Cuba, becoming a "Global Citizen"

Over the course of the quarter, I've been mostly reading articles from CNN and BBC. I had to do this as an assignment for one of my classes as part of being an informed, “global citizen”, but I thought it would be worth posting on my blog since its relevant to politics. Ever since I made CNN my homepage, I feel like I’ve been much more informed about what’s been going on both in the United States and globally. I thought reading BBC would be a good idea because one of my Sociology professors always recommended reading a foreign newspaper to be able to draw a contrast between how news is covered in the United States and how domestic American news is covered by other news agencies abroad. Reading both CNN and BBC has given me an opportunity to see how articles covered by BBC about America are often much more critical and objective than the same kinds of stories covered by the American news media.

One of the most interesting articles I’ve read was an article from BBC entitled “Cuba Lifts Ban on Home Computers.” Ever since Raul Castro assumed the role of president after his brother Fidel stepped down, there have been a number of different restrictions on the Cuban people that have been lifted. The lift of the computer ban came just weeks after Cuban citizens were first given an opportunity to buy and use cell phones and purchase DVDs. I thought this was a very interesting article, especially given the proximity of Cuba to the United States.

In the midst of the Iraq War and Al Qaeda, I think Cuba is often forgotten in the minds of American citizens. Most Americans are too young or weren’t even born when the Cuban Missile Crisis occurred, which was arguably one of the most dangerous periods of this nation’s existence. This article served as a reminder of just how oppressive the conditions still are in that country. Even though computers are now finally being allowed for personal use, there is still a ban on the World Wide Web in Cuba. Many people often complain about the United States government and its encroachments upon individual liberties, but after reading this article it doesn’t appear that we’re restricted so badly after all relative to what others countries face.