> 1)Dolgoff quotes statistics to prove how prosperous Cuba was before the
revolution. But he cites nothing on the
> comparative distribution of wealth before and after. It would be
interesting to see some statistics on this.
Almost certainly more egalitarian, though I believe that there are now serious inequalities between those Cubans lucky enough to get cash from Americans (either relatives or tourists) and those who aren't so fortunate.
> 2) What about the levels of infant mortality, doctors per person and
literacy before and after the revolution? Also how
> does present-day Cuba compare with the rest of Latin America in regard to
these indices?
I'm pretty sure that the pre-revolution literacy rates were relatively excellent. I also believe (though I'm not as sure) that the health indicators were also relatively quite good.
> 3)Was it merely Castro's economic decisions, however flawed, that
"wrecked" the Cuban economy? Didn't the US-
> imposed economic blockade, which ripped the island completely out of the
regional economy, and made it necessary to > import basic necessities from
the other side world, have something to do with Cuba's economic plight?
They also received heavy subsidies from another super (albeit admittedly far less super) power. Why not call it even?
-- Luke