Capitalism and socialism in Cuba & the U.S.
This BBC story about Raúl Castro and Cuban economic reforms made me think about how Cuba and the U.S. are in essentially opposite positions.
The U.S. is overwhelmingly capitalist, and any increased role of the state in the economy leads to screams of socialism. Cuba is overwhelmingly socialist, and any decreased role of the state in the economy leads to screams of capitalism.
In the U.S., policy makers cannot say they are implementing socialist reforms. In Cuba, policy makers cannot say they are implementing capitalist reforms.
Critics blame capitalism for economic problems in the U.S. Critics blamed socialism for economic problems in Cuba.
And in both cases, despite lots of hot air, nothing much changes.
1 comments:
This BBC story about Raúl Castro and Cuban economic reforms made me think about how Cuba and the U.S. are in essentially opposite positions.
I've long said that the best way to understand Cuba is as the polar opposite of the US. Everything we do good, Cuba struggles with. Everything we can't seem to get a handle on, Cuba does well. (It just so happens I value the things Cuba does well at more than the things the US does). But of course, there is always a better balance to be had.
And in both cases, despite lots of hot air, nothing much changes.
The Cuban reforms announced by Raul are significant, but can not be seen as some kind of concession to capitalism. If the Cubans wanted more capitalism, it would be easy to achieve. They would simply allow foreigners and well-off Cubans to buy State property. But that is not at all what is being proposed. Cuba is proposing offering non-essential State property such as barber shops and tire repair shops to workers - in the form of cooperatives mostly.
How far reaching these Cuban reforms are depends on the details to be worked out later. But they could be very large - Raul has said that 1/6 workers in Cuba may be superfluous (ie. getting a wage for doing little productive work). How these workers are able to be incorporated into the workforce anew will be a major challenge for the Revolution. Two areas where there are "now hiring" signs - construction and agriculture - are not exactly the first choice of most educated Cubans (although some 60,000 Cubans have signed up for free land as farmers in the last 2 years).
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