StageLeft
No Lifer
- Sep 29, 2000
- 70,150
- 5
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Weird first post. I went to varadero for my honeymoon and cuba was as expected: A festering @*#(ing sh*thole. The beach was pristine (any beach is), the people were thinner than in the US (but the same can be said in many places--including Croatia, a place that really is nice on the coast), but the trip from the airport to the hotel was quite interesting. We saw some new cars, many old ones from the 50's. We saw what looked like starving cows. Plenty of dillapidated houses/hovels. We went into a small town one time and I didn't quite feel comfortable there, like I was looking forward to getting back to the hotel (I have been to a dozen countries and probably haven't felt quite that way in any of the others). Our hotel was a high quality one but lacked an ice machine. Moreover, we got robbed on the way out in the airport (our luggage was ransacked and looted by airport workers)--something that is so common in Cuba that it's actually documented on the official Canadian government site for tourism to Cuba. It says to watch your stuff. I wish I'd found that before I left.
I will never return. The place is very poor. Our hotel was fine, but I felt bad for the people and I'm permanently embittered by the systemic theft at the airport. In fact, relatives of ours have had that happen on an occasion and I believe even more than one.
The place is very poor. Don't let the hot sun fool you; it's no paradise there at all.
EDIT: I just read some of your first posts, Sickbeast, and can say with total confidence that you are either a troll (in which case there's hope) or a complete and utter, unapologetically obscene moron. You'd rather live there than under Bush's rule, they live quite well, their apartments are as nice as Toronto...are you really this stupid? Surely not. There's nothing worse than some globally ignorant twit who goes on vacation to a country, sees a tiny part of it and suddenly falls in love with it. It's really a disgusting display of stupidity. Would you also go on a tourist trip to Nigeria, see its nice parts and then decry that it's really a pretty cool place and worth immigrating to? If you really think that Cuba is such a nice place, you should be summarily booted out of Canada and forced to live there or in some other backwater third world dump of a nation, because that's all Cuba is if we're going to be honest about it. Their economy is a farce (agree that the embargo is useless, though), their political system is worse (I guess being a political prisoner sounds like fun to you?), access to goods is crap. What good is an education if you're a towel boy? 0% unemployment (actually 1.9%)? Do you think going to your crap job will make up for the fact that the per capita GDP is $4000 (1/8th Canada)? If you like Cuba, why not North Korea? Dear Leader's approval ratings are higher than Bush's and Stephen Harper's combined, I bet!
Some of the comments here by whackos are really insane. You people are such disrepspectful pecks, no appreciation at all for the country in which you live. We're absolutely blessed beyond compare to live in a first world nation and here you are pretending that it's hardly better (even worse if one is under Bush) than a third world one. It not only shows you're unworthy of where you live now, and should probably be shipped off to a gulag in North Korea for some reducation, but also belittles the trials and tribulations of people who have to live in these countries, who have to fight for basic necessities, lack the ability to express their political desires, lack the money that you have to go on vacation and who lack a sense of hope. Why don't you book a ticket to Mogadishu and then you can come back telling us now beautiful the waters are there and how friendly the people are and that Somalia seems like a nice place to live.
Your society has failed you. It's not entirely your fault. The various conflicting influences of political polarization and politically correct thinking and cultural relavisim force fed you in your schools has had a contributing influence on your skewed way of thinking. Nonetheless, it is you who has to bear this level of inate idiocy day to day and I fear that you lack the tools with which to rectifiy this, but we were all young once and all lacked wisdom, so in time perhaps you will grow out of this phase of imbecility.
I will never return. The place is very poor. Our hotel was fine, but I felt bad for the people and I'm permanently embittered by the systemic theft at the airport. In fact, relatives of ours have had that happen on an occasion and I believe even more than one.
The place is very poor. Don't let the hot sun fool you; it's no paradise there at all.
I'm trying to be nice about this, but that statement is so patently ignorant as to actually be offensive. Are you stupid? Do you think people are sailing to Florida on trucks with pontoons for fun? The place is incredibly poor. The towel guy at our hotel had an engineering degree. And you'd immigrate? Stupid!
EDIT: I just read some of your first posts, Sickbeast, and can say with total confidence that you are either a troll (in which case there's hope) or a complete and utter, unapologetically obscene moron. You'd rather live there than under Bush's rule, they live quite well, their apartments are as nice as Toronto...are you really this stupid? Surely not. There's nothing worse than some globally ignorant twit who goes on vacation to a country, sees a tiny part of it and suddenly falls in love with it. It's really a disgusting display of stupidity. Would you also go on a tourist trip to Nigeria, see its nice parts and then decry that it's really a pretty cool place and worth immigrating to? If you really think that Cuba is such a nice place, you should be summarily booted out of Canada and forced to live there or in some other backwater third world dump of a nation, because that's all Cuba is if we're going to be honest about it. Their economy is a farce (agree that the embargo is useless, though), their political system is worse (I guess being a political prisoner sounds like fun to you?), access to goods is crap. What good is an education if you're a towel boy? 0% unemployment (actually 1.9%)? Do you think going to your crap job will make up for the fact that the per capita GDP is $4000 (1/8th Canada)? If you like Cuba, why not North Korea? Dear Leader's approval ratings are higher than Bush's and Stephen Harper's combined, I bet!
Your ignorance is unforgiveable. Did you not look out the window in your bus? I actually felt a bit guilty with more money in my pocket, at the age of 23, than most of these people in their shanties had for a month, knowing that I was going to a beach and be pampered and then back to a first world nation.
Some of the comments here by whackos are really insane. You people are such disrepspectful pecks, no appreciation at all for the country in which you live. We're absolutely blessed beyond compare to live in a first world nation and here you are pretending that it's hardly better (even worse if one is under Bush) than a third world one. It not only shows you're unworthy of where you live now, and should probably be shipped off to a gulag in North Korea for some reducation, but also belittles the trials and tribulations of people who have to live in these countries, who have to fight for basic necessities, lack the ability to express their political desires, lack the money that you have to go on vacation and who lack a sense of hope. Why don't you book a ticket to Mogadishu and then you can come back telling us now beautiful the waters are there and how friendly the people are and that Somalia seems like a nice place to live.
Your society has failed you. It's not entirely your fault. The various conflicting influences of political polarization and politically correct thinking and cultural relavisim force fed you in your schools has had a contributing influence on your skewed way of thinking. Nonetheless, it is you who has to bear this level of inate idiocy day to day and I fear that you lack the tools with which to rectifiy this, but we were all young once and all lacked wisdom, so in time perhaps you will grow out of this phase of imbecility.
I'm just offended by unapologetic ignorance and the fact that after many posts some people are still pretending that Cuba is little more than quaint beaches and consists of a happy populous who goes to their nice job and comes home and drinks margaritas all evening.
Having made friends with a Cuban I can assure you your experience is far from the normal existence for most Cubans. His parents put him on a little raft during the Mariel boat lift because he was about to be forced into military duty as a young teen. For this act government agents came to his parents house and almost beat his mother to death while making his father and the rest of the children watch.
They were given monthly coupons for food, if it didn't last, oh well, and it was never enough. If you were found to trade with others the punishment was swift and severe. See anyone digging through garbage for extra food or did they make sure that wasn't part of your vacation? Any idea what rat tastes like, my friend can tell you if you wish. He would have been dealt with harshly if he had been found eating one, but sometimes those extra luxurys can't be passed. His brother was imprisioned for climbing a tree for fruit on "Castro's" land, fruit that would never have been harvested. I could go on and there are plenty of similar documented stories but why bother,you have made your own opinion.
Iraq was stable before we deposed Saddam? 10-15k people dying each month during sanctions alone due solely to Saddam's neglect and corruption within the UN food for oil program. The rest of world was more than happy to let that continue, thank god the US took action. We could use some help stabilizing Iraq now but considering the "help" that was already displayed during sanctions, no thanks. Btw, the insurgents have killed and targeted far more Iraqis than American GIs.
You always have to take a canucks view of America with a laugh, given their well documented inferiority complex concerning the US. He follows the same path the rest normally travel in his discourse, interesting as well as comical.
They were given monthly coupons for food, if it didn't last, oh well, and it was never enough. If you were found to trade with others the punishment was swift and severe. See anyone digging through garbage for extra food or did they make sure that wasn't part of your vacation? Any idea what rat tastes like, my friend can tell you if you wish. He would have been dealt with harshly if he had been found eating one, but sometimes those extra luxurys can't be passed. His brother was imprisioned for climbing a tree for fruit on "Castro's" land, fruit that would never have been harvested. I could go on and there are plenty of similar documented stories but why bother,you have made your own opinion.
Iraq was stable before we deposed Saddam? 10-15k people dying each month during sanctions alone due solely to Saddam's neglect and corruption within the UN food for oil program. The rest of world was more than happy to let that continue, thank god the US took action. We could use some help stabilizing Iraq now but considering the "help" that was already displayed during sanctions, no thanks. Btw, the insurgents have killed and targeted far more Iraqis than American GIs.
You always have to take a canucks view of America with a laugh, given their well documented inferiority complex concerning the US. He follows the same path the rest normally travel in his discourse, interesting as well as comical.
Sure man, that's why you have many of your own citizens making movies about how much better Canada is (healthcare, crime, gun control, poverty, education, quality of life).
The only complex we have is the fear that you guys might take us over one day. I personally am opposed to NAFTA and feel that we need a new trading partner. The US has not been fair when it comes to softwood lumber or oil. The treaty makes no sense. We should not have to provide the US oil before we provide ourselves oil.
The mods will be reading this. You really need to learn to be more willing to understand that everyone has a right to their opinion. Your response to mine makes it seem as though you would be happy to live in a society which lack free speech.
LMAO, right on cue, and so predictable. It's ok brother I understand, done the research, been down this road before with many a canuck. One day your fellow men will put down this silly inferiority complex with America and thankfully you won't feel the need to bash the US. You just need to develop an identity of your own, it will happen, someday....
I agree we could use better healthcare, but we have to pay for our defense and YOURS. Maybe if you had to do that as well, you might not have free health care. Maybe if we didn't have to pay for yours we would, who knows. I will still take our system rather than be taxed that much though, we still get off cheaper and have superior services in the long run. Why do so many Canadians come to the US for surgery?
Wish I still had the link to the thread showing how much more violent Canadians are, especially crimes against women. Their response to that is epic
Your response to mine makes it seem as though you would be happy to live in a society which lack free speech.
Pretty sure Skorb is a Canadian living in America. He makes some valid points though. While I am sure everyone here appreciated seeing the pretty pictures of Cuba many are more than aware that those pictures, and your experience there, were hardly representative of the "real" Cuba. When presented with that however, you became defensive and began to attack instead of taking a moment to consider their opinions, experiences, and first hand accounts. Of course you quickly began making comments and assumptions about America and Americans, but as stated, I knew that would happen and why ^^^^^^^^^^.
StageLeft
No Lifer
- Sep 29, 2000
- 70,150
- 5
- 0
You do have a right to your opinion (because you live in Canada. If you lived in Cuba, you'd not have a right to it unless it was pro-Castro).
But, though you have a right to an opinion doesn't make it right. I said you should spend time in a North Korean gulag not because your opinion is different but because it would be a good learning lesson for you. It really was done out of love. I obviously appreciate the merits of free speech more than you, since I love living in a country that allows it. You, on the other hand don't really care about it, hence the comment that it could be a nice place to immigrate to.
Anyway, many Canadians may not have an inferiority complex per se, but it is part of many's national identity to hate America, just as it's a (far less exercised) pastime of Americans to hate the French (though they do it from a more jocular perspective, I feel). Canadians are, I feel (and granted, many don't care and don't fit into this) upset that they are right next to America and yet America gets all the attention. Far more Canadians immigrate to the US than the other way around. And anyway, Canadians and Americans are probably more alike each other than most any other two countries on the planet. We drive the same cars, watch the same tv shows, eat the same food, listen to the same music, vacation in the same areas. Stop hatin'!
Alright, I admit defeat here.
I requested that this thread be locked/deleted some time ago.
I am outnumbered 10:1, and there is no way I can legitimately defend myself against such a barrage. I find it unfortunate that there are 10 people willing to flame me for every person that's willing to speak out against the insults directed toward me.
Please accept my sincerest apologies if I offended anyone; the response to this thread has been overwhelming.
Essentially, I am again requesting an end to the personal attacks.
I requested that this thread be locked/deleted some time ago.
I am outnumbered 10:1, and there is no way I can legitimately defend myself against such a barrage. I find it unfortunate that there are 10 people willing to flame me for every person that's willing to speak out against the insults directed toward me.
Please accept my sincerest apologies if I offended anyone; the response to this thread has been overwhelming.
Essentially, I am again requesting an end to the personal attacks.
StageLeft
No Lifer
- Sep 29, 2000
- 70,150
- 5
- 0
SickBeast, this issue for you is greater than Cuba or some debate on AT. A locking can insulate you from discord in a single thread but not help illuminate you and apparently 200+ posts have not been able to, either. That's what you should be focusing on, not some personal attacks. I wish you the best of luck.
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