Originally Posted by MMM (Post 839218)

You are saying one in three babies in Latin America dies?

I think you need to check your sources.

Latin American Infant Mortality Rates

Originally Posted by Yojimbo (Post 839220)

Well i try to use reliable sources but if you dont find that rate you quote wrong, you can see UNESCO confirms 0% Child Malnutrition in Cuba. (Which is the basic reason of child deaths in poor countries)


UNICEF Confirms: in CUBA, 0% Child Malnutrition - English pravda.ru

Can give a clue.

And thanks for your comment ;)

BTW; even James Wolfensohn (president of World Bank) accepted Cuba did great job in health-care system.

EDIT: Another link
Health Care in Cuba

Originally Posted by MMM (Post 839227)

I am not disagreeing with you about conditions in Cuba, all I am saying is that you lose credibility when you say 32% of babies in Latin America die, when chances are it is 32/1000 babies, though the statistics I showed have no single countries that high except for Bolivia.

I think most Americans under 40 are not taught a negative impression of Cuba. They are taught no impression.

Originally Posted by chiuchimu (Post 827657)

I personally believe it is in Japanese best interest to distance ourselves from the U.S.

1) have our own military and have the U.S. forces leave
2) work on closer ties with China and SEA.
3) don't depend on the U.S. market, work on markets everywhere.
4) Balance the economy by importing far less expensive fashion goods.

Japan doesn't have to be a huge economy to have a healthy economy and we wouldn't need U.S. protection from our neighbors if we didn't side with the U.S. in the first place.

Originally Posted by chiuchimu (Post 827657)

we wouldn't need U.S. protection from our neighbors if we didn't side with the U.S. in the first place.

Originally Posted by samurai007 (Post 827686)

Let me answer those individually:

1) The Japanese already have the self-defense forces, and it's one of the more powerful militaries in the world. I think Japan and the US should have more of a partnership, with Japan assuming more responsibility and the US slowly phasing back, but still keeping a military presence there as a deterrent to attacks from NK and China.

2) They can and should work on repairing relations with China and SEA, but not replace the US with those ties. If China and SEA demand that Japan be hostile to or overly critical of the US in order to be friends, then they aren't friends at all.

3) Yes, of course they should look for markets everywhere. I think products made in Japan can be found all over the world... surely Europe and other places have Sony and other Japanese items.

4) I don't think you balance the economy by allowing or disallowing things to be imported. If a company sends its goods to Japan and they don't sell, then they won't send them as much or at all. If they do sell, they'll send them. Some Japanese are very fashion-conscious and only want expensive brand-name goods. I think the culture needs to become more accepting of non-label goods in order for those items to stop selling as much. Banning their imports will just create a craze to get them, like it used to be with Levi jeans.

As for your final comment, it's ridiculously naive to think that "not being friends with the US" will appease neighbors like North Korea. In fact, that will be like waving a red cape in front of a bull...

Originally Posted by Yojimbo (Post 839228)

And about Americans, i meant media in USA makes a false propaganda against Cuba and bias American people's ideas about Cuba. When i discussed Americans about Cuba, i can see that misinformation.

Originally Posted by chiuchimu (Post 827657)

I personally believe it is in Japanese best interest to distance ourselves from the U.S.

1) have our own military and have the U.S. forces leave
2) work on closer ties with China and SEA.
3) don't depend on the U.S. market, work on markets everywhere.
4) Balance the economy by importing far less expensive fashion goods.

Japan doesn't have to be a huge economy to have a healthy economy and we wouldn't need U.S. protection from our neighbors if we didn't side with the U.S. in the first place.