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Discussion with Cuban shows space between
two countries
By
Geoffrey Boyce
Special to GwinnettForum.com
(Editor's Note: After comments by a Georgia journalist
traveling to Cuba, GwinnettForum got this view on life in the
Communist country from a local resident who visited there recently.
Geoffrey Boyce (26) recently graduated with his MBA in real estate
from the Terry College of Business at UGA. A special academic
license allowed Geoffrey and 20 of his peers to travel to Cuba
for a graduate research project on the Cuban economy in May of
2007. Geoffrey now works as a project manager for the Morsberger
Group, a real estate redevelopment firm in Lawrenceville..-eeb)
DACULA, Ga., June 19, 2007 -- After ten days in Cuba as a business
student studying the operation of one of the world's last planned
economies in both its the official and underground capacities, I
realize that the economic issues facing Cuba are undeniably linked
not only with the country's opaque legal and political framework,
but also with the collective psyche of the Cuban people.
Boyce |
At the most basic level there appears to be only two popular explanations
and obvious solutions for Cuba's present difficulties: Fidel Castro
or the American embargo. The two sides go back and forth placing
blame and advocating for immediate change without fully considering
the depth of Cuba's problems.
People discuss the drastic improvements that will come either with
the end of the embargo or the death of Castro as though the drop
of either restriction will be a magical catalyst that brings a lifesaving
flood of foreign investment in trade, infrastructure, housing, services,
and manufacturing that will undo the last 47 years of the nation's
history. These postulations assume that Cuba is broken and can simply
be fixed by replacing the old system with a new system. This popular
'wipe the slate clean and start over' mentality fails to consider
the deep entrenchment of the socialist and communist system within
the Cuban people, and is therefore flawed.
For example, I think back on a conversation I had with a Cuban
economics doctorial candidate. We both shared our visions of Cuba's
future and openly discussed the need to end the embargo, change
governmental leadership and adopt more capitalistic principles.
As we discussed these ideas, we appeared to see eye-to-eye on the
evolution of Cuba's planned economy into a more capitalistic system.
While the evolution has and is occurring, Cuba is still not the
United States nor any other nation. It has its own identity and
culture that cannot be overlooked. I specify this point because
I was guilty of overlooking it.
As this Cuban student and I talked, we found agreement on the role
of capitalism in the ongoing progression of Cuba's economy. But
when I pressed my friend on some questions about incentives and
tips, he launched into a very sincere tirade on how "disgusting"
he finds the behavior of tip-seeking Cubans. He genuinely abhorred
the greedy behavior of some of his peers, who are always out to
make a buck. He could not understand why they felt the need to continually
work for more and more money when the Cuban government was making
sure that their basic needs of employment, housing, food, education,
and health care were already provided.
Clearly, this student and I had never been on the same page. While
I thought I had been discussing the benefits of bringing capitalism
to Cuba with a closet capitalist, a well educated student of world
economics, my friend was still very much a socialist. Engrained
deeply within him were principles that I had recognized, yet failed
to understand fully. This Cuban student truly believed in distributing
wealth for the common good and explained that even though the socialist
system was not perfect, it did successfully provide for him and
he therefore wanted to give back for the collective good.
My friend reminded me that personal beliefs, culture, history,
and family are integral parts a nation's identity. My fears with
most American discussions regarding the future of Cuba's economy
are that these intangible and distinctly Cuban elements are not
understood and are consequently overlooked. As I wrote in my personal
journal before leaving Havana: "Things are far more complicated
here than can be blamed on the embargo or Fidel…We Americans
have a lot to learn from these Cubans, even if the system is flawed."
Angle of rising sun tells us we are nearing
summer solstice
By
Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com
JUNE 19, 2007 -- Thursday, June 21, 2007, we mark the summer solstice.
This will be the longest day in the year in the northern hemisphere,
the time when the sun is the most distant to the north.
Brack |
Too, it's the beginning of summer, with the precise time for this
year's solstice on Thursday at 6:06 p.m. The sun is at its highest
path through the sky and the day is the longest.
How long? Well, in Atlanta, we'll have 14 hours, 24:04 minutes
of sunshine on Thursday. That's two seconds more sunshine than on
either June 20 or 22.
Come December 22, 2007, we'll have the shortest day in Atlanta,
clocking in at nine hours, 54:29 seconds! That makes the big difference
between the longest and shortest day in Atlanta four hours, 29:35
minutes. That's a considerable reduction in our daylight hours!
And it makes, for us, staying in bed a whole lot more enticing in
winter, especially with the cooler weather.
Each morning when Hercules and I make our morning walk, you can
see the changes in where the sun comes up. During the height of
the summer solstice, the sun shines directly down our street, 12
o'clock high, you might say, as we walk up the street, the sun being
somewhat north of east. Then as the days get shorter, you see the
sun traveling on its morning approach to the east, eventually rising
at about 50 degrees to the right of where it was at the summer solstice.
All that, according to nature.
Throw in another feature, and it complicates matters ever so slightly:
Daylight Savings Time. While the sun doesn't move, the time the
sun comes up moves by an hour by governmental decree. Cows on the
farm waiting to be milked may never notice the time change, but
their herdsmen may get up earlier or later.
Some, particularly farmers, have never forgiven the government
for coming out with this "time saving" mechanism. However,
it can mean a vast difference in the amount of energy we use, for
instance. It also can make a mighty difference in families, with
children getting up and out for school sometimes well before daylight.
While mankind may do little about changing the weather, he has
tinkered with the clock some, causing either applause or consternation.
But the two seasonal solstices return no matter what, beaming their
light at different angles as the sun rises, telling us that another
day and season is beginning, and that life goes on.
Welcome, summer!
* * * * *
Ever wonder where is halfway around the world from Atlanta? Cities
where the time is 12 hours difference include Manila, the Phillippines,
Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai in China. However, remember that
China has only one time zone, so this big swatch of geography across
China, the entire country is 12 hours off Atlanta time, no matter
what the sun says!
 The
public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com
to you at no cost to readers. Today's sponsor is Wheeler/Kolb
Management Co. The company evolved from the name change of Hudgens
Management Company in November, 1991. Tom Wheeler and Tom Kolb have
been principal owners since 1985. Wheeler/Kolb has offices in Duluth
and has 28 employees. More: WheelerKolb.com
Police
snag three for property damage along Mitchell Road
Editor, the Forum:
Mindy Bayreuther with the Gwinnett County Police Dept. has just
informed us that one adult male and two juvenile males were arrested
for spray painting/ criminal damage to several areas along Mitchell
Road.
A large amount of graffiti was reported to us last week by several
citizens.
The new taggings were very disappointing to us, since a major community
initiative on graffiti had recently been held.
However, thanks to citizens in the area continuing to watch out
for their neighborhood and the fantastic police work done by Officer
Craig S. Hudak of the Westside Precinct as well as Mindy Bayreuther
and Myron West of the Gwinnett Police Quality of Life Task Force,
Mitchell Road will continue to be a safer, cleaner and more livable
area.
-- Chuck Warbington, Gwinnett Village CID, Norcross
Need to get energy
appetite under control, and do it fast!
Editor the Forum:
An over-simplified, sure-fire procedure to prove global warming
does nothing to advance a statistically sound argument to support
the claim of global warming. This type of argument is typical of
the pseudo science of the "Global Warming" environmental
wacko crowd.
My disagreement with this pseudo-science is not whether the planet
is warming. Even if the "Global Warming" crowd were able
to present convincing evidence that human beings' burning of fossil
fuels is causing the warming, and that it is not a natural cyclical
or long term trend, the whole "Global Warming" tempest
in a teapot is irrelevant to the big picture.
The big picture is that mankind must get his hunger for fossil
fuels under control in the next 50 to 100 years. The environmental
wacko's lightweight solutions to our mongo-mega energy appetite
will never solve the problem and will actually prevent an energy-rich
solution to the problem.
If we do not get our energy production and appetite under control,
a warmer planet will not matter, as we will have truly seen the
apex of our culture, our society, and our species. Who says that
the societal break down of the Mad Max movies were merely apocalyptic
science fiction?
-- Wayne Buchheit, Dacula
Snellville
offers variety of summer programs for its youth
The Snellville Parks and Recreation Department offers several summer
programs for the youth in the community. Currently, the Department
is registering youth for Camp Briscoe, swim lessons, British soccer
camp, dance classes and fall soccer. In addition to programs, the
Briscoe Park pool is open from 12-6 p.m. Monday through Thursday
and 12-7 p.m. Friday through Sunday. For information about any of
the summer activities, visit www.snellville.org
or call 770-985-3535. Take advantage of these programs to get kids
involved!
Lawrenceville offers
second of summer concerts June 22
Partnering with Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation, the Lawrenceville
Tourism and Trade Association (LTTA) presents the second of five
live concerts on the lawn of the Gwinnett Historic Courthouse on
Friday, June 22 at 8 p.m.
Get ready to Rock N' Roll as the Atlanta based band, Butch and The
Buckheads, brings your favorite '50s, '60s, and '70s classic's back
to life.
Held on the fourth Friday from May through September at 8 p.m.,
each show in the series will offer a different genre of music including
blues, Motown/beach/swing, rock, folk/singer-songwriter, bluegrass
& old-time, classical and more!
The concerts are FREE outdoor lawn events and reserved seating for
tables of six can be purchased for only $40 by contacting the GHC
at (770)822-5450. With seating different from past years' events,
a seating chart is available to see prior to purchasing tickets
by going to the LTTA website at www.visitlawrenceville.com.
Fire department saves
money and will build two new stations
Gwinnett County officials have negotiated an agreement that "could
save thousands of dollars" on emergency medical supplies, according
to Fire Chief Steve Rolader. Instead of having to stockpile its
own supply of pharmaceuticals, the County's Fire and Emergency Services
department will now be able to get these supplies as needed from
Gwinnett Medical Center.
Under the current system, these emergency supply costs vary greatly
depending on vendor, availability, quantity discounts and shipping
methods. Occasionally drugs would reach their expiration date before
they could be used. The new system will replenish supplies as they
are used and Gwinnett Medical Center will also provide a registered
pharmacist to inspect the process as required by state law.
County Administrator Jock Connell says: "Both parties have
worked cooperatively to find an efficient, cost-effective solution.
This is an excellent example of how we are finding better ways to
conduct government business."
* * * * *
Meanwhile, two new SPLOST-funded Gwinnett fire stations are to
begin construction soon. The ribbon cutting for the two stations
will be Tuesday, June 19 at 3 p.m. for Station 27 and the same day
at 4:30 p.m. for Station 8.
Each station will cost $3.5 million, and have a two-bay, prototype
design. Station 27 is located at 2825 Old Fountain Road, between
Dacula and Hamilton Mill. Station 8 is at 2295 Brannan Boulevard
in Grayson.
Gwinnett
Chamber one of three finalists for national award
The Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce has been named one of the top
three chambers in the nation by the American Chamber of Commerce
Executives (ACCE). Gwinnett will compete against the Louisville,
Ky. and Charleston, S.C. chambers for the national Chamber of the
Year Award in August in at their national conference in Sacramento.
Gwinnett's chamber was the only Georgia chamber to qualify in the
$1 million or more dues category. Those chambers included the major
regional chambers across the country.
The American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) also announced
that the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce is the recipient of two coveted
Awards for Communications Excellence (ACE) and has qualified for
the national Chamber of the Year Award. The two Awards are for its
annual meeting video in the Electronic Program Category and its
new brand identity in the Chamber Image Campaign Category.
New London Theatre
seeks directors for upcoming season
New London Theatre in Snellville will begin their new 2007/08 season
in September. The Theatre is currently seeking for directors for
the upcoming plays, which will be Steel Magnolias, The Legend
of Sleepy Hollow, It's a Wonderful Life, Godspell, Arsenic and Old
Lace, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, One Act New Directors
Showcase, and Beauty and the Beast.
Visit this website at www.newlondontheatre.org
and go to the director's application form on the home page. Audition
dates are posted for anyone interested in auditioning, as well.
- An invitation: What
Web sites, books or restaurants have you enjoyed? Send us your
best recent visit to a restaurant or most recent book you have
read along with a short paragraph as to why you liked it, plus
what book you plan to read next. --eeb
Lillian
Smith's Strange Fruit met with public disapproval
In hindsight, the controversy that greeted the publication of Lillian
Smith's Strange
Fruit in 1944 seems unusually heated today. This novel of
interracial love was denounced in many places for its "obscenity,"
although sex is barely mentioned.
Massachusetts banned it for a short time; so did the U.S. Post
Office. But the book has had many admirers in the years since its
publication. It was a commercial success-a best-seller, a Broadway
play briefly-and it remains in print in many languages. From her
home atop Old Screamer Mountain near Clayton, Smith knew that many
of her neighbors had bought the book, but in public they snubbed
her.
In 1949 she unleashed another diatribe against racism in an imaginative
autobiography, Killers of the Dream, widely considered to
be her best book. In Strange Fruit and subsequent writings,
Smith attempted to untangle and expose the web of white racism,
gender, class, religion, and myriad traditions she thought had put
a straitjacket on what her contemporary and admirer, W. J. Cash,
called "the mind of the South." She was the first white
southerner of any prominence to denounce not just racism but segregation.
Smith always believed her novel had been deliberately underrated
and misunderstood. She deeply resented criticism from prominent
white moderates such as Atlanta Constitution editor Ralph McGill.
She was hurt when black intellectuals complained that she had patronized
Nonnie by portraying the intelligent, college-educated young woman
as in a perpetual swoon for a marshmallowy lover who could hardly
have treated her more shabbily.
Smith's attitude toward the novel also seemed to change over time.
In 1961 she rebuked a literary agent who was trying to negotiate
a film version. No one admitted that her novel was a masterpiece,
Smith said; people erroneously still viewed the book as being simply
about race relations. She even suggested that a white actress could
play Nonnie's role. She said her novel was not about race (which
it surely was) but instead was a fantasy in which she was every
character. Whatever else it might be, Strange Fruit is about relationships,
crossing lines, breaking rules, being different, rejecting prescribed
rules, transcending categories, and those "racial abstractions"
that Smith often said existed only to divide and conquer and corrupt
their victims.
To be creative, creative
man must avoid boredom
"The life of the creative man is led directed and controlled
by boredom. Avoiding boredom is one of our most important purposes."
-- New Yorker Cartoonist Saul Steinberg (1914-1999).
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