Cuban
socialism: yesterday and nowadays
Zharkov
Nikita, the 4th year student majoring in «Regional Studies»
Vassilyev
Denis, the 4th year student majoring in «Foreign languages»
The
L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University
The Socialists are the only people
who care, for all their mistakes.
They feel, they want to better the world.
John Robert Fowles
Talking about the ideas of socialism today, about the methods of its implementation
in the modern world, Cuba cannot be passed over. Cuba is a country, which did
not betray socialism as the former socialist countries of the East Europe did
after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Cuba is a country building socialism
according to its own way. And its own way is not Marxist. Nowadays, Cuba
deserves an especial attention, because it makes us to remember such seemingly
archaic conceptions as socialism and Marxism-Leninism.
Modern ideologists try to bring the revolutionary Cuba as a certain «sanctuary
of the most orthodox communism», and Fidel Castro as a «dinosaur of communism»,
who holds his power by a miracle even in our «epoch of democracy».
But actually there is no any miracle. The way of development, that Cuba
chose more than fifty years ago, proves its value up till now. Without any
doubt it can be said that this way was not an easy walk for Cuban people.
But how did «freedom island» begin its steps to the way of socialism?
What did serve as the formation basis of socialist and not another view on the
further development of Cuba? What circumstances did induce to the growth of
revolutionary attitude on the island?
In the interview to the journal «Latin America» the first vice Minister
of Foreign Affairs of Cuba Fernando Remírez de Estenoz Barciela characterized
the way of Cuba to socialism as follows: «A struggle for independence from the
American colonialism began in Cuba in 1868. In 1902 the colonial power, which
suffered a defeat from the liberation forces, imposed on us the so-called «half-hearted
republic», which was made to include an amendment to the constitution, infused
from the foreign territory and violated recently granted independence.
In 1959 with the victory of the Revolution Cuban people got true independence.
It means that they got an indefeasible right to build such a life and such a
state, which will preserve historical values won at a high price by several
generations of Cubans. We chose a socialism, which is a constant updating system,
as we see it. The best sons of Cuba dreamt exactly about such social order » [1,
p.18].
In the theoretical and political internet-journal «Cuba Socialista» Raúl
Valdés Vivó mentioned the following historic points: «Changes in
economy in the interpretation of Marx, Engels and Lenin happened in Cuba
between 1959 and 1961. Socialism remained generally acknowledged in 1964
together with the second and the last agrarian reform and in 1985 along with
negative tendencies and correction of some errors, and now with the public
arguments concerning the fact that we only have to change what needs to be
changed.
The ideas of socialism went through the I Cuban Communist Party Congress
in 1975 and were consolidated in the Socialist Constitution of 1976. It was unanimously
announced at the V Communist Party Congress that socialism was, is and will be.
Fidel Castro called the nation to preserve all achievements. Having a presentiment of the
near final of the critical decade (the last decade of the XX century) with
millions of compatriots, Fidel said that after this decade would begin a new
stage of socialist development» [2].
Already now we can talk about such a sequence, that Fidel absolutely
knew about the further strategy of his country’s development.
But what does Cuban socialism imply, what is its ideological basis?
It is not necessary socialism to be found on Marxism, moreover, socialism
shouldn’t be found on it. The obvious practical illustration thereof is exactly
Cuban socialism. Cuban socialism was being developed subject to specificity of
Latin American civilizational character. It can be boldly spoken that Cuban socialism
initially was Cuban, but not international.
Of course, there was a Marxist component represented by Che Guevara and
Raul Castro. But it is also very difficult to call them orthodox Marxists. What
about Fidel Castro, he did not come to big politics as a Marxist at all. The
views of Fidel Castro, Jesuitical College graduate, corresponded a peculiar conglomerate
of early Christian ideas, egalitarianism and patriotism, synthesized in the
doctrine of «theology of emancipation», which was widespread in the whole Latin
American continent [3, p.85].
The outlooks of the national hero of Cuba Jose Marti (1853-1895),
theorist and great practitioner of the island liberation from Spanish rule,
were the ideology of the party. Marti supported the independent and distinctive
way of Ibero-American states’ development. Marti taught Latin American and
Caribbean peoples «about a necessity to reach their own development by
themselves, being based on their own social, political and economic realities
without imitation of another laws».
Within the famous speech «The history will absolve me» at the trial
Fidel Castro also suggested rather a socialist program, but undoubtedly not a
Marxist one: he pointed out, besides the liberation of Cuba from the North
American influence, an agrarian reform, nationalization of natural monopolies, industrialization
under the state’s supervision, wide socials programs as one of the political
aims of his like-minded persons.
The President of the National Assembly of People's Power of Cuba Ricardo
Alarcón de Quesada said in the interview to the Russian magazine «The
Expert»: “… there was an
authentic
and original revolutionary process in Cuba. The realities of the Cuban system
are not the realities which were reviewed in the works of Lenin. In the very
beginning of the Revolution we decided that socialism in Latin America cannot
be copied, but must be initially peculiar. Nowadays the most of residents share
this opinion. For example, there are Brazilian and Venezuelan approaches. We have
to struggle for the all-round socialism” [4].
Indeed, the ideas of the Cuban Revolution find a broad response in the
modern Latin America and in the third world countries. The local contemporary national
liberation movement’s aim is the XXI century socialism development. Celebrating
the President Elections victory Hugo Chavez Frías announced that those
who voted for him, actually voted for socialism. Chavez also emphasized the
necessity to propagate the Socialism of XXI century, which is autochthonous and
based on the modern demands. We have to move forward leaving behind the pattern
of the European socialism in all its misrepresentation. We have to profit from
our experience. The Latin American socialist liberal movement and the original
socialist ideas of Marx, Engels and Lenin are the key to the way, which the XXI
century Socialism should follow [5].
Generally, an implementation of
human rights in socialism and capitalism is distinctive. Thus, it was clear for
the governing body of Cuba, that European socialism as a result of the market
mechanisms usage and excessive bureaucratization of political, social and
economic structures at the same time lead to the deep crisis.
With the beginning of «perestroika» and East European countries
socialism collapse the Cuban governing body motivated the Party and the whole
political system to comprehend shortcomings threatening the socialist
principles of society. This comprehension was provided by the first Session of
the Cuba Communist Party III Congress, which took place from 30 November
to 2 December 1986. In the period of the development of «perestroika» in the
USSR and weakening of socialism positions within and beyond the country
borders, the acceptance of orthodox state program by the Communist Party of
Cuba was the alteration of its political course.
Cuba should try not to commit an error even nowadays, in the century of
globalization. Of course, globalization impacts on the Cuban life, including a
social sphere. However, the distinctive features of socialist model allow Cuba to
follow the chosen way so far.
The present-day international situation is notable for extremely
negative tendencies relating to the universal economic recession, brutal
terrorist acts (attacks on New York and Washington) and initiation of
Afghanistan war, which is threatening to spread the violence worldwide. In such
conditions the arguments about survival perspectives in the world to become
more frequent [6, p.6].
«…The Cuban model or “The Cuban socialist project”, as it has been
called by a Cuba researcher Elena Diaz, is absolutely opposite to the neoliberal
model of globalization, which is characterized by the growth of poverty and
inequality, discrimination of separate social groups, narrowing of
opportunities for unskilled workers, reduction of medical care expenses, etc.
In opposite to this model the Cuban socialist project is developing with the
maintenance of ethical guidelines for the realization of a dream about a fair
society equal in rights.
Sociologist Juan Valdez supposes that the modern phase in the Cuban
society life can be divided in three periods: a period of survival (1987-1993),
accompanied with the rupture of international relations; a period of
restoration (1994-2000), which is characterized by rather auspicious tendencies
of economic and social development; and a period of a probable development,
based on a continued progress of key stability factors [7].
The socialist society includes transitional component. That is why the
usage of one or another capitalist instrument in the modeling of a new society
is unavoidable. However, a releasing of such instruments from the civil society
socialist control and all political system institutes as well will be
definitely an immediate threat to socialism. Market mechanisms can be a «workhorse»
for socialism, an accelerator, favoring the development of socialist economy.
But they can also be turned into the capitalism’s Trojan Horse if they are not
under the popular control.
The above mentioned method of approaching let us understand the
difference between the countries, which used the market mechanisms for the
restoration of capitalism and those, who made use of them for the protection of
socialism.
It follows from the aforesaid that for the protection of socialism and
its further prosperous development the political system plays the main role during
the transition stage.
References:
1. Fernando Remírez de Estenoz Barciela. Cuba is convinced, that
a better world is possible (interview with the first vice Minister of Foreign
Affairs of Cuba) // Latin America. – 2004. – ¹ 3. – p. 18-25
2. Raúl Valdés Vivó. Cuba: Tenemos y tendremos
socialismo // Cuba Socialista. Revista Teórica y Política. [Electronic
resource] // Access mode: http://www.cubasocialista.cu/texto/0007996socialismo.html
3. Vostrikov S.V. Equilibration on the edge of a razor.
Historic consequences and the lessons of a conflict // Latin America. 2003, ¹ 1. – p. 84-93
4. Bortsov A. Socialism without labels: Cuba
[Electronic resource] // Access mode: http://warrax.net/93/01/cuba.html
5. Armando Hart Dávalos. El socialismo del siglo XXI // Cuba Socialista. Revista
Teórica y Política. [Electronic resource] // Access mode: http://www.cubasocialista.cu/texto/00079904socialismo.html
6. Elena Diaz. Cuban socialism and its ethical guidelines
in the context of globalization // Latin America. – 2003. –¹ 1. – p. 6-16
7. Ibid. p. 8.