Andy Garcia On The Cuban Revolution (interview, Hispanic, economy, education)
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H: Besides a student revolt, there is a conspicuous absence of workers and their plight in the movie. Why is that?
AG: The Cuban Revolution was led and financed by the middle class mainly.
A lot of people think the Cuban Revolution was like the Bolshevik Revolution, of peasants. That was not the case. It was an intellectual revolution to restore the constitution and democracy that Batista had abolished. It wasn’t a Marxist, Leninist, or communist revolution. That only happened as a change of direction and as a betrayal of the original ideas once Fidel Castro took power.
H: Do you believe there is also a skewed, romantic vision of Cuba that is predominant outside the island?
AG: Yes, people think of Cuba as a social paradise. They argue that it has free education. Well, yes, only if you call indoctrination free education...
I thought he had an interesting view of the embargo.
Quote:
Also, the problem with an embargo-free Cuba is that it doesn’t solve the problem of Fidel’s embargo over the Cuban people that prevents them from participating in a market economy. The lifting of the embargo wouldn’t directly help the Cuban people. If they can only do business with the government, then how do the Cuban people benefit from that? Why don’t they benefit from the business that Cuba does with European nations? Those countries do business with the Cuban government, but Cuban citizens don’t have access to those business opportunities…
I think this is one of the things that sets Cuba apart from China. The Chinese gov't has allowed for more of it's citizens to participate in trade but the Castro gov't still has it so that all economic activity is handled by the state.
What I find interesting about Cuba is all the cars are American circa 1950s. Evidently, people are not allowed to own cars and so they do not import them. They have become very skilled at repairing the ones they have as taxi cabs. If only the pieces of crap we have to buy today would last like that!
I am impressed that Andy actually cited the truth and didn't parrot that which the hollywood execs would want.
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