Raul Castro pushes Cubans to rethink socialism

[ensho]

http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE58L3QF20090922


Cubans began taking a hard look this week at entrenched customs like food rationing, pilfering on the job, cradle-to-grave subsidies and black market trading in a national debate called by President Raul Castro.

Authorities have circulated a ten-point agenda for thousands of open-ended meetings over the next month at work places, universities and community organizations to rethink Cuban socialism, focused on the economic themes highlighted by Castro in a speech to the National Assembly in August.

The discussion guide, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters, makes clear that questioning the communist-ruled island's one-party political system established after Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution, or calling for a restoration of capitalism, are off limits.

But the guide said: "It is important that the meetings are characterized by absolute freedom of criteria, the sincerity of participants and respect for differing opinions".

The possibility of eliminating one of the world's longest-standing food ration systems, heavily subsidized utilities, transportation and meals at work and universities, among other items, would be debated at the meetings.
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[Nuclear Unicorn]

1. Individual greed is a hard thing to overcome

...as if our own experiences in the US haven't shown us that.

[imdjh]

5. People expect to be paid for their work and their ideas, and they don't like slackers.

Human nature is in play all around. It's a balancing act between compassion for those who can't, contempt for those who won't, fairness for those who do, and reward for those who do more.

[imdjh]

2. Sounds good if they come of with news ways of doing rather than new ways of saying.

So much today seems like government, politics, and even social progress organizations don't really have any solutions, so they go for the marketing approach. Don't do something better, make the workers/consumers/citizens feel better about what you are doing. That's dishonesty when you really take it down to bare wood.

[Mika]

3. In Cuba Ration Cards = Food Stamps.

If the media refer to this as "rationing" then the US is "rationing" also.

Its an optional coupon booklet that discounts products at government managed stores.

There's plenty of inexpensive food to be had at the many local independent markets and farmers markets in every Cuba town and city. Cuba is a world leader in the local green and organic food movement.

Cubans in Cuba certainly don't want to end their socialist government. They aren't stupid. They have eyes, and are looking at the rest of the Americas (North Central and South) conditions in this collapse.

Just as a reminder, during the global economic meltdown not one single Cuban was thrown out of their home due to a foreclosure, and not one single Cuban family was economically destroyed due to an illness in their family, and not one single Cuban lost their access to their world class and universal health care. There are more teachers and schools this year than last, as it has been every year since 1961. There are more doctors, hospitals and clinics this year then last, as it has been every year since the mid 60s. Per capita debt is less than any other nation in the Americas.

[Greyhound]

8. Add a 98% literacy rate, lower infant mortality, less than 2% unemployment, etc.

and all this in spite of half a century of U.S. attempts to starve and destabilize this tiny nation.

[LeftinOH]

4. Maybe the'll take the Communist-in-name-only approach, like China

[Mika]

6. Doubt it. Every profession and vocation in Cuba is unionized.

The union parties field the most candidates every election, and they dominate the Cuban National Assembly.

No Cuban sweatshops making cheap TVs and sneakers for the globocorporatocracy. This is a reason Cuba is an "outsider" and under sanction by the US corporatocracy.


Been there. Seen it.

[anonymous171]

14. Non-state unions? nt

[Mika]

15. Independent unions.

No party runs the slate of reps for any unions.

[imdjh]

7. Hopefully they will do a better job of it.

The dynamics are so different of course. Cuba doesn't have to make motorscooters and Happy Meal toys to pump up their economy. They can simply open their doors, change the sheets, and give a great floor show. But they have to figure out how to do that without guys Hyman Roth and Michael Corleone emerging.

[Mika]

9. Cubas doors have always been open. Its the US gov that closed the doors to Cuba for Americans.

Cuban tourism has grown every year. A simple google search on Cuba travel will elevate your knowledge on this.

---

[imdjh]

11. Go look up metaphor. Elevate your knowledge on this.

Your response was about as clever as if you had said, "Cuba changes their sheets!"

[Mika]

12. OK.

To me, your entire metaphor isn't appropriate.

Cuba has (in reality) opened the doors, (metaphorically) changed the sheets, and put on a good floor show - all without guys like Hyman Roth and Michael Corleone emerging.

You seem unaware of this, because that's what your metaphor implies.

Not interested in "clever" posts. Just trying to fill the vast vacuum of American knowledge about Cuba.

No harm intended.

:hi:

[imdjh]

13. peace

And you are correct that a great many people have no idea how accessible Cuba already is.

[Mika]

10. Of course, one needs a responsible representative government to do that.

Otherwise you'll see mayhem and despair on a multitude of levels - like the USA.

Cuban elected representatives face mandatory biannual accountability sessions with their constituents (a town hall meeting in Americaspeak) - and face a recall vote if their constituents are unhappy with their performance or representation and petition for a recall. If that is the case, within 6 weeks a new election has to be held. That requires public candidate selections from among anyone choosing to run, and then nominated to the slate of candidates running for the office.

The Cuban government was reorganized (approved by popular vote) into a variant parliamentary system in 1976.


Democracy in Cuba and the 1997-98 Elections
Arnold August
1999
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0968508405/qid=1053879619/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/102-8821757-1670550?v=glance&s=books