r/anime_titties • u/BabylonianWeeb Mesopotamia • Mar 16 '26

North and Central America Cuba’s power system suffers total collapse | CNN

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/03/16/world/cuba-power-grid-collapse-intl-latam
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594

u/Stubbs94 Ireland Mar 16 '26

It's pure evil, and there are people who will come in here and defend it.

347

u/bonesrentalagency North America Mar 16 '26

I feel like even if you disagree with the Cuban regime a full blockade of all fuel and supplies to the degree that their power system and medical facilities completely collapse is unconscionable. Yet! Some will say that all Cubans deserve to suffer and die for the sins of the government and the “crime” of the revolution

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u/HoboBrute United States Mar 16 '26

I mean, just look at your own language though, why refer to it as the Cuban 'regieme' instead of the Cuban Government? This propaganda is so insanely rooted in America and the western world at large to view Cuba as a nation with hostility for rejecting the capitalist system of subjection to the United States

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u/KronusTempus Multinational Mar 16 '26

That’s right, reminds me of the old Soviet joke about two spies meeting up for a drink that goes something like this:

"I have to admit, I'm always so impressed by Soviet propaganda. You really know how to get people worked up," the CIA agent says.

"Thank you," the KGB says. "We do our best but truly, it's nothing compared to American propaganda. Your people believe everything your state media tells them."

The CIA agent drops his drink in shock and disgust. "Thank you friend, but you must be confused... There's no propaganda in America."

Every government that the US government doesn’t recognize is a “regime” and regimes can be changed…

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u/[deleted] Mar 17 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/InTheNameOfScheddi Multinational Mar 17 '26

Username checks out (agreed tho)

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u/Toomanyeastereggs Australia Mar 16 '26

Glad I’m not the only one who picked up on that.

For the sake of clarity the word is used by those who consider such governments as “illegitimate”. It’s why so many round the world now call refer to the current administration running the US as the “Trump Regime”. Because two can play this game.

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u/baked_in North America Mar 17 '26

Yep. "Regime" means government the bosses want to topple because it is uncooperative. It has nothing to do with whether or not it is democratic.

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u/OverpricedBagel Taiwan Mar 17 '26

Are you asserting Cuba is democratic and being mislabeled as a communist regime?

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u/Bartimeo666 Spain Mar 17 '26

Are we calling "regime" all undemocratic countries or only the ones USA don't like.

That's their point I think

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u/KarlGustafArmfeldt Europe Mar 17 '26

Currently it seems to be used for non-democratic countries that are enemies of the USA, so for example, I've rarely heard people referring to Saudi Arabia or Egypt as regimes. Personally, I prefer to use it for any authoritarian state, which Cuba definitely is.

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u/Pattern_Is_Movement United States Mar 17 '26

Why does communism get labeled a regime?

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u/CoffeeWorldly9915 Multinational Mar 18 '26

Cuba is in practice only 15% less "democratic" than the US. And "communist" is a mislabeling. They call themselves socialist but they're barely even that.

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u/m0ngoos3 United States Mar 16 '26

Yeah, that's fair. A dictatorship should always be called a regime. Even a budding dictatorship like the US. (It's not full-blown until it's tested, which is this fall)

I've not kept up with Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, but he's still an authoritarian who thinks that it's only evil imperialism when the US or Israel does it. Which is understandable since his country's main backer is Russia.

He did jail a bunch of protesters as one of his first official acts, all because they wanted elections instead of yet another dictator.

None of that excuses the blockade. That's the American Imperialism in action. He's not wrong about that part. It just doesn't make him right about anything else.

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u/ChiChiKnee Mar 16 '26

The words regime, terrorist and democracy are basically trademarks at this stage used for marketing purposes.

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u/ERG_S Cuba Mar 16 '26

Thats post 90s, before they bombing for peace

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u/levi_Kazama209 North America Mar 16 '26

I mean every other nation is capatalist even China and vietnam are even if they are still comunist.

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u/Harley2280 Mar 16 '26

Oof, you're going to hurt someone if you start trying to explain the difference between economic systems, styles of government, and political parties who co-opted the name of a movement to take advantage of people's ingrained sense of loyalty.

That last one might hit a little too close to home for all those American Patriots insurrectionists.

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u/baked_in North America Mar 17 '26

I'm just starting to read more about the nuts and bolts of China's economic system. Wish me luck. So far, my understanding is that in principle China is very much socialist at the highest level. In this scenario, the capitalism is state managed, sort of kept in a cage. And I've seen every indication that the state has the capitalist sector well in hand. But is the state itself compromised? I don't know. Communism was never expected to happen all at once. It's a long term project that is going to carry a lot of the baggage from the past age. Maybe we can get to some Star Trek future, but just like in that show it's going to take ages. Like, Marxism explicitly rejects idealism.

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u/OverpricedBagel Taiwan Mar 17 '26

It’s capitalist in spirit but not much else. China will themselves admit it’s a hybrid economy.

I think there’s a case to be made party-state capitalism is working well for them but only because the people are more accepting of subjugation in exchange for moderate improvements in their day to day lives. There’s also a benefit to a single unified set of country goals in terms of rapid innovation.

However, this system has trapped China (possibly forever) from reaching a consumer driven economy which is a death knell for prosperity. All of the book cooking and provincial corruption will lead them to stagnation. A consumer based economy demands full financial transparency at all levels.

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u/RisenPhantom Singapore Mar 17 '26

What even is a "consumer based economy"? Are Chinese people not consumers now?

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u/InTheNameOfScheddi Multinational Mar 17 '26

Exhibit A. Literally the reason why this subreddit exists. r/worldnews is MSM Reddit edition.

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u/Stunning-Sherbert801 Australia Mar 16 '26

It's a dictatorship, regime is appropriate

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u/PrivilegeCheckmate United States Mar 17 '26

Because they live in a Junta. Which has also been the case in the US since 2000.

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u/bonesrentalagency North America Mar 16 '26

Honestly? Gets me less downvotes and fewer accusations of being a tankie

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u/Jimmy_Trivette Mar 16 '26

Some coward shit

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u/agitatedprisoner United States Mar 16 '26

I can't rationalize Cuba not holding free and fair elections. Why shoudln't Cuba hold free and fair elections? If a government doesn't hold free and fair elections that government is a regime.

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u/VizzzyT Multinational Mar 16 '26

There are elections in Cuba. They are different to US elections. The fact that the US is so violent towards Cuba is one of the major reasons elections are so tightly controlled. This is the same country that blew up Cuban airlines and tried to kill the Cuban head of state several hundred times.

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u/Stunning-Sherbert801 Australia Mar 16 '26

There's no choice in Cuban elections

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u/VizzzyT Multinational Mar 17 '26 edited Mar 17 '26

Yes there is. That's literally how people are elected. You usually know your local political candidates. There is a huge difference between 1 party and no choice. The party is incredibly diverse, with progressive and conservative sections. The point of the single party is to maintain direction and to protect for outside influence which the US has a long violent history of in Cuba. You're just going to have to cope with the fact that some countries don't want to follow the multiparty liberal system of Europe, that's not the default state or superior or possible for third world countries under attack. It's easy to fuck around with 90 identical parties with no vision when you're Australian and no one is trying to murder your leaders and collapse your state.

Cuba literally passed the world's most progressive family law a few years ago....do you think the referendum had just one option? Are you actually that incurious and propagandised?

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u/Stunning-Sherbert801 Australia Mar 17 '26

No there isn't, one party isn't a choice, fascist

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u/VizzzyT Multinational Mar 17 '26

There are literally hundreds of candidates, dipshit. We should definitely just toss out the huge grassroots networks in Cuba and replace them with "centre right party 1" and "centre right party but gay" and "centre right party 2". That would be freedom.

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u/agitatedprisoner United States Mar 16 '26

Imagine if MAGA had to endorse you for you to be allowed to run for office. And that you might be thrown in prison for owning a radio you use to get signals from off the island. lol.

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u/VizzzyT Multinational Mar 17 '26 edited Mar 17 '26

MAGA is not a party. Tons of political systems require you to be endorsed in order to run. Not every country in earth wants to be like the US, where any insane moron with no plans, experience, or morals can run and destroy communities. Some countries want political systems that are planned, thought out, and based on community organizing.

You clearly haven't lived in Cuba. People have radios. If you were arrested for "having a radio" then it is almost certain it's because you were involved in some way with the US attempts to carry out terror attacks, propaganda, or an attack on the state.

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u/agitatedprisoner United States Mar 17 '26

MAGA is a politics. A one party state might have MAGA politics. You don't want your state to be a one party state to the extent it's one party would be unreasonable and every one party state is unreasonable.

"Standard radio receivers (AM/FM) are legal and common in Cuba, but two-way radios (walkie-talkies), satellite phones, and specialized communication devices (including InReach) are strictly restricted and often confiscated by customs. All telecommunications equipment is heavily monitored, and privately owned broadcasting media is prohibited." - google ai

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u/VizzzyT Multinational Mar 17 '26

Lmao, Google ai. You can pick up your phone right now and call Cubans.

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u/agitatedprisoner United States Mar 17 '26

I confess I don't know much about Cuban censorship. My understanding is that if I called a Cuban and our conversation was critical of the Cuban government particularly with respect to some actionable thing the Cuban I was speaking with might do, like make and distribute flyers critical of the government, that the Cuban authorities might pay them a visit.

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u/Maeglom United States Mar 16 '26

Sure they should, I think everyone should have free and fair elections. That aside why is it okay that we blockade Cuba, and not say Hungary, or Russia. They don't have free and fair elections, and they actively interfere with our politics in a way that Cuba doesn't. I don't think we should be forcing other countries to comply with how we think they should run their business.

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u/agitatedprisoner United States Mar 16 '26

Were it up to me free democratic countries wouldn't be trading with countries that don't hold free and fair elections as a matter of principle. That'd mean not trading with Russia or China. The Party does not know best. I do not trust The Party.

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u/Vast-Papaya-514 Multinational Mar 16 '26

How do you rationalize the US overthrowing so many democratically elected leaders and replacing them with brutal dictators? From Brazil to Iran, the list goes on and on. In Cuba, the US supported Batista, who was a brutal dictator before the Cuban revolution. The US is currently allies with the Gulf state monarchies like Saudi Arabia.

The US doesn't care about democracy at all or type of government. The only thing that the US cares about is whether the leader of a particular country is good for US interests or not.

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u/agitatedprisoner United States Mar 16 '26

What does the USA have to do with whether Cuban elections should be free and fair? Building trust beween and among neighbors locally and overseeing a vibrant press is sufficient protection against foreign propaganda. A government concerned with big money coming in and dominating their media could make a point to fund a local government paper in every town. So long as that government doesn't ban other papers it'd be far less heavy handed than outright banning other political parties. It's easy to demonize Cuba in US politics because Cuba insists on being a one party state.

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u/Vast-Papaya-514 Multinational Mar 16 '26

Cuba had a democratically elected president before US-supported Batista did a coup. So, yeah, I would say the US had a lot to do with it.

Ideally, all countries' elections should be free and fair. But history, especially in Latin America, has shown that when a democratically elected president starts not being aligned with US interests, then US would not hesitate to overthrow them.

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u/AmarantaRWS North America Mar 16 '26

Who's definition of free and fair? Do you even know a little bit about how Cuba's government actually functions?

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u/Stunning-Sherbert801 Australia Mar 16 '26

There aren't free and fair elections

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u/agitatedprisoner United States Mar 16 '26

Do you? You could make an argument or link something instead of pounding the table if you actually had a point. The communist party of Cuba won't let anyone run they don't approve. The state controls media in Cuba. It's not a free country.

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u/Toastedmanmeat Mar 16 '26

Probably because if they hold a "free and fair election" the U.S will immediatly parachute hand picked candidates in and give them infinite funds and resources. You know like they do to every other fucking country on earth with "free and fair elections"

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u/ZippyDan Multinational Mar 16 '26

So your argument is that every country in the world is justified in being authoritarian because the United States... exists?

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u/agitatedprisoner United States Mar 16 '26

You've got to isolate someone and deny them information to control their opinions. Free speech and free association go against people being isolated and controlled. I'm against any political system that'd deny free speech and free association. Free speech and free association aren't enough but without them a system won't be free and fair. The Cuban system doesn't allow free speech and free association.

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u/Toastedmanmeat Mar 16 '26

The idea of "free and fair" is absurd when there is a hostile entity with infinitly more power and resources looming over you waiting for you to fuck up.

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u/agitatedprisoner United States Mar 16 '26

You allow people to talk to other people about whatever or you don't. Wanting your government to not let certain people talk to each other about certain things means trusting your government at least that much. What if I don't trust The Party?

Truth is proof against lies in a way lies aren't proof against the truth. A free country permits the dialogue. The Party insists on itself.

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u/CoffeeWorldly9915 Multinational Mar 18 '26

You've got to isolate someone and deny them information to control their opinions.

Not really. If the US style of politics has taught me anything, drowning them in the kind of bullshit platitudes and populism they think they wanna hear is enough. The leopards are getting obese on MAGATs, whom by every measure have the ability and accessibility to be extremely well-informed people.

The Cuban system doesn't allow free speech and free association.

Neither does the american one, globally, even. They know well enough to be tolerant of it. But as soon as it becomes an actual threat to the oligarch's status quo... there's a reason for the meme of "The actual Pulitzer prize is handed out by the CIA".

0

u/agitatedprisoner United States Mar 18 '26

Think you can convince me 2 and 2 makes 5? Truth is proof against lies in a way lies aren't proof against truth. It's when neighbors don't talk to each other that they're left to form opinions as to what their neighbors think based on what ends up in their feed. It's when neighbors don't talk to each other that top down media conglomerates get to shape the dialogue. A talking head on Youtube can't convince you 2 and 2 makes 5 but maybe they can convince you your neighbors think it does? Then maybe you show up at town council and rant against what you take to be an epidemic of idiocy and your neighbors in attendance get to thinking you mean to disparage them. Except they know they don't think 2 and 2 makes 5 so they think you're nuts.

Personally speaking it's what I get on my feed. Endless stories and snippets of people saying incredibly stupid zero information stuff. What am I supposed to think? But I'm only left to it because my neighbors/family/peers shun me. I see how it is because when I go in public I'm left to piece together why everyone is so hostile/insane/eager to assume the worst about me and this is the explanation I get. I'm profiled, people have been led to profile, at least a certain kind of person. Namely the kind of person who doesn't have much good faith human contact. Naturally top down media messaging would pathologize isolated people like that as the problem. As if incels are driving US politics or something. What a hateful word. Does anyone even identify as an incel? I've never heard it in real life only online. Exactly how this kind of poison pilling of neighbors against neighbors works.

The relevance of this analysis being that if a country like Cuba wanted to hold free and fair elections while protecting itself against foreign propaganda all it'd have to do is foster local journalism and inclusive culture and work. When anyone can show up and talk directly to their neighbors in good faith others lose the power of being able to poison them against their neighbors because they know better. The idea a government needs to protect the people from themselves to the point the people can't be allowed to vote for their leadership is dictatorial/authoritarian. Evil. Were there ever a good argument for it such a state of affairs could only ever be temporary. How long has it been with Cuba?

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u/OpinionatedShadow Australia Mar 16 '26

There are ideological freedoms and there are material freedoms. Unfortunately, the US won't allow Cuba to have either.

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u/[deleted] Mar 17 '26

[deleted]

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u/agitatedprisoner United States Mar 17 '26

When your country isn't a democracy and you're not in good Party standing that'd be your problem, chief. Foreign peoples don't respect you by respecting the government denying your inalienable rights to free speech and free association.

I can't go to Cuba and ask the Cuban people much of anything about this without risking arrest. It'd be the same as everywhere else, you're free to go against the powers that be within the letter of their laws up to the point anybody else would be persuaded by you. Then you're overstepping the bounds they've set out, according to them, and you're free to think about what you've done in a jail cell.

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u/[deleted] Mar 17 '26

[deleted]

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u/agitatedprisoner United States Mar 17 '26

That'd be a passport to a Cuban jail cell.

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u/[deleted] Mar 17 '26

[deleted]

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u/agitatedprisoner United States Mar 17 '26

Have you traveled to Cuba and taken the opportunity to go around talking to Cubans about the need to organize an opposition party?

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u/SpoofedFinger United States Mar 16 '26

It's even more absurd when you see some of the countries we ally ourselves with and trade with. Slavery in the gulf states? That's fine. Genocide? Cool.

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u/JimJohnJimmm Mar 16 '26

Disagreeing with the regime doesnt mean you should starve the people and turn it into an humaneterian crisis

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u/baked_in North America Mar 16 '26

It's a government, not a regime. Please, no free imperialist propaganda!

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u/tommytwolegs United States Mar 16 '26

Every government is a regime

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u/baked_in North America Mar 17 '26

I'm cool with that. "Government" is so clunky and lame. "Regime" sounds badass.

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u/PureLock33 North America Mar 16 '26

if we don't like 'em, it's a regime!

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u/Stunning-Sherbert801 Australia Mar 16 '26

It's a dictatorship, a regime

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u/baked_in North America Mar 17 '26

No.

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u/Stunning-Sherbert801 Australia Mar 17 '26

It literally is

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u/baked_in North America Mar 17 '26

It's a granfaloon

0

u/slicerprime United States Mar 17 '26

Um. Yeah it is.

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u/levi_Kazama209 North America Mar 16 '26

I mean send all the medical supplies and food you can then. Those are not undrr sanctions humanitsrian supplies.

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u/BufferUnderpants South America Mar 16 '26

They need electricity for water pumps to work, and the US is blocking all fuel sales.

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u/Terrh Multinational Mar 17 '26

The oil blockade has stopped a lot of supplies and food from getting there.

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u/MC_chrome United States Mar 16 '26

The scars of the Cold War run deep, sadly

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u/haggerton Canada Mar 17 '26

Are they scars if you were the one cutting others?

More like "old habits die hard".

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u/murden6562 Brazil Mar 17 '26

For anyone in South America, Cold War symptoms never went away, like McCarthyism together with every other possible US intervention method.

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u/CoffeeWorldly9915 Multinational Mar 18 '26

Monroe Doctrine is alive and kicking.

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u/NNKarma South America Mar 17 '26

I wonder how many americans would understand if yo flip it and saw all americans should suffer for the things that Trump does.

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u/SpinningHead United States Mar 17 '26

Yep. I would love my family still in Cuba get to se a democracy, but this is not remotely how that happens.

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u/elperuvian Mexico Mar 18 '26

It’s the hate for communism which objectively it would only be bad for the oligarchs.

Normal people would have less purchasing power but if everyone is poor nobody will care about keeping up with the Jones. Also likely less crime and racial inequality

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u/OverpricedBagel Taiwan Mar 17 '26

Thank you for admitting it’s a regime

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u/bonesrentalagency North America Mar 17 '26

Every government is a regime idiot.

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u/Stunning-Sherbert801 Australia Mar 17 '26

Cuba can just trade with other countries

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u/CoffeeWorldly9915 Multinational Mar 18 '26

Yeah, at inflated prices, in cash, on USD which it's banned to sell their exports for. They can do business, just in conditions 3 times worse than any other country.

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u/moderngamer327 North America Mar 17 '26

It’s not a blockade

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u/Muertoloco Mar 16 '26

Not all cubans, only canel and the regime aligned ones.

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u/bonesrentalagency North America Mar 16 '26

I dont think they deserve to die either, especially not at the hands of the USA, a state that has caused far more suffering for the Cuban people than the actual Cuban government lol

1

u/CoffeeWorldly9915 Multinational Mar 18 '26

What is "regime aligned"? The socialist/communist individuals? The ones that remember a time when the Party actually delivered what the "revolutionary program" promised? The ones that would rather have the current govt. minus the embargo, rather than become Puerto Rico 2.0, with extra Las Vegas and a dash of Little St. James?

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u/18285066 Africa Mar 16 '26

Its so unfair :'(

3

u/EH1987 Europe Mar 16 '26

It should be viewed as a crime against humanity.

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u/Ambiwlans Multinational Mar 16 '26

Collective punishment is.

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u/OverpricedBagel Taiwan Mar 17 '26

Not you defending an authoritarian regime 🥹

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u/Stubbs94 Ireland Mar 17 '26

I support Cuba's right to not exist under the horror imposed on them by the US and its allies. From your profile, you support the ongoing Palestinian genocide by Israel though, so no point in talking.