Cubans aren't lazy. By a long shot. I found them to be some of the most innovative and indeed they have quite the "hacker" culture given the very limited resources available to them.
And you're right, I didn't explain the property rights clearly. I commented in a rush and that was a mistake.
> Cubans were allowed to "own" real estate but the government could force them to "sell" the property at any time, at the price specified by the government, and only to the seller selected or approved by the government
What I meant by this (but did not clearly articulate) was that "homeowners" can not only be forced by the government to sell at any time (similar to eminent domain) but also need permission from the government if they want to sell. And even when they've been given permission to sell they don't list it on the open market or even have an assessment (as would happen with an eminent domain action). Instead, the government simply assigns a price to the property and then assigns a potential "buyer" for the predetermined price. If that "buyer" isn't interested, the government will assign another. I'm sure you can see how this system can easily be exploited by government administrators to obtain the most desirable property for themselves and their "friends" at an artificially low price.
And yes, I seriously linked to the Daily Mail. It certainly isn't always the best source of information but I was intending to share the photos and that link had the most variety. As I've been to the witches market, I found both the photos, and the information in the article, to be accurate and added to the conversation.
Your snarky attitude, on the other hand, adds little to HN. A quick look through your comment history makes me wonder whether you might benefit from a review of the Guidelines.