75-03-A6

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Cuba A Documentary

Transcript When a documentary deals with fiction rather than fact, it really isn't a documentary is it? I'll be right back. The very word documentary makes you think of research and a factual material painstakingly collected and those who read or see a documentary are entitled to believe they've been given an objective thoroughly documented treatise on whatever the subject might be. Not too long ago, on this program I discussed Cuba and gave some requirements I thought should be met before Uncle Sam welcomed that unhappy island back into the family of American nations. Now that was an editorial, an expression of opinion with which you could agree or disagree. Since then, one of our TV networks has presented, with a certain amount of fanfare, a quote "documentary" unquote and question mark. It was called Cuba the People. Was it really a documentary or was it an editorial? Basically, the message was that soon Cuba will no longer be an underdeveloped country, thanks to the success of socialism. The question is how and when did Cuba become an underdeveloped country? Prior to Castro, Cuba led all its Latin neighbors in standard of living, literacy and any number of other desirable indicators. For example, Cuba had more doctors in proportion to population, more automobiles, higher per capita income, more TV broadcasting and ownership of TV sets, more newspaper circulation and even greater attendance at movies. In movie going, they were second only to us, which means they were second in the world. The so-called documentary was of Cuba today. It showed farmers plowing with oxen. Now I don't know how widespread that is, but mechanized farming had reached a pretty high level back in Cuba B.C., before Castro. Let me read some lines from what has to be considered a real documentary, a report issued in May 1962 by the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. the report was entitled "Agriculture and Food Situation in Cuba." quote "In 1958, Cuba was self-supporting in many foodstuffs such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, butter, tubers, vegetables, coffee, and fruits, of which there was a great variety and abundance, in the season, oranges were sold in push carts in Havana, peeled, iced, and ready to eat at three, four, or five for a nickel. Under communism, food ration cards were introduced before the third year of the revolution expired. Oranges have become so scarce that they can only be purchased in pharmacies with a doctor's prescription." unquote. I don't know whether the makers of the documentary intended to sell us socialism or whether they were just set up by their Cuban hosts but a truly objective documentary would have made it plain that the Cuba of today is not anywhere near as well-off or economically sound as it was before Castro imposed communism on the people. Indeed, there's every reason to believe Cuba would be in real trouble without the sizable subsidy it gets from the Soviet Union. These days when we're flooded with so many words on every subject we need to check out some of those words before we accept them as gospel, including the use of the word "documentary" and that goes for my words too. make sure you've heard all the facts before you make up your mind. This is Ronald Reagan. Thanks for listening.		Details Batch Number 75-03-A6 Production Date 02/14/1975 Book/Page RPtV-5 Audio Yes Youtube? Posted by Me (with Cuba)
		Added Notes NYT article, 1974 Documentary used to be here 1962 Agriculture and Food Situation in Cuba (PDF)