Cubans Get Cellphones. Computers and DVD Players Coming Soon
Submitted by Taran on Sat, 03/29/2008 - 19:33
From Cubans win OK to buy cellphones (cash only):
HAVANA -- Cuba said Friday that it would allow all Cubans to buy and use cellphones, the latest step by new President Raul Castro to improve access to consumer goods.
Cuba has the lowest rate of cellphone use in Latin America. The service had been restricted to foreigners and government officials and employees...
Aside from the fact that Reuters doesn't seem to realize that Cuba is an island in the Caribbean (really!), this is a pretty cool article about an issue that I didn't know existed.
Remember that UNCTAD report? The one that said cellphones were making a lot of progress? Well, it seems Cuba has stepped into the development arena as far as that goes. I didn't realize it was a problem in Cuba; my acquaintances in Cuba never really said anything about it. Why would they?
Computers. DVDs. You mean, it took Fidel Castro's stepping down for this to happen? What else is going on in there?
Island in the Caribbean
I read the article but for the life of me I don't know how you draw the conclusion that Reuters does not know Cuba is an island in the Caribbean. Unless they did some emending the article says "Latin America" not "South America" (and even SA includes a few islands that are geographically part of the continent such as our own).
It is very simple.
Basic Geography: South America is a part of a continent - the Americas, which are split at the Panama Canal in South America.
The Islands in the Caribbean Sea are not a part of that continent.
And then, there is the economic structure: the Caribbean and South America remain mutually exclusive. The same goes for politically.
And then there is the cultural aspect: Islands in the Caribbean are more linguistically diverse.
Calling Cuba part of South America is sort of like calling Alaska an island because it isn't part of the Continental United States. Or saying that Hawaii is part of North America.
Heaven forbid people on the islands actually tell people that they aren't a part of South America - something which should be patently obvious...
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