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Sergio Stefanuto
Joined: 14 May 2009
Location: UK
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 Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 5:15 am Post subject: Cuba's Toilet Paper Shortage |
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Some two hundred miles from ritzy Miami, Cuba this week marked 50 years of communist rule as a society plagued with widespread shortages of basic necessities, including beef, cooking oil and, of all things, toilet paper.
Although the country is given 100,000 free barrels of oil each day from Venezuela, energy consumption must also be carefully rationed.
Published reports peg the average Cuban�s annual income at � wait for it -- $240 a year. Only 2% of the population has access to the Internet.
By every metric, life in Cuba is worse today than it was 50 years ago. In communist countries devoid of capitalism and the profit motive, time doesn�t just stand still -- it moves backward.
http://www.smartmoney.com/Investing/Economy/The-Revolting-Revolution/
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Somebody there needs to set up a People's Toilet Paper Commission |
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RJjr
Joined: 17 Aug 2006
Location: Turning on a Lamp
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| Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 5:16 am Post subject: |
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| We should print them trillions of dollars too. That would solve the problem. |
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Fox
Joined: 04 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 5:29 am Post subject: Re: Cuba's Toilet Paper Shortage |
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| Article wrote: |
| Keep that in mind as we debate the future of American health care. |
I like how the author's point seems to be, "Full on communism on a tiny, resource-poor island which the world's largest economic super-power maintains a travel-and-trade embargo against hasn't worked out so well, so beware universal health care."
As an aside, this idea that universal health care somehow removes the profit motive from medicine is retarded. If the government will pay you X for a procedure as part of their universal health scheme, the cheaper you can do it, the more of that X you can pocket as profit. |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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| Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 6:34 am Post subject: |
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| I remember reading about an imaginary country that combined its currency with its T.P because it was so worthless. The T.P. was printed to match the projected rate of inflation. Now there's thinking! |
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bacasper
Joined: 26 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 7:03 am Post subject: |
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I spent some time in Cuba, and I'd say that $240 is an overestimation. Most people I knew made between $5-10/month.
But local phone service was cheap, and medical care free and available to all.
As critical as I am of the US, I can say with confidence that Cuba is NOT the answer.  |
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