Thursday, April 15, 2010

Rationing Not So Rational

A ration store in Cuba.

Food is rationed in Cuba. That in itself takes a visitor a while to get used to. The government knows how many people live in your home, and because of the rules of rationing, it knows if you've been in to get your allotment.
While this carries the appearance of fairness in that everyone is entitled to the same amount, it is silly.
Why?
Because once a store is out of an allotment that is it for the month. If you run out of something you simply can't run down to the corner store. Even if you could, the store is probably out of it, too.
One the good side I saw relatively little junk food.
A fellow tourist had some popcorn which he said was salty. I saw some other corn snacks, chocolate bars, pop was commonly available, and so was ice cream. It wasn't particularly good ice cream and many places were out of the better, more edible versions of it. Once the monthly allotment is gone, it is gone.
Restaurant had choices on the menu, but more often than not only a few things would be available.
I think there could easily be enough food for everyone as they wanted it, and I am quite certain the land could be put to better use.
How a foreign land is run is not my business. It's their call, not mine. But if I could say something I'd tell the Cuban government to butt out, stop micromanaging daily life, and let the people have a say in how they feed themselves.

11 comments:

the Bag Lady said...

One must ask (in an abstract sort of way) if rationing might not perhaps be a good thing in some parts of the world - considering the obesity problem, I mean......
Were there a lot of overweight Cubans?

Leah J. Utas said...

No, not really, df Bag Lady. I understand your point, but there's a lot to be said for having enough food. The lack of junk food was an up side to it.

messymimi said...

Sounds like the government got less than their ration of common sense on this issue...

Leah J. Utas said...

Good one, Messymimi.

Chris said...

Are people allowed to grow their own food to supplement what they get from stores?

Leah J. Utas said...

Chris, they grow some of their own. There are even farmer's markets where they can sell it, but the gov. still takes its cut.
They can butcher their chickens and pigs, but not cattle, not even the used up oxen. Cattle have to be sold to the government.

Chris said...

Wow, interesting. I wonder how much of this has to do with the embargo, and how much is the result of a schizoid government? I've very curious. Cuba is one of those places I would LOVE to visit.

Writing Without Periods! said...

That's exactly why I don't want government intrusion in my life...but that's another subject.
Love these stories of Cuba.
Mary

Leah J. Utas said...

Chris, I can't speak to the real effects of the embargo, but officially the Cubans say the embargo means nothing to them and the US is but a drop in the ocean.

I think the bulk of it is due to the intrusive nanny state.

Mary, I don't subscribe to the government looking after me either. I'm glad you're enjoying my posts.

Dawn said...

That ration store didn't look very inspiring. Would put the brakes on impulse buying fairly effectively.

Leah J. Utas said...

It sure does, Dawn.