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<DIV>Jim Devine ponders: "getting out of sugar makes sense, but why isn't there
investment in<BR>some new kind of agriculture or industry in the countryside? is
it the<BR>blockade?"<BR>JD</DIV>
<DIV>Comment :The only reason you are asking this question is because you
haven't bothered to look for the abundant Cuban economy data and reports such as
hose by numerous UN agencies and research centers and instead swallow whole
those pro neo-lib articles Ulhas regularly posts in his ongoing campaign of
vilification of Cuba.</DIV>
<DIV>Of course there has been investment in agriculture. Forced to abandon
chemical fertilizer based crops it switched to organic based agriculture through
new land management and he introduction of urban crops.For this UN's FAO
recently mentioned Cuba as a world example.</DIV>
<DIV>As for industry, Cuba is also extremely well known for its very advanced
bio-tech industry which in contrast to most of well VC funded US bio-tech, it
does offers already a variety of vaccines and heart drugs to 35 different
countries.</DIV>
<DIV>It is important ,especially as an economist, not to be dazzled and confused
by gizmo/ widget counting of the kind Ulhas does for India, and realize that
Cuba has been pursuing a strategy of development via the service sector
:education, health services and tourism in addition to a vigorous fishing
industry. Cuba exports hundreds of medical doctors to Brazil,Venezuela and
Africa and trains many foreign students in the field.Also her international
centers for rehab medical programs and plastic surgery have a large
international market, etc,</DIV>
<DIV>Cristobal Senior</DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>