"Cuba ponders how to fix socialist economy"

[chequita guevara]

I would argue that they need to turn management of the economy over to the workers and either allow factions in the Party or open the government to other socialist parties.

[Kuciwalker]

2. If the market was liberalized (if the prices weren't set by the state, but decided by each individual store, regardless whether each store is responsible toward the capitalist or the worker), there would be a dramatic incrase in prices. The reason why there's so much corruption is clearly because the demand for these goods largely exceeds supply. Now, a liberalized economy might mean that the shelves are full, but that a part of the population couldn't pay for the products. It's nothing fantastic.

They don't have the products anyway; there's a huge black market that has supplemented or supplanted the state-regulated one. In fact, if prices were allowed to rise more would probably have access, as the workers wouldn't steal the goods to sell on the black market (where they get a much better price).

[Jaguar]

Originally posted by Zkribbler


Y'know Kuci...someday you should have someone explain to you how being obnoxious is not the same as being clever. I don't think you know the difference.

I know the difference.

Kuci is both obnoxious and clever, whereas you, sir, are just obnoxious.

[Victor Galis]

I don't know much about Cuba's economy, but are they like the old eastern block countries: producing too many military/capital goods not enough consumer goods?

[Barnabas]

No

since gulf war 1, when they saw how the yanks defeated saddam so easily, they have given up on having a good army, they think they have better chanves of resisting an invasion thru guerrilla warfare instead of normal war.
Also since they no longer get soviet money they cant buy good weapons.

Cuba only produces sugar,cigars and medicines, the rest they import with the dollars they get thru tourism.

[Sikander]

Originally posted by Drogue
Yet Cuba still has an very good and insanely cheap healthcare system. Socialism may suck, but the side effect that people actually listen to government messages (like eat less fat, smoke less, take more exercise, etc.) is quite useful.

Fat? Where can I get this fat?

[Drogue]

Originally posted by Sikander
Fat? Where can I get this fat?

Spoken like a true American

[Kidlicious]

There's only one way to combat corruption, that's by keeping an eye on people. It works in all economic systems. Send out some undercover shoppers and audit people better. It's not about economic systems.

[LordShiva]

I hope that was a troll, because it makes little sense.

[RGBVideo]

He's 2/3's right, sufficiently funded police force is needed to combat corruption in all economic systems. Fixed government prices do encourage corruption on a massive scale, though, so the corruption problems at modern-day Cuba are very much about economic systems.

[LordShiva]

Police can only attack the symptoms, and the greater the corruption, the greater the ability to buy off the police. The economic system provides the cause.

But "undercover shoppers" sounds better than "police."

[Victor Galis]

Well, they could relax price controls. Obviously their problem is that they're not producing enough of these goods and demand exceeds supply. Higher prices would cut demand down.

Going capitalist would just mean most of the people still wouldn't get this stuff, but a lucky few would get lucky. Look at the other Carribbean nations that are capitalist. For the most part, they're not exactly wealthy either.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by LordShiva
Police can only attack the symptoms, and the greater the corruption, the greater the ability to buy off the police. The economic system provides the cause.

But "undercover shoppers" sounds better than "police."

If the police are corrupt the problem must be the leadership. In that case they need to be replaced.

[Victor Galis]

Originally posted by Kidicious


If the police are corrupt the problem must be the leadership. In that case they need to be replaced.

Not really. In some countries corruption is just rampant, and no ammount of replacing individuals will change that. You need a cultural shift, and I have no idea how you bring that about.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Victor Galis


Not really. In some countries corruption is just rampant, and no ammount of replacing individuals will change that. You need a cultural shift, and I have no idea how you bring that about.

bring in someone from another culture