Cuba: The Revolution Crumbles

Michael Goodwin has just returned from a trip to Cuba. He provides us with a picture of a nation crumbling under the weight of the Communist revolution.

It isn’t a pretty picture:

Havana, a once-glorious architectural gem, is falling down — literally. Much of the central city is crumbling and building collapses are common because there is no maintenance. Many people live without running water, and roosters can be heard crowing a block from the nation’s capitol, which is shuttered for “renovations.”

The sight of American cars from before 1959 plying the streets is charming but an indication of chronic stagnation. Going to the rural areas is like boarding a time machine to the 19th century. Farmers plow by walking behind two oxen, and horses provide basic transportation. Public “buses” consist of horse-drawn wagons.

The dream of revolution has crashed against reality. Even those who believed in it now know that it did not work. Still, they manage to keep their spirits up.

As for the much-vaunted Cuban medical system, it appears that Michael Moore was not  presenting the truth.

Goodwin writes:

Cuban medical treatment is the pride of Castro apologists, but the reality is far less glorious. One resident told of taking her husband for surgery—and taking along sheets, towels, food and water. A lack of sterilization is a major problem.

“This is Cuba,” she said.