Eye Witness Account of Cuban Sewage Treatment

Eye Witness Account of Cuban Sewage Treatment

Evidently Cuba has many holding tanks for raw sewage. Here is what one Canadian had to say about this marvelous socialist sewage disposal system:

" There were many cisterns throughout the grounds whose concrete lids were cracked or in some places missing altogether.

-these cisterns deserve a special mention - one of them had raw sewage flowing freely from it onto the grass beside it.

I hate to break the news to you happy vacationers if you hadn't realized already what flows downhill towards the ocean during your merry holiday. Hopefully the other deadly toxic wastes in the sewage has a quasi sterilizing effect and helps keep the microbe count down. But remember to keep the mouth shut while swimming.

Look here:


Tomas Estrada-Palma

Club Nautico Sewage

Club Nautico Sewage

It's funny reading all the naive complaints of tourists who have traveled to Cuba. So often they moan about the smell of sewage but can't figure out where it's emanating from. You're swimming in it people.



Tomas Estrada-Palma

CRAPPY CUBAN VACATION

CRAPPY CUBAN VACATION

Just look at the toxic plums of raw sewage oozing from the sewers of Havana and percolating over the beaches of Club Havana. Have a nice healthy swim Canadians.


Tomas Estrada-Palma

She Ain't Returning to Cuba

She Ain't Returning to Cuba

Here is a quote from one of a growing number of disillusioned tourists traveling to Cuba:

"Oh yeah and best of all the cuban prostitutes (ranging in age from 13 to 17) hanging out with eighty year old men in speedo's and fannny packs all over the place that butt in front of you in every line constantly get faster service DISGUSTING!"

Check it out right here.


Tomas Estrada-Palma

A Cuban’s Bill of Rights

A Cuban’s

Bill of Rights

I. A Free Cuban owns their time, body and assets. No government or other entity may tax or regulate the free exercise thereof that does not infringe on another’s free exercise of their rights or exploit these individual human resources in any manner against the individual’s free will.

II. A free Cuban owns their physical and intellectual labor. One hundred percent of these assets are the property of the individual laborer and shall not be subjected to tax, or be regulated beyond that necessary to guarantee the equal rights of others to freely market their labor.

III. A free Cuban may express themselves in private in any manner that does not infringe on the rights of other individuals to do likewise. A free Cuban may express themselves in writing, electronically, photographically or in any future manner chosen by the individual with the only restrictions being displays in public space that offend a clear majority’s sense of decorum as set forth by their representatives.

IV. A free Cuban may believe anything or worship in any manner that does not infringe on the equal opportunity of another to do likewise.

V. The Children of Free Cubans are the protégés and the responsibility of their parents or guardians who shall possess the final say in all health, education and general welfare decisions of their offspring or guardianship. No government or other entity may infringe on this right beyond intervention to protect the minor from clear and immanent danger as set forth by the elected legislature.

VI. A free Cuban may arm themselves for self-defense against criminal individuals, groups or governments as well as defend against foreign threats.

VII. A free Cuban has the right to a public common law jury trial of their peers before they may be tried for any crime punishable with a prison sentence. The verdict must be unanimous to obtain a conviction and the jury must rule on the facts as well as the laws in question in the trial and the implementation of these laws by the government and may nullify the law in a particular trial by ruling innocent.

VIII. A free Cuban may own justly acquired Real Estate in Cuba and only be subjected to a land location value fee as set forth by the legislature and not on any improvements to their Real property.

IX. A free Cuban may travel freely within and outside of Cuba.

X. A free Cuban has the right to freely associate or disassociate with whomever they so choose.

XI. A free Cuban has the right to privacy in their home, business, and their person and all their correspondences from all searches and seizures unless authorized by the judiciary upon sufficient probable evidence that a crime has been or shall be committed shortly.


Tomás Estrada-Palma

The Wonderful Czech People

The Wonderful
Czech People

I guess it does take one to know one. While Canadian Vacationers and European Sex Tourists rationalize their exploitation of Cubans and minimize their role in keeping Raul Castro in power oppressioning his own people, the Czechs understand. We have never gone to them to ask that they take up the cause of liberty for Cubans. They already know. They have been there and done that. On their own they have taken up the fight against the brutal Castro dictatorship.

Go see for yourself right here.

Thank you people of the Czech Republic!

Tomas Estrada-Palma

More Tourists Glad to be Back In Canada

More Tourists

Glad to be

Back In Canada

Varadero Beach: Club Amigo Varadero: "A little less than average. Tips to avoid being scammed"
cola2500, Waterloo Mar 28, 2007


My experience with this property took place in:
February, 2007

Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend? no way!

I do not recommend this hotel for: Young singles, An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, Great pool scene, Pet owners, Families with young children, Families with teenagers, Tourists

My age: 18-24

Traveling group: Friends

My visit was for: Quality time with friends

As the saying goes: you get what you pay for. For $1000 you can stay here, but it's not really worth that money. Pay the extra $300 or $400 for something worth your effort!

Everything EXCEPT the beach was less than par. The service, the food (which was absolutely awful and the same thing every day), the rooms, the look of the hotel, the drinks.. all pretty much were just 'OK'. I've stayed at 4 stars in Mexico and Cuba just can't compare.

This hotel really should be a 2.5, there are no real perks except the beach which is the largest on the strip.

Drinks - same thing, did not make the special drinks like daquiries or shots

Food - same thing every day too, buffet style that would go cold if you didn't go there right when it started. A lot of things looked too sketchy to eat without labels of what they were. We literally had to fight for drinks and cutlery every time we went into the dining hall. Basically, we started grabbing our own by the end of it.

Rooms - decent but not great. Our shower had no pressure and was never really hot. We had a view of a grungy garden.

Service - AWFUL, unless you tip, Cubans will not give you exceptional service. We had to FIGHT for everything at this place, to get towels when we arrived, to get our lock for the safe, to get cutlery and drinks... the list goes on.

Calling and Money Exchange - both times that I called home and exchanged money I was ripped off. BE CAREFUL! I caught the exchanger who shortchanged me 1 peso, but for the call there was nothing I could do. The second time I called I timed it and it was exactly under 4 minutes with ringing and I was charged for 6 minutes. This works out to be a difference of 4 pesos which in Canadian is almost $6. It seemed like any way you turned you could get scammed...

Overall, I would suggest paying a little bit more and getting a better place.. this place is not worth the 1 grand.

_____________________________________________
This TripAdvisor Member:
Liked: The Beach
Disliked: Service and the Hotel
Save this review

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Compliment cola2500
Helpful votes: 2/2. Did you find this review helpful? Yes No
Traveler rating:
Varadero Beach: Club Amigo Varadero: "Be aware of the lady in the cigar shop."
Nikki3NiagaraFalls, Niagara Falls Mar 19, 2007



My experience with this property took place in:
March, 2007
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend? no way!
My ratings for this hotel are:

I recommend this hotel for:
I do not recommend this hotel for: Young singles, An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, People with disabilities, Older travelers, Great pool scene, Pet owners, Families with young children, Families with teenagers, Tourists

I selected this hotel because ... Beach / Sun

My age: 35-49

Traveling group: Family with teenagers
My visit was for: Quality time with family

We just got back from club amigo March 16th 2007. We went for March Break. The problem I have with this place was at the cigar shop. We went in there a couple of times looking and asking questions, got to know the lady in the shop. My sister in law was asked buy a co-worker to bring back a certain type of cigar for him the lady didn't have it but would get it for us. We went back a day or two later and she had them for her. I, on the other hand was still unsure of which kind to bring home. So I said that I'd come back the next day. She said she was off onThursday and come on Friday since they work on commission (so they say) I had no reason to dought her. Friday was our last day March 16th 2007) I returned my towels so I had a few pesos to spend, went up to the cigar shop and I was still unsure of which cigar to purchase. I thought they were alittle pricey. I was told that they were regulated by the government. So against my better judgment and because I trusted the lady in the cigar shop I bought a 5 pack of the small cigars (guantanamera) She charged me 12.50 pesos. Later that night we were at the airport and I was shocked and very angry that the exact pack of cigars were only 4 peso. She ripped me off! I am now writting the manager plus the Sunquest rep about her. I am sure that I'm not the only one thats fallen victim to her. I wish I had gone into the shop on her day off to see if the other person would have quoted me the same price. If someone is heading over to Club Amigo please go into the cigar shop and warn her that everyone is aware of her dishonesty. Tell her it's on the internet. That should scare her straight.


This TripAdvisor Member:
Liked: the beach
Disliked: the cigar lady


___________________________________________________________

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Ask Nikki3Niagar... a question | Compliment Nikki3Niagar...

Traveler rating:
Varadero Beach: Club Amigo Varadero: "Average Joe"
wog&polly, BC Mar 17, 2007




My experience with this property took place in:
April, 2006
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend? probably not
My ratings for this hotel are:

I recommend this hotel for: Young singles, Girlfriend getaway, Older travelers, Great pool scene

I do not recommend this hotel for: An amazing honeymoon, People with disabilities, Pet owners
I selected this hotel because ... Beach / Sun, Museums / Cultural / Historical sites, Outdoor / Adventure, Great food / Wine

My age: 25-34

Traveling group: Spouse / significant other
My visit was for: Hobbies / interest / culture

My boyfriend and I (ages 25-26) wanted a quick getaway for a reasonable price, so when we saw this online on sale, we booked in and flew the next week. Same thing as most of the other reviews, busy airport, busride to the hotel, pretty front desk area. We found our room (which was supposed the be an upgrade) right beside the elevator and just above the front entrance facing the highway. Not the best.

I must say the beach was pretty wicked, I've been to many places in the Carribean, Mexico and Asia and this is probably one of the cleanest and nicest beaches I've seen. We took a long walk down the beach, and the other resort beaches were not as good as ours was.

Food was garbage, and I mean garbage - how about having the same rice and seafood recycled a million different ways for breakfast lunch and dinner? Overcooked pork pork and more pork never SEEN so much damn pork in so many ways. We really looked forward to trying some Cuban dishes, you know, getting a little more exposure to the culture etc, but everything was whatever they could could cook en masse. But, if you go into Havannah or Veradero for dinner, you can find some much better food.

Drinks are drinks - come on - an all inclusive resort is not going to be serving premium liquor, so don't expect it! Local beer, cheap hard, but friendly bartenders and 24 hour bar. There is a piano in the main 24 hour bar area that plays all by itself, and frankly it drives you mental if you're having more than one or two drinks at that bar. Can't shut it off, I tried.
Staff were nice, you have to remember it's not Mexico, they are not to speak to you or try and sell you things, this is a communist country. They helped you out if you needed anything, end of story.
Overall? I would not go back to this hotel ever again - but keep in mind you get what you pay for and I learned my lesson. As a cheap getaway, it's what you would expect. If you want to be waited on hand and foot, have amazing first rate food and live out your hopes and dreams like these other reviews, then save your pennies and buck up you cheap big boy - go stay at a 5 star.


This TripAdvisor Member:
Liked: the beach
Disliked: garbage for food


____________________________________________
Tomas Estrada-Palma

More Unhappy Canadian Tourist

More Unhappy

Canadian Tourist

Well Cubanos we tried to convince these Canadians that Cuba was NOT a hot vacation spot but did they listen?

Noooooo! Looky here:

Canadian Tastes Cuban Jail

Canadian Tastes

Cuban Jail

Just listen to what happened to this unlucky Canadian on his holiday to Cuba. Look here:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20010317.TR17JAIL/TPStory/Travel

Environmentalist Castro – Ha!

Environmentalist

Castro – Ha!

That Castro regime is really a piece of work. Last week Fidel supposedly released a written statement chastising Bush for proposing to convert more corn into ethanol for fuel. If Castro is actually alive and concerned for the environment why does he operate his Cuban government tour boats without equipping them with proper sewage treatment tanks? How healthy can it be, environmentally speaking, to flush raw human wastes right into the Caribbean Sea? Read “Three Sisters Swim with the Feces” below and imagine how you would feel swimming around in this crap. Think about this criminal regime for a second people and the reality becomes crystal clear. The Castro boys cannot part ways with enough of their fortune to even supply milk to children over seven years of age. What do you think the chances are that they are actually purchasing the necessary chemicals and other facilities to safely keep raw boat sewage from contaminating the sea?

Therefore Canadians, besides the land-based hazards that we have already warned you of, you now risk danger even when you go for that swim. Those boats whizzing by are spreading more than just a wake but I’d keep my mouth shut about it – at least while you’re in the ocean. But if you still feel that you have to go to Cuba then don’t go swimming in the sea! Hepatitis can easily be contracted by ingesting raw human sewage while swimming.

Tomás Estrada-Palma

Three Sisters Swim With the Feces

Three Sisters
Swim With
the Feces

Brisas del Caribe - Varadero Kim
March 2007

BRISAS DEL CARIBE in Varadero Cuba & Catamaran tour “Cruisers del Sol”
Trip taken February 17 – 24, 2007
Travelers: 3 sisters go on a nightmare

Between my sister’s and I, we have vacationed at different resorts in Varadero Cuba intermittently over the last decade thus have a realistic idea what to expect regarding the service and food. Conquest Vacations Inc. has BRISAS DEL CARIBE in Varadero Cuba is listed as a 4 star. This classification should be changed to a zero star. The actual facilities were average, the rooms were musty, swollen, & water damaged although everything functioned properly in the hotel room. As well, anyone with a walking handicap would not find this resort appropriate. The major complaint of this letter is to inform you the service and food was absolutely disgusting. There is the bonus complaint about the excursion tour that had us snorkel in human feces.

NOT AVAILABLE - The a la carte restaurant – completely booked upon our arrival. I do not think the a la carte restaurants were even open the first part of the week. We were told right off – the a la carte was completely booked. Although Thursday before we left we noticed empty tables at the a la carte and when I inquired again on Friday morning, I was firmly told they were booked solid. You should not offer a la carte restaurants if they are NOT available.

NOT AVAILABLE – Imaging being told at a beach resort you are not able to get beach towel until Wednesday. We were told their washer was broken. We knew there was a $15.00 convertible peso fee per towel; however, this beach resort did not have any towels until the 5th day after we arrived.

ROOM CLEANING SERVICE – UNSATISFACTORY.
Our room was fine and we did have three single beds as per our request. Our Bed linens were changed only once the whole vacation– the Friday before we left. My sister had a dirt spot on her pillowcase she kept complaining about, so it was easy to evaluate when the linens were changed. As well, everyday, I had to find cleaning staff to obtain replacement bathroom towels for our room. No bathroom towels of any size were left in our room after they came in to clean the room. The three of us managed to create a ring of sand, sunblock, and soap scum in the bathtub by the end of our vacation because the bathtub was not cleaned once while on our vacation. There was no bottled water supplied in the rooms. The guests were expected to take a water pitcher from their room to the bar and have the pitcher filled with water for their rooms. Just so you know, we left a tip everyday for the maid, it did not matter, our room was barely tidied let alone cleaned.

NO SEATS - BUFFET DINING ROOM
Due to chilly weather Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, the hotel guests [ourselves included] did not want to eat outdoors at the buffet. During the posted buffet mealtimes, there were not enough tables/seats in dining room so tourists had to wait in a line up outside the restaurant. Just so you know, there was space in the dining room with tables and chairs stacked on top of each other pushed against a wall that could have been set for meals. Guests had to be in the dining upon opening to ensure they were able to eat, as the dining room did not put out additional food after 9:00pm and they frequently closed early.

NO SUITABLE FOOD - INEDIBLE
The food at this resort was terrible for all the travelers staying at this resort.

The beach café – offered dry pre cooked hamburger patties or they deep-fried the wieners for your hotdog. There was a grill right there but it was never used. The buffet dining room, once you got a seat – it was extremely difficult to find something not sitting in a vat of grease. The food was 85% absolutely inedible. Breakfast - Bacon was sitting in 3 inches of grease; scrambled eggs quarter cooked, even the omelet bar, the omelets were still runny inside. The other things around the buffet were unidentifiable. The only edible thing we could eat was hard boiled eggs and bread. The fruit juice was great. There was also no regular tea – they only provided green tea, chamomile, and mint tea. Absolutely no earl grey or orange pekoe – nothing for the real tea drinker. The lunch buffet was worse, over cooked pasta all dried out, dry fish or greasy hamburger with peppers mash, mashed potatoes, white yams, rice. Dinner was dreadful, the gourmet section, often I would wait in line for 30 minutes to receive a pork fat with a little wedge of pork. That was the alternative to over done pasta, and the vat of lard with browned hamburger meat or the chicken legs submerged in fat. I cannot count the amount of tourist that left the buffet table [myself included] with a plate of mash potatoes or rice with black beans. The bread bar was always very busy as that was fresh and one of the few things that could be eaten. The food was very poor. Not even close to a 2 star, let alone a 4 star – it was ridiculous!!! I have been to 3’s star in Cuba with better food and variety.

NO CUC’s - The CUC is a controlled currency which means travelers can’t exchange their money in Canada. Now this controllable Cuban peso is stronger than the US dollar.???!!! Give me a break! Just so you know, the CUC exchange is only available at the airport. Just to give you an idea of the real exchange - $520.00 Cdn dollars = $397.20 CUC. Please don’t get me started about how the ‘banko’ at the resort never had money to exchange for the tourists. The resort should not advertise a bank onsite when it never has money.

Conquest rep – he was good although because you cannot exchange your CDN dollars at the resort bank – your excursions get an extra service charge on your credit card statement plus the exchange rate CDN to CUC because they prefer cash! So the price is never what you expect to pay. All excursions are priced in CUC’s.
We booked an excursion through our Conquest Representative. – A Catamaran tour “Cruisers del Sol” on Friday February 23, 2007. We were elated to get away from the hideous food at the resort. The Catamaran tour we chose included snorkeling, stop at an island with lunch, and a swim with the dolphins.
We were issued flippers, PFD’s, masks and snorkels – which were washed in a soapy solution. Our tour group was instructed to exit the catamaran from the back and stay within two floating life preservers. It felt tight considering the amount of people in the stipulated area. My sisters and I were taking in the fantastic coral & tropical fish when a group of people in front of us started thrashing around and screamed there was “s**t” and “toilet paper” in the water. Then another group of snokelers stopped snorkeling, feet straight down, and ran in the water toward the catamaran with shouts of “stool floating in the water”. I swallowed a huge gulp of water from the snorkel’s top end when something floated by my face and I turned enough to be looking at a huge nugget of excrement! I was in a very large toilet – with toilet paper unraveling and breaking apart all around me. It was the opinion of some of the other snorkelers’ that someone from the catamaran flushed the toilets into the ocean as we were snorkeling on purpose. I am not sure if catamarans have a grey water/ black water tank system and if they do, this was done intentionally. It is common knowledge; you can get Hepatitis {A & B’s} from oral consumption of human feces, as it is full of bacteria. That does not come close to the ‘yuck’ factor and how incensed I am that such a thing could happen. This whole feces incident happened within one minute and will haunt me for the rest of my life The mood back on the catamaran was chaos then everyone went silent. WE all felt violated by the excrement. We did the island thing, it was nice, the food was crap, but much better than anything we had all week at the resort. Just so you know, this tour cost about $100.00 per person Canadian. Plus the additional $10.00 per person to go into another tank and hold the dolphins fins to be pulled in a circle.

Horrendous food, bad cleaning service, and the floating feces ruined our whole trip. I plan to tell my experience to everyone I can think of so Conquest Vacations Inc., BRISAS DEL CARIBE, and the tour company are accountable for their lack of health and welfare of their travelers. It was suppose to be a vacation not a nightmare!
I think it is time to update your star listing and worry about the damage that has been done by this hotel and tour group.

Cuba used to be a fun inexpensive place for Canadians to vacation. In the last decade, Cuba resort’s food was fine, not gourmet, but satisfactory with enough variety to always be able to fine something suitable to eat. The rooms were clean, the ocean very beautiful and the excursions were interesting. That is not the case with this last vacation.

Cuba vacation’s dollar value is now comparable to other Islands factoring in the CUC but they cannot compare to the food or service that other island’s offer to travelers. If Conquest plans to sell Cuba vacation packages - considering the CUC is higher than the US dollar - Conquest needs to re-evaluate their star system. Absolutely nothing about this vacation was even close to four stars.

Top of Page
Brisas del Caribe - Varadero Denise ~ Canada
March 2007

Can we ever trust Nolitours again! According to them this resort has a four star rating! It was an extremely poor excuse for a three - I would be inclined to give it a 2 1/2. Don't get me wrong, I fully realize that Cuban star ratings tend to be generous. However, this was ridiculous. No one could have a hot or even warm shower. Our patio door lock had broken off - it took over 36 hours to have it repaired. Despite repeated requests for a wooden stick or bar to secure, the room we had to put up with an unsecured room until it was finally fixed. The place was badly short staffed. Shortages of everything abounded - not enough tables in cafeteria, not enough servers, not enough patio chairs. And saving the best (actually the worst for last) the food was extremely poor. I know, we all say don't go to Cuba for the food. However, let me just describe it via my father-in-law who was in our group. He is the only person that I have ever known who compliments hospital meals. He'll talk in glowing terms about this hospital or that and the wonderful food that he had.

His opinion of the food at this resort - by and large it wasn't edible. He frequently had trouble finding acceptable food to eat! My advice don't go to this resort unless you would be happy in a poorly kept two-star. It needs major renovation, more amenities, more staff, better quality of food and major re-landscaping oceanside. Only positive the grounds behind the main building are lovely and beautifully tended.

This is a Cubacan resort - which to me means it is Cuban owned and operated. We love the Cuban people, go there frequently and do a lot of humanitarian work for their benefit. We paid top dollar for this resort. Unfortunately, unless the powers that be pick up their socks dramatically they are hurting themselves because they will not get repeat guests. In the opinion of most of the people we spoke to while their, no one will go back there again.

___________________________________________

Tomas Estrada-Palma

Chicago Mike

Chicago Mike

Last night’s Cuba Exposed BlogTalkradio show was a bit interesting thanks to Chicago Mike. He came on so soon in the show before we had even discussed anything political that it makes me wonder if he was just an agent provocateur for Raul Castro. He began by pointing out that we have poverty here in America too, as if I didn’t realize this fact. I agreed but pointed out that 99% of the Cuban population was in poverty but then he digressed into a discussion of the Federal Reserve, to which I agreed that they were a huge part of the poverty problem in America. My constant agreement with Mike finally exasperated him enough to make him snap and pull the race card as well as call me “boy.” Actually that part felt kind of nice for it’s been decades since that sweet word passed by my ears meant for me. “Boy!” He next demanded to know who was responsible for this conspiracy. But it was mere rhetoric as his insinuation was that this was a white conspiracy and since I look white I would know all about this cabal of Caucasians. Obviously Mike has not seen my checking account or the fleet of smoke-wagons I struggle to keep running. But I wasn’t going for that journey and immediately questioned if Mike supported Castro. Mike grew very quiet so I asked if he knew that Castro burned Martin Luther King’s book and banned it in Cuba as subversive. Well…Mike was out-of-there and not a minute too soon for his sake because about that time in rings Alex from Ya No Mas. And speaking of boy…boy was he fired up! He went right for “Mikee’s” jugular for about five or ten minutes daring him to call back. Alas Mikee declined the challenge. A pity…

This was an excellent example of why Raul is doomed. In the past they shouted “worms” and we were powerless to respond because everyone was watching TV controlled by elite media snobs who were suckered by the Castro regime big-time or even worse…complicit. Now when they say so much as “peep” we can respond ruthlessly with the truth about the evil which they have done and continue to perpetrate even today. We now occupy the information high ground and everyday their side is gagged by their own evil deeds that they don’t want discussed over the airwaves. So it’s best to not even get Alex going!

After a bit Alex chills out somewhat and brings on Clark from Michigan who is an American student member of a group fighting against tyrants like the Castro boys. He recently held a symposium and talk about the dastardly, cowardly Castro regime which he said was received very positively by the student body. We convinced him to begin his own BlogTalkradio show and he was going to do it he assured us. So Mikee activated another information hydra and the number grows larger each day. Now it is IMPOSIBLE to do a search on the Internet about Cuba without coming to our sites first. By the time anyone gets past the shock of the real Cuba then what is available on the pro Castro sites is righteously ignored. They have no compassion, credibility or credit. We have the truth and virtuous, righteous hopes for Cuba. Do you see now why I feel so sure the regime’s days are numbered in months not years? We have successfully tripped the tyrant giant at the perfect time when he was weakened and losing strength fast. Now that he is reeling we ALL must give him that final big push. How?

1. NO MONEY TO CUBA NOW. RELATIVES WILL NOT DIE IN THESE NEXT MONTHS BUT WILL EVENTUALLY DIE PREMETURELY IF THIS REGIME SURVIVES MORE THAN A FEW MONTHS.
2. NO REGIME DISINFORMATION GOES UNCHALLENGED WITHOUT CUBAN LETTERS, EMAILS AND PHONE CALLS.
3. CONTACT THE LIST OF BANNED COMPANIES TO REMIND THEM TO CUT THEIR LOSSES AND CUT A DEAL WITH US NOW OR LOSE EVERYTHING LATER.
4. KEEP WARNING TOURISTS THAT GOING TO CUBA NOW IS UNWISE BECAUSE AT LEAST THEY WILL HAVE A BAD TIME AND AT WORSE THEY MAY DIE.
5. REACH OUT TO CUBANS ON THE ISLAND AND ASSURE THEM THAT WE WILL RUSH INTO CUBA THE SECOND RAUL AND HIS HENCHMEN ARE GONE TO BRING THEM WHAT THEY NEED IMMEDIATELY LIKE FOOD, MEDICINE AND SANITARY SUPPLIES. EXPLAIN THAT WE WILL SHOW THEM SOME AMAZING THINGS THAT WILL TRANSFORM THEIR LIVES FOR THE BETTER.

Get busy Cubans! That machine you’re sitting in front of now can be used for other stuff besides dating and shopping…which I suppose IS a form of dating. But be that as it may you have a deadly weapon right there so put it to good use my friends. Let no slight go unchallenged amigos!

Tomás Estrada-Palma

Owners and Renters

Owners and Renters

A good measure of prosperity within any particular nation is the percentage of home ownership. The reason is simple. It is because the percentage of your workday labor that goes towards your housing cost is eventually recouped when you sell your property. The renter receives none of his labor back and in some places like the US, the landlord/homeowners receive the tax write-off but the usually poorer renter receives nothing. The effect is the renter’s labor is being used by the homeowner to buy and maintain the owner’s investment. Poor renters are spending half or more of their labor output for this vital human need. Exasperating this situation is the urban housing available is reduced drastically by tax law that places a high tax on the house but little tax on the land value itself. So the high building tax adds to the purchase price over what the poor can afford while the low land value tax permits the land baron speculator class to hoard land until the price skyrockets. Then they sell high just before the crash; lock in the middleclass with inflated mortgages, allowing the barons to snap up four times more property available from foreclosure. The icing on this foul cake is the income tax that provides a generous subsidy for going into debt. But once the principle has been paid down and the interest payment is less then the IRS grabs more of your labor. So after five years or so you must sell your home to get into another mortgage along with the interest deduction. Neighborhoods are ripped apart every five years and people wonder why nobody knows their neighbor. And all this falls in the backdrop of the income tax which snatches at least a third of an individual’s workday labor right off the top. But the richer you are the smaller the percentage of your labor output seized by income tax because it can be invested in tax shelters while the poor must use the small percentage of their remaining labor output to eat and drink, seek medical care, clothing, etc.

This income tax monster has grown so large now that it forces both the mother and father into the workplace to support the above perverse economic scheme. So juvenile delinquency soars alone with drug abuse and violence. Test scores continue to plunge because before you can teach a child you must teach them how to behave. Naturally the people cry out for more government to protect them from the results of this stupid government tax policy and government is always happy to take on this responsibility along with a greater and greater share of your labor output.

Adding to the woes of the above wage slaves is the mechanism used to exchange human labor output (the dollar) is manipulated by the rich banker/land baron class. They constantly printout extra labor output units (those very same dollars) which means the value of our labor output units declines as the money is inflated. So we demand higher wages to allow us to have the same labor output purchasing power as before but that shoves us into a higher tax bracket. It has been almost 100 years since 1913 when these crooks figured out how to broker this free range slave setup. Now the Internet provides the final piece necessary to easily track slaves and measure their labor output for extraction.

Still, even this slave labor tax setup for the benefit of the lazy elite allows for most to survive. Compare this to Cuba. In Cuba there is one main landlord/owner, Raul, and a small percentage of elite in the military and civilian upper echelon. The vast majority of Cubans rent. Because no one owns their home they have little or no incentive to maintain the property. It makes no sense to fix the roof and not eat if you don’t own the house. Complicating the misery of the average Cuban is he is forbidden to invest his personal labor output for his own benefit. He can only create wealth for the state. And who is the state? Why it’s Raul and those very same elites who can negotiate capital investments as well as decide how ALL the labor output and investment profits can be spent. This is why these elites have the nicest houses complete with working roofs and real toilet paper.

Like all other governments Cuba also inflates its money supply to make the peso virtually worthless. So because wealth cannot be conjured up from thin air, there is little or nothing to buy in the peso stores but anything you want in the dollar stores where both the Cuban government and the customers must pay up front using more reliable, stable and valuable dollars, pounds or euros.

So I’ve been wondering why things are the way they are. Why do people in Cuba and the US put up with these schemes that clearly do not benefit them and very much benefit the small percentage of the elite? Then I realized that the average guy does not understand how this unfair system works. This is why I take my time to try to explain to you clearly how it operates. My hope is that if enough of you understand how we are ALL being screwed then it will change. Thereafter the vast majority of people will get wealthier and we will all live in a more peaceful world.

Tomás Estrada-Palma