Another day. Another Twitter controversy.
Apparently the new Miss Universe from South Africa has sparked a discussion.
An "influencer" stated that racism in this country is a thing of the past and there's more prejudice than actual discrimination. I am not going to waste my time with this argument and this wannabe journalist. My question is different.
Most people replying her tweet complaining about racism were black but with a very dark skin tone. I've faced racism but not the point that I'm not admitted to a restaurant or denied service. I only remember once incident at a store years ago.
I'm clearly black but my skin tone is not very dark and when most people look at me they see a "mixed person" which is true because my mother has mostly Spanish and Portuguese ancestry. Hell, my grandpa's sister had light brown hair and blue eyes. And I remember people saying things that could be considered racist in front of me because they consider me more mulatto or mestizo than black. It's weird.
The point is that it seems that in countries with noticeable black populations there are different levels of blackness where the darker-skinned people receive the worst part.
Similar questions have been asked before but in this case I'd like to know the opinion from people from these countries that have noticeable black population. However, everyone is invited to the conversation.
In the year 2020, Cuba is on the cusp of change. Raul Castro, who had declared he would step down from the role of President in 2018 did not honor that vow, but states he will serve a second term and leave the office in 2024.
The Cuban economy, growing due to the growth of the public sector (up to 22% of the economy, from less than 10% just 3 decades ago!) is on the edge of breaking out of the crippling restrictions of the American Embargo.
While the Workers Party of Cuba continues to hold uncontested power in the country, the knowledge of the outside world trickles in, and the people of Cuba seek to have the wealth and lifestyle they see on smuggled movies and television.
Travel restrictions, lifted in 2013, have had 10's of thousands of Cubans traveling outside of Cuba, and then returning with new ideas and visions of how best to live in this island workers paradise.
To be sure, the economy is small, the military is weak, and the government is hindered by it's own ideology, but that too may change, as the changes under Raul Castro continue to reverberate and cast a wide ripple in the great pond that is the Caribbean.
Even though the Dominican Republic shares the same island as Haiti, I canβt think of any Haitian players in the MLB but there are dozens of Dominicans. And Cuba claims a strong baseball culture and itβs just a short skip across the Caribbean. Is there a cultural difference? Did Americans not try to share baseball there or did the Haitians just not take to the game?
#Financial Report of the Republic of Western Cuba Regional Territories Spring 2041
##Western Cuba Regions - Economic Standings
| Region | Population | % of Total Population | GDP of region | Primary Product |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Havana | 1,928,518 | 26.2% | $9,609,668,288 | Pharmaceutical products and Unspecified Commodities |
| Pinar del Rio | 1,234,993 | 16.7% | $6,125,246,581 | Farm products and Tobacco |
| Nueva Gerona | 921,218 | 12.5% | $4,584,765,405 | Fish and Seafood Products |
| Mantanzas | 1,489,102 | 20.24% | $7,423,652,144 | Tobacco and Sugar |
| Santa Clarita | 952,503 | 12.9% | $4,731,477,897 | Tobacco, Sugar, and Other Farm Products |
| Sancti Spiritus | 899,827 | 12.2% | $4,474,731,035 | Nickel, Coal, and Some REMs |
Alongside the [official establishment of the United Territories of West Cuba] (https://www.reddit.com/r/worldpowers/comments/6391so/news_united_territories_of_western_cuban_report/), the office of Secretary Ramirez releases this financial report of the United Territories of Western Cuba. Development and renovation of new and old ports, respectively, in the Havana and Pinar del Rio regions will be prioritized in the Infrastructure Bill which will be voted on by the Senate within the following weeks. Railways and highways connecting eastern territories such as Santa Clarita or Sancti Spiritus will also be constructed and renovated in order to provide improved trade and transport connections.
- Office of Rodrigo Ramirez, Secretary of the Treasury of West Cuba
For any you that have been to both, which do you prefer and why?
[Given that the area around Illinois was a little over-crowded, I thought it might be an idea to reclaim somewhere else that's not quite so dense.]
Union of Cuba
The Union of Cuba is a state located on the Cuban Archipelago. Its capital, and largest city, is Santa Clara, located on the eponymous Isla Clara. Other major Islands composing the archipelago are Nuevo Habana, La Guira, Camaguey and Guantanamo (over which the Union exercises currently only nominal control). According to its constitution the Union of Cuba is a free and democratic republic with enshrined protections for human rights and freedom of the press.
Government
The Union of Cuba is official a democratic republic. However, it operates under a perpetual State of Emergency that has not been lifted since the Union's founding several decades ago. In practice this means that the state is led by a military Junta. The President has almost always been a member of the military, while a neutered National Assembly provides a Prime Minister, the highest civilian official in the Union.
The only legal party is the 'Rally Nacional' (RN), which is essentially an organ of the military. The National Assembly itself is a unicameral legislature composed of 115 members. By legal mandate, 30 of those seats are appointed to the military, and the RN wins 70-80 more during 'elections', leaving at most a dozen or so independents who represent the weak opposition to military rule.
The military and secret police maintain a quite iron grip upon the state and on public life. Propaganda is commonplace, and the few brave souls that voice their opposition to the government are no strangers to beatings, imprisonments, or worse.
In general the Union of Cuba has taken the shape so familiar to so many 20th century inhabitants of Latin America.
Bananarchy.
Iβm a citizen of the Republic of India, not a clown to perform to the tune of the ringmaster!
In many countries daily press briefings are held to inform the people about the state of preparedness against COVID19. Questions are asked by the Press.
We are being asked to perform antics.
I want to know about availability of PPE for doctors, nurses and health staff.
I want to know how many hospitals, ventilators, ICUs are ready.
I want to know if COVID19 testing will be made accessible and affordable.
I want to know about Govt arrangements to feed the daily wagers, homeless, the unemployed.
I want to know who and how the food and medical needs of the migrant workers are being addressed.
I want to know how farmers will cope with this distress.
I want to know how women will escape domestic violence trapped in their homes.
I want to know what is being done to enable trans persons and sex workers to survive this period of lockdown.
I have many many many more questions for Modi sarkar.
How about the Govt shedding light on these issues? Knowledge and information creates light and spreads βprakashβ!
I repeat, Iβm a citizen of the Republic of India, not a clown to perform to the tune of the ringmaster!
- Vrinda Grover (Lawyer)
I'm an ancom myself, but was wondering about the explanation for this statistic. Please feel free to correct me if I completely misframed the whole thing.
Edit: Here's the source https://youtu.be/n-mUZRP-fpo. I'm aware the video is riddled with BS but I would still like to see some answers.
Edit 2: Thank you for the responses everyone! From what I've gathered, the main reason Cuban doctors earn little money compared to taxi drivers is due to Western imperialism stunting the development of the Cuban economy. Meanwhile, Cuban taxi drivers are earning money from the imperialist countries themselves. On top of this, the difference in pay does not really matter much thanks to the system in place. If anything, this is yet another demonstration of the success of the Cuban system, not a failure.
