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>Cuba is not without its problems, but much of what you describe is not unique to a third world country. >I'm not claiming socialism is great or anything - the

>Cuba is not without its problems, but much of what you describe is not unique to a third world country. >I'm not claiming socialism is great or anything - there was a potato shortage while I was there But the point is that the countries that were third world a half century ago but have since raised themselves up to developed status did so through free market economics, while the socialist dictatorship countries like Cuba failed.

anoncake 8y ago
Apparently, the methods used for planning economies known until ~1990, executed with the computers and communication systems of the time, in countries that were relatively poor to begin with, ruled as dictatorships, did not work well enough while the USA and its allies actively fought "communism". That tells us nothing. Guess which country is the richest in the Caribbean? Okay, it's the USA. It may hardly be a democracy anymore, it doesn't particularly respect human rights, but it hasn't regressed to developing status yet and it has free market economics up the wazoo. The richest independent country (as in, its mainland is in the Caribbean) is of course Cuba.
- AnimalMuppet 8y ago
  Cuba's richer than, say, St. Kitts & Nevis? I'd like to see your source for that... Or are you listing St. Kitts as not independent, because it's part of the Commonwealth?
  - anoncake 8y ago
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Kitts_and_Nevis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Kitts_and_Nevis Trinidad and Tobago is richer though (at $32,520 GDP/capita vs Cuba's $22,237).
    - AnimalMuppet 8y ago
      I stand corrected. And I respect your honesty for checking other countries after proving me wrong...
    - andrenth 8y ago
      Only if you believe in the Cuban government’s numbers. Do you really believe that a country whose population lives on rations and $30/month salaries is a rich one? https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/cuba/article195681589.html https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas...
      - anoncake 8y ago
        I never said Cuba was rich. It's merely less poor than many free market countries.
        andrenth 8y ago
        What are those “free market countries”? Or do you use this term to refer to countries which are not dictatorships?
        anoncake 8y ago
        > Or do you use this term to refer to countries which are not dictatorships? No, that would be absurd, considering free markets have as little to do with democracy as with freedom.
        andrenth 8y ago
        Then please do list those free market countries who are poorer than Cuba. I'm really curious.
        anoncake 8y ago
        According to CIA numbers[1], there are 101 economies poorer than Cuba. Do you really think they're all "communist"? Including American Samoa? Somalia isn't known for its "big government" either.

anoncake 8y ago

Apparently, the methods used for planning economies known until ~1990, executed with the computers and communication systems of the time, in countries that were relatively poor to begin with, ruled as dictatorships, did not work well enough while the USA and its allies actively fought "communism". That tells us nothing. Guess which country is the richest in the Caribbean? Okay, it's the USA. It may hardly be a democracy anymore, it doesn't particularly respect human rights, but it hasn't regressed to developing status yet and it has free market economics up the wazoo. The richest independent country (as in, its mainland is in the Caribbean) is of course Cuba.

AnimalMuppet 8y ago
Cuba's richer than, say, St. Kitts & Nevis? I'd like to see your source for that... Or are you listing St. Kitts as not independent, because it's part of the Commonwealth?
- anoncake 8y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Kitts_and_Nevis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Kitts_and_Nevis Trinidad and Tobago is richer though (at $32,520 GDP/capita vs Cuba's $22,237).
  - AnimalMuppet 8y ago
    I stand corrected. And I respect your honesty for checking other countries after proving me wrong...
  - andrenth 8y ago
    Only if you believe in the Cuban government’s numbers. Do you really believe that a country whose population lives on rations and $30/month salaries is a rich one? https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/cuba/article195681589.html https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas...
    - anoncake 8y ago
      I never said Cuba was rich. It's merely less poor than many free market countries.
      - andrenth 8y ago
        What are those “free market countries”? Or do you use this term to refer to countries which are not dictatorships?
        anoncake 8y ago
        > Or do you use this term to refer to countries which are not dictatorships? No, that would be absurd, considering free markets have as little to do with democracy as with freedom.
        andrenth 8y ago
        Then please do list those free market countries who are poorer than Cuba. I'm really curious.
        anoncake 8y ago
        According to CIA numbers[1], there are 101 economies poorer than Cuba. Do you really think they're all "communist"? Including American Samoa? Somalia isn't known for its "big government" either.