I, like many others on the list, were someone taken aback by Louis' outrageous reaction to what to me seemed to be a very important and interesting question posed by Peter. Nor did I take Peter's question to be some sort of Hayekian theoretical response to Louis narrative of events in Cuba, but rather a practical question, what was the role of central planning and the market in Cuban economy and how is the central planning function made operational. Indeed, for economists interested in policy in socialist, or potential socialist, economies, these are important issues that have been under debate for most of this century. While obviously, they have become more important since the demise of the Stalinist command system and the renewed interest in market socialism, they have been present since the debate over the NEP in the 1920s. I, for one, would like to see some debate on this issue -- and some description of the planning mechanism in Cuba -- preferably after the next week (as many people will have signed off for the holidays, including myself). In some of the discussions I have read recently, planning in a market socialist system should (an can?) only be indicative planning. Others, hold to the view that only the capital market need be comprehensively planned (a la Lange). As I understand what is happening in the foodmarkets of Cuba today, basic subsistence levels are planned and distributed outside of the market, surplus to these needs distributed by the market. In any case, I hope to visit Cuba in the relatively near future and wonder if anyone has any contacts among economists in or around Havana who speak English and might be will to spend a few hours with a visiting economist interested exactly in this issue -- how much market and how much plan, and how is plan implemented. Someone who wants to know (really Louis!) Paul Phillips, Economics, University of Manitoba
