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America v. Cuba on Human Rights |
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By
Stephen Lendman |
| America and Cuba are world’s apart in how they treat their people. Obama heads the world’s leading human rights abuser on a global scale. He intends lecturing President Raul Castro privately and Cubans publicly in a planned televised address on improving the nation’s human rights record. US Cuba bashing is longstanding, its government unjustly accused of ruling oppressively. Individuals are imprisoned for crimes, including accepting money from other nations for subversion, not political reasons like in America. The US 1992 Cuban Democracy Act encourages anti-government groups. The 1996 Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act says “the President (of the United States) is authorized to furnish assistance and provide other support for individuals and independent nongovernmental organizations to support democracy-building efforts for Cuba.” Its aim is fostering subversion to replace its legitimate government with a US controlled puppet, return Cuba to its bad old days, loot it for profit, exploit its people. Cuban governance shames America’s. On a 2007 visit, the late Gore Vidal said its system is “successful for the people who live in it.” He was able to breathe free for the first time, he explained. He called it “so rare to see a contented people. Everything they're doing (is) very good. There is no sullenness among the people which you get with great masses that don't quite know what their government is.” Cuba considers people its greatest resource. What a “brilliant notion,” said Vidal. “All we've got is people, so we’ll train them” to become doctors, teachers and skilled in other areas to help Cuban society. Washington and supportive media scoundrels circulating stories about human rights abuses suppress hard truths. Press freedom is ignored. Journalists can write or broadcast what they wish. America is a fascist police state, democracy illusory. Cuba is open, free and fair. Before illness forced Fidel Castro to step down in 2008, he championed world peace and stability, warned about potential life-ending nuclear war, called for disarmament as “the only way to preserve life on earth.” Throughout his tenure as Cuban leader, he threatened no other nation, attacked none. He ruled benignly, not by force - polar opposite ruthless US policies, its war on humanity at home and abroad. Cubans have benefits Americans can’t imagine. Constitutionally mandated social services include free world-class medical, hospital and dental care, as well as prophylactic services, stressing public health, preventive care, health education, programs for periodic medical examinations, immunizations and other preventive measures. Worker health and safety are guaranteed. So is help for the elderly and pregnant working women. Paid leave is provided before and after childbirth. Cuba's Public Health Law obligates the state to assure, improve and protect the health of all citizens, including providing rehabilitation services for physical and mental disabilities. Obamacare leaves millions uninsured on their own. It’s corporate designed and controlled, a rationing system enriching insurers, predatory drug companies and large hospital chains at the expense of providing universal care like in Cuba. America spends twice as much on average as other industrialized states. Its performance is poor by comparison. Cuban education is Latin America’s best, free at all levels, far superior to public education in America, stressing teaching to the test, not learning. Cuba wants all its citizens educated, stressing math, reading, the sciences, arts, humanities, social responsibility, civics and participatory citizenship. Illiteracy was virtually eliminated. In America, it’s unacceptably high. Millions can’t read, notably inner city youths. Public schools operate more as warehouses than institutions of learning. Dropout rates are high. Millions of young people are unprepared for most everything except rotten low-paid, poor-or-no-benefit jobs. Cuba cares for its people. America treats its population contemptuously, serving privileged interests exclusively. Homelessness, hunger and food insecurity are major problems in the world’s richest country - not in Cuba. A previous article said Obama’s visit will do nothing to normalize relations responsibly. US policy calls for domination and exploitation, not treating other nations equitably and fairly. Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III." http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network. |
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