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Rating: 
Summary: Leftist attack on socialist Cuba
Review: Baez starts his study of Cuba's economy with his conclusion, that the Soviet Union and Cuba show that state capitalism is the only successful form of resistance to capitalism. He bases this conclusion on the ideas of the deservedly forgotten thinkers of the 1930s Frankfurt School, who, Baez thinks, somehow proved that present-day Cuba is a 'decentralised bureaucratic state capitalism' run by a 'new class' that exploits workers just as capitalism does. His conclusion plays into the hands of those who would isolate and destroy socialist Cuba. Why should Cuba's workers, and the workers of other nations, support a 'decentralised bureaucratic state capitalism'? After reaching his conclusion, he looks at the evidence. He shows that even during the 1990s, after Bush's man Yeltsin ended all Russia's contracts with Cuba, Cuba strengthened its state enterprises and increased its welfare spending. Since 1996 Cuba has achieved economic growth of 4.6% a year. It has 100% primary school enrolment (better than the USA), no homelessness, no illiteracy, and more doctors per head than any other country in the world. The Cuban Medical Collaboration works in 62 countries in Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa. Since the Ernesto Che Guevara Cuban Medical Brigade arrived in Haiti in 1999, it has saved 81,856 lives. Baez acknowledges that Cuba has kept state supremacy over market forces, the unity of its political forces, popular participation, and continued commitment to the ideas of anti-imperial resistance, national sovereignty and emancipation. But all these, according to Baez's theoretical model, can be achieved under (state) capitalism. If capitalism can do all this, it must be very good: who would need socialism? Baez's book demeans and devalues Cuba, a socialist country that is a remarkable example both of workers' nationalism and of internationalism. We should follow Cuba's example and create a society based on national sovereignty and genuine international solidarity.
Rating: 
Summary: On State Resistance in Cuba
Review: This book clearly explains the survival of the
Cuban revolution and its party-state apparatus
during the special period of the 1990s and today.
It is historically correct, timely and very sympathetic to
the PCC's sincere efforts in opposing
neoliberal globalisation. Carmona forces
romatic supporters of socialist Cuba to make
a reality check: the forces imposing upon the
state in the global south are real and the
consequences are serious, that even an anti-imperialist
state with socialist discourse (like Cuba)
has a hard time resisting. Carmona is all about
constructive criticism. I disagree with Will Podmore,
this is not an attack on Cuba, and there isn't
a Communist in Cuba who would make these accusations.
The reference to a "decentralised bureaucratic state
capitalism" was rhetorical, alluding to a problem
on the left with their hang-ups on names.
Carmona clearly goes beyond the name calling
and digs deep into real structures and current
modes of production. Besides, Will, you got his
name wrong...it's Carmona Baez (Carmona for short),
not Baez. No other author has dared to confront
the benefits AND the contradictions produced by
Cuba's new economic model.
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