That exact argument is made in some places. Bernie’s problem is that he kind of bends over backwards to find things to admire in brutal dictatorships, as long as they are left-wing brutal dictatorships. I’ve been to Cuba. What people there will tell you is that the country is good socially (good education system, good health-care system) but a disaster economically and oppressive politically. People beg on the street for soap. I can’t remember how many times I asked our Cuban guide about some architecturally striking but decayed building and elicited the response “nationalized and abandoned.” It was almost a chant. It’s hard to have a boat in Cuba because the government is scared that the owner will use it to flee the country. Some of this is our fault, of course, because of the long-stupid trade embargo. On the other hand, as our guide said, “if the Soviets couldn’t get this to work, how can we?” Everybody hated Fidel, and everybody wanted change. At the same time, nobody wanted to undo the revolution, because everybody knew Batista was worse. I was there shortly after Obama’s visit, which raised Cubans’ hopes for a better future. They still like us, amazingly. A restoration of the new course Obama had plotted would be a bright spot in any new administration. I would like to go back to a Cuba where the locals could get food as good as what the tourists eat (which by and large isn’t that special).
That exact argument is made in some places. Bernie’s problem is that he kind of bends over backwards to find things to admire in brutal dictatorships, as long as they are left-wing brutal dictatorships. I’ve been to Cuba. What people there will tell you is that the country is good socially (good education system, good health-care system) but a disaster economically and oppressive politically. People beg on the street for soap. I can’t remember how many times I asked our Cuban guide about some architecturally striking but decayed building and elicited the response “nationalized and abandoned.” It was almost a chant. It’s hard to have a boat in Cuba because the government is scared that the owner will use it to flee the country. Some of this is our fault, of course, because of the long-stupid trade embargo. On the other hand, as our guide said, “if the Soviets couldn’t get this to work, how can we?” Everybody hated Fidel, and everybody wanted change. At the same time, nobody wanted to undo the revolution, because everybody knew Batista was worse. I was there shortly after Obama’s visit, which raised Cubans’ hopes for a better future. They still like us, amazingly. A restoration of the new course Obama had plotted would be a bright spot in any new administration. I would like to go back to a Cuba where the locals could get food as good as what the tourists eat (which by and large isn’t that special).