First person: Havana hairdresser's salon solution - 22Feb08

As Cuba makes the transition from half a century of Fidel Castro's leadership, its population awaits signs of change in their lives.

Making ends meet continues to be a challenge for many Cubans.

Here's the story of one woman - Juana Maria Ramírez- in her own words.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• cuba
• hairdresser
• aljazeera
• first
• person

[redflags123]

Soon we in the USA will have to learn to live like that. In some respects, I'm glad.

The Cubans shaped by the revolution have much to teach us about recycling, about sharing about generosity, about cooperation and about loving.

What a beautiful experiment in social revolution Cuba has turned out to be!

[ComradeMartin]

Oh, come on. I'll agree that women not obsessed over personal beauty are more attractive (and tend to be much more progressive thinkers) but to say a hairdresser is right-wing or "anti-Marxist" is just plain silly! Cuba is an amazingly advanced Socialist system far outpacing the achievements of any previous one (for Proletarian democracy is more clearly seen in Cuba than any other "Socialist" state.)

[abdul4107]

Asian sugar babies  # lushfmlk.info#

[adeart7]

How can you justify marxism when it seems that only capitalist production spurns economic growth? Even communist countries that have not been blockaded (i.e. Russia) had a difficult time maintaining that type of economic structure. It seems that capitalism is the way to go. This is why Raul is opening up the country to capitalist reform.

[ComradeMartin]

I'm not toting myself as any expert; I just said my peace. It was you who brought expertise in to question, but I claim no mantle of superiority. I merely demonstrated that I do know what I'm talking about, even if I am talking to a douche like you. Hypothesize about that.

[teemuruskeepaa]

Your game is over. I'm not going to accept your make-belief fantasy role of an all-correcting-marx-expert. It's nice to see this showdown at last, it was a long attempt from you to bend me. This time you can't assume any role online, Martin.

[ComradeMartin]

It follows that, given time, the rapidly changing and evolving social superstructure (spurred in to motion, of course, by that change in the economic base) will eventually destroy all vestiges of Bourgeois gender, racial, or otherwise cultural values in favor of new proletarian ones. Of course Cuba is not perfectly Socialist, but it is the closest any nation has come yet - and therefore a model for the entire world.

[ComradeMartin]

As the economic base has changed, it thus logically follows that the social superstructure change also. Considering, however, the rather recent nature of Cuba's Socialist revolution, we expect (from a psycho/sociological standpoint) people to still be somewhat imbued with ideas leftover from Capitalism (such as older gender roles.) Cuba has done much to make the law fit the new Socialist values (such as revising the family code to ensure equality of representation and housework.)

[ComradeMartin]

You want to talk about Marxism and sociology? Let's do that. Understanding Marxism, we know that the economic base determines the social superstructure. Cuba has engaged in a socialization of the means of production (and the conversion of enterprises in to workers' cooperatives as well). Thus, the economic base reflects what we call "Socialism," in that the workers, via the state, are empowered with economic control over the means of production.

[ComradeMartin]

Excuse me? You're an arrogant self-aggrandizing asshole. I didn't say shit to you except that I disagreed, and you attempt to pull rank? Take your pompousness and shove it. If you were actually a Marxist, you'd understand the value of being comradely and respectful - a line you've crossed. It would be an insult to Communists everywhere to even address you as "comrade."

[teemuruskeepaa]

No, Martin. It is time you stopped acting as if you could correct everyone online about Marx. You're way younger and inexperienced than me and you can't teach me. Besides, yourself needs some teaching in that you are thinking quite cynically when you surrender Marxism as "unrealistic". I also suggest that you read some basic sociological textbooks to see how my thinking is very real in social science.