Re: Revisiting old problems

[Louis N Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, 30 May 1996, Adam Rose wrote:

> >
> > What are the
> > alternatives for Cuba at this moment?
> >
>
> They can stay as they are, poor and hungry. Or they can open up to the
> market and stay poor and hungry. If they take either path of capitalist
> development, the future is very bleak.
>

Louis: This is at the core of what strikes me as the theoretical
inadequacy of "state capitalism". Adam has told me on previous occasions
that he doesn't know too much about Cuba under Castro, but apparently he
knows enough to believe that there was "state capitalism". Now Cuba is
threatened by "capitalist capitalism" or some such thing. This is a highly
schematic view of Cuban society and doesn't allow for the possibility that
a form of socialism was being developed by the Communist Party. Whether or
not it was consistent with Adam's 21 point definition of socialism seems
besides the point. All the rest of us can decipher a real emerging battle
in Cuba between those who want the state to protect and further socialist
measures and those who want to eliminate them altogether. My suspicion is
that Adam knows about as much about Cuba as Hugh Rodwell knows about
Nicaragua. These erstwhile Trotskyists have no problem rendering a verdict
nonetheless.



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