In Other Words- Ben Kweller

A quick note on propaganda in Cuba: it's everywhere. There are no billboards in Cuba selling things, only propaganda. All fotos de Kate.

This is my favorite billboard and it's everywhere; it says "We're working, are you?" with pictures of ants. And an old fashioned car.

This isn't really "propaganda" but it is a speech by Fidel, which is practically the same thing. This is written on the wall of the paladar I wrote about previously. At the top it says "For this we say, liberty or death!" Come on Fidel, lets be original.

Che quotes are everywhere (sides of buildings, buses, houses), along with the iconic photo.

This is another good one- pictures of Hitler, Bush, and two other guys who I don't know (maybe you guys can help). It says "Full of assassins." Not really sure why it's half in English, half in Spanish.

Anyway, I think propaganda is kind of silly and it's usually pretty entertaining. But considering their newspapers are pretty much propaganda, its all the Cuban people have to go off of. All of the Cubans I have talked to have told me that it is a waste of time to read the newspapers. Most people here don't speak English so they can't really read any other news, especially since most papers don't report on Cuba, it's difficult. Also, I've been discovering things about the press here which make me sad: they don't really analyze things here. Raúl Castro recently fired a bunch of people that had been close to Fidel, including Foreign Minister Felipe Pérez Roque. So the Cuban press reported on this, but offered up no ideas about what this could mean for Cuba, Cuba's relations with other countries or the U.S., etc. This doesn't help the Cuban people at all.