http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/02/15/57534.aspxBy Mary Murray, NBC News Producer Staying on top of events is no easy task for the average Cuban. Cuba’s communist government regulates the Internet as a controlled substance.  At the same time, the state owns all domestic media outletsen-USCommunityServer 2.0 (Build: 60608.1)http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/02/15/57534.aspx#57609Thu, 15 Feb 2007 20:04:23 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:57609Sarah Rose Hurt. Indianapolis, IndianaFor all of my adult life I have wanted to buy a home in Cuba. What are the chances, anyone know? Also, I would simply love to come visit there. Is there a way to do that?http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/02/15/57534.aspx#57640Thu, 15 Feb 2007 20:43:30 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:57640Ana, Miami, FLDear Ms. Hurt, Cuba is a COMMUNIST country where there is no such thing (unless you are part of the minority elite) as private property. Per our US government rules, Americans are not supposed to do business, travel, or much else with Cuba. Until the rules here change or Cuba becomes a democratic society, you're pretty much out of luck on all fronts.http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/02/15/57534.aspx#57643Thu, 15 Feb 2007 20:49:09 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:57643Carlos MortonPrivate individuals can not "buy a home in Cuba," from last I heard it is controlled by the state, although that may be changing. To get around the U.S. "trading with the enemy" Act just go to Mexico and book a flight directly to Cuba. Ask them not to stamp your passport upon arrival. http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/02/15/57534.aspx#57644Thu, 15 Feb 2007 20:50:10 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:57644John Doe, Seattle, Wash"Then and now, Radio Bemba can exaggerate or change the news" Um....the exact same thing happens in the US. Why is it that Americans always seem to want to point fingers at every other nation about everything and anything? Do you not think there are many, many things that happen in the US that are not reported? I find it odd when people nitwit nations, but don't look in the mirror. Cuba is a mess? Who the hell made and continues to make, Cuba a mess? Good ol' Uncle Sammy because Cuba didn't bow down to the will of the US government. Their government doesn't inform them? How much stuff takes place in the US that is "classified"??? I honestly for the life of me, see no way that America became so strong, outside of killings and massive US interventions and arms sales. People in the US are friggin' clueless.http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/02/15/57534.aspx#57652Thu, 15 Feb 2007 21:07:31 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:57652Jerry, Los Angeles, CA.Dear John Doe, Even though you used an alias of John Doe, if you would have posted a similar message in Cuba, the goverment would be tracing you down as we speak and squash you like a 'gusano'. You'd be imprisoned without due process and your immediate family would suffer as well. That's the difference between the U.S. and Cuba.http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/02/15/57534.aspx#57654Thu, 15 Feb 2007 21:10:38 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:57654Jane Doe, Seattle, WashJohn Doe? Too cowardly to sign your name? If you think that it is so bad, go to Cuba. We don't need dictator supporting cowards!http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/02/15/57534.aspx#57660Thu, 15 Feb 2007 21:14:17 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:57660Daniel, NJJohn Doe, The difference is you have rights here in the US. In Cuba they have no rights. No Freedom of Anything. The government controls everything. While the FCC here can control public airwaves, cable & satellite TV & Radio can put out anything they want with little or no repurcussions. No such thing in Cuba. As for who made Cuba a mess, well I'd have to say that responsibilty falls on the shoulders of their DICTATOR! Would you be happy if our government openly supported a communist country whose principles fly directly in the face of Democracy? Probably not. I have a clue, but you obviously don't, otherwise you wouldn't be hiding behind your fake name.http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/02/15/57534.aspx#57675Thu, 15 Feb 2007 21:31:43 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:57675John Doe, Seattle, WashDaniel, NJ...Jane Doe.....and Jerry How would you know what goes on in Cuba outside of what the government or the corporate media (government extension) tells you? You don't and you have proved my post exactly right. Clueless Americans mouthing words that have been brainwashed into their heads. Cuba isn't communist, first of all. It's a military dictatorship, that by the way, the people supported and actually took part in achieving. They overthrew a US puppet government that treated it's citizens far worse than Castro, but was ignored cuz they were US buddies. Been to Cuba? I HAVE. What Uncle Sam tells you is pure BS. Their government has done the best it can under the circumstances. What circumstances? Oh I don't know, the US convincing nations globally that if you help them, you are no longer our friend and we'll punish you. Get a clue and get informed.http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/02/15/57534.aspx#57679Thu, 15 Feb 2007 21:35:09 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:57679John Doe, Seattle, Washhttp://www.freepeoplesmovement.org/cuba/other.html Read this and find out about Cuba..it's fascinating and NOTHING like what you've heard in the US.http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/02/15/57534.aspx#57704Thu, 15 Feb 2007 21:53:55 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:57704Rey Smith, MIssoula, MontanaPlease forgive John Doe. Remember that he doesn't live in the United States -- he lives in Seattle. I wonder if he ever asks himself why people risk their lives to travel from Cuba to the US, but no one wants to emigrate to Cuba. Except maybe you, John? Vaya con dios, gusano.http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/02/15/57534.aspx#57877Fri, 16 Feb 2007 04:17:15 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:57877Danny D, Tucson, ArizonaDo not criticize Cuba and cite their lack of civil rights vs. the U.S., does anyone realize that we just gave up our fundamental rights to Habeaus Corpus and at any time any citizen can be labeled as an "Enemy Combatant" and jailed indefinately without charges or a trail? Democracy, huh! All in the name of a power grab called the "War on Terror".http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/02/15/57534.aspx#57892Fri, 16 Feb 2007 05:31:06 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:57892Tomas Estrada-Palma, Annapolis, MDMaybe you can pick up a deal on a Cuban slave while you're down there Sarah? Cuba is one of the last slave plantations with massa Castro the big boss.http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/02/15/57534.aspx#57893Fri, 16 Feb 2007 05:34:25 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:57893Tomas Estrada-Palma, Annapolis, MDAnd I see why John Doe is too cowardly to give his real name. Shame causes one to hide their identity.http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/02/15/57534.aspx#58014Fri, 16 Feb 2007 14:13:23 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:58014Gary Roberts Mountain CIty , Tennessee Bush under the republican congress has ruled america for the last seven years with no check put on his powers. The congress did absolutely no over sight on how Bush ruled and let every thing slide by them. Bush people have been able to imprison thousands of Americans without the rights most Americans take for granted. 50 million USA citizens have no health insurance coverage and they die on an average of three to four years earlier than people who are covered. Access to health care is becoming a class privilage in the USA , people with money have good coverage and people without have none. Exxon Corp made 40 billion in profits over the last three months. That is thrity million dollars a year when old folks and young working people struggle to pay for fuel. The response of the Bush adminstration has been to reduce fuel assistance to the elderly and the poorest among us. Statics on the generail health of the population show better in Cuba then they do in the USA. You may not have the level of care aviable tot he wich in the USA but you have basic care. Canadians and Europens live four or five years longer than USA citizens and have much healtier profiles.These countries have preventative care and work with people before they become ill. So in the great Captalist Ameirca we have a huge under class that are suffering. Exxon OIl can not be said to be suffering. The richest among us are doing quite well. We deplore lack of civil rights in Cuba at the same time we deplore the lack of human rights in the USA. http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/02/15/57534.aspx#58046Fri, 16 Feb 2007 15:09:18 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:58046aaron Johnson, IndianaStaying on top of events its not easy for an American either, but of course the Fox and CNN news channels are dictated by the U.S. goverment so whats news? If you call devling into others private lives and soft selling products "News" well then, your in good hands with American networks. http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/02/15/57534.aspx#58172Fri, 16 Feb 2007 17:18:16 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:58172John Doe, Albuquerque, New MexicoThe true cowards are the ones who from the comfort and safety in the U,S, hurl insults at Cuba hoping for a military confrontation between both countries. They are the same ones who support acts of terrorism against the island hoping to someday benefit from these deeds. The ones who suppress free speech and assault others in Miami who may disagree with them have no moral right nor credibility as the defenders of civil rights in Cuba nor anywhere else.http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/02/15/57534.aspx#58868Sat, 17 Feb 2007 14:27:48 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:58868Teddy, Patersaon, New JerseyJohn Doe is perfectly right in his comments about Cuba and the USA. Those who responded negatively to his article need to get a refreasher's course on USA foreign policy and the effects it has on all countries and peoples of the world. They would be more enlightened to respond logically and with better analyses on subjects that they know so little about. Responding negatively and with inuendos only lead to the unfolding of continued ignorance and avoidance of the truth. http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/02/15/57534.aspx#59415Sun, 18 Feb 2007 17:31:45 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:59415Naty RosadoNobody in their right mind would want to move to Cuba as it is now. I am originally from Puerto Rico and had occasion to meet many Cubans that came to Puerto Rico when Castro took over. Castro hasn’t changed and Cuba went from being the richest Island in the Caribbean to one of the poorest. I have many Cuban friends and they have told me their sad stories. It is true Castro controls everything.http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/02/15/57534.aspx#59589Sun, 18 Feb 2007 23:34:09 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:59589Walter Lippmann, Los Angeles, CaliforniaIf you would like to follow the Cuban story, one of the best sources is the Yahoo news group which I moderate and longer articles I place on my website. The Washington Post wrote about my blog: That rarest of creatures, a blog that pops onto the Internet from Havana. Walter Lippmann, an American photographer and artist, offers up a heavy dose of pro-Fidel Castro stuff. Although he sometimes posts from Los Angeles, it's in Cuba where Lippmann produces the real gems: photos of the country and its leaders. The site is a bit disorganized and updates are sporadic, but it includes a link to a Yahoo group where Lippmann posts Cuba news frequently. FULL STORY: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/02/AR2006110201661_pf.html Comment by Walter: Thanks to the Washington Post for the plug! The Post got my name spelled right, too, and I'm grateful for that. (The name Googles better when it's spelled correctly.) Since August 2000, I've operated a news service through Yahoo. It's sent out over 57,000 items from, about or related to Cuba. There you can find lots of materials, pro and con, from a wide range of sources. I WELCOME other points of view than mine. My hope is to make the rather voluminous list as interesting as possible. I don't hid my point of view, but I always separate my opinions from that of the materials posted there. My goal is to make it a useful resource for anyone interested in Cuba where readers can find lots of material.: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CubaNews/ Here, on my personal site there's primarily material which describes Cuban life or reproduces Cuban documents, many of which are original translations from Spanish for CubaNews. This is among the most important items on this site. The Yahoo news group which I operate includes materials from a wide range of perspectives: favorable and hostile to the Cuban Revolution. It's important to know all sides are saying so the news group provides all sorts of materials, political, cultural, musical and whatever, primarily about life in Cuba and from a Cuban point of view. But also about life in the Cuban diaspora, mainly in the United States. If it weren't for Cuba, I would never have been born. My father and his parents lived in Cuba from 1939 to 1942. As German Jewish refugees from the Holocaust, they weren't allowed to enter the United States, so they had to wait for three years to come to the U.S. where my dad met my mom and, well, the rest is history. My parents are gone, but my history is still being written. My father took me to see Cuba in the summer of 1956. When I began learning about the world, as a high school student in 1961, I was drawn into activity around Cuba, and have been working on Cuba-related issues ever since. There are other lots and lots blogs and bloggers in Cuba, but this is a relatively new area for Cubans. Among the others are: Circles Robinson (U.S. journalist living and working in Cuba). Writes in English. http://circlesonline.blogspot.com/ Elsy Fors (Cuban journalist at Prensa Latina, lived in the U.S. and speaks and writes in English. http://noticuba.blogspot.com/ Iosvany Cordoves (Cuban journalist at Periodico 26, Las Tunas, Cuba. Writes in English http://meetcuba.blogspot.com/ Sandra (Young Afro-Cuban woman, feminist, writes in Spanish, on racism, sexism, Rastafari, much more http://negracubana.blogia.com/ Rosa Baez (works at National Library, blogs in Spanish) http://lapolillacubana.blogspot.com/ http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/02/15/57534.aspx#59751Mon, 19 Feb 2007 12:14:01 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:59751Walter Lippmann, Los Angeles, CaliforniaThanks for this report, which sounds pretty accurate to me. People share gossip everywhere in the world, including here in Cuba. If you can't get what you want through official channels, you might (or might not) get it on the grapevine. If you want to follow the Cuban story even more, please check out the Yahoo news group which has focused on Cuba for the past seven years. I'm in Cuba now and report from here often, providing a wide range of information, including my own distinct viewpoint, as well as the views of others: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CubaNews/ Walter Lippmann currently in Havana and writing reports from here http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/02/15/57534.aspx#59879Mon, 19 Feb 2007 18:10:31 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:59879Olivia, Peoria, Ill.Isn't it ironic how by banning US trade with and travel to Cuba and by not having diplomatic relations with her, we are not only emulating Cuba (which does not allow her citizens the freedom to travel to the US) but also doing what her Communist leaders want--because our ban on trade with and travel to that country ensures not only that Americans who obey the law will stay out of Cuba, so will such American ideas as freedom?