Thursday, April 26, 2007

The Bigger Picture

I also wanted to comment on two recent published articles. Yesterday, the International Herald Tribune printed the opinion of Anatol Lieven, a distinguished journalist and author, on US policy towards Cuba. His piece titled "It's Time to Trade with Cuba" makes an argument for a new US policy because he feel that the current restrictions "have damaged Washington's interests" in the Latin region. It's an excellent piece, and basically the most popular argument in favor for new engagement with Cuba within the OAS members.

Lieven also mentions Cuba's "great success in education." Today, another article printed by the San Jose Mercury News, supports this comment. Martin Carnoy from UNESCO describes research he did in 2004 comparing primary education in the Latin region. He confirms Cuba's success in education (compared with Brazil or Chile) and states that the island's system has "all features of high-quality education that could be adopted by any country in Latin America."

These two articles are very important. They support a broader effort for regional integration in the Americas, support for the larger goals of the UN Millennium Development strategy for universal primary education by 2015, and confront today's challenge where one out of three children in the world never see the inside of a classroom.

10 comments:

Manuel A.Tellechea said...

So Martin Carnoy from UNESCO states that the Cuba's educational system has "all features of high-quality education that could be adopted by any country in Latin America." Does he know (of course he knows) that the Castro regime keeps a political dossier on every student from kindergarten (then, supposedly, it records their parents' political attitudes), and that upon graduating high school, it decides whether a given student shall be allowed to continue his studies and what he should study on the basis of his track record as a Communist and not on his educational achievements? I guess you, Mr. Watcher, would have had no difficulty continuing your education in Castro's Cuba for your "political merits" are considerable.

Will said...

I noticed that you're the 2nd Google hit for "Moroccan American Center for Policy," after their own website. The sentence Google highlights is "The allegations of the Moroccan government and the Moroccan American Center for Policy are baseless."

Rock on!

Mambi_Watch said...

Mr. Tellechea,

I wonder if you read Carnoy's article. It specifically make an argument focused on primary education within the Latin region BASED on comparisons of math and language tests. His conclusions are the result of those studies and do not address the issue you highlight.

The issue of Cuba's educational system relying on a political basis is a concern and worthy of further investigation. But, it is of utmost concern to the Cuban people, and they shall best address that issue.

If such a thing occurred here, no question that Americans would be angered, but its a separate issue of math and reading levels, which if fact Americans are currently concerned about.

Read the article carefully.

Mambi_Watch said...

Will,

Just checked that out, and I hope it means that many people are reading about the MACP and their false allegations against the Polisario Front.

Read your blog and saw that Lincoln Diaz-Balart managed to get supporting signatures for Morocco's autonomy plan. How frustrating.

I might have to make more effort to address the issue of Western Sahara beyond a blog. I'll try to keep you updated on any news from South Florida.

Manuel A.Tellechea said...

"The issue of Cuba's educational system relying on a political basis is a concern and worthy of further investigation. But, it is of utmost concern to the Cuban people, and they shall best address that issue." — Mambo Watcher

Guess what, Mr. Watcher? I am one of the Cuban people and it is a concern of mine too.

The Cuban people have not been able to address that issue or any other issue of concern to them because Cuba is a one-party state where the people are not allowed to express freely their opinions on national or local issues because there are no elections in Cuba.

Why don't you argue now that Castro's one-party "elections" are legitimate and really discredit yourself.

Mambi_Watch said...

Mr. Tellechea,

Elections are not how people address domestic political concerns. They are mostly dealt through organization and social pressure. The most pressing issues that have been on the forefront of any population in the world have been dealt through public pressure. NOT elections.

Manuel A.Tellechea said...

So, in other words: "Who needs elections?," as your idol once famously proclaimed.

Mambi_Watch said...

Mr. Tellechea,

Your leaps of assumption are desperate and reveal that you have nothing to contribute but fallacies.

I can see why other blogs have little tolerance for your commentary.

I will attempt to address the importance of democratic processes in the future, but in the meantime you can read about the mas protests that are currently happening in Turkey.

Manuel A.Tellechea said...

Other blogs have little patience with you too, Mambo. Never have I seen anyone as abused as you, or, I may add, so patient with the abuse heaped on you. I suppose that this must be a virtue. If so, I want no part of it.

So you will turn your attention to elections later. How much later? Five decades, perhaps? That will make 100 years altogether of slavery for the Cuban people.

So you reject democracy when it does not give you results that you like. That is, after all, what is happening in Turkey — a revolution through the ballot box. But you don't like those kinds of revolution. You prefer revolutions that eschew the ballot box.

The fact that there has never been an election in Cuba since 1959 shows that Fidel and his henchmen know how deeply unpopular their predatory revolution is. This recognition gives the lie to all those like you who pretend otherwise.

Mambi_Watch said...

Mr. Tellechea,

Your frustration is understandable. Yet, you have gone off topic. Please save your fulminations and allegations for another day.