Quote:
Quote by: Domino  It's not difficult, for charity to help a person achieve self-sufficiency. Instead of giving him a fish, you have to both give him a fishing pole, and show him how to use it. Tricksy, but it costs far less by the next day.
Cuba's only problem is America. They could easily trade for everything they need, and rapidly become a prosperous economy, if we'd lift the sanctions. They're already a far more prosperous nation than anyone to whom we give aid. The big difference is that Cuba's an isolated tropical island, whereas we give aid to nations that are stuck out in the middle of a desert, with wars raging all about. |
Oh right, well let's just give out fishing rods to the world then
That principle is right, but is so often spouted with no effective result that it is almost a joke. The complexity of what is needed in the long run is so complicated no one person, or even committee, of people could comprehend it. If they could, socialism would work. The only thing chairities in Africa can do to help, I think, is supporting schools, field clinics and disaster relief. However, it is important not to allow dependance, because the governments of those states will operate on the basis that someone else is taking care of education, so we don't have to.
Do you know what is actually helping in Africa?
Mobile phones. Set up by an African businessman. Not a charity, but a businessman who saw a gap in the market.
Cuba's
only problem is America? So the denial of free speech, the gulags Che set up, the theft of property the moment a private individual makes a success...these are America's doing?
Cuba isn't denied anything by states other than the US. Do you really think the cost of buying anything from Argentina or Venezuala, or Europe, instead of the US is what is crippling Cuba? Crap. What do you think will happen if the US lifts the sanctions? That Cuba will suddenly allow it's entrepeneurs to keep their money and businesses, allow them to expand and become globe straddling companies? No. Because it is an authoritarian socialist state that rapes the property of anyone who does well. That's why Cuba is a mess.