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America's Thorn
It has been a thorn in America's side for almost half a century: an island nation that nearly plunged us into nuclear war with the Soviet Union; a country that brought military humiliation to the United States at a place called the Bay of Pigs; a dictatorial ruler who has led a chorus of Latin American leftists screaming, "Yankee, go home!"Now Cuba is on the precipice of a new era as 80-year-old Fidel Castro exits the stage. Ever since Castro's hospitalization last July and the "temporary" transfer of power to his younger brother Raúl, Cuba watchers have been weighing some big questions: Can the authoritarian regime survive the loss of its charismatic founder? And if it collapses, what will happen to Cuba -- and what will it mean for America?
"Things must change, I know it. They can't go on as they are." José, a middle-aged taxi driver, sits listlessly at a bar in central Havana last December expressing the frustrations of many Cubans. As jobs go, José's is a good one, secured by his many years in the armed forces. But he complains that more than 95 percent of his earnings go to the government, and he chafes under the purchasing restrictions that forbid ordinary Cubans from entering the plush beach resorts and hotel restaurants that cater to foreigners.
"I make money, so why isn't my money any good?" José says. "Why can't I buy my car? And the hotels ... why can't I take my wife to dinner there?" He pauses, then adds, "I have sacrificed a lot for my country, for my government. No, my friend, there will be changes." José is not alone in saying so. Ask a Cuban how life goes, and quite often the answer will be, "Malo, malo, malo" ("Bad, bad, bad").
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