As IF Times

link Accept reforms or “we will fall off the cliff” warns Raúl Castro — MercoPress.

Something’s wrong with this picture.  The next generation of the Castro Regime makes a candid admission on the shortcomings of socialism, at least as practised in the iconic Cuba.  Over the years and even recently, no less than learned statesmen such as Sean Penn and Michael Moore have trumpeted the achievements of the Castro led communist regime.  Odd then that now, the stark realities are being addressed by the next Castro.  Even more odd is that you don’t get much coverage of this news story in the popular media.  Logically, this implies that Cuba will move towards more of a market based economy where entitlements to the people by the state will shrink.  Steps are being taken to pare people from the government payrolls:

“…The dismissed workers are being encouraged to go into business for themselves, and Granma (the official newspaper) said the central bank may offer micro-credits to new entrepreneurs as the island faces its worst economic slump since the former Soviet Union ended support in the 1990s…”

Translation: “we’re out of pesos and you are on your own”.

On this side of the communist curtain, we are seeing ‘demonstrations’, often violent ones, by ‘students’ ostensibly complaining about rollbacks in entitlements that in some cases don’t even affect them.  The realization is leaking out; the burden of payouts and pensions promised to a large segment of society will come under scrutiny and will suffer cuts in the years to come in order to stave off insolvency.  Income just isn’t keeping up with outgo.   This is happening in Greece and in France.  The U.K.’s announcement that they will cut welfare pay to those refusing jobs as well as increase student tuitions have given excuse to break windows and vandalize businesses, the standard protest tactic.   More significantly, this unrest will likely happen very soon here in North America.  Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey is beginning the process of rolling back pension entitlements, teachers’ pay and expensive infrastructure projects. 

Just the other day, a story circulated that the number of federal workers earning more than $150,000 has doubled since January 2009. Apparently, it’s gone up tenfold in five years.  As many know, salaries for government workers increase regularly as if they were entitlements regardless of the underlying state of the economy….which they are!  They may want to spend some of that money to buy a Cuban newspaper to get a glimpse of the future.  When the cuts begin to fall upon those expecting infinite entitlements, the marching, the yelling and the window smashing will begin.  People may want to get into the glass business in anticipation.  Or start the flotilla to Cuba.

Updated link November 14:  http://www.canadianencyclopedia.ca/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=M1ARTM0013415

link Cigarette Packaging About to Get More Graphic – ABC News.

Well that’ll do it. Once the consequences of smoking are revealed to all potential smokers, the use of tobacco should just collapse.  The jig is up.  As the well kept secret shortcomings of smoking are exposed for all consumers, we’ll have the filthy habit eradicated once and for all.  For years, people may have been under the impression that smoking was benign and simply a harmless social prop.  Sure there were warnings on the packages, but that’s probably just lawyers covering the companies’ ass.  Sort of like the writing on your right rear view mirror telling you that objects may be closer than they appear.  Besides, it’s possible that many who still smoke after all we know about their ill effects can’t read anyway. 

Oddly, in another part of nutland, there is vocal movement to legalize the use of marijuana, since pot apparently has no social negatives, is not addictive and according to some, has numerous therapeutic benefits.  I’m at a loss to find any rational argument as to the logic of demonizing tobacco smokers but glorifying pot smokers.  While the one side claims that legalizing dope will decrease law enforcement costs and create tax income, the other side claims that the associated health costs of smoking (presumably anything) are a huge burden on society notwithstanding the tax income.  Why is smoking one weed any worse than smoking another one?

As far as horrible, graphic images on packages to deter behavior, when has that ever worked for anything?  Notice that movie posters for slasher movies include lots of gore and sadistic images.  Notice that footage of people being chewed by sharks doesn’t dissuade surfers.  Notice that Joy Behar still manages to attract a viewership.  Can’t save everyone.