If the Cuban Government Does Nothing, Nothing Will Happen
By Benjamin Noria
HAVANA TIMES – For a few weeks now, opinions have been disseminated and sought on a new draft Public Health Law in Cuba. The content of this law is equally advanced as was achieved in the Family Code, despite occurring in a third world country.
Well, now, I ask myself a question: does the Cuban government have an interest in developing advanced health and family laws for the country and yet there is no interest in developing advanced laws that serve to lift the economy?
All the time the government talks about Cuba being a poor and beleaguered country. Luxembourg, for example, is three times smaller than Cuba and has no access to the sea, it was taken by the Nazis during the First World War and was also governed during the empire of Napoleon Bonaparte; However, it currently has one of the highest per capita incomes in Europe.
Singapore is another country that is four times smaller than Cuba, it was also subject to several empires and is currently the country with the highest GDP per capita in the world, a tax haven, and the highest welfare state.
The Cuban government always sees itself as a victim of harassment from the United States, and supposedly because of the embargo (called a blockade) it imposes Cuba has not been able to develop economically.
Some time ago I read a book in which it is stated that the human being is the only animal that first had to think to then be able to eat. Let me explain: for example, a cat, an elephant, or a lion does not need to be taught what type of food it can eat, or when to mate, or how to make a nest. This is not the case of humans who, lacking natural laws to live in society, had to think of other rules for having sex, using cutlery during meals, inventing clothes to cover their bodies, etc.
What is my intention in saying this? Why does the Cuban government want the ability to think? How is it possible that other smaller and disadvantaged countries are more prosperous than Cuba? What needs to happen for them to get to work on the economic development of the country?
I also read in another book that countries with dictatorships have three pillars: 1- Possessing a martyr, 2- An imaginary enemy, 3- A common ideology. In Cuba the martyr is Jose Marti, the imaginary enemy is the United States and the ideology is Marxist-Leninist.
This is their problem: until they are willing to change the schemes, to abandon conservatism, to allow a free market economy, freedom of creation and private initiative, no change will be possible in Cuba.
They must stop playing victims of the imaginary enemy and take action. Human actions are what count. If the Cuban government does nothing, nothing will happen, we will continue like this for 65 more years of revolution.
Net profit is the money after all expenses including the fixed expenses net profit is not the same as gross profit after operating expenses i the fixed rate of return in many co ops is set at 8 percent / yearas a expense
Stephen, you may want to rethink and redo your math.
You state: “the gov getting 30% of the net profits.” OK
You state: “ The employees get a real wage plus 20% of the net profits. OK
So that is 50% of net profits allocated. OK
You further state: “ . . . with 50% to the investors . . . “
According to my math, your allocated net profit now totals 100%. There is no more money left. However, you state a further expenditure “. . . of the net profit going back to improving the equipment and infrastructure.” One hundred percent of the net profit you already expended? How will equipment and infrastructure be improved with zero budget?
According to your math, there is no money available for retained earnings to improve equipment and infrastructure. The Cuban administration using your accounting cannot implement your plan. The numbers don’t add up.
To be a tax haven is very bad idea for cuba for many reasons. Free good public health care is something that cuba needs a much stronger economy to afford to continue
A system of well run co ops and well run private business with the gov getting 30 % of the net profits. The employees getting a real wage plus 20% of the net profits with 50 percent to the investors with a portion of the net profit going back to improving the equipment and infrastructure
This will work only if the gov and the Cuban workers want it to
I am seeing way too many people coming to Canada that are not prepared to work 10 plus hours a day and expect to get a hotel at gov expense that are coming from certain countries like Africa and other social countries. Most businesses have owners and shareholders that work over 60 hours a week
Most truck drivers and mechanic in Canada often work 80 hrs plus in a week. I see many people from certain countries that think that is too much effort including cuba
Cubans can see the prosperity of other countries every day on their TVs, computers, and cell phones. Yet, the idiocy of Marxism-Leninism cannot be abandoned. Freeing the economy threatens the power of those in charge. Economist Milton Friedman wrote a book called “The Tyranny of the Status Quo”. The status quo remains while the country goes down the drain.