Famine in Cuba?

["Chris, London" <100423.2040@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Wei En Lin noted:

>>If there is a famine, this is news to me.  I thought there were general
food shortages.  As far as I know, Castro has, despite grave
difficulties, managed to keep people fed, secure access to medical care,
and keep education going.  If this is not true I would like to see
evidence to the contrary.<<


My reference to this was
entirely based on an anecdotal point on this l'st, from a
sympathiser with Cuba.

My general point remains that when it is alleged that
a socialist state has been responsible for many deaths
through hunger or famine, it is inherently very difficult
to determine
a) the degree of culpability
b) the proportion of excess deaths probably due to the famine
compared to other sources.

For example I think it is WHO sources are reporting
indicators that North Korea is experiencing famine now, or
very close to it. There are probably many people who might
be willing to criticise North Korea on this l'st, but the same
WHO sources say that the main *immediate* reason is that last year
1/5 of the agricultural land was indundated by floods.

Is is the fault of the regime however not to have anticipated
these freak weather conditions and not to have left the country
so vulnerable now?

Chris Burford



     --- from list marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ---