Comments by "Bo McGillacutty" (@Mrbfgray) on "Cuba: High prices, lines and shortages | DW Documentary" video.

Things like waiting in lines for hrs is insane, there's zero productivity possible for those hrs. You can't consume more than you produce. As a shopkeeper I'd think there'd be a better way, have everyone schedule a specific time slot say.
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@willisswenson3843 I'd actually recommend "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand....to anyone, but seems bit silly to think anyone would take that advice here. Have you read it? No one want's to read my diatribe 'book' on any topic in these threads.
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Punish productivity long and hard enough and this is the result.
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@misteriosdelmundo255 That half century of failed policy has been driven entirely by Cuban Americans, tiny minority who vote on the one thing no one else thinks about. (since the '60's) But why does it matter so much? Why can't Cuban's be reasonably prosperous on their own? Only because Communism punishes productivity and rewards sloth with predictable results.
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@willisswenson3843 Free speech and and free enterprise are what you should be focused on first and foremost, those are what's missing here (Cuba) and right to freedom of thought, expression and to profit from your own efforts are the first to go. As we have seen in much of the West in recent yrs, rampant censorship in the USA, even outlawing blasphemy in some Euro nations--that's the path to tolerating the Taliban.
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@willisswenson3843 Honestly don't know how you'd exist there without it, I'd guess most of the meat and higher value food stuff isn't legally produced and peddled. Typically blk markets are sort of tolerated in Authoritarian regimes.
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@willisswenson3843 A lot can be said and you said some more of it, no one wants to read ALL I have to say about it. :D
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@willisswenson3843 If you like reading at all you should read it, just for it's captivating qualities and brilliance. My favorite part is John Galt's speech on "The Root of Money", no matter your conviction or how articulate you are, guarantee you'll be further armed against the tyranny of socialism. It's core bit of American culture, be it from a derogatory or celebratory view point. Great read even without the underling message. (I'd contest her on the Gold Standard but that's relatively minor, plus few other trivialities/technicalities) It will give you more powder. ;-)
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@willisswenson3843 :D You may find yourself riveted to it as many others have, a fantastic story by itself. Took her 11 yrs of diligent hard work. Hit me up after you get into it a ways.
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@willisswenson3843 OH...and you'll begin to see it referenced in popular culture, The Simpson's to Bill Maher to public bathroom stalls: "Who is John Galt?" One of my most respected old friend's college age daughter was reading it last time I talked to him, he was very pleased with that, I'm assuming as an antidote to you know what. Keep in mind it was written in the 1950's, much was from her history from Russian becoming the USSR and plenty prophetic since, including, oddly--shale oil development as a smaller story element. I've watched the movie which is OK but no way to remotely duplicate the book without a long mini-series.
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@willisswenson3843 Enterprising individuals should spend all their time and energy on the black market, IDK Cuba but that's the only way to achieve any "social justice", ie., Meritocracy, in such circumstances. Gotta think there's a big parallel economy that sustains them.
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@barbarasmith6005 Examples? Be specific please. Why does originality matter here? Was Orwell "original" in his recipe for tyranny that is currently used as an instruction manual for Establishment America? Nope. He learned that from history.
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@Research0digo Good question, assume folks aren't lining up for nothing, on the other hand they aren't producing much either so...can't consume what you don't produce or steal from someone who does and victims won't produce either when they are penalized for doing so as Communism mandates.
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@briangerrits1454 "Universal poverty." is the unstated but obvious result of punishing productivity and rewarding sloth--an essential defining characteristic of Marxism. We see it again today in the USA in the form of 'anti-Meritocracy'.
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