Cuba sets Party Congress date for April 2011

[Vladimir Innit Lenin]

http://www.thiscantbehappening.net/node/472

Fantastic article, coming from a fairly critical leftist perspective, with regards to political democracy and the economic situation in Cuba.

In particular, the following paragraph is spot on:

"Furthermore, the proposals do not call specifically for greater barter trading with ALBA (Bolivarian Alliance of the Peoples of America) countries, although there is a vague statement that the eight progressive ALBA countries are a priority. There is little trade with ALBA, with the exception of Venezuela. Most trade is with major capitalist countries. Ironically, the US is Cuba’s number one food supplier (25-30% of all foodstuffs; Cuba imports 80% of its food). Overall it is the fourth leading importer—6% of all imports are from the US. Officially, the US continues a blockade of Cuba, but since 2000 US businesses have been selling foodstuffs and medicines on a cash-only basis in US dollars. This one-way trade places Cuba at a security risk, by making the country increasingly dependent for food upon the imperialist whims of its main enemy."

I've been saying for a while that Cuba should closen its ties to the ALBA trading bloc, in order to guarantee a more secure balance of payments situation.

Thoughts?

[Red_Struggle]

I agree Cuba should look to further their ties with ALBA. Although I find it pretty sad that Cuba has to import 80% of its food, something I did not know. I think they need to develop their country more in the spirit of self-alliance, but I don't see that happening.

[Blackscare]

I agree Cuba should look to further their ties with ALBA. Although I find it pretty sad that Cuba has to import 80% of its food, something I did not know. I think they need to develop their country more in the spirit of self-alliance, but I don't see that happening.

You must not know the situation in Cuba. They used to be much more self-reliant with food, until the USSR fell and their highly mechanized agricultural methods couldn't be continued. They just didn't have the fuel to do so. They've come a long way in terms of local permaculture, although of course it still is not enough. Cuba has been trying to 'develop itself more in the spirit of self reliance' but certain US policies and other factors make it hard to do just that.


Also, they make a lot of money on sugar cane and it's an economic necessity to continue to prioritize it over domestic food production.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1721584909067928384#

That is a documentary called "the power of community: how Cuba survived peak oil".

[Fulanito de Tal]

Eh, pero tu crees que ellos son bobos?

XH4W8JIxsw0

LME9d59xwpw

[Red_Struggle]

They've come a long way in terms of local permaculture, although of course it still is not enough.

Yeah, I know about the communal gardens that sprang up a while back, and I congratulate them on that. But I don't think Cuba developed its productive forces as fast as they could have, as their economy was heavily dependent on exporting sugar cane to the USSR at prices above the world market. It's true they put money into industrialization, but their economy is run basically in the same way as the USSR after the kosygin reform.


Cuba has been trying to 'develop itself more in the spirit of self reliance'

How is Raul going about doing that by introducing more market mechanisms, exactly?

[Reznov]

Its amazing looking at the ingenuity and practicality of Cuba and its people in reforming their agriculture to prevent famine.

So much for that bullshit capitalist argument of "workers have no incentive to work and invent new ideas/things in a socialist/Communist society."

[Fulanito de Tal]

How is Raul going about doing that by introducing more market mechanisms, exactly?

Last I heard, the market features being introduced involved the ability to hire a few people to work for wage under a boss. This was only allowed in service type professions such as fast food, drinks (milkshakes and juices), barbershops, etc. Their rationale is that they are not privatizing the mode of production of necessary industries such as food, utilities, factories, etc. On top of that, the privately owned businesses that opened are highly controlled and taxed. Some people welcome this as they were working the illegal market (like selling cooked food) and were not eligible for a decent retirement pension once they were old. Now that some of those businesses are legal, the workers have access to more benefits and they're income isn't illegal -- not that the police were running crack downs on a person making an extra 35 pesos/workday selling prepared meals to workers on their lunch break.

Someone that recently returned from Cuba told me that you can see a considerable difference in the quality of services in comparison to two months ago. For example, it's more likely that your food will be at an enjoyable temperature when you receive in a timely manner.

However, I was told that this is increasing financial inequality. This seems to be more "too each according to his contribution" than need.

Farming
My cousin has a farm in the middle of nowhere. Last time I talked to him was in July 2010. He was offering double the typical salary for a full workday or a typical salary for half a workday there. However, no one wanted to work there. He stated that it's in the middle of nowhere and people rather be in the city working the underground market. So, before the market reforms, the incentive was to work in the fields was relatively weak. I don't know how the reforms have impacted the farming industry lately is at all.


Cosas de Cuba
Here is this CRAZY scam going on in Havana. It cracks me up. Parking in Havana is mostly free anywhere. Besides the airport in Havana, I can't think of anywhere else you officially have to pay to park at the moment. Anyway, someone came up with the idea of making these shirts that say "Parquiador [Parker]" (as in he parks cars) and putting a Havana Club logo on it. When you park, he goes up to your car, writes bullshit on a piece of paper (seriously scribbles or writes any number), fixes the paper to your windshield wiper, and makes a gesture like everything is okay or that he will take care of your car. Then, when you get back, depending on how rich you look (mostly aimed at tourists), he gives you a price and tourists pay.

I once asked a police officer if I had to pay that person. The police officer said that he has no idea who that is, but that I don't have to pay him for parking. Still, it's not illegal go up to someone and say, "un chavito [one dollar]" and the police isn't there to arrest everyone on the street for stupid shit anyway, so nothing happens to the guy. Basically, if you give him the money, it's your donation. So, my dad and I started paying the guys 1 peso (0.05 of a dollar). After talking to them in a Cuban manner, some would realize that it was not worth arguing, while others would start a show. If you're Cuban, then you can imagine the next part. We started fucking with them back. My dad would say, "I'm not the tourist; he is," and point at me. I would pretend like I don't know Spanish and point at a friend. The friend would say that he wasn't the driver, so he's not paying. In the mess, we disappear. This type of behavior is called "formando la confusion [forming the confusion]".

In one occasion, the parking attendant seemed aggressive. So before going to the car, we told a police officer that we thought that we were going to run into trouble with the guy. The police officer came with us to the car. The parker told us the price and my dad gave him a peso. The guy took it and said thank you. That was it. This confirmed that those guys were not offical parking attendants.

In the end, everyone was a political prisoner on a hunger strike and Castro is a ruthless authoritarian.

But seriously, it's a cultural thing. That's the way shit goes in Cuba. It's a strong social norm to not be a dick to someone's face. That's why we formed the confusion in that story. Just like Americans and Europeans (especially Germans) think it's a real dick move to be late to a planned meeting, in Cuba it's a real dick move to not show appreciation for assistance.

The point is to show one way that people find an income without producing much. The recent reforms in establishing a market were done in part to provide people an avenue at working for something other than a government salary and still produce something useful.

iAgua!

[Vladimir Innit Lenin]

Cuba is certainly in retreat. For me, they are going the wrong way. Whilst, when I was there in May/June 2010, there was a lot of trouble with the quality price and hygeine of foodstuffs being sold (unpasteurised milk in clear plastic bags left in the heat, being sold at $5CUC a pop, Capitalistic methods of employment and business structure are not going to solve this problem.

It was already evident last year that there was a class of haves (those who obviously had access to convertible currency/dollars, could rent out property etc) and have nots (the youth and those who clearly did not have access to hard currency). This has manifested in, as I say, Capitalistic relations relating to property (the renting of 2nd properties to travellers), capital (which will become entrenched with the new petty-bourgeois laws on businesses) and labour (one of the people I stayed with employed cleaners, people to cook in their houses, people to catch fish and now with the new laws, petty-bourgeois style small business relations will be encouraged in places like barber shops and paladares).

What I also saw was that the agricultural sector was on its knees. It was almost non-existent.

For me, the only way Cuba can continue to exist in the long term as a viable Socialist entity is as follows:
Cuba needs to forge stronger economic ties with the ALBA trading bloc to bring down long run prices of food imports and encourage some more stability with regards to food levels. This will also enable it to trade more and take advantage of its technological and medicinal prowess.

Cuba needs to eliminate the dual currency system which is, above all else, responsible for the increase in wealth inequalities in the country. It is unfair, indefensible and economically unsustainable in the long run. It can only lead to Capitalism.

Cuba needs to re-spawn its agricultural sector. From what I saw, the agricultural sector is on its knees. Any Socialist society needs, to an extent at least, to be autarkical, especially in vital survival areas such as food. It is vital that Cuba finds a way to feed its population, so that it can continue with ration cards whilst also allowing Cubans the opportunity to top up their ration cards with more than meagre additions. They need to be able to subsidise the ration card whilst having at least a moderate quality of foodstuffs on the shelves of supermarkets, which, as I and my bowels can attest to, they currently do not have.

[pranabjyoti]

I am curious to know whether any research is going on in Cuba regarding hydroponics and aeroponics.

[RedSonRising]

Cuba is certainly in retreat. For me, they are going the wrong way. Whilst, when I was there in May/June 2010, there was a lot of trouble with the quality price and hygeine of foodstuffs being sold (unpasteurised milk in clear plastic bags left in the heat, being sold at $5CUC a pop, Capitalistic methods of employment and business structure are not going to solve this problem.

It was already evident last year that there was a class of haves (those who obviously had access to convertible currency/dollars, could rent out property etc) and have nots (the youth and those who clearly did not have access to hard currency). This has manifested in, as I say, Capitalistic relations relating to property (the renting of 2nd properties to travellers), capital (which will become entrenched with the new petty-bourgeois laws on businesses) and labour (one of the people I stayed with employed cleaners, people to cook in their houses, people to catch fish and now with the new laws, petty-bourgeois style small business relations will be encouraged in places like barber shops and paladares).

What I also saw was that the agricultural sector was on its knees. It was almost non-existent.

For me, the only way Cuba can continue to exist in the long term as a viable Socialist entity is as follows:
Cuba needs to forge stronger economic ties with the ALBA trading bloc to bring down long run prices of food imports and encourage some more stability with regards to food levels. This will also enable it to trade more and take advantage of its technological and medicinal prowess.

Cuba needs to eliminate the dual currency system which is, above all else, responsible for the increase in wealth inequalities in the country. It is unfair, indefensible and economically unsustainable in the long run. It can only lead to Capitalism.

Cuba needs to re-spawn its agricultural sector. From what I saw, the agricultural sector is on its knees. Any Socialist society needs, to an extent at least, to be autarkical, especially in vital survival areas such as food. It is vital that Cuba finds a way to feed its population, so that it can continue with ration cards whilst also allowing Cubans the opportunity to top up their ration cards with more than meagre additions. They need to be able to subsidise the ration card whilst having at least a moderate quality of foodstuffs on the shelves of supermarkets, which, as I and my bowels can attest to, they currently do not have.


Those three basic initiatives have been outlined in talks of future policy. Of the main things I've heard of in Cuba besides economic stimulation and a greater provision of goods/services, increasing food production and quality, getting rid of the dividing dual currency, and cooperating with ALBA countries have been the most discussed. I don't see capitalist relations developing from individual/independent workers, as they receive or rent their means from the State and are not in a position to exploit others for their labor. Some have criticized the rationing system, others think that it would be a further retreat to get rid of it, but the bottom line is food has got to get better and more available. They've already made great gains with urban agriculture and turning over unused land to former farmers, and it seems they're addressing the problem and won't stop there.

I also hope they can get more beef into their diet. I remember a chef their telling me how rare beef is and how strict the State is about killing cattle since they use them for the free distribution of milk to schoolchildren and the elderly. I later read in Castro's biography that the types of cattle that are able to actively produce milk in Caribbean climates don't produce much or of a great kind, so the areas in which they can manage are used for milk. Hopefully ALBA trade can help with his.

[Vladimir Innit Lenin]

The problem is that there is certainly a class of haves and have nots.

As I evidenced when I visited a family run paladar, the 'haves' are in possession of enough beef to be able to sell it to people like me for something like $1-2CUC. Then the have nots obviously do not see a huge amount of beef.

They need to mechanise agriculture so badly. I saw so much land just going to waste, so many animals grazing around, not being put to good use. It's just silly. As much as things like tourism (along with more useful sectors like medicinal exports and biotechnology) have helped bring Cuba out of the special period, it's now time to focus on long term Socialist planning.

I feel like Cuba is at a critical point at the moment. Could go either way - the Dengist route or continue to follow the Socialist path taken thus far.

[pranabjyoti]

The problem is that there is certainly a class of haves and have nots.

As I evidenced when I visited a family run paladar, the 'haves' are in possession of enough beef to be able to sell it to people like me for something like $1-2CUC. Then the have nots obviously do not see a huge amount of beef.

They need to mechanise agriculture so badly. I saw so much land just going to waste, so many animals grazing around, not being put to good use. It's just silly. As much as things like tourism (along with more useful sectors like medicinal exports and biotechnology) have helped bring Cuba out of the special period, it's now time to focus on long term Socialist planning.

I feel like Cuba is at a critical point at the moment. Could go either way - the Dengist route or continue to follow the Socialist path taken thus far.
The Dengist route can only be followed in big countries like China, where you have enough resources. Cuba isn't a big country with enough resources. And moreover, do you think that USA will tolerate another strong capitalist country so close to it?

[Vladimir Innit Lenin]

But Cuba is a 3rd world country, and a small one at that, with a GDP per capita of less than $2000, so I doubt in a Capitalist system it could compete with the USA. If it went further than the Dengists and counter-revolutionised, it'd end up either Haiti-esque, or like in the days of Batista.

Perhaps to say it would follow the close ideology of Deng Xiaoping is wrong, but I meant that it would move to the right, whilst still employing the rhetoric of the left and not experiencing a counter-revolution in terms of the political power structure or the bureaucracy.

[pranabjyoti]

But Cuba is a 3rd world country, and a small one at that, with a GDP per capita of less than $2000, so I doubt in a Capitalist system it could compete with the USA. If it went further than the Dengists and counter-revolutionised, it'd end up either Haiti-esque, or like in the days of Batista.

Perhaps to say it would follow the close ideology of Deng Xiaoping is wrong, but I meant that it would move to the right, whilst still employing the rhetoric of the left and not experiencing a counter-revolution in terms of the political power structure or the bureaucracy.
Well, Dengist way can be followed by Asian countries which were comparatively backward and have the extra burden of feudal remains to fight for. But, Latin America, in my opinion is different. USA wouldn't tolerate even flourishing of capitalism here and it don't have the extra burden of feudal remains. Other than any continent, Latin America and Africa have much higher chance of establishing socialism due to some historical factors. Remember, even in the worst of times, no slogan for "democracy" has been observed in Cuba. Now, while it has some good allies close to it, probably the MOST critical time is over now.