Global Perspectives

As you take the air-conditioned coach from Varedero to Havana, you could be forgiven for thinking that a world without McDonalds and Starbucks might not have been such a bad alternative. The palm trees sway gently, weighed down by an abundance of coconuts on the white sands of the Caribbean beaches. The people seem proud of their history and culture and prepared to withstand the tide of global economics, which is flowing in the opposite direction. Make no mistake; Castro's legacy is that Cuba is communist but what of it? Can it be that the only communist country West of Korea could actually be serving its people effectively? If you are a Cuban today, there are no waiting lists for hospital operations – the Cuban government has invested hugely to give every man, women and child the opportunity for comprehensive health care free of charge. Cuba also boasts some of the most advanced medical research into some of the world’s deadliest diseases. Neither are there are there students co...