State Resistance to Globalisation in Cuba [Paperback]

Baez starts his study of Cuba's economy with his conclusion, that theSoviet Union and Cuba show that state capitalism is the only successfulform of resistance to capitalism. He bases this conclusion on the ideas ofthe deservedly forgotten thinkers of the 1930s Frankfurt School, who, Baezthinks, somehow proved that present-day Cuba is a 'decentralisedbureaucratic state capitalism' run by a 'new class' that exploits workersjust as capitalism does.
His conclusion plays into the hands of those who would isolate anddestroy socialist Cuba. Why should Cuba's workers, and the workers ofother nations, support a 'decentralised bureaucratic state capitalism'?
After reaching his conclusion, he looks at the evidence. He shows thateven during the 1990s, after Bush's man Yeltsin ended all Russia'scontracts with Cuba, Cuba strengthened its state enterprises and increasedits welfare spending. Since 1996 Cuba has achieved economic growth of 4.6%a year. It has 100% primary school enrolment (better than the USA), nohomelessness, no illiteracy, and more doctors per head than any othercountry in the world.
The Cuban Medical Collaboration works in 62 countries in Latin America,the Caribbean and Africa. Since the Ernesto Che Guevara Cuban MedicalBrigade arrived in Haiti in 1999, it has saved 81,856 lives. Baezacknowledges that Cuba has kept state supremacy over market forces, theunity of its political forces, popular participation, and continuedcommitment to the ideas of anti-imperial resistance, national sovereigntyand emancipation.
But all these, according to Baez's theoretical model, can be achievedunder (state) capitalism. If capitalism can do all this, it must be verygood: who would need socialism?
Baez's book demeans and devalues Cuba, a socialist country that is aremarkable example both of workers' nationalism and of internationalism.We should follow Cuba's example and create a society based on nationalsovereignty and genuine international solidarity.