Jezebel 
Enter your username and password.
New York, 10:43 AM
Wed Nov 25
57 posts in the last 24 hours
Tip your editors:
tips@jezebel.com
Editor-in-Chief:
Anna Holmes
Email | Twitter
Deputy Editor:
Dodai Stewart
Email | Twitter
Senior Contributing Editor:
Tracie Egan
Email | Twitter
Contributing Editors:
Anna North
Email | Twitter
Sadie Stein
Email | Twitter
Reporter:
Irin Carmon
Email | Twitter
Editorial Assistant:
Margaret Hartmann
Email | Twitter
Contributors:
Rich Juzwiak
Email | Twitter
Latoya Peterson
Email
Jenna Sauers
Email
Lizzie Skurnick
Email
Interns:
Katy Kelleher
Twitter
Original material is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution.
11/05/09
11/05/09
11/05/09
11/05/09
11/05/09
11/05/09
I've never heard her sing, hence the apparently ;) #levijohnstontwitter
11/05/09
11/05/09
11/05/09
11/06/09
11/05/09
11/05/09
You fly to cuba through mexico. Then, they'll provide care. it's not free to non-citizens, but it's reasonable. Much more reasonable than the cost of an emergent appendectomy for an uninsured American...
*Note - totally not advocating exploiting the health care systems of other countries... but my BF just did a research project about the Cuban health care system, and, while they don't have the technology to do laproscopic procedures, they kick oh-so-much ass in providing care to anyone and everyone. #levijohnstontwitter
11/05/09
As much as the USA has its problems and Cuba has its reasons to dislike us, I do not know why so many people pretend Castro's an okay guy. #levijohnstontwitter
11/05/09
I agree that there was a lot of double-speak in that documentary, and there are some parts of Cuba's approach to its people that are really not okay, but my partner and four other researchers traveled to Cuba and worked with several different doctors in the clinic for several months. They were doing on the ground research, and weren't just listening to the government.
Everyone gets seen by a doctor several times a year, and they view health in a very holistic way - the doctors work really closely with social workers to ensure that everyone has enough food, that they're well-cared for, etc, etc.
And I don't pretend that Castro is an okay guy, but Cuba is more than just its head of state - it's a country that, yes, has its problems, but also has an education system that is no more propaganda oriented than the US system or the Canadian system, and also boasts a far better literacy rate than either of those countries, and a health care system and social safety net that ensures that everyone gets care and no one is homeless. #levijohnstontwitter
11/05/09
Maybe they do have "better" health care, but do they have any choice in how they're treated? Is there a patients' bill of rights, a way to fight back if you think there was malpractice? Is there choice in schooling? Could you homeschool your kids or send them somewhere private? I object to the idea that because an oppressive country has a one-size-fits-all social safety net with what I doubt is a lot of choice, it means they're something to emulate.
Regardless of the status of health care, I don't trust people like Sean Penn and More who ignore the absurd amounts of oppression that Cubans suffer. #levijohnstontwitter
11/05/09
They don't speak of their "glorious leader," and we actually had some discussions with people about the structure of their society - most people we talked to said, Yeah, things aren't perfect here, but things aren't perfect in the US either (they tend to view the US as antithetical to them, so use them as their "Other"), and, at least the people I talked to, would rather have the guarantee of a certain level of comfort than the disparity in standard of living as an alternative.
And, this is besides the point, but you can register complaints in care - since doctors have a mandate to ensure patients trust their doctors and want them to continue receiving care, they take complaints at local health administration offices very seriously. You can't sue personally, but, honestly, I think that malpractice lawsuits tie doctors hands and make them unable to do their job. I can't speak to choices in education methods, because, as I said, the education system wasn't really being studied while he was working there, and while we travelled there either.
And, just to clarify, their safety net is the opposite of one-size fits all. It's a collaborative effort between doctors, teachers, social workers, lawyers, drug councellors, to ensure that each person has their individual needs met. And the specific reason they were studying the Cuban health care system was their focus on preventive care - they treat people for their whole lives, so they address issues like heart disease and diabetes before they become conditions.
I never claimed to think Castro is beyond reproach, and I do think there are issues in Cuba to be worked on, but there are issues in virtually every country. You've obviously written the entire country off, but there are aspects of their social policy that can be used to inform other countries, especially in the area of public health policy, and I think an active awareness of the current situation in Cuba does more for the people there than the blind write-off of any policy that was put in place under Castro's regime. #levijohnstontwitter
11/05/09
Just because you went to the country, doesn't mean you saw the truth if people aren't even allowed to talk about it.
Read that paper, it's interesting.
I'm not writing off all of Cuba, but just because a scary dictator has one good policy, doesn't do anything to lessen the evil of that dictator. It means the people of the country are suffering a little less, but it doesn't take an evil point off. That leader is still inexcusable, and people keep excusing Castro with vaguities. #levijohnstontwitter
11/06/09
11/06/09
I get frustrated when people don't just say Castro is a oppressive dictator, my debate partner above just called it "issues" when people have no right to free speech or movement. #levijohnstontwitter
11/05/09
11/05/09
Glenn must still be in an appendectomy haze, because that makes no sense. #levijohnstontwitter
11/05/09
11/05/09
11/05/09
11/05/09
11/05/09
11/05/09
I need to go bleach my brain now. #levijohnstontwitter
11/05/09
p.s. x is equal to negative b plus or minus the square root of b squared minus 4ac all over 2a. Good luck! #levijohnstontwitter
11/05/09
11/05/09
11/05/09
I didn't recognise you without the camel toe, please bring it back, I sorely miss it.
Love,
Ailatan #levijohnstontwitter
11/05/09
11/05/09
@TransFat: Sigh... well, I guess we'll always have this #levijohnstontwitter
11/05/09
11/05/09
11/05/09
11/05/09
11/05/09
11/05/09
@Ailatan: This may sound weird but one of my hobbies is sharing CoCo pics. Now feast your eyes on this cameltoe! #levijohnstontwitter
11/05/09
11/05/09
11/05/09
11/05/09
11/05/09
11/05/09
Also, with that phone I really hope her ringtone is the "DUN DUN" noise they play at the beginning of L&O:SVU. #levijohnstontwitter
10/07/09
10/06/09
10/06/09
10/06/09
J/k.