Cartoons predicted today’s reality

Science fiction has anticipated many of the conquests of science. Submarines, rockets, walking on the moon, robots on Mars, even cars and flying skateboards are now real. However, this anticipation is not the exclusive heritage of literature and cinema: the world of dolls, comics or whatever the reader wants to call it, have made their own contribution, anticipating the day-to-day life of today’s Cubans.

I remember years ago having seen with my nephews on TV the story of the flying pigs. It’s a metaphorical anticipation of our reality because catching a slice of pork for Christmas dinner will be more difficult than for the blind samurai Zatoichi to stab a fly with his katana: the pound [of pork] oscillates between 260/270 pesos [approximately $10.80] and promises to continue rising. Prices have been climbing, wages are not enough and pig production was already in a tailspin.

A tweet by Cuban economist Pedro Monreal provides information:

It is striking that the “star” production of Cuban livestock — pork — entered a crisis in 2018, after reaching a “peak” in 2017. Between that “peak” and 2019 the contraction was 11.5%, but already in 2020 almost 36% less pork was produced than in 2017.

Official explanations on this particular issue, as above all the economic universe in need of profound changes, are repeated but they are partial and insufficient and lack government self-criticism due to delays, lack of the necessary sequences when implementing the essential changes (alerted by economists whose opinions were not taken into account), as well as uncertainties and implementation errors.

Certainly pigs do fly. So does the Cuban peso. And people don’t eat words.