Re: Cuban democracy

["Macdonald Stainsby" <mstainsby@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Assuming Rachel is still subbed, or that someone else can answer my
question:

> August correctly argues that the Cuban workers have political and economic
> power, and that this is the basis for any real democracy. Nevertheless he
> overlooks the Marxist influence on Cuban democratic structures; i.e the
> Paris Commune of 1871 and Russian revolution pre-Stalin.
>
While there is a heavy continuity, I don't see how the Cuban structure can
be described as "influenced"by Soviet structure or the Commune, except in
that we know much of the PCC would have studied these events. The most
remarkable fact about Cuban democracy is just that, that it is wholly Cuban.
As well, the municipal structures are more akin to early Chinese experiments
than to Soviet structure from what I have observed of both. While similar to
the Soviet structure in the class based organs, the types of local organs
are much along the lines of what was first done in Shanghai, or in the units
described in William Hintons' "Fanshen". Perhaps size (or the lack of it)
can be described as Cubas greatest blessing in being able to carry out such
systems.

On a seperate note along the lines having to do with size, so can the
ability of the populace to use "official" organs of power in Libya's Popular
Congresses and People's Committees. I bet Julio Caesar and I can agree on
this one, at least.

Macdonald