A new Cuba movie is great testimony to human ability and dedication

We watched the Cuba movie ("How Cuba Survived Peak Oil"), and it is great!! It brought back so many memories and reminded us of much we were told while we were there more than five years ago. People there, as in Europe, seem to have learned valuable lessons from personal experience with both the limits of what can be expected and also the possibilities of what can be done through their own effort and cooperation. No doubt, they have had extremely hard times, not only because of the Russian pullout/collapse but also because of the long-standing and continuing persecution by the US.

I was and am amazed by the ability of ordinary people to do and support seemingly incredible things -- such as keeping the fleet of 1950s autos running, manufacturing their own buses (the 'camels'), developing and adapting a unique governmental and entrepreneurial system to preserve social cohesion and attract new investors to rebuild the economy. I think they have done a beautiful job of combining their natural assets of openness and charm (and physical climate and beauty) with necessity and opportunity to bring appreciative visitors (yes, tourists) and new participants in this great experiment.

I remember listening to one government agency director saying that they approached potential investors (many European companies) with a goal of achieving a deal that would be profitable for both the company and the Cuban people and government. Such an enlightened attitude. How have we, as a country, slid so far into the cynacism and arrogance of power and corruption? We desperately need a new beginning -- or at least a new vision and hope for the future.

Perhaps the kind of crisis that peak oil brings will enable us to trim the useless and detrimental fat and focus on what urgently needs to be done. I hope emerging leaders and thinkers will begin to systematiclly enumerate and campaign for such needed changes.