RE: Steemit Basic Income Giveaway (Your country)
Cuba
Oh this was hard to pick a country that I had a particularly strong liking for, so lemme explain why Cuba is in this spot.
For the history it had, Cuba had liberated itself during the 1956 revolution from the clutches of US imperialism that was carried on the island, kicked the American mafias and bankers of as well and any gusano that helped American interests. From that point, Cuba had been the best Global South nation to not only withstand American sanctions but also develop way faster than every other South American nation. Literacy rates shot up, Cuba sports and can prove it has the highest amount of and best medical personal, adopting better LGBTQIA+ policies way before even the USA would clamor its achievement and things have been moving forward ever since Canal came into power.
With a firm stand to defend the independence of the country, the culture had been able to finally breathe and not conform to US interests. I say I've seen more that Cubans are usually nice people (even in the "poor" sections), the cigars are lovely there, old retro cars they still use thanks to US sanctions and they've been moving forward lil' by lil' towards a more electronic Cuba as to combat the sanctions. Of course, are they perfect despite these remarks: no. But they've done more and continue to hold onto that longer than most countries would dare to dream of.
Czerwony salut to Che Guevara, the Castros, Canal and the Cuban people for their valiant struggle in a World that wishes to stomp them hard.
USA
Of equal difficulty, but lemme go on to explain why I have a big fault with the USA. Now it won't be a whine of the symptoms like Donald Trump or a backwards Democrats, though they tell a very dangerous tale and where the USA is heading.
No I find fault with other symptoms like the education system that is pseudo mix between "free" and "systematized" - to explain this, the edusys of America is Common Core where standardized testings don't even line up to what companies want nor what is culturally valuable to a workforce even. To go further, the focus of funding education is based upon rewarding who's performing well and punishing the less performing well (this is a recipe for disaster, especially if we really want to take this to the level of crime and funding police less if crime is more active). But moreover, the fact that creativity and democracy are de-emphasized in the USA, the purported champion of democracy and freedom, makes it feels like a bad ironic story when reading this. Yet I can't even make half of this shit up if I picked a random city out of the blue and find out how bad they're education is!
This recent political controversy of Donald Trump and backwards Dems needs to take a backseat to the literal future of kids - else they're begging for people to spark violence and do more than a mere "political" revolution whence they see reforms aren't an option anymore. But, let the USA learn that lesson yet again (looks intently to every student and workers' revolt ever in the USA).
I think you slightly misunderstood the questions, but no matter, it is still a valid entry as you put such a big and detailed reply in!
PS: Thanks for the treeplanter vote!
I often hear good things about Cuba from people who come from there, and some things of it, I would have to agree seem to be quite progressive in the country. However, I am not sure that so much power vested in a small number of people, (however enlightened or well intentioned they might be) is a stable and long-term viable solution?
I do find the education system in the United States to be a strange thing, the idea that curriculum could be dictated by politically elected school boards is quite odd to me. I'm afraid I'm not able to make an intelligent comment on Common Core or the schooling system in general, as I don't really know much about it!
The thing is that Cuba has a Supreme Soviet (Grand Council) system, not an elites club. Even then you’re probably confusing the Central Committee for the elites thing - in which case, those positions are voted in by those in Supreme Soviet who in turn are voted in by workers who are workers themselves. Now you may point out the lack of parties, but the thing is that there’s multiple ideologies under the Supreme Soviet, yet they don’t display what party they belong to - the same goes for even the ML (leading) party, they represent the Cuban proles and their concerns not their party and not their concerns. Anyways, I got this info from my sources (contacts) from Cuba and been personally in Cuba to see it - thus were I get my info on Cuba.
Huh, I only know a little bit about the country and it's governance! Thanks for the information and education!
The Winners and the new SBI Contest question (Words) is here:
https://steemit.com/alldutchenglish/@bengy/steemitbasicincomegiveawaywords-7wylodjq2u