...Introduction The island nation of Cuba is in a strange economic situation, stuck between an outdated state run government and an increasingly more complex global economy. Cuba is one of the last Communist nations from the Cold War. It has held onto its Communist ideals for the last 50 years but that is changing. With a new President in Raul Castro, the country is breaking down barriers with the United States and opening new frontiers for its citizens. History of Cuba Discovered by Christopher Columbus in the late 14th Century; Cuba was inhabited heavily by aboriginal groups. Spain colonized the island in the 16th and 17th Centuries; bringing their culture, institutions, language, and religion. Agriculture served as the basis of the Cuban...
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...Nicholas Lehman Mr. Davis AP US History 31 May, 2012 Bay of Pigs They Bay of Pigs was a failed operation by a CIA-trained force of Cuban exiles to invade southern Cuba, with encouragement from the US government, attempting to overthrow the Cuban government of Fidel Castro. The Bay of Pigs took place in Cuba and was launched in April 1961 shortly after John F. Kennedy became president. The defending force were trained and equipped by Eastern Bloc nations, defeated the invading exile combatants within three days. In January 1959 counter-revolutionary groups grew, after the success of the Cuban Revolution; the guerrilla continued until 1965. On March 11th 1961, Jesus Carreras and American William Alexander Morgan (a former Castro ally) were executed after a trial. On April 6th 1961, the Hersey Sugar factory in Matanzas was destroyed by sabotage. On April 14th that same year, a Cubana airliner was hijacked and flown to Jacksonville, FL to stage a ‘defection’ of a B-26 and pilot at Miami on April 15th. In 1960, the CIA started hiring Cuban exiles to train them for the upcoming invasion. The Cuban intelligence network knew the invasion was coming and the media estimated conflict throughout the world. Soviet Radio broadcasted a newscast predicting the invasion "in a plot hatched by the CIA" using paid "criminals" within a week. The invasion took place four days later. The well equipped Cuban Armed Forces posed a huge threat to the invaders. On April 15th, the invasion commenced...
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...Comparative Foreign Policies of Cuba, Costa Rica, and the U.S.A: The Case of Health Care Policy and Outcomes The United States currently runs an inefficient and expensive healthcare system that provides limited support for its citizens. The problem stems from placing economic benefit miles in front of practical wellness of its people. Other countries, some considered “third world”, have done the reverse. Ironically, those countries have been internationally recognized over the U.S. when unfolding the quality of health care. Cuba and Costa Rica are nations of distinct economic principle and policy; yet, they share very similar qualities in public health ideology that have made them poster children of health care. Cuban Health Care Apart from being a country with rich history and culture, Cuba is one of the international frontrunners for ideal health care due to its major efforts to revamp their health care policy. Its care spans the majority of its citizens and it provides excellent quality. The Cuban government has an established national health system where it is fiscally responsible for its operation and support to all of its citizens (Merz, 2005). As government-run entity through the Ministry of Health, there are no private hospitals or clinics where doctors and pharmaceutical companies can wager large sums of profit (Merz, 2005). Before the Spanish conquest, Cuba already practiced traditional medicine provided by Bohiques. After the Spanish colonization, the...
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...http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/10/us-venezuela-chavez-idUSTRE7994RB20111010 With the Venezuelan elections coming up, Hugo Chavez, the current president of Venezuela, is trying to win the elections again after being 13 years in possession of the power. At the same time, Chavez’s health has been deteriorating as he announced he has cancer. He also took the cancer look by shaving his hair off and going bald. On the other hand, Chavez has recently been leaving Venezuela unexpectedly going to Cuba leaving his people unattended, meanwhile the media has not always been able to report exactly why the president had to leave his people. It is not the media that is at fault, but the president himself who is trying to hide things; the president himself is at fault of turning Venezuela into a fake democracy in order to keep the power himself. First we will be looking at Chavez’s health conditions in the past years. In June of 2011 Chavez left Venezuela and underwent unscheduled surgery in Cuba for pelvic abscess. After being absent for almost a month from his country, on June 30th, 2011, Chavez announced that he was recovering from an operation removing a cancerous tumor. The Vice President then stated that Chavez remained will “full exercise” of power and that there was no need to transfer powers despite of being absent from Venezuela. On July 2nd, 2011, the newspaper “El Periodico de Catalunya” stated that Chavez had “colon cancer that has perforated the intestinal wall and has caused...
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...Carlos Segura established the T26 Digital Type Foundry in 1994, after founding Segura Inc. in 1991. As I searched for the most interesting facts with which to begin this report, I couldn’t help but feel compelled to share an account directly from Segura himself. Though he is speaking of the history behind his foundry’s logo, insights are to be learned about Carlos himself. “For those of you that don't know me, I am from Cuba. I was born there after our family fled Spain's Francisco Franco (where we lost everything) and moved to Cuba for a new and better life. My grandfather had a small department store in downtown Oriente which he named Segura. When Fidel Castro took over in January of 1959, things looked like they would get better after the Fulgencio Batista days, but it wasn't long before we were all going through the same injustice as we experienced in Spain, and by the early 1960s, all was lost. Castro took everything we had, and by 1965, we fled Cuba for the USA via Mexico to Miami where I grew up. We were not permitted to bring anything at all. Only what we were wearing minus any jewelry....
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...Explain how theories, such as Dependency Theory and World Systems Theory can contribute to an understanding of changing patterns of global power. To understand changing patterns of global power is no easy feat, but several theories may give us an insight to the shift of power in our modern world, I wish to talk about these theories and how we can use them to better understand our past and present global power situations. The first of these theories is Andre Gunder Frank’s Dependency Theory, which revolves around the idea of resources from poor, underdeveloped states (the periphery) going to the wealthy states (core), giving the wealthy states most of the benefits. The second theory, Wallerstein’s World Systems Theory, divides the world into core, periphery, and semi-periphery countries. Periphery countries are poor countries, such as most of Africa, they provide raw materials and cheap labour, mostly to the semi-periphery. The semi-periphery have more wealth than the periphery but some countries are still in poverty, they usually mass-produce ordinary goods, and are often contracted by those from the core. The Core exploits the rest of the world, they own Trans-National Corporations, and they produce the highest quality goods as well as leading technologies. Another possible theory is Rostow’s model, in which all countries go through the same steps to get to a state of high mass consumption – traditional society, preconditions for take-off, take-off, drive to maturity...
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...What the world knows as politics comes in many forms. Examples of these include democracy, monarchies, totalitarian, and communist governments. Yet while some forms of government have died out due to unpopularity among the people, some still exist today. Enter Karl Marx, creator of what is known as communism. The Prussian born philosopher is indeed a major influence on politics of recent history. Through writing and the spread of ideas, Marx reached a point where his ideas flourished. People all around the world soon Marx’s ideas to use and create societies of modern history. Marx dedicated his life to the dissection of 19th century politics and philosophy, and his findings fueled many people into executing Marx’s plans. Karl Marx’s ideas...
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...opinion on why the U.S. should not lift the embargo on Cuba. Many critics have expressed their opinion as to why, the embargo should be lifted. This paper will explain why united States order a trade embargo against Cuba? What are the results for both countries? [What was the effect of the embargo on the citizens of Cuba and what was the result of the embargo on the US?], and what did the Cuban Government do to retaliate against the Trade Embargo? Finally, look at the strategic results and necessity for trade embargo in a globally interconnected economy. When the United States defeated Spain in the Spanish American war of 1898, Cuba along with Puerto Rico and Guam were signed over to the United States by Spain. The United States had the right to involve in the affairs of Cuba at any time. When Castro overthrew the existing government, run by President Batista, the United States supported this action by imposing arms embargo against the Batista government in 1958. Then in or about 1960, Castro not only seized private lands and companies of Cuban citizens, but also subsidiaries of the United States of America. This is when the Eisenhower administration imposed trade restriction with the exception of food and medical supplies. Not only was Castro started trading with the Soviet Union; but the Soviet Union also building missile bases in Cuba; the United States severed all ties and imposed a permanent embargo on Cuba at the direction of President Kennedy on February 7th...
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...far as individuality and personal freedom, a democracy enforces ideas of freedom of speech, religion, and personal choice. Real life examples of Communism illustrate that this government system does not work. Russia and Cuba are communist countries that have different characteristics than the United States’ government. Stalin was a communist leader during the late 1920’s. Stalin believed in industrialization and collectivization. As a result, thousands of people were executed and imprisoned for dissenting against Stalin. Russia is a prime example of Marx’s theory of communism. Both Russia and Marx agreed that an important aspect of communism is industrialization, which is the same as Marx’s notion of property and equality (“Communist Party of the Soviet Union”). Cuba is also another country that practiced communism. Fidel Castro founded the Communist party in Cuba in 1923. Cuba’s idea of communism was based off of Russia’s. It also had a Stalinist approach. Castro’s government used fear and totalitarianism, and from 1961 to the early 21st century, suppressed those who did not agree with the government. Communism in Cuba did not work because there is still an economic gap between the poor and the wealthy, which Castro said he would solve (“Communist Party of Cuba”). In past and current history, for example, the ideal society of democracy is evident in the United States. In the past, women’s suffrage was a prime example in which the government and society operate democratically...
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...Year 11 Preliminary English Assessment Task Task: Motorcycle Diaries Question Two: Define Communism. Discuss its origins and how and where it was spread. In your discussion you must refer to at least 3 countries, which have adopted communism and examine its success and failures and the reason behind both. You must also examine the role Marxism plays in Communist ideology. Communism is an economic and social system in which all, or nearly all, property and resources are collectively owned by a classless society and not by individual citizens. It’s an ideology theory of government where all wealth is shared equally so there is no class system, that is, no poor class and no wealthy class. Everything is shared and everyone is equal, whether you’re a doctor or a factory worker. In such a communist society, the wealth and resources were to be regulated according to the needs, abilities and contribution of the people. Differences between manual and intellectual labour and between rural and urban life were to disappear, opening up the way for unlimited development of human potential. Based on the 1848 publication ‘Communist Manifesto’ by two German political philosophers, Karl Max and his close associate Friedrich Engels, it envisaged common ownership of all land and wealth and the withering away of the power of the state. Max and Engels believed that capitalism (private ownership of all property) should be diminished and that uneven distribution of wealth and resources should...
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...Hugo Chavez’ primary ambition was to build an alliance between all Latin American countries and implement his left-wing policies throughout the region, rejecting and belittling capitalist tendencies resulting from U.S. influence. His role model for this scheme was Simon Bolivar, a revolutionary and liberal political activist who attempted to unite Latin America and ultimately socialize the whole region during the late 18th century into the 19th century (Lynch). His ambitions became later known as the Bolivarian dream. Chavez’ plan was to unite Latin American and Caribbean countries with a series of treaties and alliances. He provided cheap oil to Latin American countries in exchange for social services he was otherwise unable to support. For example, low oil prices were traded with Cuba for doctors and health care services. It should be noted that each of his “misiones” or social services, were monopolized by the Venezuelan government and funded with their oil revenues. Following in the footsteps of his beloved paragon, Simon Bolivar, Chavez intended to unite the countries of Latin America under a common government in order to prepare itself for a confrontation with the United States, and prevent the spread of free-market philosophies. In 2004, Chavez met with the Cuban president, Fidel Castro and signed into law a treaty known as the Bolivarian...
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...Whether you are an artist or just a collector of fine art, Miami is one of the top places to go. This city contains top art museums and a vibrant community of artists. With large communities from Cuba, Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America, the city has absorbed a mix of cultures into its artwork. The Bird Road Art Walk Placed between 48th Street and 40th Street, the Bird Road Art Walk is one of Miami's most eclectic art neighborhoods. In this neighborhood, you will discover 30 artists' studios. The Bird Road Art Walk also includes art schools, art galleries and a live theater group. This district was originally developed by artists in the 1980s. Warehouses in the area were converted to art walks and open houses. By 2000, this neighborhood...
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...trade from the United States into Latin America. The Kennedy Doctrine was based on these same objectives but was more concerned with the spread of communism and Soviet influence in Latin America following the Cuban revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power under Eisenhower during the 1950s. Some of the most notable events that stemmed from tenets of JFK’s foreign policy initiatives in regard to Latin America and the spread of communism were: The Bay of Pigs Invasion, April 17, 1961, Increase of U.S. involvement in Vietnam War, 1962, Cuban Missile Crisis, October, 1962, and Ratification of Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, July, 1963. The Bay of Pigs Invasion was an unsuccessful action by a CIA-trained force of Cuban exiles to invade southern Cuba, with support and encouragement from the US...
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...Jordan Gabson Writing and Rhetoric Tuesday April 30, 2015 Democracy vs. Communism Communism has always been used as secret weapon to make the poor believe that being rich is inappropriate, and that the poor have less because the rich people took the money away from them. In reality, the communist government wants to take the money from the wealthy to make the governing body itself rich. Democracy, on the other hand, promotes capitalism, which allows economic freedom, which helps political freedom; efficiency, economic growth, and everybody having the opportunity to start the business that he or she desires. Communism and democracy are two different ideologies that have each had a great impact in the world. Communism can be defined as a socioeconomic structure that stands for the establishment of classless, egalitarian and stateless society. Democracy, on the other hand, is a political system of governance either carried out by the people directly or by elected representatives. “Democracy may not be the perfect form of government, but sure it is way better than communism” said Jones in his journal, Power and Democracy Education Every single human being in the world knows that this is not true. Everybody knows that communism is a secret weapon that the rulers in the countries where communism is practiced use it to enrich themselves, their families and their friends. Communism is...
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...As a result of slave trade, many Igbo people found themselves in plantations in Barbados, Belize, Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba and in USA. The Igbo slaves were known to be strong, rebellious and proud people. They lead rebellions in Belize, Haiti and in USA, most which were suicidal. "The Igbo were renowned throughout the American South for being fiercely independent and unwilling to tolerate the humiliations of chattel slavery" (Powell, 2004). An epitome of the Igbo man’s nature was displayed at Dunbar Creek on the island of St. Simons in USA during the slave trade era, when a group of Igbo people drowned themselves upon arrival at the creek instead of being sold as cargoes (Mayer 2000). "The Ibo men appear in strange isolation, because their enslavers...
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