'This the Development of the World'

One day it's cellphones, the next it's computers.

One of these days, perhaps they'll even enjoy freedom.

The future arrived at Pedro Fresnedo's home on Friday, and it gave him goosebumps.

He held out his arm to show visitors the bumps rising from his skin after his 13-year-old daughter Amanda turned on the computer they had just purchased on the first day Cubans could buy them.

"This is the world for the young," the smiling Fresnedo said. "This the development of the world."

Cuba began selling computers to private citizens on Friday as part of reforms by new leader Raul Castro since he was elected president by the National Assembly in February, replacing his ailing elder brother Fidel Castro.

Last month, Cubans lined up outside stores to buy cell phones and DVD players that were finally available in the communist nation.

Although the computer is some cheap Chinese piece of shit that's probably toxic, there aren't many people who can afford them.

At more than $700, the Chinese-made Q-Tech computers put on sale on Friday were out of reach financially for most Cubans, so there were no long lines at Havana stores.

Naturally, Reuters happily works in some propaganda talking points, as if this poor sap would be allowed to mouth anything else.

Fresnedo applauded the changes under Raul Castro, but praised Fidel Castro as well, saying the man who ran Cuba for nearly five decades had brought "many good things" to the country, including universal health care and education.

"Everything is getting better," he said.

Alas, even the joy of having a computer has limited benefits. They can't get to enjoy the wonderful world of blogs and online porn.

She will not be using the computer to surf the Internet, which is still not available for most Cubans.

"We don't have Internet. We don't have a telephone," Fresnedo said.

But you've got your universal fucking healthcare, and that's what it's all about, isn't it?