The US has had no effective change of goverment in 41 years. Capital has
ruled throughout. There may have been some reforms favorable to the working
class but the result is a health care system that is far less equitable than
Cuba's and a record of mostly reactionary wars and covert action: Vietnam,
Iraq, Libya, Nicaragua, Grenada, Yugoslavia, etc.etc. that make Cuban
foreign intervention (eg.Angola) look saintly. After 41 years and all those
changes of government income inequality is greater, the country has one of
the worst social safety nets of any advanced capitalist country, and greater
income inequality than ever. Whatever the privileges of Castro and his
buddies it is as nothing compared to the inequality in the US. But then the
GDP is doing well and this rising tide lifts all boats right! I thought the
cake and the crumbs going to the poor was a more accurate analogy.
Cheers, Ken Hanly
----- Original Message -----
From: Brad DeLong <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Wednesday, November 08, 2000 9:14 PM
Subject: [PEN-L:4155] Re: Re: Castro on US elections.
> >
> >>"The United States, such a vocal advocate of multi-party systems, has
> >>two parties that are so perfectly similar in their methods, objectives
and
> >>goals that they have practically created the most perfect one-party
system
> >>in the world. Over 50% of the people in that 'democratic country' do not
> >>even cast a vote, and the team that manages to raise the most funds
> >>often wins with the votes of only 25% of the electorate. The political
> >>system is undermined by disputes, vanity and personal ambition or by
> >>interests groups operating within the established economic and social
> >>model and there is no alternative for a change in the system."
> >>
> >>- From Fidel Castro's interview with Federico Mayor Zaragoza, former
> >>Director General of UNESCO, published in Granma International, June 23,
> >>2000.
>
> So clearly it is far better to have *no* change of government for 41
> years? What silliness...
>
>
> Brad DeLong
>
