Good news if you wanna invest in Cuba. If you have the capital or the backers, this is a good time to open up shop in Cuba. The people there are starving for the kind of goods easily available in the West. Food items, clothing, knick-knacks .... almost everything we take for granted over here is not seen by the folks in Cuba. When moi and some friends visited Cuba a few years ago, we were told by other friends who had visited the place earlier that the hotel staff would appreciate anything we give them as gifts.... clothes, shoes, costume jewellery,etc. I gave some costume jewellery, makeup items and all the clothes I used on the trip and more to the maids in the hotel and they were thrilled. I advise anybody vacationing there to take a suitcase full of stuff to give away to the friendly and very appreciative folks living in that communist country. I sincerely hope their lot improves with these proposed new laws.
David Howden writing at LudwigVonMisesOrgCanada:
....One of socialism’s last men standing, Cuba has recently softened its stance on foreign investment. In a bid to attract capital to the stagnant economy, a newly proposed foreign investment law would cut taxes on foreigners in half to 15% and exempt most investors from paying it for at least eight years.
The country wants to also promise legal protection to foreign investors. As a general rule, foreigners have steered clear of investing in Cuba for fear of having their capital nationalized by the socialist regime.
The National Assembly is widely expected to approve the draft of the law with few changes.......
When I went on my one and only trip to the Dominican Republic for a vacation, I made up 2 gift boxes containing toothpaste, toothbrushes, bandages, aspirin, socks, combs, pens, ointment, soap, shampoo, juicy fruit gum and 10 one US dollar bills. I gave each of the 2 maids that took turns doing our room for the 10 days we were there, a box. They certainly were very thrilled when they saw what they got and thanked me profusely, one had tears in her eyes. I got all choked up.
ReplyDeleteThat was very noble of you. I am tight with my money and seldom generous. I give away only things I have no use for anymore or can do without. We also vacationed in DR and gave away the same kind of stuff like we did in Cuba.
DeleteI have Scot in my bloodline and am frugal(aka cheap, tight) with money as well.
ReplyDeleteHahaha ... that's a good trait. It means you don't like free money either and I am pretty sure there are hardly any Scots standing in line for govt. handouts. When one appreciates the value of money, one hopes that others too will have the same appreciation for it.
DeleteI was raised by parents who grew up on a farm poor as church mice(relative todays of the baby boomers spoiled generation). They appreciated the value of money as much as you would expect those of the "Greatest Generation" raised during the Great Depression. They addressed their 'needs', the' wants', which came to drive the later generations, took a back seat. I must say, my daughter carries on the frugal habit plus an aversion to debt which she picked up from hanging around me.
ReplyDeleteYou sound a lot like my neighbours here in Toronto who are of Scottish origin. The husband was brought up on an Ontario farm and calls himself the "true original environmentalist" because they never wasted anything that could be used for tilling the land, feeding the animals or decorating the house. To him, paying millions of dollars for the removal of garbage from Toronto to landfills, is an affront in itself because there shouldn't even be that much garbage to get rid of.
DeleteBut, then city living does that to people. Turns them into buyers and wanton wasters.
The immigrants of bygone days knew what it was to appreciate everything around them.
Now we have only takers and whiners.