Cuba as an Example of Sustainable Living - Essay Example

Cuba as an Example of Sustainable Living Cuba is a country with long political and controversial history that has continually shaped the life of its citizens. Located just one hundred and fifty kilometres away from the United States of America, Cuba is an island that was first discovered by an Italian explorer, Christopher Columbus around the year 1492 (Gott 2). The country has slightly over eleven million people, making it the second most populated Caribbean island after Hispaniola. The country enjoys a great deal of diversity considering that the slaves who used to work in America and other regions of the continent found their way mainly in the Caribbean islands. The country has relied on aid for several years in the past years, but due to its political inclination, it benefited a great deal from the collapsed Soviet Union. The Soviet Union used the country to propagate their ideology especially as a way of countering the American capitalism dominance. Since the attainment of independence in 1902, the republic of Cuba has passed through economic stormy periods characterized by its radical politics and social strife. The period of dictatorship characterized by the leadership of Fulgencio Batista before 1952 almost brought the country on its economic toes. The ousting of the dictatorial regime saw the full fledge of communism under Fidel Castro who gave more focus on military strength and less concern over the people. However, several economic developments were experienced during his tenure; some of the ideologies developed favoured the entire population at the expense of individuals. The Cuban population today relies mainly on food from Venezuela after the collapse of the Soviet Union that provided him some good support. Cuba does not provide the best example of sustainable living because a century after independence the country still relies on foreign food aid coupled with a huge foreign debt and several other challenges. Cuba’s dark past was evident with the inability of the governments to enact concrete and sustainable economic policies to help the country get to an economic destiny. Fulgencio Batista turned the economy of Cuba upside down through his dictatorial regime. In 1959, he was overthrown by the July 26 Movement that was under the leadership of Castro (Coltman 1). They took over the country and imposed a purely communist regime. He received massive support from the Cuban peasants and workers because of the humiliation that they had faced under the ousted regime. The revolution brought up many changes, by 1960 Castro’s regime had expropriated up to 37% of the entire nation’s land and later on decided to nationalize the land, which stood at up to 80%, this was a landmark achievement because there has never been another country in the world to successfully implement such a policy. Most of the big companies and well established businesses were all nationalized resulting into suspicion by foreign countries especially the United States whose companies had been nationalized. It was reported that approximately sixty-one American sugar mills were victims of the new development. Largely, the nationalization policy did not find a solution to the predicaments of the poor workers but instead extended the exploitation (Uriarte 3). State apparatus were established that had control over the population’s social, economic and political life, a factor that not only attempted to make all people equal but also ruined the labour compensations turning them even more exploitative. The state apparatus created a lot of bureaucracy, Castro and his brother, Raul together with the July 26 Movement members were the dominant figures in dictating the policies of the country. The state owned all property that was being worked on by the members of the public who received poor wages, they had no option since the land and firms were purely owned by the state. The oppressive state apparatus were advanced by the establishment of the Ministry Of Industry in 1961that looked into policy development, governing, supervising and directing national development. Economic mismanagement has been evident across the longest regime in the country. The Castro tenure was marred with many upheavals despite having popularity and lack of any strong insurgence. Mistrust and disappointment was evident among the workers facilitating the collapse of the sugar industry in Cuba, in response to the situation Castro demonstrated his dissatisfaction with his officials and blamed the failure on the massive bureaucracy that had taken toll of the country (Gott 25). The major contribution of the failure was not only the opposition mounted by the workers but also the administrators demonstrated their dissatisfaction with the policies put in place by the bureaucratic top leaders. Castro was offended by the poor labour productivity and the inefficiency of the industries that were meant to generate revenue for the government. In an effort to end the economically threatening conditions, Castro initiated an extensive decentralization plan that would see various industries have autonomy in their operations; the government itself was to be decentralized. This was the first time that a major change was to be developed in the Cuban constitution since the 1936 Soviet constitution and self-rule for the workers was enacted. Among the changes developed included the decentralization of the administration, differentiating the roles of different state agencies and the active participation of the organizations in state affairs. In addition, the workers were given chances to take part in the management of the enterprises while there was provision for democratization and strengthening of the organizations. These developments provided a platform for the industries to get back on track but the accompanying political and military activities did not provide the perfect environment for the economy to thrive as Castro had intended. However, a several changes in the economic setup were evident. Castro’s economic policies failed to reach a threshold impact as he had anticipated. A crisis in decision-making was erupting for lack of concrete structures in the adopted decentralization policy. Power was massively endowed upon Castro as a person, he was the commander in chief of the armed forces, the president of the state council and the head of the council of ministers, a general in the army among other responsibilities bestowed upon him. To make things even complex, the second in command was his brother Raul, both having full control over state instrument except for the feeble national assembly that had only two annual sessions, making it incapable of developing policies that could propel the country to an advanced economic position. Castro ironically criticized china for its policy of giving so much power to one individual while himself was a victim of the same (Taaffe 8). The rule curtailed development of many ideas that could have helped the country expand in its economy and in the end create a sustainable livelihood for its people. The regime attracted many fanatics including members of the National assembly who applauded the regime for their ideology. However, the the critics had very little ground to thrive since the country had stabilized itself in weaponry courtesy of the Soviet Union. An attempt by the Cuban refugees to oust Castro in 1961 ended in futility as their move was quenched and neutralized immediately before they could properly engage. Castro himself being a military man was very influential in the country and gave a lot of attention to strengthening his military. The enormous support in weapons and missiles from the Soviet Union helped him expand his rule and dominion across the country. No one dared raise a finger against his regime, until his incapability to pursue leadership; Castro has remained a force to reckon with. The world powers such as the United State have not dared interfere with the country except for the sanctions developed against them because of their ideologies. The collapse of the Soviet Union was a big blow to the Castro’s regime (Taaffe 4). Cuba’s foreign policy is a contributor to the sluggish development that has been experienced over the years. The long historical relationship between the Cuba and Spain was drawn from colonialism, where the Spanish colonized the country until the close of the 19th Century that witnessed the country taken up by the United States before their official independence in 1902. The relations were severed greatly with the introduction of Batista’s dictatorial rule, Castro’s spearheaded revolution was seen as the solution that never came to be. Because of Castro’s communism ideology, the country established development and working relations with the communist countries such as the Soviet Union, an aspect that did not go very well with the capitalists. United States, just like many other countries viewed Castro’s revolution as a change but they were disappointed and were forced to cut off their relationship with the country (Coltman 4). Cuba played a very significant role in wars across the world including the war in Central America, Asia and Africa. The country was highly armed with the Soviet Union supplying them not only food resources but also guns, missiles and other form of ammunitions. It was established that the Soviet Union used Cuba as the target base for the United States due to their proximity; therefore, they invested heavily in Cuba. Their engagement in the war in Algeria was very successful but animosity was being developed among the opposing countries. Other missions include one in Angola, Mozambique, Guinea, Ethiopia and Yemen beating the impact of the developed economies. To a reasonably level, the wars strained the economy of the country as well as facilitating a shift from people’s livelihoods to strengthening of the military muscle. Castro’s woes began in 1962 when the organization of American states suspended the country from membership and later on began imposing sanctions (Gott 23). The 1962 Cuban Missile crisis made the relationship with the United States deteriorate further resulting into more sanctions. Several years later, the Organization of American States lifted their ban on Cuba in 1975 and the regional relationships that were cut off were redefined again, however, the United States, a member of the organization agreed on the collective stand but in its personal capacity maintained the sanctions imposed against Cuba. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Cuba shifted its dependence mainly on Venezuela and China. The irony of the whole matter was that Castro refused to accept aid from United States of America despite the food shortage experienced in the country. From independence, Cuba’s economy has experienced shifts in the commodities in production. The socialist economy has it stands relies on plans that have been put in place to have a state controlled economy, the property belongs to the people and not the state as it is in capitalist countries. It is true that the people of Cuba are the employees in the government run enterprises with very little personal businesses being done on small scale, however, with the reign of Raul the trend is slowly shifting to capitalism. The main exports for the are nickel , medical products, tobacco, sugar, fish and coffee among others. In the earlier days, the mismanagement of sugar companies around 1970s brought the enterprise on its knees resulting into decreased economic output from the commodity. Before the nationalization of the sugar mills by the Castro’s regime, it contributed almost 50% of the total export earnings, a case that is different in the current setup. China, Dutch, Canada and Spain make the largest market for the Cuban products contributing more than 70% of the total exports. The trend in expanding the export market has been positive in the last few years, in the year 2005 Cuba recorded approximately $ 2.4 billion worth of export income (Uriarte 34). However, however the economy remains unbalanced with almost triple of the amount getting out in terms of imports. This situation is aggravated by the fact that the country imports very basic commodities such as food that could otherwise be locally produced. This makes the economy unsustainable and therefore unpredictable. The relationship between Cuba and the United States has not been good over the years. The United States prides in military, economic and development strength, the country is a superpower with massive influence all over the world. Being a closely located to United States Cuba ought to have tapped many economic benefits especially in tourism; however, this has not been the case. Cuba has faced hostile economic times but it has refused any affiliation or support from the United States (GAO 3). The rivalry has been displayed on various platforms and this to a big extent affects Cuba negatively. The use of Cuba as a military base for the Soviet Union forces and armoury not only placed a lot suspicion from United States but also it went a step ahead to impose sanctions. The Soviet Union posed a threat to the United States, therefore they could not support any potentially threatening state like Cuba. The United States enacted and implemented the Helms-Burton act that made it difficult to develop economic ties with Cuba, it provided that their citizens were not allowed to visit Cuba. As from 1991 to around 1995, Cuba faced a very challenging moment in its economy, but it started getting back on track reaching the state it was in before the collapse of the Soviet Union in 2004 (Coltman 5). Cuba began lessening its hard stand in 1993 when it allowed the use of the American dollar in the country to boost the humbled economy. Against the wish of Castro, the dollar created some divisions among the people who ventured into tourism businesses and the workers who continued to be paid on Cuban peso. A shift in the control of agriculture was also slowly changing with the establishment of cooperatives to replace the original state owned firms and businesses. These aspects are a demonstration of how important the United States is to the development of Cuba. Canada has plugged in to support the development of tourism; its input has been enormous with Cuba reaping many benefits. The foreign relations it embraces can boost the sustainability of its economy. The population has on some instances demonstrated dissatisfaction with both Raul’s and Fidel’s regimes. Since independence, the people of Cuba have demonstrated their discontentment against their government. The July 26 Movement was seen as the saviour of the country’s long oppression and political instability. However, the communism ideology adopted by Fidel and his administration encouraged a state of economic deterioration that resulted into a military oriented state as the people remained uncertain of their livelihoods. The Human Rights Watch and the European Union have accused Cuba for its oppressive regime that does not respect human rights, an aspect that casts doubt and suspicion to the international community. The government without use of either local or international law has advanced political assassinations, extrajudicial killings and other forms of torture (Socialist Labour Party of America 5). Tourism and agriculture have played a great role in the Cuban economy. Cuba has for a long time used a dual currency system that Raul’s regime plans to scrap off. This strategy has ensured the natives have a different form of currency from the tourists who visit the country. The food shortage experienced after the collapse of Moscow based Union resulted in a hard economic time in Cuba. As a strategy to counter the situation, Castro initiated a plan that would see more tourists visit the country. In addition, the government gave some rights for the citizens to practice small scale in order to supplement the economy. As a way of promoting businesses with other countries, the dollar was allowed for transacting businesses in the country. Development in agriculture, especially in sugarcane growing, has been advanced on the state owned farms to promote the output. Apart from the processed agricultural products, the agricultural food products are being given a focus. The food import levels were worrying by 2008 indicating that approximately 80% of the total food consumed in Cuba was from other countries. Reforms in the agricultural sector are being adopted especially by Raul’s regime (Gott 4). The changes that are being implemented by Raul Castro are being seen as catalyst to the transformation of the country. The transition between the two brothers’ regimes was done in 2008 after Fidel’s health deteriorated and was forced to resign in 2008 leaving the mantle of leadership to his all time second in command and brother, Raul Castro. On his speech as the newly elected president, he promised that the many restrictions that acted on the way of the people of Cuba should be removed. What was seen as a change of guard was characterized by the introduction of a new crop of officials by Raul. The president has been on the forefront in seeing the scraping off the dual currency system that has been used in Cuba for a long time (BBC 1). He is currently initiating various agricultural reforms in the country that would see improved food productivity in the country hence reducing the extensive overreliance on foreign food supply. His administration has shown various developments that predict that the future of Cuba may be on a transition to adoption of capitalism or a hybrid system. This shows that the system of leadership and the ideology thereof has failed to provide lasting solutions to the country’s economy. The international community has also had its voice on the transition. In 2009, the sanctions that had been mounted against Cuba by the Organization of American States was removed, however in retaliation the Cuban leadership has boldly declared that they have no interest with rejoining the organization. This rebellion demonstrates why the economic future of the Caribbean state remains uncertain and unsustainable. There is no country in the world that can claim that it does not need others, such a claim is perceived as an act of backwardness. Cuba has continued to pride in a well developed healthcare system, it has a high life expectancy of 78. The country has relied on the heavy presence of medical personnel for treatment and care among the population; this has facilitated income generation through export of these personnel to countries such as Venezuela (Socialist Labour Party of America 17). The health care system is well developed and is comparable to the developed countries. However, this has not been the case throughout the entire time, after the 1959 revolution many doctors left the country, a situation that was recovered later on in the 1980s. Despite the many challenges that have left the economy of the Cuba in a slippery ground, there are a number of positives that can be drawn from their system. The country stands out in terms of its military power, they have successfully defended their country and have also gone to the extent of taking part in wars in other countries and demonstrated good success. Its economy favours all citizens equally, a situation that creates a sense of belonging and purpose. However, the level of dictatorship that accompanies the regimes poses a threat to anyone who raises a finger against the socialism. The country enjoyed a great reputation under the leadership of Castro in education, healthcare and arts. Another milestone is in job creation, Cuba enjoys up to 2 % unemployment rate, one of the lowest in the lowest in the world (Kadleck 1). However, the individual productivity is so low, a factor that is probably motivated by the low wages that the people get. In conclusion, it is apparent that Cuba is an economically failed state and cannot be used as demonstration of sustainable living. Self-rule has lasted in the country for more than a century and the fruits thereof are not identifiable. Political stabilization of the country remains unachieved even today; socialism seems to be standing on a shaky ground. The economy has been inconsistent and lacking policies to drive it. There is an imbalance in trade seems to be a thorn in the flesh. To add salt to the injury the country’s foreign relations especially with the United States has been wanting. There is much to be done to steer the country to a sustainable economy hence sustainable livelihoods. Works Cited BBC News. Cuba to Scrap Two-Currency System in the Latest Reform. 22 October, 2013. Web. 3 Nov 2013. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-24627620 Cuba has maintained two currencies since 1994, one of which is usable with the dollar while the other is a fraction of it. The Cuban Convertible peso has been used in foreign trade and in tourism, a strategy that was adopted by Castro in an attempt to protect the shaky economy after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The council of ministers has already approved the unification of the currency in order to promote its value. Coltman, Leycester. The Real Fidel Castro. Yale University Press, 2005. Coltman presents the life of the Cuban revolutionary leader, Fidel Castro and the way he rose to be the leader, the book also highlight the Marxism Leninist’s ideology that Castro believe in and saw a country develop to what it is. His early life and the plot for the July 26 Movement, together with other revolutionarists has also been described at length. GAO. CUBA US Response to the 1994 Cuban Migration Crisis. September, 1995. Web. 3 Nov 2013. http://www.gao.gov/archive/1995/ns95211.pdf In the report presented before the United States Congress the Cubans who had been fleeing to America were not to be welcomed, instead they would be taken to Naval stations belonging to the United states in Guantanamo bay in Cuba. President Clinton said this in 1994. It was later mentioned that interdicted Cubans would not be taken to any safe place. Gott, Richard. Cuba: A New History. Yale University Press, 2004. Written in 2005, the book describes the events that the author describes as little known about the history of Cuba. The aspects of racism, colonialism, international relations, Castro’s revolution and the wars in Africa among other things. It is a rich and detailed book with a powerful description of the entire Cuban history and the post Soviet years. Kadleck, Dan. Lessons in Socialism: How Cuba Can Become Relevant Again. February 6, 2013. Web. 3 Nov 2013. http://business.time.com/2013/02/06/lessons-in-socialism-how-cuba-can-become-relevant-again/ On February 6th 2013 the Kadlec, a reporter with Time, Business & Money presents the current situation in Cuba. He states that there are massive changes that have been experienced since the resignation of Fidel Castro and the subsequent election of Raul Castro. The country is slowly tilting towards capitalism and the government is silent about it. The American president Barrack Obama has eased the restrictions that had been put for Americans to travel to Cuba. The system of socialism adopted by Castro has let the country down economically. The benefits derived from the regime have been very few compared to the many challenges that have been experienced. Socialist Labour Party of America. Is Cuba Socialist? n.d. Web. 3 Nov 2013 http://www.slp.org/pdf/others/is_cuba.pdf The rise of socialism as presented by the Socialism Labour Party of America is majorly a 20th century concept. The author draws a question of whether the state of Cuba is a socialist as per the reign of Castro. The socialists’ revolution of 1959 shaped the political destiny of the country, which has in turn shaped the economic, as well as the social lives of the Cubans. Taaffe, Peter. Cuba: Socialism and Democracy. CWI Publications, 2000. This book gives a close focus on the Cuban revolution by the Castro led movement. Gott describes the revolution as ‘wildly popular’ and demonstrates that majority of the Cubans are in full support of the regime. Castro is demonstrated as a man who stood by his principles; sometimes he defied even the Soviet Union’s bureaucracy. The book gives a close look at the regime by Castro. It also analyzes how he expanded his ideology within and outside Cuba. Uriarte, Miren. CUBA Social Policy at Crossroads: Maintaining Priorities, Transforming Practice. 2002. Web. 3 Nov 2013. http://wayback.archive.org/web/20071009163422/http://www.oxfamamerica.org/newsandpublications/publications/research_reports/art3670.html/OA-Cuba_Social_Policy_at_Crossroads-en.pdf An Oxfam America report of 2002 that demonstrates the situation Cuba as at this time. The Cuban revolution of 1959 with the adoption of socialism, here the government had the sole authority of taking care of the social welfare of the people. However, much has remained undone. The report highlights the developments id lapse in education, health and Literacy. It also keeps an eye on the developments of the country during the ‘special period’ and the underlying implications. The report also offers the best strategies that can be used to develop the society, such as social development of the people. Read More