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A day using money in Cuba

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Re: A day using money in Cuba

#151

Post by Darmody »

masonic wrote: post #147
throwaway2048 wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep, the Aztec might have been brutal, but its hardly like the Spanish were any less so, and for similar religion fueled reasons even.

The Spanish would have been quickly squashed all the way to the sea were it not for essentially every other native group allying with them against the Aztecs because of the brutal treatment they suffered since the rise of the Aztecs. Once the Spanish had a foothold, European diseases did most of the killing.

Hernan Cortes had around 600 men. They had no chance against an empire like the Aztec. Fortunately for him other tribes wanted to see the tyrannical Aztecs gone.

Some people think he arrived there with laser rifles and nuclear bombs to wipe out and entire empire.

The propaganda around this is strong I guess.

Re: A day using money in Cuba

#152

Post by vinay427 »

nsajko wrote: post #103
vinay427 wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> socialist (the Scandinavian kind) Surely there exists better terminology for this than a highly regionally contextual qualifier. Perhaps democratic socialist, or social democrat, or something involving welfare? Overloading the word with other meanings just adds fuel to the fire of inaccuracy and hyperbole in political discourse, perhaps recently most often in the US.

That is not overloading, rather you are the one who is using the term overly specifically. Maybe it would be better to say Leninism or something.

That's a fair point actually, thanks.

Re: A day using money in Cuba

#153

Post by pjc50 »

meerita wrote: post #144
riffic wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> most of the island is mired in poverty the elephant in the room is the 60 year old embargo and its third-rail effect on American politics.

The communists don't believe in world commerce, why an embargo will affect them after all if they don't want people to trade or have private property?

It's a pretty elastic word these days, especially given China. And of course they do want overseas trade. The US embargo of using the power of the state to make it as difficult as possible for even non-US companies to trade with Cuba is hardly a pro-freedom one.

So far as I can tell it's this way because 95% of the US doesn't care one way or the other but there are Cuban exiles in Florida who care a lot about punishing Castro, and they're good at voting.

Re: A day using money in Cuba

#154

Post by vinay427 »

Taniwha wrote: post #146
vinay427 wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> socialist (the Scandinavian kind) Surely there exists better terminology for this than a highly regionally contextual qualifier. Perhaps democratic socialist, or social democrat, or something involving welfare? Overloading the word with other meanings just adds fuel to the fire of inaccuracy and hyperbole in political discourse, perhaps recently most often in the US.

I think the word you wanted to describe the USSR was "communist", there west is full of countries with socialist social welfare systems that genuinely care for their citizens

Yep, I replied to the other comment but I'll concede that I was using this term too specifically and inaccurately.

In any case, my point wasn't in opposition to the social welfare systems in Scandinavian countries, for instance, as I'm at least reasonably familiar with the services they provide to citizens which generally seem to genuinely work as you said.

Re: A day using money in Cuba

#155

Post by VWWHFSfQ »

namdnay wrote: post #141
VWWHFSfQ wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The actual elephant in the room is 60 years of brutal communist dictatorship.

"elephant in the room" refers to something that is huge but that nobody talks about. Everyone agrees with the fact that marxism doesn't work, and everyone talks about it, so I don't think we can call it an elephant in the room. there is far less discussion (especially in the US), about the impact of the US sanctions the same discussion applies to venezuela

I was referring to the recent trend of blaming USA for Cuban poverty. Characterizing it as "elephant in the room" is somewhat en vogue for leftist types. And I was turning it back on them. The real "elephant in the room" is the failings of the brutal communist ideology that failed the Cuban people in nearly every possible way.

Re: A day using money in Cuba

#156

Post by pepy »

danlugo92 wrote: post #78
empath75 wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Who cares if it’s an effective form of charity. It’s nothing for you and a big deal for that person. Not everything needs to be minimaxed to death. Same deal with haggling in the developing world. It’s just a gross thing to do when there is a big wealth inequality.

I live in Venezuela (which is Cuba lite) but earn a foreign salary. "It’s nothing for you" compromised around half of my expenses before I started budgeting. I hate forced charity.

@danlugo92 never disclose your income to anyone. This goes for anyone who earns a foreign salary in any country

Re: A day using money in Cuba

#157

Post by fit2rule »

The situation with Cuba is where I find myself widely differing with the viewpoints of my American colleagues - I just cannot see any justification for the way that the USA treats Cuba. It is inhumane and un-just, and I think Americans suffer more for having to live in a repressive system that does not have their best interests at heart. What does the American people get out of the restrictions placed on Cuba by their government, other than cheap sex tourism and a medical haven not offered within their own borders?

I really have to wonder if we'll ever see relations normalised .. so many problems in the world, if only Americans would change their state policies, quit arguing about scary orange puppets, and start paying attention to exactly who is running the CFR ...

Re: A day using money in Cuba

#158

Post by fit2rule »

fennecfoxen wrote: post #31

Went to Cuba with my girl. (She really wanted to go; I was the skeptic.) Walking around the ruins of the Centrum, and someone invites her in to get a haircut. Sure, she says, why not? $5 (convertible), but all we had on hand was a $20. Little Cuban girl heads out running through the neighborhood to scrounge up change for a $20 because that’s almost a month’s salary.

Serious question: why didn't you just pay $20 for a haircut?

Re: A day using money in Cuba

#159

Post by fit2rule »

empath75 wrote: post #67
fennecfoxen wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Random over-generosity is not a particularly effective charity pattern. If you feel that Hacker News denizens like ourselves happen to have too much money, there are a variety of organizations which can transmit sums of money to those in need: not just a one-time $15 at random with a special tax diverted to prop up the Cuban government, but on a recurring basis, every month, as part of a program to help eliminate wor…

Who cares if it’s an effective form of charity. It’s nothing for you and a big deal for that person. Not everything needs to be minimaxed to death. Same deal with haggling in the developing world. It’s just a gross thing to do when there is a big wealth inequality.

.. especially considering the conditions which allow the heinous income equality situation in Cuba, in the first place, are directly related to American's continued ignorance of their military industrial complex' threats against 'lesser cultures' .. and/or complacency/complicity in the equation.

Re: A day using money in Cuba

#160

Post by dogma1138 »

bonzini wrote: post #38
lordnacho wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seems plausible. Some guys offered to feed us lobster so we went to theirs, but they insisted on hiding the cars we'd rented. People seemed pretty careful about cops.

Lobster is illegal to sell to tourists. Camarón (large shrimps) is also illegal but they can find it more easily on the black market.

I thought it was the other way around, Lobsters and Shrimp could only be sold to tourists and for export in Cuba.
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