In a predominantly capitalist world, would they have a choice? Also, there is always Venezuela... [Show/Hide Quoted Message](Quoting Message by Head banger from Tuesday, December 23, 2008 7:54:35 AM)
Head banger wrote:
but, for sanctions to mater they have to be engaged in global trade, and isnt global trade a capitalist venture?
they spend more on guns to point at citizens than on anything else. sort of like the berlin wall. its a beautiful place, but stuck with a system that keeps people looking for ways to beg for money from tourists.
_strat_ wrote:
I dont know about Cuba or what particular type of socialism are they using. i do know that they are still under sanctions that go back to the crisis in 62, and that has to be taken into consideration. But in any case, I know how we had it, and thats what Im talking about in all the previous posts. And if socialsm is bad... Well, lets look at some present and past capitalist countries, like Chile under Pinochet, or countries in south east Asia (China - I dont care what they have on the flag, they are as capitalist as it gets).
kiamat wrote:
This summer I spent three weeks in Cuba doing conservation work and I failed to see any sign of socialism providing a decent life for the many. Instead, money made by the economy (and there must be plenty, much of Cuba is very fertile agricultural land) is poured into posh tourist hotels and a propaganda campaign that practically deifies Castro and Che Guevara. You could credit their government with excellent healthcare and educational services, but what good is that when the hospitals fall down and most of the university graduates leave the country on the basis that they can earn more cleaning toilets in Miami than they can in the highest paid jobs in Havana?
The only money people there can get outside of government restricted earnings is from tourists (which only aids those in tourist areas- poverty in most of the countryside is widespread). And the more tourists come, handing out extravagant tips left, right and centre, the harder it is for the government to persuade people that Cuba really is doing well out of socialism. Edited at: Tuesday, December 23, 2008 5:02:31 AM
