What kind of changes do Cuba need?

  1. pranabjyoti
    I hope that nobody is thinking that the present state of Cuba is perfection at its height and further improvement is necessary. But, I am curious about what kind of improvements are necessary for a better "socialist" Cuba?
    Comrades, your opinions.
  2. Philosophical Materialist
    Philosophical Materialist
    I doubt anyone thinks Cuba is perfect. Building socialism with an island of 8 million people under an imperialist blockade is extremely difficult.

    To make improvements, Cuba needs resources and as such international support is vital. Alliances with other socialist countries are vital, as is the lifting of the US blockade.
  3. pranabjyoti
    You mean that scientific and technical advancement is necessary? I hope every pragmatic socialist will agree on that. Socialism should be based on higher levels of scientific and technological advancement, no doubt about that.
    But, so far, USA and the other imperialist countries have got a lot of human resource influx for nearly about free from the third world countries. So far, I know that Cuba and other Socialist countries have no plan to attract a part of the influx to them.
  4. ezza_lv
    ezza_lv
    well Cuba now has big problem, well it always had but I'm proud that they are fighting for better life... actually Cuba needs more comrade states, like USSR helped Cuba a lot, but now I even don't know what could be the best thing...actually yes they need to improve production and also make socialism propaganda, but also the react of capitalist states will be negative ... well anyway like Venezuela could help them more and country's like China or North Korea...well they have bought buses from China allready so Cuba impruves the public transport .
  5. pranabjyoti
    Actually, I just want to say that Cuba can do more than what it is doing now. A lot of person around the world with sufficient intelligence and innovative power is ready to assist Cuba in progress of science and technology. But, so far I know, the Govt. of Cuba had not shown any interest in this regard.
    I will be happy if I have been proved wrong.
  6. redphilly
    redphilly
    Certainly, it's not possible to build socialism in one country. Given the pressures of imperialist encirclement, under-development, etc. there are limits to how far Cuba can go towards socialism. The revolution has to be expanded to the mainland - Venezuela, Mexico, Bolivia... and even to the Beast (U.S.)
    My concern is that the leadership will take Cuba down the road of capitalist restoration -like in China, USSR
  7. A.R.Amistad
    A.R.Amistad
    My concern is that the leadership will take Cuba down the road of capitalist restoration -like in China, USSR
    I don't think this would happen because while other former workers states completely degenerated into State Capitalism, Cuba remained a workers state, albeit a deformed one. Honestly I'd love to see a more separation of the Party and the State and more workers' democracy, and a less centralized media, but otherwise I understand that first the blockade has to END! By the way, what is the status of Gay rights in Cuba now? I know Castro used to take the Stalinist homophobic approach but I think he has since moved away from that way of thinking long ago.
  8. redphilly
    redphilly
    We should talk about the state capitalism theory, but that's another day. I agree with you about the need for institutions of workers democracy and, yes, the blockade has to go. On the question of homophobia - I think it's a mixed thing. There's been a lot of progress, but still some residual problems too.

    I think Cuba is qualitatively different from the old USSR or other Stalinist countries. A Stalinist bureaucracy hasn't fully crystalized there, imo. Certainly, the Cubans never sold themselves out to imperialism like the bureaucracy in the USSR.

    Here's a piece posted on SA's web site re Cuba.
    http://www.socialistaction.org/cubaanalysis.htm

    I don't think this would happen because while other former workers states completely degenerated into State Capitalism, Cuba remained a workers state, albeit a deformed one. Honestly I'd love to see a more separation of the Party and the State and more workers' democracy, and a less centralized media, but otherwise I understand that first the blockade has to END! By the way, what is the status of Gay rights in Cuba now? I know Castro used to take the Stalinist homophobic approach but I think he has since moved away from that way of thinking long ago.
  9. A.R.Amistad
    A.R.Amistad
    I think Cuba would benefit a lot from Pan-Americanism as a reality.
  10. proudcomrade
    proudcomrade
    What they need is an end to the Castro dynasty, and a takeover by a government of the proletariat, plain and simple. What they have now is but a hollow mockery of Communism.
  11. IsItJustMe
    IsItJustMe
    You mean that scientific and technical advancement is necessary? I hope every pragmatic socialist will agree on that. Socialism should be based on higher levels of scientific and technological advancement, no doubt about that.
    But, so far, USA and the other imperialist countries have got a lot of human resource influx for nearly about free from the third world countries. So far, I know that Cuba and other Socialist countries have no plan to attract a part of the influx to them.
    Cuba is not really trying to attract intellectual talent from other countries. What it is doing is developing its own intellectual talent. The result is that they have some pretty good scientific and technical programs, especially in medicine.

    You should really read www granma cu. It has a lot of information on the latest developments in this. They developed the world's first vaccine against Meningitis B, and another vaccine which protects against five diseases in one injection, for a couple of examples.
  12. IsItJustMe
    IsItJustMe
    What they need is an end to the Castro dynasty, and a takeover by a government of the proletariat, plain and simple. What they have now is but a hollow mockery of Communism.
    I have always found this perspective very strange. While there is no doubt that Fidel Castro is a very talented and capable man, he is only one man, and now well into his 80s. It strikes me as remarkably un-Marxist to think that he can actually control a nation of eleven million, all by his lonesome, or even with the help of his brother. It is odder still to believe that the two of them could fend off the United States all by their lonesome.

    The reality is that the incredible solidity of the Cuban regime in the face of so much pressure can only be explained by the fact that it is a well-built proletarian regime.
  13. fatboy
    fatboy
    Although far form socialist Paradise we cannot overthrow the current government because the U.S would intervene and setup a capitalist government.
  14. stormbringuer
    stormbringuer
    I think there's a need to bring to the discussion, that like in some post was almost said, the Castro's are not the ones rulling the country. Like must people say about Cuba being a Communist dictatorship, which is not, or a unipartidary sistem, which is not either. Cuba is in fact a apartidary democratic state, so was estabelished in the referendum to the population, in 1976, in order to change the constituition of the country for this porpouse. This said, must also explain that it is so, because it's not aloud for the party (the institutionalized Com.P. or the others)to bring forward, or support any candidates for the elections. I have no numbers it about the elections from this sunday (25/4/2010) but in 2007, 70% of de delegates from the Nacional assembly were not part of the communist party.
  15. Optiow
    Optiow
    I think there's a need to bring to the discussion, that like in some post was almost said, the Castro's are not the ones rulling the country. Like must people say about Cuba being a Communist dictatorship, which is not, or a unipartidary sistem, which is not either. Cuba is in fact a apartidary democratic state, so was estabelished in the referendum to the population, in 1976, in order to change the constituition of the country for this porpouse. This said, must also explain that it is so, because it's not aloud for the party (the institutionalized Com.P. or the others)to bring forward, or support any candidates for the elections. I have no numbers it about the elections from this sunday (25/4/2010) but in 2007, 70% of de delegates from the Nacional assembly were not part of the communist party.
    Look, one thing which I have noticed about Cuba, is its strong police force. Due to the fact that every Cuban must serve in the armed forces or National Police, it means the police is quite strong, and it shows that their police is on equal footing with the military - showing the 'quasi-military' footing of the Cuban police.

    Many people will try and say this is dictatorship because of this strong force, but what we must remember is that Cuba has been under intense strain due to the American blockade, and they obviously believe it necessary to keep the people in line because of this fact. I myself believe that like many countries, Cuba's police force is too militaristic, but then it is American's blockade that has forced the stain upon the Cuban people, and it is America who should take the blame if Cuba is a dictatorship (which it is not).
  16. pranabjyoti
    Cuba is not really trying to attract intellectual talent from other countries. What it is doing is developing its own intellectual talent. The result is that they have some pretty good scientific and technical programs, especially in medicine.
    You should really read www granma cu. It has a lot of information on the latest developments in this. They developed the world's first vaccine against Meningitis B, and another vaccine which protects against five diseases in one injection, for a couple of examples.
    If not, they should in my opinion. Just developing the medicinal and pharmacological side isn't enough and development in the technological and engineering fields is also necessary. If not, they should have a programme for that.
  17. The Scorpion
    I hope that nobody is thinking that the present state of Cuba is perfection at its height and further improvement is necessary. But, I am curious about what kind of improvements are necessary for a better "socialist" Cuba?
    Comrades, your opinions.
    NONE!
    All that is needed is the annihilation of the U.S and the breathing space Cuba will get combined with 50 years experience of stagnated/chocked socialism will result in a true worker's state that will reduce the Paris Commune as that amazing short lived revolutionary epoch that was unfortunately crushed
  18. DuracellBunny97
    DuracellBunny97
    more freedoms for the people, allow dissent for one thing, I don't care what anybody says, killing people because they disagree with you isn't right. economically the government needs to relinquish some power to the people, but as long as Cuba doesn't sell it's soul to capitalism, it's on the right path
  19. Brosa Luxemburg
    Brosa Luxemburg
    NONE!
    All that is needed is the annihilation of the U.S and the breathing space Cuba will get combined with 50 years experience of stagnated/chocked socialism will result in a true worker's state that will reduce the Paris Commune as that amazing short lived revolutionary epoch that was unfortunately crushed
    While I agree with you that 50 years of U.S. hostility caused a lot of the problems that Cuba has been facing, I disagree that nothing needs changed.

    Honestly, I would like to see more democratic institutions like the Poder Popular put in place and an end to censorship.
  20. La Guaneña
    La Guaneña
    On the whole "no dissent" thing.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...arties_in_Cuba

    I would probably say in first place that sometimes those liberals aren't repressed enough. But since they are mostly lauging stock for the cuban people, repression isn't even necessary in most cases.
  21. Fourth Internationalist
    Edit: never mind
  22. Vee
    Vee
    one thing that would help a lot is more socialist allies. you can't build socialism alone and cuba has few true allies.
  23. Raul Castro
    Raul Castro
    cuba needs to continue correctly passing the torch of socialism to the younger generation and they must do this successfully, it is a very delicate process and will determine how the cuban revolution will fare in the 21rst century