Re: [Marxism] Cuba Distributes more than 45,000 land parcels

[David Picón Álvarez <david@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

From: "Shane Mage" <shmage@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
On Feb 3, 2009, at 4:01 PM, David Picón Álvarez wrote:
[...]
> parcelling it out in some kind of emphyteusis [leaserhold in fee
> simple], leaving its use up to private actors?

I've no idea what leaserhold in fee simple means, common law is beyond me. 
As far as I understand this is an emphyteusis in that: the use and fruits of 
the land are granted, through the payment of a cannon and for a long but 
limited period, to someone with the obligation of conserving and potentially 
improving its state. If leaserhold in fee simple is that, all the better.

> Once upon a time, communists advocated "land to the tiller." Now,
> after half a century of  disastrous Stalinist agricultural policy, the
> Cuban regime has awakened to the fact that farmers, not bureaucrats
> anointed as the machers of the "planned economy", know how to produce
> food, meat, and fiber.  So why the kvetching?

I've nothing in principle against agricultural workers controlling what they 
do, I'm sure they know a lot more about growing crops than anyone else. It's 
the same principle with a factory though, the people who know best how it 
works are the people who work in it. That doesn't mean the ideal solution is 
to lease the factory in emphyteusis so the workers can manage it for profit. 
As far as I can see this entails a reintroduction of exchange-driven 
production, but I'm perfectly willing to have my mind change about it. So 
same as industrial production should be planned for use, agricultural 
production should be planned for use.

--David.
PS No idea what kvetching is either, but I gather it's uncomplimentary ;-)


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