Photo by Ansalmo Juvaga
By Jo Nova
Things were dire in October, and they aren’t getting better:
Spare a thought for the people of Cuba. In October, Cuba suffered through a week of extended blackouts when 7 out of 8 power plants were out of action. After power was restored it meant people in Havana, the capital city, got 4 or 5 hours of electricity a day. (So they only had 20 hour blackouts each day, instead of 24 hour ones.) According to The National, people often travel by horse-drawn carts rather than motor cars, and in the countryside, it’s a common sight to see ploughs being pulled by oxen. “Motorways connecting major cities are eerily quiet. ”
Not surprisingly, in the last few years, ten percent of the entire population has left (mostly for Florida). Unfortunately for Cuba, these were the working age adults. Predictably, the loss of productive workers and productive electricity means the loss of product, and so it has come to pass:
Cuba Runs Out of Sugar
John Hindraker, Powerline
This is like Libya running out of sand: Cuba is now an importer of sugar:
The Cuban government acknowledged that it is “shameful” for the island, traditionally one of the leading sugar producers in Latin America, to be forced to import this product.
Cuba was once known as the Sugar Bowl of the world.
John Hindraker calculates that the current cost of a pound of sugar in Cuba is about $25 US.
Blackouts on top of Blackouts
Apparently, the Cuban grid managers were expecting to be 1,311MW short today on a grid that was theoretically 3,150 MW. The reasons being just about everything:
Cuba’s Electric Union Warns of Major Power Outages This Friday
The power outages are primarily due to a deficit in power generation, compounded by issues such as equipment failures and maintenance at key thermal power plants, as well as fuel shortages affecting distributed generation stations.
Not surprisingly, the buzz of diesel generators, and $25-per-pound sugar means the islands other big industry — tourism — is dying aswell:
As Cuba grapples with power shortages and a stuttering economy, tourists stay away
The National
One hostel owner in Old Havana, the capital’s partly-restored tourist hotspot, said that there used to be “a lot of tourists” but the situation now was “very, very difficult”.
As usual the Media is covering up for Communist dictators. Francis Menton looks at China and Venezuela as well: End Of Year World Socialism Round-Up: Cuba, China, Venezuela
Though The NY Times has a story on Cuba — but only because they think they can blame it on Domald Trump.
10 Years Ago, a U.S. Thaw Fueled Cuban Dreams. Now Hope Is Lost.
Ten years ago, President Barack Obama stunned the world by restoring diplomatic relations with Cuba, ending more than 50 years of Cold War estrangement between the United States and a country with which it had once been on the brink of nuclear war.
For two and a half years, Cuba brimmed with enthusiasm amid a remarkable wave of investment and tourism,…
But a financial implosion caused by a cascade of factors — the tightening of U.S. policy by the Trump administration, Cuba’s mismanagement of its economy, the crushing effect of the Covid-19 pandemic — has kept visitors away and launched an immigration exodus of epic proportions.
Teach the children. Big Governments can wreck anything.
h/ t Bally, and Manhattan Contrarian…
We shouldn’t snigger, we are rapidly heading the same way, look at how we are importing our own gas.
Look at the state of far left Sicktoria.
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Cuba and Venusuela are great examples of what happens when you kill off reward for individual success. What with high power prices, high wages and low productivity, high taxes and poor services we have the perfect recipe for ruination. The best paid people in this country are also the least productive, the public service. I hasten to add that nurses, police and first responders are also public servants who perform vital functions however their administrators do less than stirling jobs. In NSW Health, I have been told, more than half the budget goes to administration. I have friends who are nurses and police who spend a large proportion of their working hours filling out reports for the drones who are usually on higher pay. Big government is killing us.
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I have long been mystified by how such official poverty can be maintained so near to such prosperity.
Surely both Cuba and the US would both benefit hugely if trade was free.
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How do you equate this story to Victoria? apart from not liking the politics and carrying too much debt. Life goes on just like the rest of OZ.
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I often wonder if the authors of all those books in the 60’s, like ‘The Chrysalids’ or ‘1984’ could actually see what was just over the horizon.
And how many of you are now thinking of other books like these, and making a list?
Cuba is possibly just the test case for the larger scale roll out of 15 minute cities, the abandonment of oil, etc.
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See what is over the horizon? No, they simply observed what they saw. This stuff has long existed.
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And the grand old buildings from a century ago are occupied but collapsing for lack of maintenance.
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And the electricity grid is collapsing. Plus the tourist industry.
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Socialism / communism is the default position for many people. It’s an excellent theory that is easy to argue. It is difficult to explain why it won’t work.
You can even show people the results, but they still like it when a politician or activist tells you they are going to give you something for free; to stop the greedy taking it all; that it is your right.
British society is basically 40% socialist, and the fight against it eternal.
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It doesn’t work because it not only kills personal incentive, it outlaws it. There is no point doing anything because you might fail but if you actually succeed, the government will take it.
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As Margaret Thatcher put it, Socialism is fine until you run out of other people’s money. As is the default position in Australia and the UK today. Tax and spend. Soak the rich. And destroy meritocracy so that everyone is equally incompetent. Hand out PhDs for breakdancing.
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And because break jiggling really belongs in the NDIS category there are no experts to question its authenticity! So long as it is sufficiently active it’s just passes the pub test.
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A government big enough to give you all you need is also big enough to take all you have.
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That quote is often misattributed to Thomas Jefferson but it’s earliest known appearance in print was in 1952.
Jefferson did however say:
And Margaret Thatcher whom I quoted elsewhere said:
REFS:
https://barrypopik.com/blog/government_big_enough_to_give_you_everything_you_want_is_big_enough_to_take
https://www.monticello.org/research-education/thomas-jefferson-encyclopedia/government-big-enough-give-you-everything-you-wantspurious-quotation/
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Another Australian Communism Success led by The Australian Labor Party/Greens/TEALS at Federal & State Government Levels
Australia to Import Gas
Based on the search results, it appears that Australia is likely to become a gas importer despite being a major global exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
The country’s east coast gas market is expected to face crippling shortages, prompting experts to declare that time has run out to develop new sources of supply.
Reasons for Importation
1. Decline of Bass Strait reserves: The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) forecasts that gas supplies in Bass Strait, which have traditionally supplied the bulk of east-coast gas demand, will rapidly decline.
2. Insufficient domestic production: Despite being a major LNG exporter, Australia’s domestic gas production is insufficient to meet demand, particularly in Victoria and New South Wales.
3. Export contracts: Long-term contracts for LNG exports to international markets have locked up significant volumes of gas, leaving little for domestic consumption.
Import Solutions
1. Port Kembla LNG import terminal: Andrew Forrest’s project aims to import gas from Queensland, Western Australia, or overseas, marking a significant shift for Australia from exporter to importer.
2. Multiple import terminals: Experts suggest building one or more import terminals in the southern states to bring in gas from various sources, ensuring a reliable supply.
Challenges and Considerations
1. Infrastructure development: Establishing import terminals and associated infrastructure will require significant investment.
2.Regulatory frameworks: Australia’s regulatory environment will need to adapt to accommodate gas imports, including licensing and compliance requirements.
3. Environmental concerns: Importing gas may raise environmental concerns, such as increased emissions and potential impacts on local ecosystems.
Conclusion
Australia’s gas market is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by declining domestic production and export commitments.
Importing gas will become a necessary step to ensure a reliable supply, particularly in the eastern states. However, this shift will require careful planning, infrastructure development, and regulatory adjustments to ensure a smooth transition.
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In true socialism style the Victoriastan government released a draft report just before Xmas which proposes that all gas appliances that need to be replaced have to be replaced with an approved (by the government) electric appliance .
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If Andrew Forrest and the Greens are supporting it it will be loaded with Government incentives aka free money. It’ll be free of GST as it is exported, at least until it enters the domestic supply chain, then qualify for carbon reduction plus others that haven’t been invented yet. Another Helium con
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And WA has a Gas Reservation Policy – A Smart State – Not so the Eastern Australian States – Maybe there should have been a National Policy –
WA Domestic Gas Policy
Policy The WA Government’s Domestic Gas Policy aims to secure WA’s long-term energy needs and ongoing economic development by ensuring that liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporters also make gas available to the domestic market.
Last updated: 19 September 2024
https://www.wa.gov.au/government/publications/wa-domestic-gas-policy
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Not one mention of making the cake bigger and developing new gas for local consumption.
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Actually, at that time Communist Cuba had reached the end of the line. It was really a bail out from one comrade to another. (still with other people’s money)
All it did was prolong the agony for ten years and counting.
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If you think things could not get worse, look at Haiti.
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The Left blame “colonisation” for the failures of Haiti and virtually everywhere else where the locals are unwilling and/or unable to manage their own affairs.
But that’s obviously BS because formerly successful Anglosphere countries like Australia, NZ, Canada, USA and South Africa (all now in various states of decline due to the takeover by the Left, soon to be fixed by TRUMP in the case of USA) were also once colonies.
And look at Liberia and Ethiopia, they were never colonised.
Don’t blame lack of water either, Australia is the driest continent after Antarctica and we still manage to feed ourselves and be a major food exporter.
There’s reasons why countries become or remain Third World such as to do with culture, adoption of socialism or communism and excessive government regulations and other factors.
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Colonisation doesn’t explain anything.
Consider that Haiti is the French Western third of the island of Hispaniola. The Eastern 2/3 was Spanish, the Dominican Republic. And it is the richest country in the region. Separated only by a line on a map and history.
I have always argued that the style of government is the problem and the French maintenance of total control from Paris.
All the world trouble spots have been French. Napoleon, Crimea, Franco/Prussian war, WW1, WW2, Vietnam, Algeria, Syria, Lebanon, Haiti, Libya, Laos. Currently New Caledonia. The only exception really is Korea.
Compare these with Commonwealth countries India/Pakistan, Hong Kong, South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Australia, Canada, the US, Ceylon, Rhodesia, Uganda, Kenya, Vanuatu and many more in the Carribean. The British never enslaved, even if that was a retrospective view of independence activists. And they setup up independent administrations and elections and were interested in trade which continued as part of the Commonwealth. French colonies ended up disasters.
And in Australia there was zero slavery. It was illegal. And the locals were not robbed. As for land, we still have to give thanks for being allowed to build a new major facility. It’s absurd. There was nothing at all. Not a road, not a gutter, not a building in the country. Nothing whatsover to steal. And only the new activists’ land principle of finders keepers which is absurd and does nothing to improve life for aborigines.
However the French, Spanish and Portuguese were very different. Even so the contrast in the single island of Hispaniola demonstrates the difference in approach and the end result.
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South Africa had a thriving economy, an innovative manufacturing sector and was a significant exporter of food. The world said the whites were mistreating the blacks so eventually the blacks took over. South Africa is reverting to its third world state. Western civilisation has been developing for thousands of years so it is no surprise that recently civilised nations don’t know how to run a country and they have no real concept of democracy. Black society is doomed without Western influence and guidance.
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If you think things could not get worse
Having to speak French?
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You make a good point. Spoken french is hard, far from phoenetic. They even have two distinct ways to not say the letter h. You can pretend to say it or just breathe out, ‘aspirant’.
It’s a game to see how many letters you can totally ignore. ‘It is’ is or ‘ce est’ or ‘s a’ (say) and ‘is it’ is ‘est-ce que c’est’ s k s a. And it’s practice to run words together if possible.
But it does explain why there is not mass exodus from destitute, ultra violent Haiti to the peaceful, rich Dominican Republic. Haitians alone in Central and South America and Mexico cannot speak Spanish or Portuguese (Brazil). They are trapped in poverty by both education and language.
Last week officials tried to open a hospital, but a local gang leader ordered his men to machine gun the participants, simply because they had not asked permission.
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If you can speak the French alphabet you have a fair chance of being able to get close to the sound of words. That does not work in English.
Spoken , good enough , French isnt too tough. Formal French both spoken and written is painful,
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And in New Zealand on a tour I was given a copy of the Maori alphabet. To my shock the pronunciation of the letter ‘i’ was ‘e’. In French the English sound ‘i’ does not exist. So use ‘e’ and ‘u’. Which explains fesh and che/ups. There are major traces of French in New Zealand.
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There was no Maori alphabet before the Europeans arrived.
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FWIW – goes with this (IMO)
https://patriotpost.us/memes/113053-remember-2024-12-26
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In my little part of the world sugar is not in short supply. From early November (pre Thanksgiving) through the end of the year our stores are loaded with sacks of white sugar, 2-pound bags of brown sugar, honey, and corn syrup**. Beside the stacks of sugar, I find 6 or more types of flour, and nuts – mostly pecans, walnuts, and almonds. Parchment paper is abundant. Canned (evaporated) milk is plentiful. Shredded coconut? Yep, got that too.
**Typically, 55% glucose and 45% fructose, although some is High-Fructose (90%) and sweeter than glucose sucrose.
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FWIW
Latest Kunstler
“Forecast 2025 — Taking Out the Trash”
“A core reflex in these decades of postmodern insanity was constant rejection of things we thought we knew in favor of New, Improved Beliefs packaged from above.” — Matt Taibbi, Racket News”
A picture of the stables that need cleaning – long
https://www.kunstler.com/p/forecast-2025-taking-out-the-trash
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FWIW – more around that scene
Today’s Coffee and Covid newsletter
https://open.substack.com/pub/coffeeandcovid/p/doge-days-of-the-color-war-friday?
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Australia has been heading down this path for yonks.
It’s just that it’s more noticeable since AnAl took over
with only 32% of the votes and NO SEATS outside the Capital Cities.
So you can see why our country people are getting the pineapple treatment.
Mind you, Duttons mob are no different. They just make it sound sweeter.
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Cuba could solve their financial crisis if they allowed for the sale of their vast fleet of 1940’s and 1950’s American classic cars, still being driven by locals, to US collectors.
Collectors would pay a lot for these classics.
This is currently banned.
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They could amass a fortune and then replace them with used Toyotas, those things will still be running well after the apocalypse.
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Bidenomics says force them to purchase EVs.
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Some perspective here. (My bolding here)
So then, let’s pretend then that every power plant in Cuba is operational, and delivering its power at ‘full whack’.
Cuba – Population of 11.2 million people – Total generated energy for one day of 75GWH
NSW – Population of 8.1 million people – Total generated energy for one day (just yesterday in fact) of, umm, 227GWH
Tony.
Postscript – Well, I suppose their, umm, ‘per capita’ CO2 emissions are less than ours, eh!
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Despite the repeated and demonstrable failures of socialism and communism, in all its forms (including fascism and National Socialism), the disconnect from reality of the Left is so profound that they keep pushing it, with elements of all being gradually added.
But they realised violent revolution wouldn’t happen in the West hence the German communist Rudi Dutschke’s conception in 1967 of his “Long March Through the Institutions” (der lange Marsch durch die Institutionen).
Rather than overnight violent revolution, Dutschke’s plan was to infiltrate Leftists of all flavours into institutions like Government, the public “service”, law, education, media, medicine, everything, even nominally conservative organisations like motoring organisations, many of which today support the Left-Green anti-car agenda (for non-Elites).
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…’Despite the repeated and demonstrable failures of socialism and communism, in all its forms (including Fascism
and National Socialism), the disconnect from reality of the Left is so profound that they keep pushing it…’
Madness means doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different resultk
Re Dutschkes’s Revolution based on class warfare, what to do when the factory girls started wearing silk stockings? Change
the battle arena from class warfare to racism and gender diversity.
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Here is an excellent one minute comment by Margaret Thatcher about socialism. Interstingly she finishes with a George Bernard Shaw quote. Shaw was a Leftist who admired both Stalin and Mussolini and made the rather hypocritical statement, mis-stated by Thatcher, but correctly “Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it”.
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1DnBcWQUz7/
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And quoting Thatcher in the video:
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FWIW – on the CO2 capture industry
“Only Government Could Be This Stupid”
https://hotair.com/david-strom/2024/12/27/only-government-could-be-this-stupid-n3798251
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Unless Dutton can promise to halt the crazy run to Net Zero, keep the coal fired plants online and build more, we should get used to power getting too expensive to use, that is if there is enough to go around.
Before the ’60s, people out west had a small DC genset for 32 volt batteries, mostly for lighting, there were no inverters back then.
They had kero frigs, no LPG frigs back then, now we have solar hotwater systems, inverters, lithium batteries, electric start diesel gensets, so living offgrid isn’t the hardship it used to be.
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That reminds me. I’ll have to get put my petrol generator and run it. I haven’t done so for a few years.
I also want to buy a diesel generator. 1) Fuel has a very long shelf life compared to petrol. 2) You can use vegetable oil when the SHTF.
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Not quite that bad –
By the 1960’s there were kits to convert kero fridges to lpg so the option was there.
We got 32 volt power in 1952. IIRC for relative size the Southern Cross generator we had put out a mighty 1500 watts.
The usual big 2 volt square cell lead acid batteries in the bank allowed ironing (so relief from the Mrs Potts type irons). Plus other small items like cake mixers, small fans, vacs and polishers. And even the small Hoover agitator washing machines with manual wringers without the gen set running.
Thankfully SWER line power arrived in the early 1970’s.
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I had heard from rellies etc, that the usual practice was to put the genny on when anything with a motor or an element was used and leave it on to charge up the batteries.
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In company with Hatti, Panama and now Cuba Looks like The Caribbean Sea is reverting to days of pirates and cutlasses
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FWIW
On education, experience etc
“All We Are Asking IS Give Kids A Chance”
https://accordingtohoyt.com/2024/12/27/all-we-are-asking-is-give-kids-a-chance/#comments
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Cuba is where we could be heading under the Albanese Socialist government. Whilst, unlike Cuba with its sugar, we are abundantly rich in energy producing natural resources like coal, gas and uranium but export these to so-called developing countries like China and India. Yet under Albanese’s Socialist policy of common sense inversion, we ban these for our own use. For example, We are a major exporter of natural gas, but Socialist government policy has contrived to deny supplies to the Australian domestic and industrial markets. Case in point: inhabitants of the People’s Republic Of Victoria seemingly have to go cap in hand to Chairwoman Allen and her politburo and obsequiously tug a forelock to plead for some of our vast gas reserves to be released to the proles to supply the needs of warmth and cooking. Under Albanese’s Socialism things aren’t looking too flash for Aussies right now. Unless we vote him well and truly out next Federal election “April Sun In Cuba” or “The Internationale” might replace “Advance Australia Fair” as our national anthem.
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Didn’t Keating mention ‘banana republic’ all those years ago, and he was in power.
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Those prices seem ridiculous, so a simple check later…
The shortage of sugar in Cuba has reached critical levels, and its price has skyrocketed in the few places where it is still possible to find it.
While in the country, a pound of sugar may cost around 550 Cuban pesos (CUP), on online platforms aimed at the Cuban market, prices are higher, ranging from 2 to 4 dollars, depending on the supplier.
At Supermarket 23, one of the most popular platforms for supplying Cuba from abroad, the prices for a pound of sugar range from $2.47 (810.16 CUP) to $4.72 (1,548.16 CUP), depending on the type of product.
https://en.cibercuba.com/noticias/2024-12-02-u1-e199370-s27061-nid293080-escasez-azucar-cuba-cuanto-cuesta-tiendas-online
Dec 2024 prices, and confirmed by many other sites.
Even black market prices are about $8/lb…
A pound of sugar in Oz works out to be about $1.50 US.
$25? Nope…
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OT
Is Rosie as stupid as she appears or is she just paid to pleasure her funders?
https://x.com/engwithrosie/status/1872533955649417403
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‘Don’t need baseload, solar sometimes satisfies 100% of load’, what the heck, where did she do her electrical degree.
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I just lost 10 IQ points by watching that.
…and I don’t have an oversupply to start with!
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“rooftop solar sometimes meets 100% of demand.”
Yep. It’s random. Except at night when it’s zero.
Where is that satisfactory?
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And while we are told it’s cheaper than coal because wind and sun are ‘free’. So is coal. And prices have rocketed as we all are forced to pay the new owners for their windmills and solar panels on top of the cost of the power, doubling the power costs. It’s closer to fascism than communism. Labor’s revenge for privatization of the coal power stations. At least we no longer get the union power strikes at Easter and Christmas. It’s all upside down, soaking the poor for the profits of ‘investors’.
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I’m not sure what part of the Universe that would be satisfactory, but maybe North Korea would be ok with it.
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As they say, just try and operate with 100% Solar, Wind and Batteries and see how you go. Down, Down, Going Down as the Coles Advert goes………..Good old Status Quo.
And don’t even try with Pumped Hydro, or Hydrogen or, or, or………..
Let’s put Blackout Bowen on the Hamster Wheel. He does look like a Hamster face. LOL.
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He has a degree in economics you know. Which also means he cannot do basic accounting.
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And in a recent documentary on the world changing Suez canal, the cost in today’s money was less than the cost of Snowy II. Which will sit unused like all those desalination plants. If we had cheap plentiful power, they could all be put to work creating water for our farmers. But farmers too are now enemies of the state. Like manufacturers or truck drivers or aircraft companies. All paying huge CO2 taxes posing as ‘carbon credits’ and passed on to unknowing consumers as inflation. It could be worse though. In Denmark there is now a tax on cow farts.
If it wasn’t for our politicians, we would all be rich. We are not even allowed use what we export.
And the idea that we are saving the planet is just ridiculous.
They seem determined to turn Australia into Cuba. More like a satellite/vassal state of Communist China.
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Joined by Another Brain Dead TEAL Zali Steggall the TEAL independent MP for Warringah
Zali Steggall, the TEAL independent MP for Warringah, has expressed skepticism about the need for baseload power in Australia’s energy mix. Here are some key points:
Renewables are sufficient: Steggall believes that a combination of solar, wind, and battery storage can provide reliable and dispatchable power, making baseload power unnecessary.
Inflexibility of baseload power: She argues that baseload power, such as coal or nuclear, is inflexible and cannot adapt to changing demand patterns, whereas renewables can.
Focus on renewable energy storage: Steggall emphasizes the importance of investing in renewable energy storage technologies, such as batteries, to ensure a stable and reliable energy supply.
No need to save baseload power: In a 2024 article on CleanTechnica, Steggall states that baseload power is becoming obsolete due to its inflexibility and that solar, wind, and batteries are better alternatives.
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As to nations in decline, does the existence of grasses and weeds growing out of kerbs, gutters and median strips signify the beginning of our decline.
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It’s usually a good indicator.
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I remember coming to Melbourne in the early 80s and thinking how nicely kept all those things were vs Sydney where it was an unkempt mess. Melbourne came back to the pack pretty quickly. An eye opener is the state of the roadside environment (and the road) from JFK into New York it feels very 3rd world compared with the likes of Narita or even Heathrow. Its been a while but I doubt its improved.
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As goes sugarcane in Cuba, so goes European farming under climate action policy.
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Might Justin Trudeau be available for relocation soon?
A couple weeks without shaving, an OD Green campaign hat, a good Cuban cigar (are they still able to produce tobacco?) …
and we’re good to go.
1960s Deja vu all over again.
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