Jurriaan Bendien wrote: > > Well of course we can talk about Marx's theory of economic exchange, which > is also important, but the political question for me is whether or not > comrade Castro's comment is in fact conducive to promoting better trade > relations between his country and the European Union, if that's the aim.
But that is obviously _not_ his immediate aim (though it might be one of a number of ultimate aims). Read your own original message, and you identification of the quote: "President Fidel Castro of Cuba, addressing the crowd at Marcelo Salado elementary school in Cardenas, 5 December." No European Union in Cardenas, especially at the Marcelo Salado elementary school. Castro's aim is what the primary aim has _always_ been in almost _all_ of his speeches, even those nominally addressed to the U.N. or other audience of rulers or their representatives -- he is aiming at creating solidarity among the victims of imperialism. The premise is (as it has always been) that such solidarity would, in turn, lead to 'better' relations with the imperialist world. I don't know where Lenin says the following; it was cited to me long ago by a friend in the history department at ISU, but it covers Castro's aim rather nicely: (Quoted from long ago memory and obviously not quite correct) "The liberals say, 'The Workers are strong when the public respects them." We [the RSDLP] say 'The public respects the workers when they are strong.'" Neither Marx's theory of economic exchange _nor_ the opinions of the EU are relevant here. Carrol
