{"id":2918,"date":"2020-10-10T13:45:14","date_gmt":"2020-10-10T13:45:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/?p=2918"},"modified":"2020-12-19T11:15:34","modified_gmt":"2020-12-19T11:15:34","slug":"we-must-must-learn-from-cuba","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/we-must-must-learn-from-cuba\/","title":{"rendered":"We Must Must Learn from Cuba"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"747\" height=\"455\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/doctors-leaving-.gif?resize=747%2C455&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2357\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;That Cuba, a small island nation, subjected to hundreds of years of colonialism and imperialism and more recently, over six decades of United States blockade, can play such an exemplary role is because of a development strategy which prioritises human welfare and community participation, not private profit&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For decades, we have heard that only the free market ensures efficiency. In this moment, it is clear that profit-seeking markets cannot mobilise the medical resources required to save lives, protect vital and already-stretched public health services, stop economic collapse leaving millions homeless and destitute, safeguard production and distribution chains, or mandate changes in social behaviour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, let\u2019s start from the premise that the state can achieve efficient outcomes, measured by societal need, not private profit. The Cuban domestic and international response to the global SARS-CoV2 pandemic illustrates this possibility. That a small island nation, subjected to hundreds of years of colonialism and imperialism and, since the Revolution of 1959, six decades of the criminal United States blockade, can play such an exemplary role is because the central plan directs national resources according to a development strategy which prioritises human welfare and community participation, not private profit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Simultaneously, the punitive, relentless US blockade of Cuba has prevented the island from importing necessary medical equipment, like ventilators for Covid-19 patients, and even stopped the island receiving medical donations. US sanctions also prevent the world from accessing Cuban biotechnology products which have helped to keep the Covid-19 mortality rate so low on the island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite these conditions, thousands of Cuban medical specialists have formed brigades in dozens of countries around the world, providing much-needed expertise to fight the coronavirus. Far from applauding this wonderful example of global North-South and South-South cooperation, the US administration has punished Cuba by placing it on Tier 3 of its \u2018Trafficking in Persons\u2019 report rankings, claiming that its international medical programmes constitute \u2018forced labour\u2019 and a form of \u2018human trafficking\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A new bill introduced to the US Congress in June 2020, \u2018Cut Profits to the Cuban Regime Act of 2020\u2019, threatens to put several CARICOM countries onto the \u2018Tier 3\u2019 on the Trafficking List for receiving Cuban medical assistance to fight Covid-19. Such a move will restrict future funding to those states and enable the US president to direct US-based development banks and the IMF to deny them loans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While governments deny the obvious lessons from the global response to Covid-19, it is up to activists and intellectuals to ensure that the lessons are learnt. I delighted to have this opportunity to participate in this internationalist Covid-19 Response Working Group and I hope that the recommendations made by Progressive International will be endorsed by a global movement that demands change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/progressive.international\/blueprint\/8fb64a8b-b43a-4713-a8fe-69da5f924474-helen-yaffe-we-must-learn-from-cuba\/en\/\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/progressive.international\/blueprint\/8fb64a8b-b43a-4713-a8fe-69da5f924474-helen-yaffe-we-must-learn-from-cuba\/en\/\">Progressive International<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;That Cuba, a small island nation, subjected to hundreds of years of colonialism and imperialism and more recently, over six decades of United States blockade,<a class=\"moretag\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/we-must-must-learn-from-cuba\/\"> [&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":101011,"featured_media":2919,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[43],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2918","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":7861,"url":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/cubans-trust-vaccines-and-how-theyre-helping-vaccinate-the-world\/","url_meta":{"origin":2918,"position":0},"title":"Cubans trust vaccines and how they\u2019re helping vaccinate the\u00a0world","author":"Editorial Team","date":"November 20, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Cuba continues to be at the forefront in the development of medical treatments for the benefit of mankind, especially in diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. It is also willing to transfer its technologies to other nations on a non-profit basis, as has always been the motto of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Cuba&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Cuba","link":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/category\/cuba\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screenshot-2022-11-19-at-19.13.40.png?fit=394%2C259&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1596,"url":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/covid-19-cubas-people-before-profit-approach-pays-off-as-capitalism-proves-a-bitter-pill-for-the-us\/","url_meta":{"origin":2918,"position":1},"title":"Covid-19: Cuba\u2019s people-before-profit approach pays off as capitalism proves a bitter pill for the US","author":"Editorial Team","date":"April 29, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Havana has punched above its weight for decades when it comes to health. But never have the differences between its socialist system and the market-based system of its strongest detractor, America, been so apparent. Even before it reported novel coronavirus cases of its own in March, Cuba\u2019s fingerprints were all\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Covid-19&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Covid-19","link":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/category\/cuba\/covid-19\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/Doctors-Cuba-Ceremony.jpg?fit=980%2C551&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/Doctors-Cuba-Ceremony.jpg?fit=980%2C551&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/Doctors-Cuba-Ceremony.jpg?fit=980%2C551&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/Doctors-Cuba-Ceremony.jpg?fit=980%2C551&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1533,"url":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/switzerland-and-cuba-hypocrisy-in-times-of-a-pandemic\/","url_meta":{"origin":2918,"position":2},"title":"Switzerland and Cuba: hypocrisy in times of a pandemic","author":"Editorial Team","date":"April 27, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"It is regrettable that certain Swiss organizations do not even mention Cuba's solidarity work in the Corona crisis The Covid-19 pandemic shows us the complete failure of neoliberal politics worldwide: the tragic situation in Italy, Spain, France and the USA - most affected today - is mainly due to the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Covid-19&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Covid-19","link":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/category\/cuba\/covid-19\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cuba-Switzerland-hypocrisy.jpg?fit=612%2C400&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cuba-Switzerland-hypocrisy.jpg?fit=612%2C400&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cuba-Switzerland-hypocrisy.jpg?fit=612%2C400&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4152,"url":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/an-unstoppable-wave-against-the-blockade-of-cuba\/","url_meta":{"origin":2918,"position":3},"title":"An Unstoppable Wave against the Blockade of Cuba","author":"Editorial Team","date":"April 30, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"By Pedro Mart\u00ednez P\u00edrez on April 26, 2021 This past Sunday, and in spite of the COVID pandemic, many people around the world once again came out against the U.S. blockade of Cuba.\u00a0 And for the first time, a regatta was held in front of the Havana seawall with the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Featured&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/category\/news\/featured\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_0325.jpg?fit=960%2C720&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_0325.jpg?fit=960%2C720&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_0325.jpg?fit=960%2C720&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_0325.jpg?fit=960%2C720&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1329,"url":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/cuban-medical-science-in-the-service-of-humanity\/","url_meta":{"origin":2918,"position":4},"title":"Cuban Medical Science in the Service of Humanity","author":"Editorial Team","date":"April 10, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"By Helen Haffe Originally\u00a0 published in Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! No 275, March\/April 2020 In late January 2020, the Chinese National Health Commission selected a Cuban anti-viral drug, Interferon Alfa 2b, among the treatments it would use for Covid-19 patients. This drug has been produced in Cuba by the Centre\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Featured&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/category\/news\/featured\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/cuban_doctor-new.jpg?fit=550%2C333&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/cuban_doctor-new.jpg?fit=550%2C333&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/cuban_doctor-new.jpg?fit=550%2C333&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5796,"url":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/cuba-shows-how-to-take-action-on-climate-change\/","url_meta":{"origin":2918,"position":5},"title":"Cuba Shows How to Take Action on Climate Change","author":"Editorial Team","date":"January 10, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"BY HELEN YAFFE Cuba, a small island besieged by the United States, is taking concrete measures to reorient its economy in the fight against climate change. It\u2019s an example that the whole world should take seriously. Cuba may be responsible for only 0.08 percent of global CO2\u00a0emissions, but this Caribbean\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Featured&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/category\/news\/featured\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/GettyImages-1224539040-1.jpg?fit=1024%2C680&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/GettyImages-1224539040-1.jpg?fit=1024%2C680&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/GettyImages-1224539040-1.jpg?fit=1024%2C680&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/GettyImages-1224539040-1.jpg?fit=1024%2C680&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3xdTY-L4","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/cuban-street-2.jpeg?fit=1280%2C720&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2918","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/101011"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2918"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2918\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2919"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2918"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2918"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2918"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}