Coming from a small island whose political future is yet to be determined, I like to keep myself updated with what”s going on with my island”s neighbors and their ways of handling politics.
A couple of days ago, I came across an article that announced that the 2005 Cuban ban prohibiting multiple electronic devices had been lifted. I am aware that because of Cuba”s political status, being part of a socialist regimen, the government has great say in one”s life, but I never imagined that it would be to this extent.
For those who aren”t very familiar with socialism, it is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and co-operative management of the economy. In Cuba”s specific case, guided mainly by the principles of Jos? Mart?, and the political ideas of Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels and Vladimir Lenin. Their present Constitution also ascribes the role of the Communist Party of Cuba to be the leading force of society and of the state and as such it has the capability of setting national policy.
It”s this amount of unquestionable power what let Cuban authorities banned, in 2005, the import of any electronic equipment considered high consumption, due to strong energy crisis lived on the island in 2004 and began the “Energy Revolution” program led by President Fidel Castro.
For starters, it took me by surprise to learn that in the 21st century things like this are still happening.
Not having a coffee maker might not be such a big deal, even a microwave is something that one can survive without, but a refrigerator, that”s necessary. I wonder how the decision of regulating the amount of electronic devices in a home affected the population”s health. I am not necessarily an expert when it comes to science but if there”s one thing that we all know is that when meat is not properly refrigerated it will instantly become a bacteria nest.
But while here I am stressing about them not having some of these appliances, many Cubans live happily there. They learn the value of what they have and not necessarily about what they don”t. And then here we are living with luxuries, huge refrigerators, and yell when the microwave is not as fast as it used to be. We have so many things while others don”t and still live happily, and yet, we complain.
Kathia Yar? is the community/ Internet news coordinator for Lake County Publishing. She can be reached at 263-5636, ext. 39, or by email at kyari@record-bee.com. Follow her on Twitter @KathiaYari_PUR.
