Thank the French

Thank the French


I was wondering why this terrible mess in Cuba happened to Cubans in the first place. Why not the French? But then I realized that the beginnings of this same sort of thing did happen to the French. But when France began steering left it didn’t take too long to see that this thing wasn’t going to work there. Right up till today they are still trying to steer in another direction away from statism but don’t have enough voters who will pull the wheel in another direction. This is because the French are experts at exploiting all aspects of state control. They hop the turnstiles of the Metro rather than part with their francs. The French evidently are born with a genetic ability to jimmy any state-owned pay phone to converse anywhere in the world – all for a few centimes. However, the higher up the economic ladder you sit, the less you can escape the tax bite. Doctors in their socialized medical system get hammered so most would just as soon practice elsewhere. But the majority still vote to swipe the MD’s wages through government control. The French government is propping up financially all sorts of industries because the average French worker doesn’t do too much work. That’s because it is so difficult and expensive to fire someone in France. To sum it up, the French do not suffer oppressors easily. The majority has turned the tables and rudely demanded, “Their rights!” Evidently the French have a right to housing, food, clothing, entertainment, good wine and cheese, etc. Because of this statist approach they cannot create any new jobs and now have untold numbers of young people who cannot find decent work. They live on the edge from government handout and they seethe with anger. Everyone has seen the recent violence on the television news.

Then I realized that Cubans on the other hand are the sweetest people on the earth. They will give you the shirt off of their backs if you are in need. They are very family and friend oriented. In fact, if there ever was a more agreeable nation of people, I have yet to meet them. So if communism would work anyplace it would be in Cuba. But it has failed miserably. It has caused the nation to decline drastically. Despite all of the equality rhetoric, today there are two classes of people – the communist elite who live like kings and everybody else who struggle just to put food on the table and have electric and fresh water. But still the island Cubans go along with this cruel unfairness with stoic politeness and good manners. But Cubans also possess a bad temper when they have had enough disrespect. If eleven million Cubans at one time decide that they have been disrespected by their criminal government long enough then those tyrants are history.

I believe perhaps that times draws near in convergence with Fidel’s impending death. The last pictures of Fidel he looked more and more like a skeleton. His attempt to smile could not disguise his pain. Once Fidel is dead I believe the island populace will not be so sweet and forgiving. Something will trigger an explosion of pent up anger. Perhaps it will be during Fidel’s funeral? Is the junta going to permit millions of Cubans to come to Havana all at once to pay their respects? The junta must know that if they permit this citizen army to gather in these large numbers in Havana they will be powerless to control them. This is the dilemma the Havanaban faces in the near future.

Tomas Estrada-Palma