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Toilet Paper Shortage Gives Cuba a Pain in the . . .

By Harry Kimball,  Newser Staff

Posted Aug 27, 2009 4:36 PM CDT
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(Newser) – Cuba is battling a toilet paper shortage, the Miami Herald reports. The country says the global financial crisis and recent hurricanes have forced it to shutter factories and cut down on electricity usage. The result: The cost of a four-pack of TP in Havana is the equivalent of 2 days' wages for the average worker. The government doesn't subsidize toilet paper as it does other staples, so needy citizens resort to using pages of the "soft paper" that makes up Chinese and North Korean magazines.

Men line up at dawn to snap up copies of the state newspaper, Granma, which consists of less comfortable material than the imports. Today’s or yesterday’s makes no difference: “They all have the same use,” one says. The government says “an important importation of toilet paper” is on the way, but Western watchers are still disgusted. “Now, capitalism has its problems, as we have all seen,” Newsweek's Fareed Zakaria says. “But at least we're not running out of toilet paper.”

A man reads a copy of Juventud Rebelde newspaper in Havana.
A man reads a copy of Juventud Rebelde newspaper in Havana.   (AP Photo)
Toilet paper
Toilet paper   (AP Photo)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 15 comments
Snarfeh
Aug 28, 2009 12:32 PM CDT
Actually, now that I think about it, I can think of several newspapers with which I'd consider wiping my ass, if it came to it...
cognitivefilter
Aug 28, 2009 12:00 PM CDT
start using dollars
matteo
Aug 28, 2009 7:55 AM CDT
funny comments considering all US citizens hardly know what a bidet is.....

 
communism • Newsweek • toilet paper • Cuba • imports • resources • rationing • hurricane • Havana • Fareed Zakaria

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