Reply #203: That's what's even more apalling about it. [View All]

[joshcryer]

Cuba is a small state that by all accounts could've transitioned into a Third Revolution phase decades ago, and could've been laughing at the rest of the world while it implemented truly liberating policies, instead it held on to autocratic Marxist policies, and is beginning to embrace private property after banning it for so many years.

That said, the Cuban ballot I presented has not been "narrowed down by means of earlier votes and selection procedures." It was "narrowed down" by selection committees, candidate commissions, which vet candidates for the purpose of election. The population has little say in such matters. In the United States and Australia, the candidates are narrowed down by the people at large, and you have some power over the selection of candidates, even if it's party-based.

Many Cuban's who are exiled are indeed upper class, because they can afford to get out (and in some cases have the connections to get a visa to leave), but there have been mass exoduses before, see the "Mariel boatlift" and the "Wet feet, dry feet policy." The reason that I include these people is because once they leave without permission they may never return to Cuba. Anyone who leaves is instantaneously exiled. Period. So while, perhaps, 200k exiles were rich Batista lover or other elites in the Cuban society, the other 800k+ are mere workers or people trying to acquire freedom for themselves.

Almost 125,000 people bailed on their wonderful Cuba during the Mariel boatlift. And around http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_to_the_United_States">16k Cubans come to the United States each year. Cuba ranks 6th on the top 10 countries which migrate their people to the US.

There's a reason Cuba made having a boat illegal. A boat means freedom.