Is Castro Already Dead?

[Darat]

Really? No matter how desperately ill you may be, no matter how hopeless your prognosis, you have the right to demand, and the NHS the obligation to provide, every possible treatment for your illness or disease, no matter how cutting-edge and expensive that treatment may be?

If it is available and the treatment is the clinically approved treatment for a certain condition then yes you have the right to demand it and the NHS has an obligation to provide it. Indeed last year there were several court cases that again underlined this essential principle. However like every system in the world resources are finite and sometimes some treatments are just not available - that is a function of living in reality and not a fantasy world.

If you have a disease that can only be treated with a brand-new drug that costs 25,000 pounds a month, NHS will pay for it?

Yes.

If you need a combination heart/lung transplant, NHS will provide it for you, no matter what the cost, even if it means getting a suitable organ donor from Tibet?

...snip...

No because the time window for organ transportation would not allow it and also UK law does not permit payment for organs. (Although that is a much debated point at the moment.)

 

[Q-Source]

I agree that it is very likely that Fidel actually believed that his economic theory and his revolution would be best for most people in his country. In this way, I salut him.

It was the best for the country. Many countries in Africa and Latin America are democracies, big deal. Where are they now? They are still struggling with providing education and health to people. Sorry but nobody in his right mind can´t fail to see this.

The fact of the matter, unfortunately, is that he was completely wrong. Cuba, while sharing what little prosperity and wealth it has, is decades behind all capitalist countries in advancing the general livelihood of its people.

Cuba, happily, has so much to offer. Once Fidel is gone, the country should have no problems prospering.

In what terms are you measuring the living standards of the population?
Just make a basic research to compare social and economic conditions of people in different developing countries and you will find that Cuba has done quite well. Cubans know these facts and that´s why in so many decades they didn´t make another revolution to throw Fidel out of power.

 

[dann]

People like you usually buy the propaganda from the US about the current situation in Cuba. Most of you are ignorant of how Cubans really feel about the whole Castro´s regime.

Right! If you primarily get your information from Miami, it tends to be a little .... biased.

I´ve been in Cuba many times and talked to many people, all from different backgrounds and this gives me a more realistic perspective about what Castro represents to them. Most of them are aware that the economic limitations they face are due to the US embargo and not because of socialism.

Well, I wish you were right, but not all the limitations can be ascribed to the blockade. Of course, one major mistake was to rely on aid from the USSR instead of working harder at becoming independent.

Most of them are very proud of all the achievements and recognise that Castro has been a key element to get this.

But you shouldn't ignore that a lot of the time they also complain about the way their society is being run. But to most Cubans Castro represents both: the sometimes amateurish economic reforms and the struggle to maintain Cuban independence from the attacks of the USA.

He gave priority to education, health, sports and technology instead of stealing money as MOST of the Latin American presidents have done. You cannot eliminate this from history.

Well, apparently a lot of people can!

I am sure most of the Cuban population is genuinely concerned about Castro´s health and they just hope things will go well in the future transition to another sort of regime.

They definitely won't be waiting on the beach for the Miami Cubans to arrive. (Or rather: They might, but they'll be armed!)

 

[DanishDynamite]

It was the best of the country. Many countries in Africa and Latin America are democracies, the big deal. Where are they now? They are still struggling with providing education and health to people. Sorry but nobody in his right mind can´t fail to see this.

Yes, corruption is a great hindrence to all societies trying to prosper as best they can. El Fidel was not corrupt, which was a good thing.

In what terms are you measuring the living standards of the population?

Any terms at all.

Just make a basic research to compare social and economic conditions of people in different developing countries and you will find that Cuba has done quite well. Cubans know these facts and that´s why in so many decades they didn´t make another revolution to throw Fidel out of power.

Which is what I said. For a country ruled by a dictator with a wrong economic theory, they did quite well.

They are still decades behind any western country. Let's hope Fidel's death will soon rectify this.

 

[BPSCG]

If it is available and the treatment is the clinically approved treatment for a certain condition then yes you have the right to demand it and the NHS has an obligation to provide it. Indeed last year there were several court cases that again underlined this essential principle. However like every system in the world resources are finite and sometimes some treatments are just not available - that is a function of living in reality and not a fantasy world.

Emphasis of "if's" and "but's" mine.

No because the time window for organ transportation would not allow it and also UK law does not permit payment for organs. (Although that is a much debated point at the moment.)

Oh.
(Emphasis of "if's" and "but's" mine again.)
Well, so much for Architect's claim that:

No limits on treatment. No questions of about the scope of medicare (and its sister programmes). No insurers quibbling over treatment.

So it's not free, and it's not without limit.

Which is kinda what I expected. We have the same limitations here. You can't get what you can't pay for, which should come as a surprise to no one.

And I wasn't talking about paying for a heart and lung from Tibet. Would NHS pay for the cost of flying a donor's organs to the UK if they could get the organs free (NHS just pays for the shipping and handling)?

 

[BPSCG]

Which is what I said. For a country ruled by a dictator with a wrong economic theory, they did quite well.

That's like saying, "For a fat, sweaty stupid woman with bad breath and a foul temper, she's really quite appealing..."

 

[Tony]

I have a lot of respect for the British NHS. Last time I was in the UK, I got sick. The doctor's visit (which was the most bizaar doctor's visits in my life) cost 30 pounds and the meds cost 5 pounds. I got those prices as a tourist. How much would a tourist have to pay a doctor for treatment and attention in the US?

 

[Q-Source]

But you shouldn't ignore that a lot of the time they also complain about the way their society is being run. But to most Cubans Castro represents both: the sometimes amateurish economic reforms and the struggle to maintain Cuban independence from the attacks of the USA.

Strictly speaking this is true, however I tend to put these claim in context. There is a sector in Cuba (especially in La Habana) that are very critical of Castro´s regime. But then you should also consider that this population was left behind by the Revolution, some are without a college education, dealing in the black market and with strong ties to Miami.

 

[dann]

The fact of the matter, unfortunately, is that he was completely wrong. Cuba, while sharing what little prosperity and wealth it has, is decades behind all capitalist countries in advancing the general livelihood of its people.

When I was in Cuba a couple of years ago I met a young Brazilian woman, who was in Habana to study film. She couldn't get over the fact that in Habana she could actually walk through the streets at night and alone, she, a WOMAN. Since nobody starves in Cuba, the desperation never rises to the level of other countries in Latin America. The Cubans may be poor, but the abject poverty that you find in other of your "all capitalist countries" does not exist in Cuba.
I have heard about people, also tourists, who have been robbed in Habana, but I feel just as confident walking through all parts of that city as I do in Copenhagen - and don't always in the USA.

 

[dann]

They are still decades behind any western country.

It would be interesting to know what you consider to be Western countries. I presume that you have left out of your equation all capitalist countries in Latin America ...

 

[Q-Source]

They are still decades behind any western country. Let's hope Fidel's death will soon rectify this.

You are very optimistic. What makes you think that "democracy" is going to solve all its economic problems? I already told you that many countries in Africa and LA are democratic and they´re still poor and dependant. What matters is what sort of priorities the man in charge has. It is not always a matter of money but how well you use and exploit scarce resources.

 

[DanishDynamite]

When I was in Cuba a couple of years ago I met a young Brazilian woman, who was in Habana to study film. She couldn't get over the fact that in Habana she could actually walk through the streets at night and alone, she, a WOMAN. Since nobody starves in Cuba, the desperation never rises to the level of other countries in Latin America. The Cubans may be poor, but the abject poverty that you find in other of your "all capitalist countries" does not exist in Cuba.
I have heard about people, also tourists, who have been robbed in Habana, but I feel just as confident walking through all parts of that city as I do in Copenhagen - and don't always in the USA.

What point in your anecdote haven't I addressed?

 

[DanishDynamite]

It would be interesting to know what you consider to be Western countries. I presume that you have left out of your equation all capitalist countries in Latin America ...

I did, but we could probably include the very corrupt capitalistic countries as well, with no problem.

 

[DanishDynamite]

You are very optimistic. What makes you think that "democracy" is going to solve all its economic problems? I already told you that many countries in Africa and LA are democratic and they´re still poor and dependant. What matters is what sort of priorities the man in charge has. It is not always a matter of money but how well you use and exploit scarce resources.

I'm confident as Cuba inherently has so much to offer. And, yes, the effectiveness very much depends on getting a non-corrupt into the top position. At least untill solid institutions are created which can counter attempts at corruption from the top office.

 

[dann]

Strictly speaking this is true, however I tend to put these claim in context. There is a sector in Cuba (especially in La Habana) that are very critical of Castro´s regime. But then you should also consider that this population was left behind by the Revolution, some are without a college education, dealing in the black market and with strong ties to Miami.

Well, I happen to know a lot of people, usually without a college education, but with absolutely no ties to Miami at all, who are still not happy with the achievements of the Cuban revolution.
The problem is that many people (usually white) with ties to Miami are doing extremely well with their Cuban pesos and the very cheap housing, electricity, vegetables etc. that they can buy with them. It does not take a lot of dollars from the relatives in Miami or from the tips from a job in the tourist industry to live quite well in Cuba, but as it is right now, it is very hard to buy clothes and household appliances without some kind of access to foreign currency. This summer I went with three Cuban friends, two blacks, one white, to a shopping mall catering to Cubans with CUCs (Pesos convertibles), and the presence of these two Afro-Cubans managed to raise the percentage of black people in the mall that day considerably!
In general black people in Cuba are not discriminated against, but due to the fact that they tend to have fewer and less wealthy relatives abroad, they also tend to have less access to the commodities that you can only buy with CUCs. Thus the discontent in these circles.
But things have been improving slightly in the last couple of years, I think.

 

[DanishDynamite]

Well, I happen to know a lot of people, usually without a college education, but with absolutely no ties to Miami at all, who are still not happy with the achievements of the Cuban revolution.
The problem is that many people (usually white) with ties to Miami are doing extremely well with their Cuban pesos and the very cheap housing, electricity, vegetables etc. that they can buy with them. It does not take a lot of dollars from the relatives in Miami or from the tips from a job in the tourist industry to live quite well in Cuba, but as it is right now, it is very hard to buy clothes and household appliances without some kind of access to foreign currency. This summer I went with three Cuban friends, two blacks, one white, to a shopping mall catering to Cubans with CUCs (Pesos convertibles), and the presence of these two Afro-Cubans managed to raise the percentage of black people in the mall that day considerably!
In general black people in Cuba are not discriminated against, but due to the fact that they tend to have fewer and less wealthy relatives abroad, they also tend to have less access to the commodities that you can only buy with CUCs. Thus the discontent in these circles.
But things have been improving slightly in the last couple of years, I think.

I wonder why you haven't gone to live in utopia yourself, dann. Very odd.

 

[dann]

I did [= leave out of the equation all capitalist countries in Latin America], but we could probably include the very corrupt capitalistic countries as well, with no problem.

So the countries that you would compare Cuba with are primarily Western Europe, Canada, The USA, Australia, Japan etc., but not all the Third-World countries where capitalism is doing so well alleviating the misery of poor people ....
At least your "probably" gives away that you haven't got a clue.

 

[dann]

I wonder why you haven't gone to live in utopia yourself, dann. Very odd.

You actually consider this to be a description of Utopia? You're weird ....

 

[dann]

I wonder why you haven't gone to live in utopia yourself, dann. Very odd.

More relevant: A lot of Latin Americans would actually like to go live in the Cuban 'Utopia'.

 

[DanishDynamite]

So the countries that you would compare Cuba with are primarily Western Europe, Canada, The USA, Australia, Japan etc., but not all the Third-World countries where capitalism is doing so well alleviating the misery of poor people ....
At least your "probably" gives away that you haven't got a clue.

Uhh...no, go ahead and include these countries as well. Isn't that what I said?