For sure, Bill. ;-) Among the Cubans I met there were some who were quite critical of the system down there and others who were quite supportive of it. But like people anywhere, they all enjoyed complaining a certain amount about the stupidity and inflexibility of government bureaucracy and red tape.

As for being confronted with other systems...well, I was confronted with their system and there were some things I really liked about it...there were other aspects which I like better in Canada. It was a mixed picture, not a "good vs evil" dichotomy, which is what political propagandists (whose business is war) all would like you to believe.

One of the smartest people I met down there was Mr Freddy Gonzales, the mission's translator. Freddy has now made 2 trips to Canada to visit his friends here. He enjoyed it, but it did not result in his "conversion" to our way of life. He did not react by wishing to flee the supposed horrors of Communist Cuba. Nope. He is proud of Cuba, and he has no desire to move to Canada where he could readily enjoy a much more affluent lifestyle. Why? Because he loves Cuba and he believes in Cuba.

He's a patriot. Such people are good to see, in any country. As a Canadian, that's how I feel about Canada. I'm glad that's how he feels about Cuba, and I understand why.

It doesn't matter whether a country is socialist, capitalist...or like the vast majority, a mixture of the two. It is not the determinant of moral right and wrong. Both socialism and capitalism can be used well...or abused. Both are capable of going astray. Bad leadership can ruin any system.