Re: Human Development Index 2004

[Daniel Davies <dsquared@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Also worth noting (although to be honest I'm not anything like informed
enough to be a booster or otherwise of the Cuban economy) that unlike
Jamaica and Dom. Rep., Cuba's economy is not a material exporter of cannabis
or cocaine, although it is perfectly well set up to be.  This has to be
considered something of an undeserved present from the Cuban economy to the
USA.

dd

-----Original Message-----
From: PEN-L list [mailto:PEN-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Louis
Proyect
Sent: 23 July 2004 15:12
To: PEN-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Human Development Index 2004


Cuba needs to be compared with other nations that have a similar history
and resource endowment, like Jamaica or the Dominican Republic. Cuba
ranks 52, while Jamaica is at 79 and The Dominican Republic ranks 98th.
Imagine if Jamaica and The Dominican Republic were subjected to
unremitting economic warfare and had lost their major economic
benefactor, then you can see how impressive Cuba's gains are. I am quite
sure that if the USSR had wound up with a leadership more in line with
the Cuban CP, world history would have taken an entirely different path.