Bernie Sanders has professed his
admiration for elements of Fidel
Castro's Cuba, especially its massive
literacy program. Sanders' comments have
been roundly condemned, but criticism has
focused on the human cost of Castro's
Cuba, not the merits of the literacy
program itself. Turns out that the
program was hardly worth bragging about,
even on its own terms. First, before
Castro seized power, Cuba already boasted
one of the highest literacy rates in
Latin America. During Castro's reign, many
other nations increased their literacy
rates as much or more than Cuba. Second,
countries self-report these data. Taking
Cuba's numbers at face value is to
accept a dictator's propaganda. Third, keep
in mind that the point of Castro's
program was not literacy, but training
students to imbibe revolutionary dogma.
The problem with Sanders' celebration of
Cuba's literacy programs is not just
that the means were horrific, but that
the ends weren't so great either.
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