Annoying Lie #1: Cuban vs. American Literacy
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97%
male: 97.2%
female: 96.9% (2003 est.)
Source: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/
geos/cu.html
As you can tell, Cuba's literacy is not terrible, but it refutes the "100%"
myth. Now let us look at the United States:
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97%
male: 97%
female: 97% (1999 est.)Source: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/
geos/us.html
Thus, if the CIA Factbook is accurate, then men in the US have a -.2% literacy rate difference in comparison to Cuba. Meanwhile, what's this? Women in the US have a .1% literacy rate difference compared to Cuba. But ultimately, this means nothing, as the Cuban and American literacy rates for all of both countries is at 97%, giving an even percentage in total comparison. This means that in all truth, Cuba has the same literacy rate as the US.
Ultimately, though, this lie is merely a tactic of distraction used from uninformed Castro apologists who have heard this parrotted somewhere and assumed it to be true. This statement is a conscious or unconscious method to distract Castro regime opponents in debate to make people believe that because there is a higher rate of literacy in Cuba, then it must not be all that bad under the Castro regime and that all the stories of political and religious oppression, as well as rampant poverty under a state-run system are all leftover Cold War lies from paranoid Conservatives trying to hide the wonderful state that Cuba is really in. Next time you debate with a person spouting this lie, make sure to note that Cuba's literacy rate is actually the same percentage as that of the United States and that there has yet to be a large influx of Americans going to Cuba from Hollywood or anywhere for that matter. I think it is pretty obvious that in Cuba, or anywhere else for that matter, literacy is good for the person and their mind for both practical and intellectual reasons. But it cannot feed you, and it is next to useless if you are in a totalitarian regime in which you are restricted to government-approved publications and writings. I believe that the influx of Cuban migrants to the US floating to Florida's coast for a better life, often dying in the process is testament to this truth. It is also interesting to note that most of the Westerners living in more Capitalism-oriented countries have been reluctant to move to Cuba, especially the pampered pundits who sing the praises of the Castro regime.
posted by Daniel, The Ignorant American at 6:31 PM
1 Comments:
Interesting blog. I see you are a passionate debater who has a disliking of liberals and their arguments about communism and cuba as a model. However, I must say you prove your ignorance in couple ways. First you used two different dates from the CIA Worldfact book to show that the Literacy Rate between the US and Cuba are the same when in fact there is a four year difference in comparision. This my friend is misleading. Secondly, You fail to realize when the CIA put the numbers in for the American literacy rate the included the number of people who can read at a fourth grade level. Compared to the number of people who read at a high school level in Cuba, and in most places in the world that have a higher literacy rate than the U.S. Another failure is your uneducated attack on Cuba. Yes, there are plenty of Cubans who would love to have more freedom and be prosperous. The economic decline of Cuba is not totally Cuba's fault. It is the fault of the US, who became upset with the island nation when Fidel Castro decided to overthrow the previous goverment and to nationalize the resources of the island so that all may share in the wealth. In doing this he forced many American companies to flee from the island. Furthermore he forced the wealthier Cubans to leave as well. This drain has brought down the economy of Cuba. Surely not a good thing. However, in Fidel Castro's drive to make all things equal in Cuba, he did end the racial policies that were in place with the previous government. Before Fidel Castro, Cuba looked pretty much like the southern United States, segregated and with high racial tensions between black Cubans and white Cubans. And like the southern United States, high iliteracy rate existed for black Cubans while white Cubans lived the more privileged life. It is those white Cubans who are here in the United States today, who are upset that Fidel nationalized their property, that are causing such high anti Fidel or anti-Cuba feelings in the U.S. and therefore causing a great deal of American ignorance as to the history of Cuba and its troubles.
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