It's not surprising that well-educated Cubans clamor for jobs as cabdrivers, bartenders and hotel maids. One cabdriver left his job as a military jet pilot. Eating is better. The dollar economy is changing the way Cubans think. When hard currency is freely exchanged for goods and services, it's tough to ignore the connections.
Hard work equals more money equals better goods equals better quality of life.
These capitalist constructs, which Americans embrace as inalienable rights, are still considered counterrevolutionary here. Yet, undeniably, as Americans' feet continue touching Cuban soil, these ideas are taking root and, slowly but surely, finding light. Which is the inescapable lesson for Americans visiting Cuba. If, as our official policy claims, we really want to encourage open economies and a peaceful transition to a stable, democratic form of government, the most direct route isn't through embargoes or other punitive actions, but through increasing Cubans' exposure to Americans and Western values. Castro would hate it.