Crumbling Cuba: On The Frontlines of Collapse
In my downtime, I enjoy watching documentaries and interviews about people living in 2nd and 3rd-world countries. This gives me a great opportunity to see what life is like in places lacking the privileges I still enjoy in the States. In a way, I like to think that I am journaling the future American landscape by writing about these collapsing cultures. Al Jazeera, for instance, has pretty good interviews from time to time of places Americans couldn’t care less about. Most of the people interviewed are already deep into the Long Emergency/Long Descent we in America are only beginning to experience. By learning from these current, real-world examples, we will be able to adapt ahead of time as we see more breakdowns in government, supply lines, and civility at home. Their stories of hardship, adaptation, and sheer determination will be explored in these articles in order to gain insights into what it takes to live life more simply.
Note:
Many of the pictures are screenshotted from the actual video and may not be in the highest resolution. I will add captions, if needed, for additional clarity.
Cuba
The Long Decent in Cuba
Today, we will be going to Cuba, that beautiful island in the Caribbean has really gone to shit. This interview, conducted by Al Jazeera, was posted only three weeks ago, shows the current state of affairs there. Notice the utter dilapidation of buildings, cars, and people? Without trying to get political, I dare say Socialism/Communism is an utter failure in this place.
Cubans with enough money are doing everything they can to get the hell out by flying to Argentina, Central America, and the United States. The desperation on Cuban's faces is really gut-wrenching to see. When I watched the video, this wasn't some far-off nation to me. It opened my eyes to what is coming to a neighborhood near me, here in America. In many ways, I am thankful for having had the opportunity to enjoy the pinnacle of industrial civilization. In contrast, these folks never did, and it is only getting worse for them.
Faced with the most significant economic crisis since the soviet collapse over 30 years ago, Cuba is falling apart as we speak. Shortages of food, fuel, and necessities are accelerating a mass exodus to places in North and South America. In the first interview, a 76-year-old shoemaker named Mr. Gonzalez is leaving for Argentina. His house is literally falling apart. Despite this, Mr. Gonzalez wants to show the world his high-quality leather shoes before he dies, and Argentina is his ticket to a better life. This man was in his early teens when the Cuban revolution “triumphed,” which turned his life upside down.
There was a brief clip of Castro speaking to a mesmerized audience suffering from mass psychosis. All I see is yet another narcissist using his charisma to captivate his victims. Too bad this psychopathic narcissist was only an expert in delusions of grandeur and totally inept at running a nation or keeping the citizens employed, fed, and healthy. The vicious cycle that the current status quo cannot see is that their incompetent policies impoverish their support base, forcing the poor to overthrow them. Then this leads to the poor supporting a mentally ill "leader," which starts the cycle all over again. Through all this, the poor always suffer and, unless they wise up, are trapped in this whirlwind of despair.
Like any deranged form of govern-economic idealism (Corporatism, Capitalism, Marxism, socialism, communism), having a select group of arrogant, clueless “experts” means inevitable disaster for everyone else. Mr. Gonzalez, a real expert in shoe production, was arrested by the state because he did not get permission to make shoes when he was younger. So in prison, he was forced to make shoes for bureaucrats. The idiocy of government is really highlighted here.
The above screenshots provide excellent examples of a nation collapsing. Food dominates the conversation and time of citizens. Mr. Gonzalez can't recall the last time he had a cup of milk. The government continues to make empty promises while each passing year loses more and more control.
Losing Everything
The next couple interviewed was a young husband and wife who spent their entire life savings of $8000 in an attempt to get passports to fly to Nicaragua but were scammed by a fake travel agency and lost everything. This certainly indicates that crime is at absurdly high levels. When asked by the reporter what the biggest problems for young people are in Cuba, he said unemployment is a huge problem, but most importantly, food tops the list. Keep in mind this is a tropical nation with the ability to grow food year-round. Long lines for food are often a waste of time for those searching for a meal.
Last year's social uprising calling for an end to the one-party communist state was unusual as most people avoid talking about politics publically for fear of retaliation. This shows the magnitude of the suffering that has been occurring in Cuba for some time. Leonardo Fernandez is a 31-year-old catholic influencer in Cuba who has seen friends carted off to jail as he attempts to improve the quality of life for people through his charity work. When asked why so many people want to leave Cuba, he says that young people see zero change in the government.
Those at the top like standing on the necks of everyone else beneath them and refuse to change. The cops are brainwashed trolls doing the government's bidding (similar to here) and take people away for nonsensical reasons. Here in the States, I can see so many parallels unfolding: Hillary Clinton hiring the FBI to do a hit on Trump’s residence in Flordia. Using the police apparatus as a private cartel is an excellent example of how a banana republic operates. I will never understand how these brainwashed goons inflict abuse on fellow countrymen, but then again, low-functioning narcissists flock to positions of mediocre power such as this.
A few ways the totalitarian Cuban state suppressed the July 2021 protests were to give absurdly long sentences for protestors, including 26 years in jail, threatening family members of protestors, and having friends/family turn in protestors (sound familiar with the January 6th protest?), and by cutting off the internet. The Cuban “president” called for a civil war (just like empty Joe), had the military dress like civilians and entered people's homes and beat them (similar to the FBI), and fostered disunity just like our one-party government in DC. People lost jobs and were expelled from universities because they had differing viewpoints toward the ruling managers. Fernandez said that the State fears social media because it's an open discussion of what is going on. Sound familiar? Shadow banning, blacklisted, censored accounts, and public ridicule indicate a failing state. To me, all of these things indicate a dying animal lashing out. If the state was so smart, powerful, and in control, would it need to go to such lengths to wipe out ideas or simple conversations?
Mr. Fernandez explains the issues he sees. State repression of alternative ways of thinking, economic chaos, and a basketcase future for anyone trying to improve their lives. All thanks to a small group of entitled idiots calling the shots.
Back To You In The States
One by one, countries are dropping like flies, and Americans need to wake up to the reality that it will soon happen to us as well. To prepare, I believe it is wise to uncover what life is like for people in these places and adjust our expectations and goals to be better equipped for tough times ahead. Unfortunately, the single biggest obstacle to effective adaptation by far is government. Shockingly enough, it is not peak oil, resource scarcity, or overpopulation. All of these problems could be reasonably dealt with, but managerial morons (and those working for the managerial class) make a bad situation epically worse.
Industrial world governments have devolved into totalitarian states. The Cuban government is behaving exactly like the North Korean regime. The textbook play of starving the population to keep them from rising up against you is being played out on the Cuban people. If you do not have "permission," you can not produce or sell your products. Hence mass starvation and discontent are deliberate policy decisions to keep the underclass weak and unstable. Toxic people do this shit. It's called abuse. The apes in the managerial offices are full-blown narcissists with a spectrum of sociopathy and psychopathic tendencies. They are not gods. They are plain evil people causing harm to everyone for their benefit.
Time and time again, in this video, it was apparent that the policy was to keep people starving. So, to push back against such blatant tyranny, please take personal steps to ensure you have food stored away as much as possible. Even if it is boring dried rice and beans, at least you have something on hand to keep you going. The more people are prepared, the less control evil/toxic people have over you. Mr. Gonzalez spoke of people trying to steal to get bread, and even if they did not steal it from someone, the thought was there to take it. In this kind of society, crime is rampant and frequently violent. Window bars are common in Cuba, and you may want to have some on hand to install them when needed. Fuel shortages are also commonplace, reducing people's ability to get to work, travel, or get basic supplies. Keep that in mind if you are looking for property. Running to the remote mountain lands around you may not be the best option in the long term because of this. City life in Cuba means limited resources for people to acquire food, so heavily populated areas are just as detrimental to food sustainability. Medium-sized population areas are recommended as a middle ground so that you can access items when needed but are not remote or in the thick of social chaos.
Tune in next time for another look at collapse from around the world. The time is now to prepare and learn from others how to adapt. Increasing your food, security, fuel, and additional necessities is critical as we head into winter.
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