Cuban Soccer Team Facing Unique Problem
- Posted by Justin Higgins on March 14th, 2008 in
Cuba's Under-23 national soccer team has lost a few members recently, showing that Cuba's sports teams still face a unique problem, defections. Back in 1996, two Cuban boxers defected to the United States. The newest case as I mentioned, is with Cuba's soccer team. The Miami Herald reports:
Five members of the Cuban Under-23 national soccer team defected to the United States after an Olympic qualifier earlier this week, and two more players have reportedly left the team.
Cuba tied the U.S., 1-1, on Tuesday in its first Olympic qualifier and five of the players left the team afterward.
Although the players have not officially been identified, Jose Manuel Miranda, Erlys Garcia Baro, Yenier Bermudez, Yordany Alvarez and Loanni Prieto were not at practice Wednesday.
ESPN also reported that Yendry Diaz and Eder Roldan had left the team.
ESPN's article includes some more information, including some information about our "Wet Foot, Dry Foot" policy. Essentially, because they are Cuban nationals in the United States, they can pursue asylum and eventually citizenship. If the men do not return to the Cuban team, they may be forced to forfeit one or more of their upcoming matches. Communism punishes productivity and skill, so it's no surprise that these men wanted out.
I'm pretty sure-
-that Cuba allows Americans into Cuba. America doesn't allow its citizens to go to Cuba. When travel restrictions were loosened in the 90s, Americans visited Cuba... I think now any Americans who travel to Cuba either have to be journalists or have to get into there via other countries.
Don't forget, that while they did point missiles towards the US from Cuba, the US had missiles pointed towards them from Greece. That's the one aspect of the Cuban Missile Crisis that doesn't get that much play. Kennedy moved the missiles out of Greece and the USSR moved the missiles out a Cuba.
The question further down thread, which nobody answered when I asked it, of why Americans can visit China but not Cuba has a lot to do China's open markets and open labor pools. China doesn't get punished anymore 'cuz they opened their markets. Cuba has not, and have to remain off-limits and kept off the world stage.
Plus, you know, it would be hard for the American head of Mattel to visit his factories there if Americans couldn't visit China.
Soon as Cuba opens their markets, labor pools and allows for foreign ownership of resources and whatnot, we'll all be allowed to travel there and regardless of if there's democracy there, the leaders who allow these neo-liberal 'reforms' will be good guys!
I think
that Americans are not allowed in Cuba because America refused to help Cuba when they asked for it. The reason America refused to help was because they had a Communist government, and this was during the Cold War. Still in search of help, Cuba went to the Soviets, who set up a missile that was aimed towards The US, thus the Cuban Missile Crisis. After all that cleared up, America denied any relation with Cuba, and refused to trade with them. However, Castro wasn't prejudice towards other governments, and most of this issue came about because of America's policy of Containment.
Reward
In my opinion, a person should not be rewarded for something they enjoy doing. It was already mentioned that communism doesn't punish, it just doesn't reward athletes. However, I think pushing yourself in any aspect you can is reward enough, that is why some Northern American athletes are as self indulgent as they are. A good example of self indulged athletes are most baseball players, mainly "A-Rod".
yup
They should be allowed to visit and move here if they want. And Americans should be allowed to visit and move there, if they want. We're allowed to visit China if we want. How come Cuba is still off-limits?
Cubans defect
How Wonderful they could come to America and we can see the difference through their eyes. Communism doesn't reward being talented, hard work or help common people strive to get a head.
Communism...
...doesn't punish productivity and skill, it simply does not reward it. The development of skill and excellence is stifled by the way Communism rewards all people equally, regardless of their level of proficiency. In the worst cases, Communism forces its most talented citizens to deliver without compensation commensurate with their abilities relative to others in their societies - if any compensation is given at all. Therefore, achievement driven by competative motivation is non-existent. At the risk of taking your point out of context, I believe that's basically what you are saying.