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North America

Cuba - The best of all possible worlds

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Category: North America
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The best of all possible worlds

Cuba has free medical services and education and strong cultural traditions including: old cars; music; dance; and painting.  No one was obviously undernourished and crime rates are said to be very low; although most houses have barred windows or shutters and the hotels have night and day security.  Unlike Mexico there is not an obvious or overwhelming police presence in the streets.

There is a general air of happiness amongst the people with many smiling faces and it is apparent that many, like Candide, do indeed believe that they live in the best of all possible worlds. 

 

image042 Life's a party

 

We were there during May Day.  We did not go to the parade but watched it for a while on TV.  Millions marched.  It was quite amazing; a mile long procession at hundreds of people wide; representing collectives from across the country. They were harangued with speeches against capitalism and in favour of the great socialist experiment that is Cuba.

 

image043
May Day

 

The amazing thing is that most of the TV stations receivable originate in the US, just 90 miles to the south; so you would think that the difference in material standard of living would be palpable.

 

 

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Travel

Ireland

 

 

 

 

In October 2018 we travelled to Ireland. Later we would go on to England (the south coast and London) before travelling overland (and underwater) by rail to Belgium and then on to Berlin to visit our grandchildren there. 

The island of Ireland is not very big, about a quarter as large again as Tasmania, with a population not much bigger than Sydney (4.75 million in the Republic of Ireland with another 1.85 million in Northern Ireland).  So it's mainly rural and not very densely populated. 

It was unusually warm for October in Europe, including Germany, and Ireland is a very pleasant part of the world, not unlike Tasmania, and in many ways familiar, due to a shared language and culture.

Read more: Ireland

Fiction, Recollections & News

The Time Lord

 

 

 

For no apparent reason, the silver haired man ran from his companion, shook a tree branch, then ran back to continue their normal conversation. It was as if nothing had happened. The woman seemed to ignore his sudden departure and return.

Bruce had been stopped in peak hour traffic, in the leafy suburban street, and had noticed the couple walking towards him, engaged in good humoured argument or debate.  Unless this was some bizarre fit, as it seemed, the shaken tree branch must be to illustrate some point. But what could it be?

Just as the couple passed him, the lights up ahead changed and the traffic began to move again. 

Read more: The Time Lord

Opinions and Philosophy

Gaia - Climate Speculations

 

 

 

 

Our recent trip to Central Australia involved a long walk around a rock and some even longer contemplative drives.

I found myself wondering if there is more or less 'life' out here than there is in the more obviously verdant countryside to the north south east or west. For example: might microbes be more abundant here?  The flies are certainly doing well. Yet probably not.

This led me to recall James Lovelock's Gaia Hypothesis that gave we readers of New Scientist something to think about back in 1975, long before climate change was a matter of general public concern.

 

Read more: Gaia - Climate Speculations

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