I can't even wrap my head around like China providing housing for people. Or Cuba with it's free world class healthcare. My anglo brain only knows the misery of being poor and on the receiving end of the nightstick of capital.

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[–] machiabelly@hexbear.net 56 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

Cuba has great healthcare for it's level of wealth but I'd be hesitant to call it world class. It lacks a lot of the high tech medical equipment that exists in more wealthy countries. If you have some rare form of cancer, for instance, you'll probably receive better care in the "west" than in Cuba. Assuming you can afford it that is.

What's important about Cuba is that they flex the healthcare resources that they do have entirely to what is best for its people, instead of what is best for corporations. Preventative medicine is incentivized in a socialized system while capitalist medicine would rather wait until you get sick enough to require a procedure that they can charge a lot for.

I can only imagine what level of healthcare Cuba would be able to provide if not for the crippling sanctions they have to endure.

fidel-salute

[–] bdonvr@thelemmy.club 32 points 1 week ago (1 children)

When I visited Cuba the most obvious thing I noticed is that I didn't see anyone that seemed homeless (in Havana, at least). They definitely had shortages, power issues, and limited opportunities. But they had housing, healthcare, and food. Considering the blockade I thought it was pretty damn admirable. Yet in the richest country on earth we have tons of homeless people in cities full of empty houses. We have a ton of food and healthcare but many are denied it.

Ridiculous.

If you ever have the privilege of being able to take a vacation you can visit Cuba very cheaply. My flight from Miami was cheap at well. $100/wk accomodations in Old Havana. Very much recommend going. Very safe, the people are very sociable. Great city to walk around the neighborhoods.

[–] SevenSkalls@hexbear.net 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

How common are people who know English? My Spanish isn't great, though I'd obviously try to brush up on it before going. I guess there's translation apps now at least.

[–] bdonvr@thelemmy.club 3 points 1 week ago

Not very common at all, unless they're working in some kind of tourist industry.

One of the reasons I had gone actually, is because I'd been working on my Spanish and had gotten to a point where I could actually have a decent conversation with somebody patient. Though their accent is one of the tougher ones.

[–] OprahsedCreature@lemmy.ml 11 points 1 week ago (1 children)

That's okay, soon they'll be the only ones willing to trade with the US so their material conditions are about to skyrocket, especially as other countries launder their tariffs through Cuba

[–] machiabelly@hexbear.net 12 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I'd love it if this happened but I think that Trump might rather burn the country down than trade with Cuba.

[–] OprahsedCreature@lemmy.ml 2 points 6 days ago

That's an acceptable alternative

[–] Coolkidbozzy@hexbear.net 55 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

no sending Katy Perry and bezos' wife to promote space tourism is the most efficient use of my surplus value

[–] Nakoichi@hexbear.net 39 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Whitey's on the moon.

[–] Xiisadaddy@lemmygrad.ml 23 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Actually it should be China on the moon soon. Theyve announded plans for a permanent lunar base. Theyre sending up scouting missions to find water and will be sending a experimental unit that uses lunar dust to print structures. This info came from a mechanical engineer i know in China. Its been added to the parties official list of plans and he said they only do that when they are very confident it will get done.

[–] Sam@hexbear.net 20 points 1 week ago

Yes, they have already sent bricks made of a volcanic material similar to lunar regolith to Tiangong a few months ago to study their exposure to space. Chang'e 7 will use a unique hopping rover to hopefully scout Shackleton in ways a conventional rover ever could. It almost sounds like one of those stupid venture capital buzzword baits that NASA might fund a feasibility study on and then shelve. But that is just a sign of how much more advanced China's lunar exploration program is, they are doing quite literally what NASA can only dream of.

Of course this will not stop American so-called "Space enthusiasts" from completely ignoring these facts and claiming that because they sent some guys there in the 70s and then completely gave up for 50 years that anything done in space from now unto the heat death of the universe is second place.

[–] Xiisadaddy@lemmygrad.ml 18 points 1 week ago

[–] buckykat@hexbear.net 11 points 1 week ago

And China's going to the moon while also lifting hundreds of millions out of poverty and providing a moderately prosperous society in all respects

[–] SorosFootSoldier@hexbear.net 15 points 1 week ago

Aren't you glad? I am!

[–] LaughingLion@hexbear.net 6 points 1 week ago

couldnt begin to tell you