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A billboard at the entrance of the drive leading to El Morro fortress in Havana. |
As the billboard to the left attests, Cubans "have and will have socialism." This message, engineered by Fidel Castro and the Cuban state, is continuously "sold" to Cuban citizens through a variety of media, including public billboards and murals. The kind of product advertising that North Americans experience simply does not exist in Cuba. There is a great deal of advertising, but the product that is being marketed in 90% of the cases is the socialist Cuban government — its past, present, and future. This message is everywhere all of the time. But what does this mean? What is the message? While socialism normally includes a government-planned economy and an authoritarian or dictatorial political system, the Cuban version has its own values and individuality. But what are these values? What values are being "sold" to the Cuban public on a day-to-day basis?
Special Note: In the following pages you will encounter a number of different values or "philosophies" of the Cuban government. Try to keep a running tab of these for you will be asked several questions at the end of each section.