Cuba expands list of allowed private sector jobs

[FrodosPet]

http://www.france24.com/en/20130926-cuba-expands-list-allowed-private-sector-jobs

AFP - Cuba on Thursday expanded the list of occupations open to the communist-ruled island's fledgling private sector as part of a gradual reform of its Soviet-style economy.

The Communist Party daily Granma reported that among the 18 newly authorized private sector occupations is that of real estate agent, in keeping with an earlier decision to legalize private real estate transactions.

Vendors of agricultural produce and telecommunications salespeople also have been added to the list.

The goal "is to further develop... a climate of trust and legality," as Cuba makes the transition to an economy where private enterprise is not only tolerated, but actively encouraged, Granma wrote.

~ snip ~

So will Cuba moving towards capitalism/mixed economy affect the global socialist revolution?

[joshcryer]

1. I was once told the privitization efforts were proof their socialism worked.

I was literally told this. Suffice to say I was flabbergasted when it was said. I didn't know what to say.

[joshcryer]

2. Docu showing Cuba's embrace of capitalism:

[FrodosPet]

3. Do the faithful in the Latin American group know about this video?

Restaurants using branding and cartoon characters? Private property ownership and sales? More and more people losing their $20 a month government jobs and turning to private enterprise for survival and prosperity?

I guess if Raul is ordering the changes, like they said in the video, it's not turning to capitalism, it is just tweaking socialism.

[joshcryer]

5. Yes.

It is ignored.

$800k houses. Ignored.

[dipsydoodle]

8. Ah - the old $20 a month government job chestnut.

And not so much of the the faithful in the Latin American group either. Yes of course most of us have seen it especially me here in the UK.

You've made no mention of what you personally thought of Cuba when you went there.

[joshcryer]

12. $20 a month, $800,000 houses.

Yeah, there are three thousand year olds in Cuba...

[dipsydoodle]

13. You know I generally accept at least some of what you say on the subject.

Where does the $800k figure come from ?

[joshcryer]

15. The documentary which I posted.

Some "real estate agent" was so ecstatic to sell such a property. Who knows who owned it originally, I am open to a foreigner owning it, but it was the most eye opening part of that documentary to me. At one point she admitted selling one property with a pithy commission, and I lamented how she got taken (she basically sold a property under 1% when US agents get at least, minimum, 3%, but more likely 5%).

I appreciate that you haven't written me off completely.

[madokie]

4. Thank you Josh

I truly enjoyed that trip back in time to a place that truly makes me happy to be an american living here in oklahoma.
I'm 65 years old and remember well when C&H stood for Cuba and Hawaii sugar. Not sure what it stands for today, California and Hawaii maybe, just not sure. The people there live in tough conditions but somehow some of them are able to smile, a testament to the power of the human spirit. We must encourage our government to drop the embargo as its only hurting the people. We didn't see any one from their government and how they lived or what their living conditions were but I suspect it is quiet different than the people living under roofs that are at some point going to come crashing down on them as sure as I'm sitting here typing.
When I say I enjoyed this what I meant is I had no idea of how life really was for the Cuban people until this and that is what I enjoyed, learning, not the squalor, the hard times, the uncertainty they live with.

[joshcryer]

6. The situation kills me.

The part, especially, about black laborers doing the farming, it was totally excruciating. (There was an article recently about how black Cubans are in a subclass system because they don't have exiles who can send them money back home, so they're at the bottom tier.)

I am a socialist but I don't consider Cuba socialist so I'm extremely disappointed with how their system has turned out. It's a damn shame. So much potential. So much loss.

[Recursion]

7. Oh, Jesus, you want to open the race can of worms re: Cuba?

That's a fight nobody wants to have right now.

[joshcryer]

9. I can find the article.

But yeah. You're right. I'm not making it up. Miami exiles are mostly light colored Cubans. There's an article about how black Cubans aren't able to benefit from the exile money. The documentary I posted shows that the farm laborers are mostly black and forced, essentially, into servitude.

There was a very thoughtful discussion in the Latin American group about this issue but I can't find it at the moment. I realize this is GD and people might not want to discuss it. If I wake up and there are replies challenging me to find it I will do so. I know it's out there.

[Recursion]

10. Oh, believe me, I've been there

The only good part of the Batista remnant is that they had to deal with living in the US and admitting that darker skinned people are human.

Seriously, Cuba approaches India for racism, and that's going a ways.

[Pterodactyl]

11. Wow! Keeping a list of allowed jobs has got to have a damping effect on the economy.

Societies will develop new ways of working and new ways of doing business. To throw a blanket over that with a list of who can do what jobs seems like a huge waste of a nation's creativity. No government office is going to anticipate new things like web developer or personal trainer. And common things like vegetable seller are just being added to the list!

[dipsydoodle]

14. You should maybe allow for the fact

that up until the start of this program most Cubans has no real concept "income tax". That's part of the reason why what's allowable is being managed.

[Pterodactyl]

16. Glad they're finally catching up and setting up proper taxes.