Socialist Communist Cuba

An excellent & wide ranging report back from a Cuba Solidarity Campaign trip to Cuba in 2010 by Jim Whyte, life long British Communist and retired Trade Union studies lecturer.

From the Cuban health service, education, economy, revolutionary councils, elections, democray, reforms - right up to the state of some of the taxi serrvices - Jim tells it as he saw it from his considerable experience in the worker's movement.

Filmed in the STUC, 2011.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Socialist
• Communist
• Cuba
• Fidel
• Raul
• Castro
• report
• back
• discussion
• Solidarity
• Campaign
• Ernesto
• Che
• Guevara
• conference
• congress
• election
• reform
• health
• government
• debate
• news
• democracy
• socialism
• communism
• latin
• america
• jim
• whyte
• miami
• cuban
• interview
• commentary
• christianity
• religion
• democrats
• press
• salsa
• speech
• elections
• yt:stretch=16:9

[mess9u2]

I agree the Castro regime has given its citizens the basic needs of survival, free education, free healthcare, and not one Cuban goes hungry! Here in the US, the most profitable business are pimping, drug dealing, gangs and all those on WELFARE! The Capitalist world is and will demise before my eyes as a dying star!!!

[samsonlovesyou]

@yington I don't have an ego about it. Your points have been objectively refuted at every turn.

As to Castro, Google :"Fidel Castro Elected", then read all you can. This is the most I can do for you. Take care.

[yington]

@samsonlovesyou

Of Castro,you claim he's not a dictator.You say,so very innocently "he was elected".

It's so innocent and ignorant,that it's almost sweet. You're like a child,who is sitting there with his poster of Che Guevera thinking it's just so cool to defend the dictatorship of Cuba.I guess you've managed to brainwash yourself to this extent.

On your absurd idea that you've "refuted" my points - you hadn't even started to address them. I merely had to run. Calm your ego.

Bye.

[samsonlovesyou]

@yington Please don't. I've said goodbye about 4 times, and I really would like to end the discussion now. I feel I have answered your questions, refuted your points, and now you're running out of criticism (see the Haiti point). If you've made your mind up and want to ignore coherent points, that's ok, but it's not productive for me.

Don't be offended if no reply comes. It's not that I can't answer, or that I'm being rude, I just see no benefit now. Take care.

[samsonlovesyou]

@yington neighbour which is in the closest comparison available? Similar size. Not too dissimilar in population.

You seem very eager to ignore that reasonable comparison.

Here's why:

You HAVE TO ignore it. It refutes your points unequivocally. Haiti didn't have a socialist revolution. It remained a slave to the US empire, and its people suffer daily penury.

A socialist of integrity looks to that comparison, explains why a discrepancy exists, and supports the revolution which brought it.

[yington]

@samsonlovesyou

Gotta run - will reply to these tomorrow.

[samsonlovesyou]

@yington Well he didn't really "rule", because as you know, he was elected. He lead the Cubans to

And yes, lets compare Cuba to the rest of Latin America - what shall we talk about? The health care which is only 2 places behind the US's on the WHO list? The universal literacy? Operation Milagro? The universal education? The subsidised food? Subsidised transport? What bit would you most like to discuss?

Out of interest, why not Haiti? Why is it that you wish to ignore an island (cont)

[yington]

@samsonlovesyou

How about comparing Cuba with the rest of Latin America?

Instead,you choose Haiti.

It's very telling,and reveals what standards you put Cuba on,at heart.

Nobody demands "perfect equality",but rather pointing out the *extreme* inequality that exists in a land where money truly is King.

The fact that you say Cuba isn't a dictatorship amazes me really.

How long was it that Castro ruled with his iron fist before giving up due to illness....was it 48 or 49 years....

[samsonlovesyou]

@yington I chose Haiti because that's its neighbour. It makes sense. Comparing Cuba to the USA would make little sense given that it is a vast country, with a vast population, and an empire.

To ignore the achievements in living standards isn't socialist in the least. It's purely wrong to say that Cuba is a dictatorship, but I've explained that already.

To demand perfect equality in an undeveloped nation is 'selfish socialism' perfectly suited to academic circles. Real socialists don't do that.

[samsonlovesyou]

@yington Lenin never actually used that phrase. Which is unfortunate for you because it seems to have backfired.