Nothing renews one’s faith in capitalism like visiting a communist country. Cuba, for all the praise some foreign visitors heap upon it, is no exception. Certainly you can’t visit the island, as I did recently, without admiring its many charms: its physical beauty, the accomplishment of its architecture and music, the warmth of its people. And yes, there’s something invigorating about seeing those classic American cars form the days before the revolution—bright, curvy, chugging along the streets of Havana.
But the Cuban economy simply doesn’t work; the evidence is easy to see. The charter we took was half empty, as Cuban Americans bring so many goods to family back home (medicine, clothing, electronics, food)…the plane reached its weight limit long before they sold all the seats. Cuba’s shops reminded me of the department stores I don’t remember seeing as a baby, when my parents took me to Hungary (it was still under Soviet rule). The architecture in Cuba is reminiscent of the most graceful European capitals, just dirty and dilapidated. The glamorous classic cars spew black smoke.
As the saying goes, if something can’t continue it won’t. What role should we all play? The politics and economics can be debated endlessly, but what is the potential for humanity here? The answers are uncertain, but I think there’s more potential than we think.
Capitalism has serious drawbacks. But the ability to debate and initiate change confirms that, compared to some countries, we have little cause for complaint here at home.