| In 2007, the life expectancies at birth were as follows (World Bank data):
Cuba, 78.26 years;
Latin America and Caribbean, 73.13 years;
United States, 77.99 years.[24] The mortality rates for children under five in 2007 were as follows (World Bank):
Cuba, 6.5;
Latin America and Caribbean, 26.37;
United States, 7.60; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care_in_Cuba#Comparison_... You are right, Cuba is third world poor and they still beat their capitalist neighbors and even the wealthy and powerful US in life expectancy and infant mortality. Cuba does so much with so little because of the radical idea that we are all in this together. Cuba spends $300 per citizen on health care, the US spends $7000. I spent $5000 personally just this year on health care and I'm young and healthy. Those in capitalist countries are getting fleeced, and Cuba shows us that. If Cuban socialism didn't exist I couldn't point out these facts, and that is why Cuban socialism was such a threat and why the US has acted so insecure towards the tiny island's revolution. I don't want the US to adopt the Cuban system, I just believe we had no right to violate their sovereignty, and having different political systems out there lets us have a sort of A/B test for politics. I don't believe a global political and economic monoculture is healthy. As an American I wouldn't want to trade places at birth with a Cuban, but if I had the choice between being born to asset-less parents in Jamaica or asset-less parents in Cuba, I know I would be healthier, more materially secure and far safer from violent crime in Cuba. I also would have a much greater chance of not dying during my birth. |