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<font size=4><b>Exporting Revolution, Revolutionary Models and Historical
Facts<br><br>
</b></font><font size=3>Nelson P. Valdés, for <i>Cuba-L Analysis<br><br>
</i></font>
<a href="http://machetera.wordpress.com/2010/09/13/exporting-revolution-revolutionary-models-and-historical-facts/" eudora="autourl">
http://machetera.wordpress.com/2010/09/13/exporting-revolution-revolutionary-models-and-historical-facts/<br>
<br>
<br>
</a><font size=3><i>“I asked him [Fidel Castro] if he believed the
Cuban model was still something worth exporting.” </i>- Jeffrey Goldberg,
<i>The Atlantic Blog</i>, September 8, 2010<br><br>
<i>“In their ravings they pretend that Cuba is an exporter of
revolutions. In their sleepless business and usurers’ minds they believe
that revolutions can be sold and bought, rent or lent, export or import
as one more [piece of] merchandise.”</i> - Fidel Castro, February
4, 1962<br><br>
<i>“We maintain that a revolution cannot be imported or exported. A
socialist state cannot be established through artificial insemination or
by the transplant of embryos. Revolution required the proper conditions
developed within the very society, and only the people of the country can
be its own creator.”</i> – Fidel Castro, December 7, 1989<br><br>
—<br><br>
Is there a “Cuban model” of socialism? Apparently the rightwing thinks
so;<br>
the left disagrees. The phrase “Cuban model” is not a common
occurrence in<br>
Cuban government servers.<br><br>
What exactly is a “model”? The <i>Collins Dictionary of
Sociology</i> defines<br>
“model” as a “simplification of complex reality” that avoids
“complicating<br>
factors.” As a rule of thumb I would claim that those who know
little<br>
history [or sociology] tend to grasp for the term model when they are
merely<br>
generalizing because they do not have much more to go on. This
vague term<br>
leaves readers with no other choice but to reinforce their
preconceptions<br>
about “the Cuban model.” A model can also imply something that
others ought<br>
to follow or copy.<br><br>
Nevertheless, it is possible to discern a number of features that
have been<br>
fairly consistent and characteristic of the Cuban revolutionary
experience.<br><br>
First, the Cuban revolution has stressed and continues to stress
that<br>
national sovereignty is paramount and will be defended to the death and
that<br>
no concessions will ever be made. That is certainly a central
feature.<br>
Moreover, they have managed to survive US government dictates and<br>
pressures.<br><br>
Second, the Cuban revolution has created a political and social system
that<br>
depends on mass mobilization. The extent and degree that mass
mobilization<br>
has been used has changed over time. All the mass organizations in
the<br>
island have been structured on the basis that people are organized
to<br>
implement policy. In certain periods mass mobilization have been more
used<br>
than at other times – for example, in sugar harvest time, census
taking,<br>
health campaigns, or nomination of candidates for political office.
There<br>
are other examples that one could provide. But, should such features<br>
constitute a “model”?<br><br>
Third, the Cuban revolution has followed a fairly practical, pragmatic
and<br>
result-oriented approach in the organization of the economy. That has led
a<br>
number of scholars to point out that Cuban revolutionary economic
history<br>
could be organized in fairly distinct “periods.” Usually the
outsiders,<br>
particularly journalists and visitors who happen to have little knowledge
of<br>
economics in general assume that in the island there has been just
one<br>
economic arrangement in which everything flows from the top down and
that<br>
output, prices, etc are simply part of a so-called command economy.
Such<br>
characterization would be consistent with the movie <i>Bananas</i>, but
it is<br>
hardly a description of the historical process. Consequently, people
are<br>
shocked when they are informed that in Cuba hotel chains compete with
one<br>
another on the prices offered to tourists. Outsiders do not realize
that<br>
there is a budgetary system of finance and another financial system
called<br>
<i>cálculo económico</i>, or a <i>sistema empresarial</i>. In fact, it is
assumed that<br>
“capitalist methods” are not used or that the opposite is true –
when<br>
outsiders assume that any item that is sold for a profit is an example
of<br>
capitalism! Such economic ignorance is certainly quaint but leads
to<br>
simplistic views and assumptions. The reality of the Cuban economic
system<br>
is that there are over 100 flowers blooming at the same time – to use
a<br>
Chinese metaphor. One example should suffice: there are three types
of<br>
cooperatives in the country’s agriculture; and there are also
different<br>
types of state agricultural properties.<br><br>
Fourth, the Cuban revolutionary regime has developed a “modelo medico;”
that<br>
is, a medical approach that stresses the decentralization of
medicinal<br>
services [the family doctor] as well as paying much more attention
to<br>
prevention in order to avoid expensive medical treatment. THAT model,
which<br>
also happens to be free of direct charge to the consumer, is indeed, a
model<br>
that has been emulated and copied by countries throughout the world. But
the<br>
model is not exported by the island; rather third countries import
the<br>
personnel to have it in their own nation states.<br><br>
Fifth, there is a Cuban model as well in the use of highly educated<br>
professionals who generate money for the country by providing services
as<br>
educators, technical personnel and other skilled labor abroad. The
Cuban<br>
educational methods of teaching the illiterate and achieving very
high<br>
positive results in elementary and secondary education constitute
models<br>
that UNICEF and UNESCO have considered worthy of emulation.<br><br>
Sixth, the Cuban revolution certainly committed itself to as much
social<br>
equality as possible – thus a free health care, free education and free
[or<br>
fairly cheap] child care. Since 1964, Cuba also has had a subsidized
food<br>
distribution system. But that has changed over time as well. These
programs<br>
have changed over time. Note: a portion of the Cuban military budget is
self<br>
financed; is that a model to be emulated?<br><br>
There is no such a thing as a Cuban revolutionary model. The
revolutionary regime has been pragmatic and changed over time, whenever
circumstance required it, which is why it is possible to speak of
different periods since 1959. Only those who are ill acquainted with the
Cuban reality could come up with the assertion that there is an all
encompassing, never changing Cuban model.<br><br>
Last, but not least: The Cuban process takes inspiration from over
a<br>
century of self-definition and historical developments. The
influence of<br>
José Martí in particular is essential for an understanding of
contemporary<br>
Cuba. [This is a point provided to me by Professor John Kirk of
Dalhousie<br>
University].<br><br>
Needless to say, the United States government and its mass media and<br>
academic institutions do preach and compel the export of a
neoliberal<br>
“model” to the rest of the world. That model, of course, has not taken
into<br>
account the unique histories and cultures of other societies. In the<br>
neoliberal paradigm, the model fits all nations states, all cultures and
all<br>
needs. The neoliberal model in its claim to be global and
universalistic<br>
dismisses the right of self determination and sovereignty. That is, in
the<br>
final analysis, the core assumption of the questions made by Jeffrey<br>
Goldberg. Fidel Castro, on the other hand, has consistently supported
the<br>
right of self determination – including the right of each country to
find<br>
its own path and way.<br><br>
<i>The following colleagues provided useful comments and suggestions:
Karen<br>
Wald, Machetera, Robert Sandels, John Kirk, Joseph Garcia, and Ned
Sublette.<br><br>
</i>1 See:<br>
<a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=site:www.cuba.cu+%22modelo+cubano%22&sourceid=navclient-ff&rlz=1B3GGGL_enUS259US260&ie=UTF-8&hl= ]">
http://www.google.com/search?q=site:www.cuba.cu+%22modelo+cubano%22&sourceid=navclient-ff&rlz=1B3GGGL_enUS259US260&ie=UTF-8&hl=
] </a><br><br>
<br>
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