Should Cuba welcome more liberalization?

[Karl Marx's Camel]

I think it could be a good idea for Cuba to open up more to foreign investors. Foreign investors could build shopping malls. Bookstores could open with all kinds of different books, and not just with Lenin, Marx and Engels, Che Guevara and H.C. Andersen. That way the government of Cuba wouldn't have to worry about paper shortages in that area.
I mean "liberalizing", not in the way of the Soviet Union during the 90's, or like today's China. But to open up in order to create more economic growth, with the government controlling what to be build, and what not to. To allow foreign business that would benefit the Cuban people, but not to let the country be rampaged by international capitalism.

More joint ventures could be possible, to solve the the largest economic problems.

According to Wikipeida, in 1998, there were a total of 332 joint ventures.

What do you think?

[fernando]

Hmm, I think the Cuban government could do this but more with companies/governments from allied countries such as Venezuela and Bolivia.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

Not only do I think Cuba shouldn't "liberalize it's economy" (read: allow capitalists to re-enter it), I know it won't happen.

Cuba had it's highest economic growth ever last year, and some joint ventures were actually closed, not opened.

[Karl Marx's Camel]

Do you know which joint ventures were closed?

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

I think it may have been 2 hotels and something else.. but I can't remember. They weren't closed, I think the Cuban government just took them over.. I could be wrong, but distinctly remember something like that.

[Karl Marx's Camel]

Is it a problematic procedure for the government of Cuba to take over joint ventures, or is it perfectly legal?

[bolshevik butcher]

No it should not, what it should do is get some workers control into its 'scoailist' economy.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

Originally posted by [email protected] 14 2006, 05:13 PM
Is it a problematic procedure for the government of Cuba to take over joint ventures, or is it perfectly legal?
From what I remember the companies involved complained alot and were talking about bring some lawsuits up in European court; but I never heard anything else about it.

[Entrails Konfetti]

Originally posted by Compañ[email protected] 14 2006, 05:41 PM
From what I remember the companies involved complained alot and were talking about bring some lawsuits up in European court; but I never heard anything else about it.
Yeah, the foreign companies complained of there being no room to expand, and being highly taxed.

With a country like Cuba, i think allowing the capitalist to re-enter would be disasterous; more profits would be taken from the workers, the wealth would flow to the upper-classes, the upper-classes would spend money on property flipping, and the workers would be deep in debt.

I don't see how capitalists can industrialize Cuba.