Local Bodies

Castro's death has revealed the power of US propaganda. Here are some embarrassing facts when comparing the United States with Cuba in key areas: HEALTH Life expectancy Cuba: 79.16 USA: 78.88 Health system, physician density Cuba: 6.72 physicians per 1,000 population USA: 2.45 physicians per 1,000 population Obesity levels Cuba: 21.5% USA: 33.9% INCOME DISTRIBUTION Poverty Cuba: 1.5% below poverty line USA: 14.8 % below poverty line FINANCIAL HEALTH Government debt Cuba: 17.0% of debt to GDP USA: 104.1% of debt to GDP EDUCATION Literacy rate, 15-14 year olds Cuba: 100% USA: 99% (this has been questioned when some sources  claim 86% is more accurate ) Education expenditure Cuba: 12.8% of GDP USA: 5.2% of GDP CRIME Incarceration rate Cuba: 510 prisoners per 100,000 population USA: 693 prisoners per 100,000 population FOREIGN AFFAIRS Countries occupied or bombed since 1980 Cuba: Nil USA: 14 (these are just the Muslim nations , there m...

The commercialisation of our news media and the ease with which unethical and egocentric politicians can cynically manipulate public opinion is now reaching extreme proportions.  In the UK the political interests of Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson  were advanced successfully because their bombastic personas and simplistic messaging were picked up so widely in media. It is a sad fact that news outlets with the largest readership maintain their dominance through sensationalism and gossip, rather than educated and informed journalism. This works well for those who have few scruples and are comfortable operating in that environment. The circulation of printed newspapers have plummeted in the UK over the past six years and the dominant newspapers  include the Sun, the Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph. I used to read the Independent and the Guardian when I lived in the UK over twenty years ago and I was shocked to note that the Independent's circulation is now no...