Rating: 
Summary: Some people would love to have Batista still in power
Review: Just four words: "FANATICAL HATRED OF FIDEL".Yes, there are A LOT of things to criticize about the communist government in the island. However, when one looks at the landscape left by center-right governments in the rest of Central America... the corruption, the iliteracy, the "open markets without any local development" policies that destroyed industries from Dominican Republic to Haiti, Cuba by comparison can be criticized only on "lack of freedom of speech", on all other accounts, they win by knock-out on all the important counts specially health care and education. That such a small island was able to survive decades of economic sanctions and blockade, it's something to admire. People like Andres Oppenheimer would love to have Batista still in power, applying his "open wide markets" doctrine, that left the rest of central america empoverished.
Rating: 
Summary: I guess we're in the 13th hour
Review: Oppenheimer owes us an updated version of his book explaining why 1992 in fact was not Castro's final hour. The economy has recovered at a rate of around 6% a year since the early nineties. I think Oppenheimer's title betrays a hell of a lot of journalistic hubris.
Rating:
Summary: I guess we're in the 13th hour
Review: Oppenheimer owes us an updated version of his book explaining why 1992 in fact was not Castro's final hour. The economy has recovered at a rate of around 6% a year since the early nineties. I think Oppenheimer's title betrays a hell of a lot of journalistic hubris.
Rating:
Summary: Appalling anti-Castro bull.
Review: Predicting the imminent downfall of communist Cuba is a favoured pastime of ignorant anti-Castro journalists at CNN and other big American news stations. Oppenheimer fails to see that anything was better than the Batista dictatorship which left most Cubans poor and illiterate while rich American tourists enjoyed the beautiful beaches and hotels in Havana. Castro was helping his people, not himself. And while it can be conceded that the withdrawel of Soviet funds was damaging to the Cuban economy, they are in no way decrepid, and have a good strong workforce. In fact, despite Castro's economic problems, he still has enough money and time to fund and work on the rehabilitation of poor economies in Africa, which America doesn't seem to be able to do.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Journalistic Detective Work by Andres Oppenheimer
Review: The fact Andres Oppenheimer was able to gain candid interviews with top Cuban officials is amazing. I first read this book in 1992 when everyone thought the Castro regime would collapse by the end of the year, this was the reason I suspect so many top officials granted interviews, believing the regime was doomed. What has always amazed me about this book is Castro commited a cardinal sin in Latin America by executing an Army General. No dictator that has ever ruled in Latin America would dream of doing such a thing fearing a Military Coup. The fact Generals Ochoa & De Laguardia were executed and there was no uprising in the armed forces shows what is the real power that keeps the regime in power. The DGI and other state spy organizations backed by a nationwide network of informants. It will be interesting to finally learn what the whole Ochoa affair was really about. The Soviets tried to " Pinochet " Mr. Castro with old 1940's Communist Party stalwart Dr. Escalante in 1969, could they have been trying again using General Ochoa?. I think so. Another thing this book shows is what I sense is the spineless behavior of many in the top echelons of the new Cuban political/economic elite. These people schemed and conninved there way to top positions and once they saw the ship starting to sink they began to tell Mr. Oppenheimer tales of The Soviet Union being a country for seals not people and how Russians were all drunks etc. And how they all dreamed of visiting New York. All these people probably got free superb 7 year University educations on the Soviet/Russian people's tab that cost $100,000 when many people in the former USSR were themselves living in Third World Poverty. One thing I never liked about this book is Mr.Oppenheimer makes many assumptions, and makes theories about why this or that happened or why this person probably did that, then tries to present these theories, no matter how probable, as facts. A bit dated today but still a good book on modern Cuba with nice pictures.
Rating:
Summary: The Real Cuba
Review: This an excellent piece of work, which describes the not so well publicized truth behind Castro's Cuba. Drug trafficking, money laundering, state inneficiency, fear, discontent, deceit, and frustration from the people within the island. Its a must read for anyone who intends to understand the reality of Castro's system, how it works, and how its brutal, repressive, but sophisticated apparatus maintains itself gasping for air, but gasping nonetheless.
Rating: 
Summary: I thought ths book was great!
Review: This book really depicts life in Cuba. It may be old but not much has changed. You'd really have to go there and see it for yourself to really judge. Cuba's economic situation has nothing to do with the US embargo or the CIA. Fidel Castro is the only one to blame. Take away the embargo and nothing will change. There is enough tourism from the rest of the world to Cuba to support Castro for a lifetime. His system just simply makes no sense. Taking from the rich to give to the poor is not by any means justifiable. And he may have brought literacy to Cuba but he sure as hell did not bring electricity. Just visit the island and you'll see.
Rating:
Summary: It is just lies.
Review: Well, lets think of what Fidel did, he took money from the rich, gave to the poor, set up free health care, free education, and brought electricity and literacy to Cuba. Oh...but he confiscated some money and supplies from the U.S. and he was Communist. I think he is a great guy, and all the U.S. does is Imbargo his country and try to kill him because he took some money from rich people (who fled to Cuba) and the U.S? He does not derserve the treatment he gets from this book.
Rating:
Summary: American propaganda, anyone?
Review: Why, oh why do "yanquis" keep writing offensive books about Cuba? Any failings in Cuba today can be attributed to American embargo, CIA interferance and so on. When you next think of Cuba, ask yourself this - "Would I rather live here (life expenctancy 74, infant mortality lower than in the US or UK, higher standard of education that the US or UK) or in some Latin American CIA client state where 1,000 people a month are killed by US and US supported agents? For a world trade embargo with the USA, J.W. C.E.O of The MK Ultra Inc.
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