 People throughout the world recognize and praise the heroic efforts of Cuban doctors in combating the coronavirus. Everywhere, except in Washington. Last month, Republican Senators Marco Rubio, Reed Scott, and Ted Cruz introduced a bill that aims to punish countries which accept Cuban medical missions. Washington accuses Havana of earning money by exploiting and enslaving the Cuban doctors who work abroad. Senator Reed Scott claimed that Cuba now uses the coronavirus pandemic to make a profit at the expense of these doctors. He said that any country that requests medical assistance from Cuba is supporting human trafficking. So now the Trump administration and the Republican Senators are threatening to sanction countries that receive Cuban help to combat the pandemic. Many see the proposal as an attack on the national sovereignty of poor countries in the Caribbean and Africa, where international medical cooperation with Cuba has been in effect for some time. During this pandemic, we have seen how hundreds of Cuban doctors wearing white robes, masks, and carrying flags arrived in countries where COVID-19 was wreaking havoc. They landed in 38 countries of Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, and the Middle East, where they set up field hospitals to tackle the pandemic. People all over the world recognize and applaud their efforts. The U.S., however, is determined to undermine this noble initiative. In September of last year and again this year, the U.S. State Department described Cuba's international medical missions as a form of human trafficking and modern slavery, a legend that the island government abused workers and profited from their work. This response is not new. It's actually kind of an obsessive compulsion on the part of Washington. In 2006, George W. Bush put into effect the Cuban Medical Professional Parole Program, providing Cuban medical personnel with incentives to defect when working outside of Cuba. When Obama came to office, he put a break on the long-standing and obsolete policy towards the island, but now cold war nostalgics are back in force and demanding reinstatement of the program. The U.S. claims that the Cuban government pockets more than 80% of the salaries that the Cuban doctors receive from their work abroad, but the word that the U.S. should be using is invest, because the money that is earned from the program gets allocated to the Cuban healthcare and education systems in which future doctors receive free education. Furthermore, doctors enroll in these missions voluntarily and they can also leave voluntarily. Both them and their families get all their basic needs taken care of. The argument that the U.S. and corporate media use is that these doctors enroll in the missions only to earn a little more money outside of what they receive inside the country. This statement is misleading, if not intentionally deceptive, for several reasons. First, it ignores the fact that humanism is the underlying principle that motivates the doctors who feel a sense of honor. I became a doctor in my country based on a principle of humanity, a principle of being patriotic and being human is the most important thing there is. It may be hard for some of us here in the U.S. to fully grasp this mindset, since individualism here reigns supreme. But let's not forget that in Cuba healthcare is not commodified. Health is not seen as a way to earn profit. Cubans are taught that work is dignifying and think of themselves as a collective. They have a sense of solidarity and internationalism. But for argument's sake, suppose the Cuban doctors decide to carry out a mission abroad only because they're seeking economic opportunities. What is the problem with that? Those in the U.S. who hold work ethic dear shouldn't have any qualms about this. Indeed, millions and millions of people throughout the world relocate for the same reason. The truth is that Cuban doctors take pride in helping people, not only inside Cuba, but also abroad. I suppose I and Rand's most fervent admirers will have a hard time understanding this. Well, of course. Who works just for the heck of it? They are just a bunch of dependent parasites. Doctors in Cuba are seen as heroes. Every night at 9 p.m., a plaza erupts across Havana from windows and over-valconies. If you ask a kid in Cuba, like, what do you want to be when you grow up? They will say things like neurosurgeon or cardiovascular surgeon. And in Cuba, that is not an impossible dream. Second, accepting a mission abroad, it is an opportunity to gain experience. Treating patients with conditions they wouldn't see in Cuba. In fact, when Ebola struck Africa, there were more doctors volunteering to go than had originally been calculated for the program. I had a conversation with Dr. Joendry Ferraz. He's a Cuban doctor who served in Venezuela and in Brazil. In that last country, he got married and decided to stay. This is what he said. I agree. If I agree, I say no, I agree. After that, I went to Valencia to do an evaluation of my work. And when everything is ready, they tell the doctor, for example, in 15 days you're going to leave for Venezuela. As in my case, I said, in 15 days, you have to go to Venezuela. If there is a problem, you tell me if you don't want to go. If you don't want to go, you say, yes, I agree. I'm going to Valencia. But I've never been forced to go to Venezuela. I've never been forced to go to Brazil. You don't go out because you really have to be a doctor. Not to be a Cuban doctor. To be a Cuban doctor. And because it's part of the world where you have to go. For Cubans, saving lives is a form of patriotism. So how come you're supporting this? These people are slaves. They're not slaves, they're patriotic. I am patriotic. I love America. I'll live in a bunker. I'll fight for this country to the day I'm gone. Oh really? So can you please wear a mask so you can protect yourself and others? Oh, get out of here, you communist snowflake. In contrast, for the US government, patriotism is killing people, dropping bombs and destroying cities. Ironically, the way they do this is through the military. And current recruitment practices for the armed forces and the maintenance of personnel once recruited can be seen as forced labor. For example, once somebody begins their military service, leaving the military is no easy task. Soldiers could get court-martialed and serve time in jail. With stop-loss orders, soldiers who reach the end of their enlistment can be involuntarily retained and transferred to a standby reserve. And all this charges procedures halt it. In contrast, Cuban doctors can leave their mission voluntarily, as was the case with Dr. Joandre in Brazil. Furthermore, in the US, although enlistment is voluntary, the number of people from the lower socioeconomic classes in the armed forces is disproportionately high. In the 1960s, the US economy flourished and that is precisely why there was a need for conscription, especially in the light of the Vietnam War. Now, there's no need. Since the economy had been so bad that for many young people, the military is the only available option. When Washington politician and pundits claimed that a typical Cuban doctor goes abroad to earn more money, even when he or she has all basic needs and those of their families taking care of, they completely ignore the fact that the US military recruitment benefits enormously from widespread poverty in this country. So when they tell you that Cuban doctors are slaves, just tell them, at ease, soldier. Don't share this video, you parasites. Don't listen to her. If you like the video, please share. If you haven't, make sure you join Danny Glover, Tom Morello, Mark Ruffalo, Oliver Stone, Noam Chomsky, and many others and sign the petition to award the Cuban doctors the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize at cubanobel.org. Also, follow us on social media.