Cuba is, and will continue to be, socialist

[Conghaileach]

GRANMA
February 17, 2003

Cuba is and will continue to be socialist

BY JOAQUIN RIVERY TUR
Granma daily staff writer

PRESIDENT Fidel Castro affirmed that developed capitalism, imperialism
and neo-liberal globalization have been imposed on the world, as has
the lack the basic principles of justice.

Fidel was speaking at the closure of the 5th International Conference
of Economists on Globalization and Problems of Development, on Sunday
(February 16) at the International Conference Center. The conference
took place over five intense days of productive work.

After a brief review of history, he noted that today, sights have been
set on the WTO and the IMF, the control of the worldís financial
resources, privatization, patents monopolies and the pretense of
demanding debt payments impossible to recover or pay.

Referring to the probable war against Iraq, Fidel pointed out that no
one can say beforehand what the Iraqi peopleís reaction or resistance
will be like, how long the war might last, how many deaths and how much
destruction it might cause once it develops into a patriotic war for
the country under attack.

The President began by asking: Where are the minimal conditions of
equality for development? In whose hands lie the international
financial institutions? Who pays attention when a countryís population
decreases and when its health indices worsen? Who destroys othersí
national cultures? plus other similar questions.

The leader also noted that the current world order is neither
sustainable nor endurable and that neo-liberal globalization is the
most shameful re-colonization of the Third World.

Later, when referring to the invention of free currency exchange that
sucks the lifeblood out of poor countries, Fidel praised the Venezuelan
people and their brave leader who recently established a currency
exchange control mechanism, thus putting an end to disorder.

Likewise, in midst of such a convulsive situation, Fidel confirmed
that we are privileged to be living in the most extraordinary time in
the history of the humankind, reiterating that Cuba lives and will
continue to live in socialism.

[Smoking Frog II]

A song from the future:

Socialist resurrection
After the state's infection
Cubans for vivisection
The invasion of perfection.

When castro passed away
along came the USA
it was time to pay
Whole of cuba did decay
There was not very much
that anyone could do
And that's just how the free land got inside you.

Socialist resurrection
After the state's infection
Cubans for vivisection
The invasion of perfection.

Guitar solo

Socialist resurrection
After the state's infection
Cubans for vivisection
I've got an erection.

[lyrics 2002 smokin frog]

[Larissa]

Besides what Fidel says, I wish you could hear what the people of Cuba say about it. THEY support socialism. And I'm not talking about the 1 million cubans (worms) who live in Miami, I'm talking about 11 million cubans who live in Cuba and support socialism.

Socialism will not die in Cuba, not just because the government says so, but because cubans don't want any capitalism stuff spoiling their system.

(Edited by Larissa at 3:45 pm on Feb. 19, 2003)

[Krobanikov]

It is a tactic of the political right within the U.S. to claim that those Cubans who flutter to the states do so because of a repressive Cuban regime,yet it appears that the obvious reason is that these people wish to take advantage of those benefits which the U.S. has to offer.
Within any community or nation there are those who prefer to excel beyond their fellows by means of wealth and prestige rather than to live in equality and commontrust,for greed will drive men to the ends of the earth,hence those Cubans who come to the U.S. do so not for the sake of freedom but in order to be enslaved to materialism and avarice.

[Guardia Bolivariano]

Hey after Fidel we'll still have Raul!;)

[Pete]

"Within any community or nation there are those who prefer to excel beyond their fellows by means of wealth and prestige rather than to live in equality and commontrust,for greed will drive men to the ends of the earth,hence those Cubans who come to the U.S. do so not for the sake of freedom but in order to be enslaved to materialism and avarice. "

Many of the fleeing Cubans, welcomed as 'exiles', are poor and live in poverty after reaching America. They can do nothing to get back to Cuba, and I'm not sure if they would be welcome.

"Socialism will not die in Cuba, not just because the government says so, but because cubans don't want any capitalism stuff spoiling their system. "

Those who live well and know it won't want to give it up. In away they are just like the First world Plutocrats. They are living better then others and are not willing to give it up. Alteast the entire Cuban population is better off intsead of less then 10% of the American population.

"After a brief review of history, he noted that today, sights have been
set on the WTO and the IMF, the control of the worldís financial
resources, privatization, patents monopolies and the pretense of
demanding debt payments impossible to recover or pay. "

This is the Third Cycle Imperialism. It will fall eventualy, but we can do what we can to destroy it. If the world truly became a "Global Village" instead of a "Global Corporation" none of the above mentioned afflictions would be possible.

[Larissa]

Quote: from Krobanikov on 4:46 pm on Feb. 19, 2003
It is a tactic of the political right within the U.S. to claim that those Cubans who flutter to the states do so because of a repressive Cuban regime,yet it appears that the obvious reason is that these people wish to take advantage of those benefits which the U.S. has to offer.
Within any community or nation there are those who prefer to excel beyond their fellows by means of wealth and prestige rather than to live in equality and commontrust,for greed will drive men to the ends of the earth,hence those Cubans who come to the U.S. do so not for the sake of freedom but in order to be enslaved to materialism and avarice.

..."I am not interested in dry economic socialism. We are fighting against misery, but we are also fighting against alienation. One of the fundamental objectives of Marxism is to remove interest, the factor of individual interest, and gain, from people's psychological motivations. Marx was preoccupied both with economic factors and with their repercussions on the spirit. If communism isn't interested in this too, it may be a method of distributing goods, but it will never be a revolutionary way of life." - Ernesto 'Che' Guevara

[Comrade Marcel]

Speech made by Dr. Fidel Castro Ruz, President of the Republic of Cuba, at the closing session of the 5th Meeting on Globalization and Development held in Havana, Cuba, on February 14, 2003. (http://freethecubanfive.ca/castrospeech-2003feb14.html)