Carnal Reason

Here’s an interesting question, courtesy of Breitbart.com.

A group of university students posed tough questions about Cuban society to Parliament chief Ricardo Alarcon, in a video made public through the Internet and distributed in Havana that is causing a stir in the communist-ruled country.

“Why don’t the Cuban people have the real possibility to stay at hotels or travel to different places around the world,” asked Eliecer Avila, a self-avowed revolutionary who is studying at the University of Computer Science.

Do you know why?

My answer would have been “because you are prisoners, and if you were let off the island you would escape”. No, no, and again, no. Here’s the official answer:

When the students finished with their questions, Alarcon reminded his audience of the gains made in 50 years of Cuban Revolution. “If everybody in the world, all six billion inhabitants, were able to travel wherever they pleased, there would be a tremendous traffic jam in our planet’s airspace. People who travel are really a minority,” he said in answer to Avila’s travel question.

Comedy gold. Or tragedy. I am reminded of the young lady who explained to me the real purpose of the Berlin Wall.

Posted on February 8th, 2008 by pwyll
Filed under: Cuba