Cuba and national revolution

[John "Eh" MacDonald]

Correct me if I'm wrong but does Cuba even have a chance at all to have a thriving economy if a socialist tomorrow depends upon a national revolution? Or was the Cuban revolution just a foot in the door for the bigger picture?

I did however read an article that made an interesting point about how Cuba would be a thriving economy if it were not for the United States trade embargo. Would this not prove Karl Marx wrong? Or is what Marx meant by "revolutions are the locomotives of history," was that there would have to be quite a few revolutions over the course of history to change the world?

Sorry if this is a plain question.

[The Vegan Marxist]

Correct me if I'm wrong but does Cuba even have a chance at all to have a thriving economy if a socialist tomorrow depends upon a national revolution? Or was the Cuban revolution just a foot in the door for the bigger picture?

I did however read an article that made an interesting point about how Cuba would be a thriving economy if it were not for the United States trade embargo. Would this not prove Karl Marx wrong? Or is what Marx meant by "revolutions are the locomotives of history," was that there would have to be quite a few revolutions over the course of history to change the world?

Sorry if this is a plain question.

Cuba, even with the embargo, is a thriving economy (http://redantliberationarmy.wordpress.com/2010/06/02/cuban-truth-against-the-lies/).

[Luisrah]

This isn't an easy question to anwer, and it depends very much on everyone's tendency. Marxist-Leninists will say that Cuba is a thriving economy, Trotskyists will say it isn't, and I suspect pretty much anyone else will say it's not even socialist.

In my opinion, Cuba is an example of how socialism can work minimally in one country. Although you won't have luxuries in Cuba, you have a safer life than in other places, without the constant fear of losing your job or whatever.

However of course, if more socialist countries existed, than it would be easier for each one to grow. After all, just because some communists support that it is possible to have socialism in one country, it doesn't mean we aren't internationalists.

[Blake's Baby]

This isn't an easy question to anwer, and it depends very much on everyone's tendency. Marxist-Leninists will say that Cuba is a thriving economy, Trotskyists will say it isn't, and I suspect pretty much anyone else will say it's not even socialist.
...

That's the truth. Obviously I profoundly disagree with everything else in the post, but probably that's not a surprise.

For some of us, 'a socialist tomorrow' is what we'll all have after the world revolution (so yes, revolutions will have to occur more or less simutaneously in many places), and that means in Cuba too, where the state will be swept away and the Cuban working class will be able to get a taste of real socialism.

Marx was still right that 'revolutions are the motor of history', though, the bourgeoisie's fear of revolution has lead us to the state we're in now, where Marx is repeatedly called as dead to history, capitalism has triumphed, there are no more crises, we have a New World Order, we've reached the End of History, we're all middle class now, etc etc; but, crises and wars keep knocking on the door (battering it down more like), and the working class keeps fighting against it.

My view (and that of the organisation I'm politically closest to) is that neither the capitalists nor the working class at the moment has been able to apply it's own solution (that is, 'war or revolution' in he words of the Communist international); which has led to (as Marx said) 'the exhaustion of the contending classes'. So we have a moribund capitalism, ripe for revolution but the working class is not currently trying to overthrow it, due to the weight of the ideological mystifications capitalism has heaped on it.

Other people's opinions this matter will vary though, as Luisrah rightly points out.

[Robocommie]

However of course, if more socialist countries existed, than it would be easier for each one to grow. After all, just because some communists support that it is possible to have socialism in one country, it doesn't mean we aren't internationalists.

Indeed, and many of Cuba's problems right now came about with the collapse of the Soviet Union. In the future, I hope that more nations will become socialist republics and create a new sort of Comecon trading bloc, with which they can supply each other with things they need to achieve a mutual boost in development. It's my hope that in particular, the revolutions in Nepal and India, if successful, will lend themselves to that kind of new socialist bloc - a socialist bloc for the 21st century.

[Barry Lyndon]

The Cuban Revolution was basically saved by the Bolivarian Republic in Venezuela, which has become their much needed supply of oil after the collapse of the USSR. Really, its a miracle Cuba has survived this long as it is in the face of relentelss hostility from US imperialism, and has its people still living with some measure of dignity, as opposed to starving to death like in North Korea.

[The Vegan Marxist]

The Cuban Revolution was basically saved by the Bolivarian Republic in Venezuela, which has become their much needed supply of oil after the collapse of the USSR. Really, its a miracle Cuba has survived this long as it is in the face of relentelss hostility from US imperialism, and has its people still living with some measure of dignity, as opposed to starving to death like in North Korea.

China also played by lending a hand in helping Cuba by being their overseas trader alternative to the US. Essentially, & ironically, China has built themselves as hand-lender to those that are anti-imperialist, such as Cuba & them.

[Luisrah]

Indeed, and many of Cuba's problems right now came about with the collapse of the Soviet Union. In the future, I hope that more nations will become socialist republics and create a new sort of Comecon trading bloc, with which they can supply each other with things they need to achieve a mutual boost in development. It's my hope that in particular, the revolutions in Nepal and India, if successful, will lend themselves to that kind of new socialist bloc - a socialist bloc for the 21st century.

Heh, I guess we all want to see some change before we die huh?

Well, the situation in the world is really potential for a revolutionary solution, but the fact is that that revolutionary solution is only giving small signs of life, hopefully, with all our work however, things will change.

[el_chavista]

The Cuban Revolution was basically saved by the Bolivarian Republic in Venezuela, which has become their much needed supply of oil after the collapse of the USSR.
There passed by 10 years from the falling of the URSS to the Chávez government. Chávez's only contribution was to rapidly overcome the "special period"


... as opposed to starving to death like in North Korea.I don't know but no people can bear starving to death without at least doing a revolt.