Thursday, January 1, 2009

Assessment of the 50 Years

Over the past month there have been a series of assessments of the past 50 years of the Cuban Revolution.

Today on this anniversary, I would like to give my own.

I do not think the Revolution, throughout it's 50 years of existence, has merrited very many words for this day. I can sum its failures and successes in only a few words:

Healthcare, education, indoctrination, political prisoners, repression, lack of freedom...that list word association game is endless.

To sum the Revolution's 50 years, I'd simply say that they improved the lives of a small minority of people, but at a significant cost (in lives, standard of living, family, money, and much else) to the vast majority.

If given a second chance, with the benefit of hindsight, I'm sure the Cuban people would not choose this path.

There, that's your splendid 50.

May there not be another.

1 comment:

Antoaneta said...

I hope you'll make a difference. You resumed very well the 5o years that are now 51. I went for the first time in Cuba with my habanero boyfriend this month, for two weeks. Being Romanian I felt like I was back in my childhood, only with palmtrees and Spanish speaking. I hope this ordeal will end soon, the Cubans are such warm and kind people, it makes me feel so sad, although I was there for such a short time.