece come from the US State Department Bureau of Inter-American Affairs).
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