Change Is In the Air

A bit of a news junkie, I periodically peruse foreign news sources for reports regarding the US.

These sources can be quite insightful and forthcoming, often more so than domestic news sources with the added benefit of providing some indication of what foreigners are thinking about the US. Moreover, the ones I watch appear to still have some sense of integrity, something sadly lacking at most American networks.

Late last week a foreign broadcast featured just how much the situation had deteriorated in Cuba. It was later echoed by some domestic news outlets.

As of last Friday, supplies of gasoline and diesel fuel throughout the entire island country were largely exhausted. For any country dependent on fossil fuels, as all industrialized countries are, that is a socio-economic disaster that can quickly lead to a complete breakdown of society – and it is happening.

Without fuel, electrical generating plants begin shutting down and without electricity, almost everything else grinds to a halt. People must then survive without all the modern conveniences.

Without fuel to power vehicles, military personnel and police officers will have to ride horses – at least those that know how. Fire trucks will sit in stations unable to move. Emergency medical personnel will be hamstrung because without electricity hospitals cannot function.

Without fuel and electricity, public services grind to a halt. No trash pickup will inevitably lead to widespread disease, especially in Cuban cities. Without electricity, pumps in municipal water systems will stop and that means the flow of drinking water stops. People will be forced to step centuries backward, boiling water obtained from creeks and streams in an effort to kill harmful bacteria – provided they know the process – and some will not. Without electricity sewage pumps stop and that stuff will back up fast in Cuban cities, spilling untreated sewage everywhere, also leading to widespread disease.

IF this sounds like an apocalypse, it will very likely become one and with Cuba just 90 miles off the US cost we will have a front row seat. The early stages have already started as reports and video clips of the deteriorating situation in Cuba are indicating.

There are those who will say the Cuban situation is President Donald Trump’s fault as he instituted the naval blockade of Cuba, but the situation began decades ago when the island country turned to socialism.

As is happening in this country, socialism was envisioned as a great ideal, creating a classless society. Unfortunately, it is only a great system for those in control. Everyone else living under that rule must work to support the government and those in charge. It is not classless and never was.

Those who believe in socialism will cry that true socialism has never been tried. The truth is that it has been tried – repeatedly — but fails because of the greed and thirst for power of those in charge who do not face fair and honest elections. In Cuba, dissidents protested in the streets. Some were thrown in prison — likely tortured, some were shot and killed in the streets, and other simply disappeared with their fates remaining unknown.

IN this country we have the freedom to disagree with the government and many people do. Our votes can and do change the direction of the country, which recently happened. In socialist countries, including Cuba, people do not have such freedom.

The naval blockade was instituted to bring down the repressive socialist government in Cuban, allowing the people to live free and truly elect leaders.

Cuba was once a very prosperous country and a major tourist attraction. It could be again.

But for that to happen, change must happen, and the Cuban people must be free.

That’s my opinion.

Andy Kober can be reached at andykober@hotmail.com