George Bush declares Cuba must be more like the DR, to eliminate it's sex trade . .

[ltsnyder]

problems.

-aljazeera.net

The United States on Tuesday refused to back down from Bush's charge that Cuba is a favoured destination for paedophiles and other sex tourists after Castro angrily denied the claim in an invective-filled speech.

"The issue of prostitution in Cuba is something, I think, that is well-documented," deputy State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said.

He referred to a 2002 report from a Washington-based human rights group, The Protection Project, that said Cuba had replaced Southeast Asia as one of the world's top sex tourism destinations, and the State Department's own annual Trafficking in Persons reports.

Do you think Cuba's problems are much worse than the DRs? and do you think turning Cuba into a democracy will solve the problem. Have your say here . . .

-Lee

[NALs]

If Cuba turns into a Democracy, it MIGHT do better than the DR.

However, I doubt it.

1. With this Free Trade crap going around the world, Cuba's economy won't be allowed to fully developed by foreign companies coming into Cuba and taking the place a new Cuban company could have taken.

2. Much of Cuba's brain power will most likely flee. The DR brain power flead after Trujillo was killed, the same applied in Nicaragua, its applying in Iraq right now. By losing the Brain power, the country will become much more handicapped in its developmental process.

3. Tourism from the states will boom into Cuba. Since foreign companies will have a grab attack of Cuba's resources, economy, and foreign owned resorts will pop up all along Cuba's coasts, the possibility of Sex tourism booming is very real under a democratic Cuba.

4. Because Cuba is so oppressed right now, once they are "liberalized" they will head to the other extreme and will be much like in the DR. Lots of laws in the books, few actually enforced.

To finish, I am not sure where Sex Tourism is more developed. I would say that Cuba has the potential of climaxing the DR in the sex tourism deal, given the high possibility of the above stuff happening to Cuba once Castro and his Communist ideologies are out of the island.

[Narcosis]

Originally Posted by ltsnyder

problems.



Do you think Cuba's problems are much worse than the DRs? and do you think turning Cuba into a democracy will solve the problem. Have your say here . . .

-Lee

Democracy is a must for Cuba, nonetheless as is in most cases, the period from dictatorship to a working democracy is a tough road to travel and is a perfect enviroment for organized crime to take hold.

If things are bad now it can only get worse in the short-term as the power vacuum will attract world-wide bad element like sharks to a bloddy carcass. Just imagine a "free" but lawless Cuba with the US just 90 miles away! It will become a haven for corruption at a level we can only imagine.

In the long run Democracy is still the best deal for any country and after a rough start Cuba should have the same chance to become a free and prosperous nation as any other developing country does.

In general any country that is not free is worse off than the DR just for that reason. They have a few points ahead of the DR in education and healthcare but not much more, and the rest is way behind the DR.

The DR has demostrated May 16'th that democracy here works and that it is worth preserving and taking care of, this is the most important step to becoming a progressive nation; next we work on our institutions and the rest will fall into place.

[LatinoRican]

Originally Posted by ltsnyder

problems.



Do you think Cuba's problems are much worse than the DRs? and do you think turning Cuba into a democracy will solve the problem. Have your say here . . .

-Lee

I believe that Bush has no idea of what he is saying about Cuba and just repeats whatever his advisors tell him to say. My first visit to Cuba was in 1996 and truly prostitution was an eyesore and just plain bothersome. In Old Havana (similar to Zona Colonial) the prostitutes were out in droves and very agressive. Once they identified you as a tourist, they were all over you at every step. Hotel lobbies were full of them (something like the casino at the Jaragua, but worse). The government took active measures to control prostitution and would cart them away by the dozens. I saw this several times. Ok, so maybe they were let out next morning, but it worked to some degree. Since then, I have been to Cuba several times the last being two years ago and it is nothing like it was in 1996. Granted, there are still prostitutes working the hotels, clubs, and streets, but prostitution occurs all over the world. Bush needs only to look around Washington and he will find plenty of it.

[Pib]

This is basically about Cuba... which isn't what this forum is for. Unless this thread turns southeast fast I see a padlock in your future.

[BushBaby]

I see your point PIB, but did you see the response of President Castro last night to the allagation (as reprted on Cardinia de Noticias just to keep it Dominican related) made by GW?? A wonderfully produced "smack in the teeth"!! Grahame.

[NY1]

Bush is just playing politics to the South Florida crowd! He could give two craps about either DR or Cuba!