As Bernie Pushes the Wonders of Socialism, Cuba Reverts to Horse-Drawn Carts
While Democratic presidential candidate and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is using a recent health scare to push for more socialism in America, Cuba is going back to horse-drawn carriages in the face of a fuel shortage.
Sanders was hospitalized and required heart surgery after experiencing chest pains Tuesday. Luckily, he later announced that he was feeling much better thanks to expert hospital staff.
In a tweet Wednesday, the senator said he was “feeling good.” He quickly followed this up with an endorsement for socialism in health care.
“None of us know when a medical emergency might affect us. And no one should fear going bankrupt if it occurs,” he said. “Medicare for All!”
Thanks for all the well wishes. I’m feeling good. I’m fortunate to have good health care and great doctors and nurses helping me to recover.
None of us know when a medical emergency might affect us. And no one should fear going bankrupt if it occurs. Medicare for All!
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) October 2, 2019
But Sanders doesn’t need to institute sweeping changes in America to find out how well socialism works. All he has to do is take a look about 100 miles south of Florida.
A fuel shortage in Cuba is causing major pain for residents of the communist-run island.
The shortage is so bad that horse-drawn carriages are being used for public transportation.
According to Reuters, the government is hoarding the little fuel it has to keep hospitals powered.
As Cuba grapples with an acute fuel shortage, citizens are being advised to save electricity by making the most of daylight. More here: https://t.co/ylu5C6erXj pic.twitter.com/pyoslWOunE
— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) September 24, 2019
Reuters and other media outlets, especially those on the left, blame this shortage on the fallout from U.S. sanctions levied against oil giant Venezuela. Cuba imports most of its oil from the South American country.
Don’t be fooled by this, however. The problem started well before President Donald Trump’s 2019 sanctions on the socialist nation.
According to Forbes, Venezuela’s attempt to seize assets from oil giants in 2007 caused the country’s oil production to nosedive. Production never recovered, and it sent the Venezuelan economy into a downward spiral. Despite having the world’s largest proven reserves of crude oil, the country is in an economic crisis.
The sharp decline in production resulted in less oil for Cuba. As the island slowly began to starve for fuel, tough choices needed to be made.
To complement the medieval horse-powered transport, cooks are now having to turn to wood and charcoal to prepare their food.
The tourist industry, an important source of income for the island, is being prioritized by the government and likely has adequate fuel — for now.
Meanwhile, the United States is experiencing an energy and manufacturing boom.
Thanks to President Trump, who cut regulation and unleashed the machine of capitalism, America is surging while our southern neighbors are experiencing harsh shortages.
Despite how poorly socialist countries manage even their most abundant resources, Bernie Sanders champions their systems of government as positive and progressive.
If he isn’t defeated in 2020, America could very well be facing the same realities as Cuba and Venezuela.
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