Capitalism, a System in Decline
By Elio Delgado Legón
HAVANA TIMES – A political system is doomed to failure when it needs to resort to wars and attacks of all kinds to change governments not to its liking. Likewise, when they resort to lies, blackmail and various methods to invalidate progressive politicians. In doing so, they violate the fundamental principles of democracy.
Since immediately after World War II, United States governments have called themselves defenders of capitalism, preventing the rise of socialism. Meanwhile, the Soviet Union aroused the interest of peoples seeking to improve their living conditions. People who wanted to shake off the exploitation inherent in the capitalist system.
To fulfill this self-imposed mission, the United States unleashed wars, in frank violation of International Law. These included the wars in Korea and Vietnam. They have also destroyed countries like Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya. Not to mention the territories they invade like Syria today and large amounts of oil stolen.
As if all this were not enough, they endorse the atrocities committed by Israel against the Palestinian people. They have also supported and sustained criminal dictatorships in Latin America. Ones that cost hundreds of thousands of lives of the best children of our peoples.
Even with all that history, they continue to call themselves defenders of democracy and human rights. In recent years, in Latin America they use different avenues to remove from power and disqualify politicians with progressive ideas.
From kidnapping a president in the middle of the night and taking him to another country, as they did with Manuel Zelaya in Honduras, to parliamentary coups, as they did with Dilma Rousseff in Brazil.
They prosecute with lies and the complicity of the judicial system, to block them from participating in their nation’s politics. They did this with Luis Inacio (Lula) da Silva, in Brazil, and Rafael Correa in Ecuador. Such maneuvers made it impossible for them to participate in elections. They tried to do the same with Cristina Fernández in Argentina and have not been able to separate her.
However, the most blatant case, devoid of all ethics and morals, was that of Evo Morales in Bolivia. After he wone the elections, the vote was declared a fraudulent. It was something prepared in advance involving the OAS, the army and police to intervene in a coup d’état.
Then in the current elections, they did not allow Evo to run for senator. They also tried to disqualify the MAS party, founded by him. The party has great popular roots due to all the benefits that his government meant for the Bolivian people.
With lies, with blackmail, with unilateral sanctions and blockades, they try to prevent development and stability in countries of socialist or simply progressive governments. The only reason for this is the fear that they will succeed and serve as an example to other peoples. With these policies of force they have blocked and sanctioned 25 nations.
Such a policy has had serious consequences for the United States itself and its system. It has brought with it the loss of enormous possibilities for trade and economic relations of all kinds.
Against Cuba they’ve used all methods, even the most criminal, to make the people suffer and blame their Government. But they have not been successful, and the people of Cuba are steadfast forward. They have tried and continue to try to prevent supplies of any kind from reaching the island, including oil, medicine and medical equipment, even in the midst of the pandemic. They do the same with Venezuela and other socialist countries, no matter how many people die.
It is not difficult to tell the difference between socialism and capitalism. The Administration of the most developed and militarily powerful country has been unable to control the covid-19 pandemic. All the while, it makes efforts so that others such as Cuba and Venezuela are not successful either.
Meanwhile, a small country like Cuba, blocked and attacked, has not only been able to control the virus, but also help dozens of peoples, including some developed ones, to defeat the dangerous disease.
Such is the difference of a system that has the human being as the center of attention. A regime that, although slandered and fiercely attacked, is moving towards the future. While another, whose main interest is money, is torn between its own contradictions and the fear of losing its hegemony. Instead of advancing it only shows symptoms of decadence.
Elio,thank you for writing articles and sharing experience about real Cuba.
Nick do you really believe anything Cuba puts out true information about controlling disease outbreaks? They lied about zika and dengue infections for 2 years saying they were clean when it was exactly the opposite.What other medical breakthroughs has Cuba had superior to the US, last I heard Fidel’s stomach cancer was treated by a doctor in Spain who worked and received part of his medical training in the US. Heaven forbid had Fidel gone to the Cleveland or Mayo clinics for treatment, communism in Cuba would have truly been exposed for the dismal failure its citizens must endure each day of their lives, speaking of which,the average Cuban can not receive specialized medical services like a mammogram without connections to people in the medical field, you need connections in Cuba for things that are routine here in the US. So much for the success of medicine in Cuba,I’ll believe it when I see it and so far what I’ve seen is not impressive beyond the neighborhood clinic concept and that’s lacking too.
So not being able to buy sanitary products in Cuba like shampoo and hand soap are measures of success of communist style socialism , thanks but no thanks,I’ll suffer with the hardships of good old fashioned capitalism where the supermarkets have a variety products falling off the shelves with vendors fighting for every square inch of display space to sell their products, including shampoo and soap.
As usual, Elio has written an article replete with misinformation and lies. The US does not prevent Cuba from buying medicine from anyone, including US suppliers. I think that Elio intentionally mistates the facts because, like Donald Trump, his goal is not to convert but to confuse. Liars of this sort are the worst kind. They will tell any lie that they can imagine to tell. The other kind of liar is trying to change minds and they may even believe the lie they tell. But liars like Elio have only one concern for the truth. Their goal is to keep the truth from taking root.
Nick China is running a capitalist system under a communist regime.
They have billionaires, stock markets, private ownership.
Are you saying you don’t know what’s going on?
Elio knows all about a system in decline – sixty one years. He knows little else !
Nick is sensible in pointing out the success of capitalism in China – but that in itself presents an ever developing problem in a communist state – people start to think for themselves !
Elio has to say something positive about Cuba’s system. Otherwise he is in trouble with Cuba’s authorities. It is obvious that Cuba’s so called socialist system is a total failure. It is full of corruption. Of course it has to blame somebody for its failures these past 60 years.
Brad, as always you present an interesting perspective.
I don’t support communism but I would ask you when you think China will overtake the USA as the biggest economy of any nation state?
This year?
Next year?
2030?
2035?
Being in denial about it don’t mean it ain’t gonna happen.
Communism is a complete failure everyone dumped it except dictatorships that block it from being dumped like Cuba.
Europe dumped it because it’s garbage.
The free market economy is far superior obviously and Europe agrees.
Elio’s article is as one sided as usual.
But the way he describes the methodology that the USA has used since WW2 is absolutely and irrefutably correct. He is also irrefutably correct when he says that the Cuban government is far superior in controlling Covid than the US government. But that is unsurprising given the differences between how the two countries are run.
However I wouldn’t say that Capitalism is in decline. Right Wing Capitalists are strengthening their hand by ridding themselves of democratic restraint. Democracy gets in the way of Capitalism and the ultimate goal is always to reduce any form of democratic interference in the laws of the jungle. There’s nothing that good little Capitalists like better than a big ol plateful of de-regulation. Speaking of jungle, just have a look at how the destruction of the Amazon Rain Forest has sped up once the right wing Capitalist, Bolsonaro, waved away inconvenient legislation.
Conversely, Cuba could do with a bit more Capitalism. From where it is now Cuba would do well to start looking at China and Vietnam – Countries with similar systems which have embraced a certain amount of Capitalism to their economic betterment.
Corrupt Communist Have Tortured Some One To Write such a Twisted Mind Set of the Free World, OR just Lots of BS as we say it in Canada & Only a person that stuck his finger in a wall socket more then once as a child thinks this why, So it was explained from My Cuban Friends in so many words, when there Honesty could Not be held In any longer. The Carrot Held In Front of there Nose, Get us the all mighty U.S. Dollars & we will feed you Later, We Promise. If That is Not Humanitarian Torture to hold back a hungry Nations Food Supply grown of there own free will, What is. The Children are Now Crying the Words, Go To Hell Cuba We Are Hungry Every Night & asking every Tourist to Take then Away to a New Land of Free To Choose there Life where they Know No Hunger. No one Nation is Greater, Most Canadians understand we Need all Nations to be Free to Choose For the People to Live a Complete Life. Until you except the light of Life Cuba will always Be a Very Hungry Dark Place My Communist Friends.
Elio’s first paragraph describes the actions of the Castro regime perfectly. Military intervention in thirteen countries was for the purpose he described. “they violate the fundamental principles of democracy.” Democracy has no place in communist thought and practice !
Let us all hope that eventually as Elio suggests, that the Castro “political system is doomed to failure”.
Elio, el capitalismo no es un Sistema immutable, como tu lo perceives, el capitalismo es un proceso en evolucion. Tu experiencia personal esta muy limitada al muy cubano ‘capitalismo de chinchal” -palabras de Fidel Castro- Debes de tener un poco mas de humildad y reconocerlo.
The problem with your essay is that the people of China, Russia, and your country did not choose communism. It was forced upon them. How many of them would prefer capitalism now?
Elio, por favor deja la muela esa que tu mismo no te la Crees. No es el socialismo oh el capitalismo. Es la libertad particular de el hombre. Oh triunfas oh te ahogas pero estas libre para tratar. Cuidate mi socio que Dios te bendiga.
Elio,
I have read a few of your writings before.
Nothing interesting or unexpected in this one.