In Antwort auf:

---

mit China in verschiedenen Bereichen verstärkt zusammenarbeiten

---

In Antwort auf:

---

Cooking Fidel

By THERESA BOND
May 13, 2005

On March 8, Fidel Castro received a standing ovation after
announcing that rice cookers will now be included in the Cuban
rationing system. It's hard to imagine a better illustration of this
island dystopia's bizarre ways, more telling than any list of
political prisoners or of human rights violations -- which, after
all, are typical of any dictatorship, totalitarian or not.

* * *

First consider the surrealistic aspect of announcing the
distribution at subsidized prices of an appliance that, in order to
function properly, needs two things: rice and electricity. Yet rice
is rationed at less then three kilos per person each month, hardly
enough, considering that it's a staple for two meals a day with
often hardly anything else to cook. As for electricity, planned
blackouts were recently six hours a day. It is almost like
subsidizing the distribution of forks for foie gras and champagne
glasses among the homeless.

Then there is the "forbidden fruit" aspect. For the last 46 years no
rice cookers were ever sold in local currency in Cuba. The appliance
-- together with pornography, VCRs and irons -- was specified on the
customs' form as an item that visitors couldn't bring to Cuba.

Finally the price of a rice cooker is puzzling, to say the least.
It's now fixed at 150 Cuban pesos, and is said to be subsidized.
After the income increase that Castro gave his subjects starting May
1, that's about three-quarters of the minimum monthly salary. In
European conditions -- say France -- it's the equivalent of buying
one for €964. (Or else having a minimum monthly wage of €79,
whichever scares you more.) The price may seem exorbitant, but it's
nothing compared to the availability of rice cookers. Until the
evening of March 7, the cookers were first available only for
diplomats, then since 1993 only in foreign-currency stores and only
for the equivalent of 10 (sic!) monthly minimum salaries.

So in light of all this, the Comandante's gesture becomes genuinely
magnanimous even if there isn't much to cook. The Communist Party
daily, Granma, urged readers to "look at the faces of the Cuban
women: joyful and smiling, happy, grateful and perhaps, yes, in a
little hurry to reach home and prepare the first lunch or dinner
with the recently acquired rice cooker."

[....]

---

http://groups.google.de/group/alt.societ...813da15203bc7a2

http://online.wsj.com/article/­0,,SB...36,00.htm­l

Auch in Camagüey waren sie am 25. Mai noch nicht angekommen. Aber Fidel hat sich in einer Sondersendung über Energiesparmassnahmen als Starverkäufer für ollas arrozeras, habanicos electricos, Energiesparlampen und Wasserkocher stark gemacht; geschlagene drei Stunden lang .
Wegen Fertigstellung des Austausches aller Elektroleitungen des Landes vor den Monaten Juli und August (derzeit 50% fertig, wie die das noch schaffen wollen, weiss ich nicht) gibt's in vielen provincias apagones, die häufig von morgens bis abends andauern. Bin nur auf Cubaner getroffen, die stinkig waren.

china und so,

ob der senor merkt, dass china nur das interesse hat seinen billigen plastikschrott loszuwerden, oder all den anderen unter schlimmsten arbeitsbedingungen hergestellten technikmüll!... da gibt es zur zeit eine worldpress foto ausstellung, da kann man ein paar hübsche fotos sehen, tausende arbeiterInnen ohne arme, beine, etc...
dem fortschritt sein dank!
also seine revolutionsspielchen interessiert doch keinen chinesischen politiker mehr! wachstum - auf teufel komm raus ist angesagt, nicht sog revol. ideen!
die chinesen arbeiten auch gerne bei den nickelminen mit, bleibt der dreck in cuba, haben selbst schon genug zerstörte landschaften dort in china - sehr praktisch!

y.s.