Cuban Democracy

[Janus]

So I've heard a lot of conflicting arguements about Cuba currently.

I would like to see the info. presented on how there is a democracy in Cuba. What is the extent? Can the people make national or major decisions or is it just limited to work or other small matters?

[Janus]

So far, I can see that there does seem to be some work place democracy in Cuba but how the question is how far does this extend. The same goes with elections and the grassroots democracy that seems to be in place there.

[R_P_A_S]

who has REAL democracy though? the USA sure as hell does not

[Karl Marx's Camel]

I posted a thread regarding some 50 people being imprisoned for collecting signatures.

Fidel is a smart man. He gives the appearance of democracy and yet the country isn't. Like, I do not think the law says anywhere that you will have to vote, but if you do not, you will have the police and communists at your doorstep.

Regarding freedom of speech, there can be quite fresh and exciting debates, especially in media led by the cultural elite. People will be fine as they take some precautions, like, you do not criticize Fidel. Criticizing economic problems is of no problems and perfectly fine.

Removal of opponents happen quite discrete. They will often be "adviced" that they step down from the candidacy and so on.

There have been some independent delegates in the national assembly, even people who are slightly critical. Like Hilda Molina. But I understand she is basically under house arrest now. She is not allowed to travel outside Cuba. Delegates too critical will be removed from a position or office.

If you do not go to a demonstration, it's not like you will get shot or anything, but the regime will make your life more difficult.


who has REAL democracy though? the USA sure as hell does not

Of course not. But we aren't discussing the U.S., are we?

[Entrails Konfetti]

I think understand what Janus is asking, but I want too know a few things.

What are the differences between workers councils, and the peoples power organs?

Do the people get to decide directly who controls the economy?

What role does the Communist Party play?

What does Fidel castro do as the Grand Secretary of the Communist party and the head of State?

I know pretty much about the elections, people are nominated for the PPs out of "regular person" backgrounds, there really isn't much campaigning or any parties-- instead the candidate fowards an application, the people look at the candidates qualifactions and decide whether to vote on them or not. From the PP, the members decaide who will be part of the National Assembly, the communist Party sends a few members so does a labour organization and a womens political organization too.

[More Fire for the People]

American vs. Cuban Democracy (http://www.newhumanist.com/geiser.html)Cuba has reversed this. In Cuba you cannot buy land, start up private corporations, or hire others to work for you. You are guaranteed a job or unemployment pay, a home, free medical care, and education beyond high school. Even though Cuba is a Third World country with an annual per capita domestic product of about $1700 compared to our $22,000, it does what we cannot do because it distributes the wealth and income it has more rationally. [...]
Cuba has found a way, not without some difficulty, to have an honest and efficient government guaranteed by the close control people exercise over it. At the base of Cuba's democracy are the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR). They were formed by the Cuban people at President Castro's suggestion after counterrevolutionaries threw four bombs into a huge crowd during a 1960 speech.

Each square block elects its own CDR. I met with such a committee in 1990. All legislative changes which affect all Cubans must be submitted for review by the committees and they have three months to return their comments. One member of the CDR was the secretary who kept records of meetings; another was the treasurer who collected 25 centimos from each family every month for block activities; another person was in charge of security and arranged for two people to walk around the block between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. to help anyone in trouble and to prevent anyone from causing trouble; another young woman was the district CDR representative.
http://www.cuba-solidarity.org/democracy.htmAll workers, whether members of a union or not, have the right to participate in monthly worker assemblies, discussions and in the shaping of their workplace’s collective bargaining agreement. Union members are active in the development and implementation of policy at the work place. They have a role in the development of the business plan and participate in management meetings. [...]
Electoral candidates are not chosen by small committees of political parties. Indeed, no political party, including the Communist Party, is permitted to nominate or campaign for any given candidates. Instead the candidates are nominated individually by grass-roots organisations and by individual electors. When a person is nominated, no election campaigning is permitted; instead, his or her biography and other personal attributes are posted in public places. The successful candidate is chosen by secret ballot. The Electoral Law of 1992 stipulates that delegates to the municipal and provincial assemblies and the 601 deputies to the National Assembly are all elected by popular suffrage using a secret ballot. The Head of State and the Council of State are elected from among the deputies.

Once elected, a delegate or deputy has to inform electors about his or her work and, as in other countries, can be contacted by people in the constituency.

Unlike the case in other states, which invariably criticize Cuba for being ‘undemocratic’, voter turn-out in Cuba is high. In April 2005, 97.7% of electors came out to vote for their deputies to the municipal assemblies.

[Entrails Konfetti]

Originally posted by cubasolidarity.org
The system for electing representatives to seats in the municipal and provincial assemblies and to the National Assembly (Cuba’s parliament) is based upon universal adult suffrage for all those aged 16 and over. Nobody is excluded from voting, except convicted criminals and people with mental disabilities.

How would they define mental disabilities-- retardation, or people with bi-polar disorder?
If they mean by people with psycological disorders I'll be quite pissed off.

Also, people are elected out of neighbourhoods and districts to serve in the NA, why doesn't Cuba have candidates chosen from actual work-places to represent workers from that area of industry?

Can representatives from districts actually represent their workplace, when infact they could be pretty unpopular at work.

Instead Cubans are allowed to partake in any union and adopt some work-related measures --no taxes taken off checks during recession, a mediator who makes sure you get your workers rights if you have to work for a foreign ferm. All the unions get to do really is suggest some ideas on legislation and comment on legislation-- they don't write it directly from their hands.

Also labour unions don't get subsidies from the state, and they should they should be a part of the state, they should make it up.

While I disagree with how labour is represented, I agree with their level of district representation. But I think a Socialist society needs both.

I also disagree with how the elected officials appoint people to represent on a national scale, I don't see why it can't be voted on by the public who aren't in the NA.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

This is a recent post I made, it answers alot of questions being asked here:

--------------------------


The working class rules cuba? I'd like to see evidence of these organs of proletarian democracy that evidently must rule cuba.

Do some research then..

Is Cuba Democratic? (http://www.cuba-solidarity.org/democracy.htm)

Is Castro a dictator? (http://www.cuba-solidarity.org/dictator.htm)

Five reasons why the people rule Cuba (http://www.cuba-solidarity.org/cubasi_article.asp?ArticleID=53)

Cuba's electoral system (http://www.cubasolidarity.com/aboutcuba/topics/government/0504elecsys.htm)

How Cuba works (http://www.cubasolidarity.com/features/0503howcubaworks.htm)

Democracy for Cubans and Americans (http://www.cubasolidarity.com/aboutcuba/topics/government/050120contrast.htm)

The truth about Cuba (http://www.freepeoplesmovement.org/ry/rys5a.html)

Let's talk about Cuban democracy (http://www.freepeoplesmovement.org/ry/rys5b.html)

Also see (a great book): "Cuba: Dictatorship or democracy?," Marta Harnecker.


Unfortunately, I know quite a few working class cubans who would disagree on that.

Have you been to Cuba? I have. Do you talk to Cubans? I do, every day.

Do you know about Poder Popular (People Power)? the CDRs (Committees in Defense of the Revolution), Cuban Women's Federation, Cuban Workers' Central?

Do you know that the Cuban government (including Fidel) is extremely popular amongst Cubans?

Did you know that "All workers, whether members of a union or not, have the right to participate in monthly worker assemblies, discussions and in the shaping of their workplace’s collective bargaining agreement. Union members are active in the development and implementation of policy at the work place. They have a role in the development of the business plan and participate in management meetings.

"In a broader context, the trades unions and their central organisation, the Cuban Workers’ Central (CTC) are routinely consulted by central government when new laws are being considered. In 1993, during the economic crisis, nearly 3 million workers in every work place, expressed their views in ‘workers’ parliaments.’ Their ideas formed the basis of government policy on taxation, prices and monetary issues. One view expressed was that workers should not have to pay taxes while experiencing severe economic difficulties, although they considered that social security (National Insurance) contributions should continue. This policy was duly adopted by central government.

"In 1995 the unions’ expressed their opposition to sections of the Foreign Investment Law. They objected to the direct hiring of Cuban workers by foreign enterprises as they felt that the workers in question could be disadvantaged by practices of foreign management. Instead they advocated the hiring of labour through a state entity – an employment agency – to ensure full employment rights for workers. This became government policy."

Or that "During the reorganisation of the sugar industry in 2002, nearly one million workers participated in assemblies to express their views about redundancy arrangements relating to pay (they would continue to receive their usual salary), opportunities for retraining or further study and seeking alternative employment." - http://www.cuba-solidarity.org/democracy.htm

98-99% of the people eligible to vote in Cuba do. Only 6-7% of the ballots in the last election were spoiled (spoiling the ballot is a method endorsed by the gusanos in Miami to protest the revolutionary government).


1. How can you have a president who has been elected for 50 consecutive years?

What sort of question is this? If the people keep electing him, then they keep electing him. There are no term limits in Cuba.

Term limits are anti-Democratic anyway. It effectively tells people they can't elect who they want to elect, if they've already served a certain amount of years. It takes away the right of people to choose who will represent them best.

Fidel is elected to the National Assembly of People Power as a representative from Santiago, and from there he has been consistantly elected as president. He (and everyone else in the Cuban government) is subject to popular recall at any time. By law, he has to report to a mass meeting of his electors every six months.

When's the last time Bush reported to a mass meeting of his electors? How many terms did Roosevelt serve as president of the U.S.? Four?? How many more would he have served if he didn't die (and the term limits weren't imposed)?


2. Do the delegates or People's power presidents or whatever they're called hold any power in decision making?

Yes of course. That's what they do, make decisions based on the will of the people they represent. They hold meetings with the people they represent on a regular basis to discuss issues and make decisions. If you read the article (and the others in that issue), you should've learned that.


oh and a bonus question, if it's so free why aren't cubans free to leave the country?

Cubans can leave.. want me to point you in the direction of a friend of mine, who is a Cuban citizen, that works at UMASS in Massachusettes?

Of course, they need to get a visa from the country they want to go to; and imperialist countries don't offer that many.. not that many Cubans apply for the visas the Latin American countries offer, cause people that leave Cuba usually do so for economic reasons (just like Dominicans, Haitians, Mexicans, etc. do), not for political reasons..

You can't just jump on a fucking raft and roll out. You need to go through the proper processes. This is neccessary to maintain human capital while under the vicious blockade from the states. Cuba is a planned economy in which everyone works for the good of all. Things can't just be disrupted. You have to remember the whole history of what's happened. After the revolution, the U.S. drew in a majority of the doctors, and other trained professions from Cuba through bribes and propanganda (Cuba will send your kids to the USSR!!).. A new group of Cubans was trained in their place.. they were more, and they were better.. they had a socialist outlook.. tens of thousands of Cubans doctors, teachers, and soldiers have gone to dozens of countries all around the world, and only a hand full have defected. There are Cuban citizens in the US now.

There's also the constant bombarment of propaganda from the radio and TV being broadcasted by the U.S. try to make Cubans think the U.S. is the freest, greatest, country on earth, where everyone get's rich. Still, by percentage, few Cubans leave Cuba.. legally or illegally.

****

Cuba is the only socialist country in the world today; and has the best, and most democratic system the world has ever seen (possibly barring the Paris Commune, though they were under much different conditions).. If you can't recognize (and defend) a real-life socialist society, you won't be able to recognize, or fight for (or in) one in your own country.

[Entrails Konfetti]

Originally posted by Cubasolidarity.org
Here are some essential facts about the 1993 Elections to the National Assembly.

The Cuban elections were the occasion for a massive show of resistance and unity in face of the US blockade.
99% of the electorate voted
7% of the ballots were spoiled.
Of the 589 deputies, 80% of them were elected for the first time. Their average age is 43.
77% are men and 23% are women
59 of the deputies are peasants or agricultural workers.
46 are industrial or manual workers.
23 are trades union leaders.
25 are intellectual, artists and journalists.
29 are teachers and specialists, 10 are secondary and university student leaders.

Okay so that's
589 deputies
-59
-46
-23
-25
-29
-10
----
397

397 are unknown in their professions. What are these candidates exactly?

[Enragé]

look, in the time of the USSR they said THE EXACT SAME THINGS about USSR-democracy.

If you'd have believed them, the USSR would be a workers paradise.
Well we all know, it wasnt, and democracy was nowhere to be seen.
Im not saying shit's the same with Cuba, but articles like these prove nothing

the only way to actually get a good view of the situation is to go to cuba and live there for a couple of years, because we're not getting to hear the truth from either CNN or cuban state media, its both propaganda, that much is clear

[A Suvorov]

I read a very interesting book some time ago, 'Listen, Yankee' by C. Wright Mills, first published in 1960. It was a reply to the American branding of Cuba as a 'Soviet outpost' and explained that while Castro took some inspiration from communist teachings, he did not intend to make Cuba a satellite of the USSR. The book went on to explain just why the revolution went the way it did, and why the US became so anti-Cuba (loss of Big Business!) and why Castro naturally turned to the Soviets for support and aid and all that is necessary for nation-building. If the US wasn't going to step up to the plate, then by golly they would shop somwhere else- and it incensed the US that little Cuba would take its fortunes into its own hands instead of rolling over and begging the US for help.

In any case, the book is naturally a bit dated, but it gives what I think is a pretty good account of the early days of rebuilding Cuba from what was left of it by 'Yankee' businesses.

[Entrails Konfetti]

Originally posted by EL [email protected] 2 2006, 01:20 AM
397 are unknown in their professions. What are these candidates exactly?
I'm having a hardtime figuring out the mechanistics of the Cuban government.
Let it be known I'm not stating that any contry is more or less democratic than Cuba as of yet.

okay so according to Cubasolidarity.org
" By law, up to 50 percent of National Assembly deputies can be municipal assembly delegates. In the 1998–2003 National Assembly, 46.3 percent of the delegates were from the municipal assemblies. The other members of the National Assembly are persons from every sphere of Cuban society: the arts, sports, science, religion etc"

That answers why some deputies are unknown... I guess.
But who exactly is appointed, and are they appointed as deputies from 50% municipal deputies who are also in the National Assembly?

[Entrails Konfetti]

Can someone draw a diagram or something?

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

The Cuban system isn't like the USSRs or those of the Eastern European bureaucratic-socialist states.. there are some aspects that are similar to the USSR, but alot is different..


LG – Cuba is accused of selecting a democratic model comparable to the one in the ex-Soviet Union and the rest of nations in Eastern Europe. What are the differences?

Alarcón – Those countries had different electoral models, and none of them had anything to do with ours. Some of those nations had several parties, the Communist Party among them, and they did nominate candidates.

-------

Kablamo: The ones who are appointed, are appointed as representatives of the mass organizations and interest groups (like the Federation of Cuban Women).. they're proposed by elected representatives of the mass organizations and interests groups themselves.. the elected representatives of the workers' unions oversee the process.. and after the people are proposed to be appointed, the elected local level delegates of People's Power approve it.

[Entrails Konfetti]

Originally posted by Lennie [email protected] 2 2006, 03:23 AM
Kablamo: The ones who are appointed, are appointed as representatives of the mass organizations and interest groups (like the Federation of Cuban Women).. they're proposed by elected representatives of the mass organizations and interests groups themselves.. the elected representatives of the workers' unions oversee the process.. and after the people are proposed to be appointed, the elected local level delegates of People's Power approve it.
so the other 50% of the NA comes from members who are appointed by representatives of the grass roots organizations? Correct?

Or are you talking about the election commission?

Let me see if it got this straight aswell-- okay first it starts as the municipal election, there are from 2-8 candidates at each municipality and they submit a biography. Once the candidates have been chosen the election comission (who is made up of delegates from grassroots organizations headed by a labour union official) whittles out the best candidates for provincial government positions from the elected deputies of the municipal government. Once the deputies are picked for provincial, the provincial deputies decide from among then through voting who will be on the National Assembly. The deputies of the NA who are from provincial are only 50%, so they appoint members from from the various mass organizations-- but the representatives of the mass organizations decide who will be appointed by the NA. The elected representatives oversee this, and the municipal delegates of the PP must approve it. From here the NA decides who will be in the State Assembly (aka cabinet) and hold positions like President, Vice President, parliament speaker, secretary, ect.

So Castro is a representative of the municpality he lives in, of the province of Santiago, in the NA, and President? Thats alot!

[Revolution67]

I find it funny, when I see some comrades running over each other to show their "solidarity and support" to Islamic reactionaries like Hezbollah, choose to criticise Cuba/USSR in a way that would put the bourgeoisie scholars/capitalist to shame. ;) Had it not been for the steely resolve of Castro and the Cuban people, revolution would have been an "incident" of history, just like the Paris Commune. If Castro is such a worhtless, cruel and reckless dictator, what stops Cuban people from revolting against him, just like they stood up against Batista's regime? Keeping in view the present round of polemics undergoing in this thread, I understand why Stalin carried out "The Great Purge" and it was justifiable.

[YSR]

Keeping in view the present round of polemics undergoing in this thread, I understand why Stalin carried out "The Great Purge" and it was justifiable.

Yeah, I know! What kind of revolutionary would dare to offer criticism of a revolution? Don't these idiots know that discussing revolutionary states with anything less than total support is the same thing as being a flag-waving worshipper at the throne of Adam Smith? The gall of some people! I bet they're fucking anarchists, too!

[Janus]

This is a recent post I made, it answers alot of questions being asked here
I read that post.

I was wondering about its extent and how effective it was to make sure that it wasn't a farce or anything.

[Karl Marx's Camel]

Do the people get to decide directly who controls the economy?
Well I do know a lot of people who have had to wait in the stores 10-15 minutes because the guy who is working there is taking a smoking break or is in a private telephone. Apparently the economy is very ineffective.

State stores, resturants, hotels, they don't know what service is. Many people who work in state bsuiness are just there and do no work and some stores have too many workers and the whole process of selling buying is very bothersome.



Do you know about Poder Popular (People Power)? the CDRs (Committees in Defense of the Revolution), Cuban Women's Federation, Cuban Workers' Central?


It is not a very popular job to be a member of the CDRs.



look, in the time of the USSR they said THE EXACT SAME THINGS about USSR-democracy.

If you'd have believed them, the USSR would be a workers paradise.
Well we all know, it wasnt, and democracy was nowhere to be seen.
Im not saying shit's the same with Cuba, but articles like these prove nothing

the only way to actually get a good view of the situation is to go to cuba and live there for a couple of years, because we're not getting to hear the truth from either CNN or cuban state media, its both propaganda, that much is clear

Quoted for truth.

[Whitten]

Cuba is one of the most democratic states on the face of the planet. Keep in mind your sources when you reference people who say otherwise.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

It is not a very popular job to be a member of the CDRs.

I guess that's why 8 million (of 11 million total population) are members.

[Karl Marx's Camel]

That's pretty much the whole adult population, isn't it?

[southernmissfan]

I admit I don't know much about Cuban politics, but I think it is only natural for many to be skeptical. After all, we've all seen Stalinist and Juche apologists on here go to great lengths to describe their form of "democracy".

Here's an old post I found. I'm not sure who wrote it originally, I think it may have been Lennie (didn't your name used to be something different?):


A fair comparison can't really be made of the U.S. and Cuba for obvious reasons (difference in size and resources, the fact that Cuba is under a 49 year trade embargo from the world's most powerful nation & it's trading partners, and the fact that the U.S. exploits other nations around the world to gain wealth and Cuba doesn't), but let's see what we can find anyway:

People lacking access to healthcare:
Cuba: 0
U.S.: 73 million

Homeless people:
Cuba:0
U.S.: 3.5 million (1.35 million children)

Persons per doctor:
Cuba: 280
U.S.: 470

Persons per hospital bed:
Cuba: 190
U.S.: 280

Infant deaths per 1000 live births:
Cuba: 6.7
U.S.: 7.1

Number of doctors working in underdeveloped countries at no cost:
Cuba: 5,000+
U.S.: 0

Number of countries hosting no cost doctors:
Cuba: 37
U.S.: 0

-------

But, a more fair comparison can be made to other countries that are similar to Cuba:

Youth Literacy Rate

Cuba 99.8%
Mexico 97.4%
Colombia 97.3%
Brazil 95.8
Honduras 86.4%
Haiti 67.0%

-------

Proportion of Births Attended by Skilled Health Personnel

Cuba 100%
Brazil 88%
Mexico 86%
Colombia 86%
Honduras 54%
Haiti 24%

-------

Human Poverty Index (Lower Is Better)

Cuba 4.1%
Colombia 8.9%
Mexico 9.4%
Brazil 12.2%
Honduras 20.5%
Haiti 42.3%

------

Or if you want, you can compare pre-revolutionary Cuba to post-revolutionary Cuba:

Literacy In Cuba
Before And After The Revolution

1952 54%
2005 97%

-------

Life Expectancy
Before And After The Revolution

1955 59.4 years
2005 75.7 years (among the world's top ten countries)

--------

Ninety-four percent of the population has electrical service -- surpassing the rest of Latin America and the Caribbean by some 20%. Television reaches even remote mountain areas and Cuban radio covers the entire island.

Cuba is:

* among the top five Latin American countries in protein and calorie intake;

* compulsory education through the ninth grade and available to 12th grade to all youth; university enrollment exceeding 200,000 with another 90,000 students graduating annually from one of 600 technical and professional training institutes;

* elimination of underemployment and unemployment;

* the average worker has ten years of education; one of every ten scientists in Latin America and the Caribbean is in Cuba (although Cuba makes up only 2% of the region's population);

* 50% of all skilled workers or professionals (including physicians) are women; 29% of management positions are held by women.

Sources: UNESCO, UNDP, UNSD, EPICA, Encarta Encylopedia

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

Yeah it was me, and yeah I changed my name.

[Karl Marx's Camel]

Persons per doctor:
Cuba: 280
U.S.: 470

Are there that many doctors inside Cuba?

Cuba has 71,000 doctors. How many of those are not located in Cuba?

When you take away those in Venezuela, those in other places in the world... How many is left? 30-35,000?

That's not much for a nation of 11 million, is it?

Norway has 20,000 doctors. And that's a nation of 4,5 million people. And we do not have to think about tourists either (which there are few of).

And we already have too few doctors! We lack doctors. I am waiting for a surgery. By the time I will get my operation, I will have waited approximately 6 months. And its a very small and simple surgery. If it wasn't for the lack of cleanliness and knowledge I would have done the surgery myself.

[A Suvorov]

Originally posted by [email protected] 2 2006, 04:20 AM
I find it funny, when I see some comrades running over each other to show their "solidarity and support" to Islamic reactionaries like Hezbollah, choose to criticise Cuba/USSR in a way that would put the bourgeoisie scholars/capitalist to shame. ;) Had it not been for the steely resolve of Castro and the Cuban people, revolution would have been an "incident" of history, just like the Paris Commune. If Castro is such a worhtless, cruel and reckless dictator, what stops Cuban people from revolting against him, just like they stood up against Batista's regime? Keeping in view the present round of polemics undergoing in this thread, I understand why Stalin carried out "The Great Purge" and it was justifiable.
I agree wholeheartedly- if Castro is soooooo bad, the people are very well aware of their power to stage a revolution. Castro himself taught them that very lesson so many years ago, and I'm sure the fathers and grandfathers haven't forgotten the lesson. Furthermore, if Castro is sooooo baaaad why has't the high-and-mighty US invaded and done a little hands-on 'regime change' in Cuba? Surely it's feasible- and can be done on the cheap, since Cuba is in our back yard.

Or could it be that Castro- and by extension, Cuba itself- is just another 'whipping boy' for the government, who trots out his face every time they need an example made of someone. I've wondered about this for years- much is made over the CIA attempts on his life, and all the underhanded dealings we've gone through to try and oust him from power- why not simply go down there and crush him with a military strike?

Why? Because if the American public were to find out the truth about how NOT bad it is, they would know they've been lied to for going on what- close to 50 years now?- about the Cuban revolution. And if they can cover up a lie for that long, what else is being covered up? I can give some suggestions, but I'm already trying to shake being a 'conspiracy nut'!

In any case, the Cuban people know which side their bread is buttered on, and they are fully aware that once the Castro 'regime' is no longer- unless the revolution is indeed defended successfully- the US will step in and ruin the country just as it did the former Soviet Union republics with their empty schemes to 'get rich quick'. Believe me, if capitalism takes root there Cuba will become yet another failed nation- a victim of the US brand of 'democracy'.

I agree- let the Purges begin! Crush the reactionary forces of revisionism!

[Karl Marx's Camel]

If the people will have to choose between the ruler Fidel and the wannabe-ruler the U.S., the people will choose Fidel. And the people have done so.

And if the U.S. would've invaded the Cuba, the people would fight alongside the government. But it's not like people are happy with all the problems during his rule.

A common saying among many people's lips goes kind of like this "I respect the achievements made by the government in terms of healthcare, living standards, education and so on, but I do agree with the idea of a communist one party state"

He is more popular among the elders though, because they have seen how Cuba was before 1959.

[Entrails Konfetti]

What exactly doea the Communist Party in Cuba do?

[Martin Blank]

Originally posted by EL [email protected] 2 2006, 06:09 PM
What exactly doea the Communist Party in Cuba do?
My understanding is that they give political guidance, and act as an extraparliamentary (for lack of a better term) mobilizer around certain issues.

Miles

[Karl Marx's Camel]

I guess that's why 8 million (of 11 million total population) are members.



The CDR's are so big because they do the same job as common tenant-owner's association and so on. In Cuba, these are coordinated by the CDR.

You could generally say that there are many communists in Cuba, but communists there does not mean the same as here. It means that you are a member of some form of communist organization. And since most large organizations, trade unions and so on are run by communists, then there become many communists just because there are many who want to perform something, because they become members in these organizations.

For examples, if you want to do some voluntary work in your local area, that happens easily through CDR, and they are per definition, communists. So then you are suddenly a communist because you want to paint some benches, etc.

It is somewhat like in Norway, we have many christians through the state church. but if you ask me if I am christian, I will say NO. I am baptised and member of the state church, so they count me together with the world christians.

[Karl Marx's Camel]

Was that a good enough answer, Lennie?