[deMolay]

My My, Fidel finally admits that Soviet style and Cuban style Communism has been a failure. When will he be hauled off to the Hague for a trial on Crimes Against Humanity for the 100,000 plus innocents he butchered up..http://www.cnbc.com/id/39063577/

[davep]

At least he took fifty years to kill them, unlike Bush.

Seriously, he seems to have a wise old head on him nowadays.

[eastbay]

At least he took fifty years to kill them, unlike Bush.

Seriously, he seems to have a wise old head on him nowadays.

Or Obama. He's about half way there in only 18 months.

[Daniel_Plainview]

Updated scorecard:

Communism/Marxism = failure (see Cuba; former USSR) (but see China)
Capitalism/Democracy = near-failure (Compare USA & UK with Canada)
Socialism = mixed bag (see e.g., Spain)

[davep]

Updated scorecard:

Communism/Marxism = failure (see Cuba; former USSR) (but see China)
Capitalism/Democracy = near-failure (Compare USA & UK with Canada)
Socialism = mixed bag (see e.g., Spain)

Compared to the rest of Central America, Cuba seems pretty good on healthcare, literacy etc.

Oh, and Capitalism/NeoConservatism = imminent failure due to resource constraints.

I'm wondering what your point actually was, to be honest.

[americandream]

Methinks Castro has finally understood the nature of dialectic materialism, the objective nature of the globalisation of capital and its place in the transition to socialism.

Essential in the process is the creation of a falsely conscious middle class, complete with the substanceless aspirations of castles founded on shifting sands as the process of surplus maximisation eventually brings about a levelling of per unit labour costs and the true material worth of middleclassdom.

Castro is preparing Cubans for this process, no doubt after discussions with the recently visiting Chinese Politburo members as well as with the Russians.

The process will involve a rapid descent into the murky depths of a world order entirely devoted to servicing the needs of passive wealth and so I wish all of you a safe journey through a rather brutal few decades ahead.

edit: It is essential to the understanding of scientific economy that one grasp the notion that no intervention, no contrivance, no reform, nor localised/regional/national act of rebellion can impede the juggernaut of the globalisation of capital as well as its corollary, surplus maximisation.

[Plantagenet]

Cuba went form the richest society in latin American to the poorest society in latin American in just 50 years of socialism.

But now that Castro has seen the light after 50 years of being dictator, things are getting better. Heck, just last year the Castro brothers decriminalized the possession of cell phones for Cubans.

[americandream]

True.

In many ways however, Cuba with it's strong brand of national autoritarianism will lend itself to the command control regimentation so essential for the efficient and unquestioning maximisation of capital as we find in such places as China, Vietnam and those former Soviet states not caught up in the feudalisation of resource rich territories.

I suspect we will find an especially efficient holiday resort for the passively wealth emerge on Cuba.

Cuba went form the richest society in latin American to the poorest society in latin American in just 50 years of socialism.

But now that Castro has seen the light after 50 years of being dictator, things are getting better. Heck, just last year the Castro brothers decriminalized the possession of cell phones for Cubans.

[Ludi]

Updated scorecard:

Communism/Marxism = failure (see Cuba; former USSR) (but see China)

I'm not sure China is actually Communism, certainly not Marxism.

[deMolay]

Communism has been found historically to be nothing more than formalized Gangsterism. That routinely butchers off the citizens of the host country. The Gangsters at the top have the best of everything, healthcare, food, homes, cars, clothes, luxury items. Those at the bottom of the food chain are routinely brutalized, murdered, starved and robbed.

[americandream]

Capitalism has been found historically to be nothing more than formalized Gangsterism. That routinely butchers off the citizens of the host country. The Gangsters at the top have the best of everything, healthcare, food, homes, cars, clothes, luxury items, sex slaves, bailouts, kleptocracies, religious corruption, subsidisations as in loss of commons such as scare resources and the environment. Those at the bottom of the food chain are routinely sweatshopped, prostituted, brutalized, murdered, starved and robbed.

It must run its course however in sapping its host of all vitality, like a dose of gastric flu.

Communism has been found historically to be nothing more than formalized Gangsterism. That routinely butchers off the citizens of the host country. The Gangsters at the top have the best of everything, healthcare, food, homes, cars, clothes, luxury items. Those at the bottom of the food chain are routinely brutalized, murdered, starved and robbed.

[Pretorian]

Whatever the Capitalism is, its the only thing out there. There is nothing else. All Socialistic efforts in Eastern Europe, ets showed nothing but a restrainted and crippled Capitalism at best. Hence the results. Communism is nothing but a pipe dream of religious (Marxism is a religion) lunatics. It had never existed , and never will be, because it is against human nature. Competition, is a human feature and without lobotomy you will not "fix" it.

"Those who want to live, let them fight, and those who do not want to fight in this world of eternal struggle, do not deserve to live."
- Adolf Hitler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Q-6H4xOUrs

[eastbay]

You beat me to it!!LOL!! I was all over that repair!

Capitalism has been found historically to be nothing more than formalized Gangsterism. That routinely butchers off the citizens of the host country. The Gangsters at the top have the best of everything, healthcare, food, homes, cars, clothes, luxury items, sex slaves, bailouts, kleptocracies, religious corruption, subsidisations as in loss of commons such as scare resources and the environment. Those at the bottom of the food chain are routinely sweatshopped, prostituted, brutalized, murdered, starved and robbed.

It must run its course however in sapping its host of all vitality, like a dose of gastric flu.

Communism has been found historically to be nothing more than formalized Gangsterism. That routinely butchers off the citizens of the host country. The Gangsters at the top have the best of everything, healthcare, food, homes, cars, clothes, luxury items. Those at the bottom of the food chain are routinely brutalized, murdered, starved and robbed.

[the48thronin]

I agree with Eastbay..GASP!..It can't be...let me wrote this one down in my diary before I decide it cant be true....LOL

[eastbay]

That's funny. Still grinning and would be laughing if not for others in the house.... lol.


It's a lot easier to be a capitalist when there's a planet filled with cheap easy-to-get resources to exploit. Make the resources costly and scarce and things get rough. Really rough.

It's a lot easier to be a communist when someone's dropping off a free (almost) tanker full of oil each week. The post-Soviet period has been a rough 20 years for them, that's no doubt. But nowhere as rough as the first 20 years without cheap oil will be on the capitalist nations. Boy Howdy. Now that will be some special kind of rough.

[gollum]

That's funny. Still grinning and would be laughing if not for others in the house.... lol.


It's a lot easier to be a capitalist when there's a planet filled with cheap easy-to-get resources to exploit. Make the resources costly and scarce and things get rough. Really rough.

It's a lot easier to be a communist when someone's dropping off a free (almost) tanker full of oil each week. The post-Soviet period has been a rough 20 years for them, that's no doubt. But nowhere as rough as the first 20 years without cheap oil will be on the capitalist nations. Boy Howdy. Now that will be some special kind of rough.

I'm inclined to agree, Capitalism is the new Communism, and the USA is the new Soviet Union.

[americandream]

How seriously am I to take Hitler? This man (now said to be part African and Jew) who used the bogus scam of a Volkswagen for every worker to work the system for free labour for his corporate buddies can hardly be termed to be an authority on death by valiant self sacrifice. Death by crass opportunism, yes. .

If you are going to quote me noble warriors of dubious reasoning, at least try and find me someone who did not line his or his cronies pockets in the process. Otherwise, you might as well go and quote a bra salesman. The worst criticism anyone has levelled at the USSR's leadership were holiday home access on the Black Sea. As we all know, the Soviet era big wigs were not exactly noted for their sharp suits or designer dress sense whereas our fake Euro nationalist had a taste for riding gear, jodhpurs and funny salutes as we all know. If you are going to be dumb enough to take a snake charmer serious, don't be surprised when the cobra bites your ass.

Interesting little snippet from Wikipedia:

"As another war crime, Krupp used slave labor, both POWs and civilians from occupied countries, and Krupp representatives were sent to concentration camps to select laborers. Treatment of Slavic and Jewish slaves was particularly harsh, since they were considered sub-human in Nazi Germany, and Jews were targeted for "extermination through labor". The number of slaves cannot be calculated due to constant fluctuation but is estimated at 100,000, at a time when the free employees of Krupp numbered 278,000. The highest number of Jewish slave laborers at any one time was about 25,000 in January 1943."

Repeat after me. Freeloader!!

Whatever the Capitalism is, its the only thing out there. There is nothing else. All Socialistic efforts in Eastern Europe, ets showed nothing but a restrainted and crippled Capitalism at best. Hence the results. Communism is nothing but a pipe dream of religious (Marxism is a religion) lunatics. It had never existed , and never will be, because it is against human nature. Competition, is a human feature and without lobotomy you will not "fix" it.

"Those who want to live, let them fight, and those who do not want to fight in this world of eternal struggle, do not deserve to live."
- Adolf Hitler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Q-6H4xOUrs

[deMolay]

Biggest difference between Capitalism and Communism. Capitalist countries have not murdered off its own citizens as have the Communists. Russia under Stalin estimates 60M deaths due to political muders and state induced famines. Communist China, some estimates of over 100M of its own citizens butchered. Communism has proven deadly for its own citizens. The Gangster Mao was even reputed to have eaten the flesh of his political enemies. A true butcher. The estimates for Castro's brand of Communist Gangsterism as many as 100,000 lined up against the wall and shot for disagreeing with the Bandit Leader and Gangster in Chief. Hopefully they can bring him to trial at the World Court on charges of Crimes Against Humanity before his worthless a*s dies and stretch his neck. Dangling at the end of a short rope.

[deMolay]

The Commie Rat Body Count with references. http://www.digitalsurvivors.com/archive ... ycount.php

[deMolay]

Fidel and Raul Castro caught in archival photo's in the act of murder. http://www.therealcuba.com/page5.htm