[lbo-talk] Transition to capitalism in Cuba

ken hanly northsunm at yahoo.com
Mon Apr 18 07:22:31 PDT 2011


Cuba claims that it will be using Vietnam as a model of some of the changes in the system. The state employment sector will be reduced although the document circulated by Julio says there will be no shock therapy. Translated this means there will be. Subsidies will be reduced, big cuts will be made to employment in the public sector and rationing removed. Rationing involved the harmful notion of equality as the circulated document puts it:

Undoubtedly, the ration book and its removal spurred most of the contributions of the participants in the debates, and it is only natural. Two generations of Cubans have spent their lives under this rationing system that, despite its harmful egalitarian quality, has for four decades ensured every citizen access to basic food at highly subsidized derisory prices.

Here are some outlines of the brave New Revolution:

Communist Party big wigs are holding their first convention in 14 years from April 16-19. They are debating plans to improve Cuba's inefficient economy and seem to be relying on some standard prescriptions of capitalist austerity: Firing one million public sector workers, increasing foreign investment in key industries and eliminating some food subsidies.

But in developing Socialism with Cuban characteristics the party has not yet dared to push anti-egalitarianism even further and adopt something akin to the Chinese slogan: It is glorious to be rich.

Cheers, ken



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