The Tampa Tribune.
Apr 17, 2001
On Monday the Cuban government celebrated 40 years of socialism, complete
with televised segments of the April 16, 1961, speech in which Fidel Castro made
it official that the island nation would take the collectivist road. Thus, the
date is also celebrated as the anniversary of the founding of the Communist
Party of Cuba.
"Workers and farmers, this is the socialist and democratic revolution
of the humble, with the humble and for the humble,'' Castro declared on that
long-ago day.
Well, he was right about the "humble'' part, because Castro's policies
have successfully crushed the spirit of the Cuban people.
So what is there to celebrate? And just how socialist is the Cuban economy?
"[Castro] 'dollarized' the economy, allowing Cubans to receive dollars
from abroad and to trade in them at home,'' according to The New York Times when
it summarized Cuba's "progress'' in the 1990s. "He solicited foreign
investment, selling half the country's cigar export monopoly to the Spanish.
Canada is buying into the nickel sector and the Europeans into the oil sector.
"He opened the doors to tourists as never before, with nearly 2 million
visiting this year. He legalized self-employment, small private restaurants in
homes and small agricultural markets, though he hectors them like a blight.''
Apparently socialism can only do so much before the free market has to be
introduced.
Of course, Castro could never admit his revolution has been a failure. When
it causes the people to suffer, he simply blames the U.S. embargo, not the
contradiction in trying to redistribute wealth that hasn't been created.
Most likely this anniversary provided the Cuban dictator with an opportunity
for a long speech - an exercise he delights in. It's just too bad for Cuba that
hot air can't be exchanged for hard currency.
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