Comments on: Cuba in the Pacific http://blog.greens.org.nz/2008/08/12/cuba-in-the-pacific/ hopping along the corridors of power Sat, 10 Jan 2009 02:25:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: phil u http://blog.greens.org.nz/2008/08/12/cuba-in-the-pacific/#comment-52866 phil u Wed, 13 Aug 2008 01:49:26 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2008/08/12/cuba-in-the-pacific/#comment-52866 this is a cool doco on the visits by che guevara..and fidel castro.. ..to hiroshima.. http://whoar.co.nz/2008/che-guevara-talks-about-hiroshima/ phil(whoar.co.nz) this is a cool doco on the visits by che guevara..and fidel castro..

..to hiroshima..

http://whoar.co.nz/2008/che-guevara-talks-about-hiroshima/

phil(whoar.co.nz)

]]> By: libertyscott http://blog.greens.org.nz/2008/08/12/cuba-in-the-pacific/#comment-52797 libertyscott Tue, 12 Aug 2008 21:18:47 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2008/08/12/cuba-in-the-pacific/#comment-52797 Given what we know of the completely fake statistics churned out year after year by the former USSR and its satellites for decades, why do people on the left swallow what the Cuban dictatorship tells you all as being its remarkable statistics on healthcare and education? Cuba refuses to let anyone independent have free reign to investigate and report on any aspect of the country, including interview people without those people fearing for incarceration. Why believe what Havana tells the WHO any more than what Ceausescu's Romania used to tell it? Why evade the fact that Cuba is not an open society with any institutions that are not part of the state apparatus? Given what we know of the completely fake statistics churned out year after year by the former USSR and its satellites for decades, why do people on the left swallow what the Cuban dictatorship tells you all as being its remarkable statistics on healthcare and education?

Cuba refuses to let anyone independent have free reign to investigate and report on any aspect of the country, including interview people without those people fearing for incarceration. Why believe what Havana tells the WHO any more than what Ceausescu’s Romania used to tell it? Why evade the fact that Cuba is not an open society with any institutions that are not part of the state apparatus?

]]> By: Sam Buchanan http://blog.greens.org.nz/2008/08/12/cuba-in-the-pacific/#comment-52700 Sam Buchanan Tue, 12 Aug 2008 02:49:52 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2008/08/12/cuba-in-the-pacific/#comment-52700 Sounds like The Hive is looking for another round ofthe daft paranoia that we had in the 1980s when the government panicked about supposed Libyan influence in Vanuatu and the Pacific. That one came to nothing as well, no Pacific countries opted to become Islamic republics or set up guerilla training bases... Timor Leste's also been getting Cuban doctors for a while. New Zealand might need them soon, especially if we keep signing trade deals with specific clauses allowing kiwi doctors to go and work overseas, such as was included in the FTA with China. Sounds like The Hive is looking for another round ofthe daft paranoia that we had in the 1980s when the government panicked about supposed Libyan influence in Vanuatu and the Pacific. That one came to nothing as well, no Pacific countries opted to become Islamic republics or set up guerilla training bases…

Timor Leste’s also been getting Cuban doctors for a while. New Zealand might need them soon, especially if we keep signing trade deals with specific clauses allowing kiwi doctors to go and work overseas, such as was included in the FTA with China.

]]> By: Bryce http://blog.greens.org.nz/2008/08/12/cuba-in-the-pacific/#comment-52668 Bryce Mon, 11 Aug 2008 23:24:26 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2008/08/12/cuba-in-the-pacific/#comment-52668 Also in terms of Cuba's health system and its international humanitarianism, there is a very good article from the Guardian at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2006/aug/16/tomfawthropcubandocs It points out that this small Caribbean nation has, according to WHO, the world's highest proportion of doctors per capita (one doctor for every 177 people), of which 50% are female. But more importantly, Cuba has assumed a major role in delivering humanitarian aid. It provides a nice contrast to the western aid industry and western so-called humanitarian intervention. As the article says, 'Cuba has consistently responded to emergency appeals for humanitarian aid by dispatching plane-loads of doctors, medicine and equipment - despite the country's own economic problems.' Bryce Also in terms of Cuba’s health system and its international humanitarianism, there is a very good article from the Guardian at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2006/aug/16/tomfawthropcubando cs
It points out that this small Caribbean nation has, according to WHO, the world’s highest proportion of doctors per capita (one doctor for every 177 people), of which 50% are female. But more importantly, Cuba has assumed a major role in delivering humanitarian aid. It provides a nice contrast to the western aid industry and western so-called humanitarian intervention. As the article says, ‘Cuba has consistently responded to emergency appeals for humanitarian aid by dispatching plane-loads of doctors, medicine and equipment - despite the country’s own economic problems.’

Bryce

]]> By: Bryce http://blog.greens.org.nz/2008/08/12/cuba-in-the-pacific/#comment-52666 Bryce Mon, 11 Aug 2008 23:11:50 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2008/08/12/cuba-in-the-pacific/#comment-52666 While I also have many reservations about 'Cuban democracy' (!) and the political system there, it's hard not to be impressed by many aspects of what Cuba achieves and especially it's internationalism and elements of progressiveness. Even though the state has often been very socially conservative, it's interesting that Cuba has become the most socially liberal country in the Americas by legalising gay marriage and making sex change operations free of charge under Cuba's world leading health service. The country abolished its anti-gay laws in 1979, well before most US states (many of which retain various laws against forms of sexual activity usually associated with male homosexuality), and well before New Zealand. NZ too, has only adopted a half-way-house approach to gay marriage whereby gay and lesbians can only get Civil Unions (because Helen Clark and co thought that the sanctity of marriage meant that it should remain a heterosexual-only institution). Bryce www.liberation.org.nz While I also have many reservations about ‘Cuban democracy’ (!) and the political system there, it’s hard not to be impressed by many aspects of what Cuba achieves and especially it’s internationalism and elements of progressiveness.

Even though the state has often been very socially conservative, it’s interesting that Cuba has become the most socially liberal country in the Americas by legalising gay marriage and making sex change operations free of charge under Cuba’s world leading health service. The country abolished its anti-gay laws in 1979, well before most US states (many of which retain various laws against forms of sexual activity usually associated with male homosexuality), and well before New Zealand. NZ too, has only adopted a half-way-house approach to gay marriage whereby gay and lesbians can only get Civil Unions (because Helen Clark and co thought that the sanctity of marriage meant that it should remain a heterosexual-only institution).

Bryce
http://www.liberation.org.nz

]]> By: John Boscawen http://blog.greens.org.nz/2008/08/12/cuba-in-the-pacific/#comment-52663 John Boscawen Mon, 11 Aug 2008 22:56:03 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2008/08/12/cuba-in-the-pacific/#comment-52663 I have recently returned from Cuba. Cuba also runs a scheme with Venezuela whereby those suffering with cataract blindness ( mainly the elderly) are flown to Havana to be operated on by Cuban opthamologists. In return Cuba receives oil from Venezuela. The scheme has been incredibly successful with many tens of thousands receiving treatment. It is intersting that in this case the doctors are actually working on Vanuatu and the Solomons as I had presumed that the reason that the Opthamologists did not actually go to south America ( rather than the patients coming to them) was because of the fear of them fleeing. I have recently returned from Cuba.

Cuba also runs a scheme with Venezuela whereby those suffering with cataract blindness ( mainly the elderly) are flown to Havana to be operated on by Cuban opthamologists. In return Cuba receives oil from Venezuela. The scheme has been incredibly successful with many tens of thousands receiving treatment.

It is intersting that in this case the doctors are actually working on Vanuatu and the Solomons as I had presumed that the reason that the Opthamologists did not actually go to south America ( rather than the patients coming to them) was because of the fear of them fleeing.

]]> By: toad http://blog.greens.org.nz/2008/08/12/cuba-in-the-pacific/#comment-52661 toad Mon, 11 Aug 2008 22:39:47 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2008/08/12/cuba-in-the-pacific/#comment-52661 Frog said: <i>Unless New Zealand is going to start sending our doctors into the Pacific for free we really should be gratefully welcoming this sort of support from Cuba, rather than looking for reds hiding under the bed.</i> No, we send our newly qualified doctors all over the world to work for good money because we weigh them down so much with student loans that they can't afford to work as junior doctors here. Frog said: Unless New Zealand is going to start sending our doctors into the Pacific for free we really should be gratefully welcoming this sort of support from Cuba, rather than looking for reds hiding under the bed.

No, we send our newly qualified doctors all over the world to work for good money because we weigh them down so much with student loans that they can’t afford to work as junior doctors here.

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