Not another simplistic rose coloured glasses portrait of Castro and Cuba.
But when its all said and done I would much prefer to live in Cuba than that hell-hole called Haiti.

According to the UN Human Development Index, Cuba ranks 51st out of 177 countries. The US ranks 12th.

* On GDP per capita (in international dollars) it ranks 94th ($6000 per head). The US is 2nd ($41,890)

* On average life expectancy at birth it is 32nd (77.7 years). The US is 31st (77.9 years).

* On literacy of the adult population it is 2nd (99.8% of the population. (US no data).

* On combined primary, secondary and tertiary gross enrolment ratio it is 35th (87.6%). The US is 19th (93.3)

* On the Gender Development Index, which measures female life expectancy, adult literacy and combined enrolment as a percentage of the male figure, Cuba ranks 2nd out of 156 countries. The US is 107th (down there with the UAE, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe).

* On the Human Poverty Index, Cuba ranks 6th out of 108 developing countries - it is ahead of Singapore (GDP p.c of $29,663 - not clear why they call that a developing country since it's income is higher than Germany's!). The US has no data.

In other words, on about one seventh of the US average income Cuba managed to produce health and educational outcomes that are equal to or very close to those of the USA. Compare with the Dominican Republic (HDI rank 79, GDP p.c. $8,217) or El Salvador (rank 89, GDP p.c $5,180)

Well put Lev. Thanks for the thoughtful article, James.

A discussion about Cuba, in which I participated, on John Quiggin's site in December 2006 may be of interest. It's at: http://johnquiggin.com/index.php/archives/2006/12/12/castro-and-pinochet/#comment-103920

Lev, on another question, it's a long time since my drupal site at http://candobetter.org looked like yours.

Cuba has such a quality health service, that there are 10,000 Cuban doctors working in developing countries.

Cuba offered the assistance of 2,000 Cuban doctors, during the New Orleans floods, they were turned down by the USA.

Lev, I copied your last post to this discussion:

http://johnquiggin.com/index.php/archives/2008/02/22/what-have-the-romans-ever-done-for-us/#comment-206723

I trust that that is OK with you.

Yeah, Castro's Cuba was in some ways ugly, but I always liked the way Fidel stuck it to the USA, not to mention that most Cubans are evidently doing quite well under that apparently awful regime.

And they still make the most incredible music...

Lies Lies & Stats – at first glance Lev's stats look impressive for the Cuban govt, until we look more closely.

“on about one seventh of the US average income Cuba managed to produce health and educational outcomes that are equal to or very close to those of the USA.”

“On the Gender Development Index, which measures female life expectancy, adult literacy and combined enrolment as a percentage of the male figure, Cuba ranks 2nd out of 156 countries. The US is 107th (down there with the UAE, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe).”

First of all Cuba’s real income is a lot higher than that. Most Cubans work in the informal sector which is not recorded in gdp figures. Being a socialist state, private enterprise is officially illegal, but they all do it anyway to make ends meet. So hardly an indicator of the “success” of the Cuban govt's economic management. Secondly, Cuba was permanently weaned by the USSR and now Venezuela (highly subsidised oil), China (long-term loans) & ongoing from American Cubans sending over cash. So that’s how Cuba is able to maintain the level of health care it has.

As for the Gender Development Index (& its sister the Gender Enrolment Index), this is one misleading index full stop. At first glance that stat suggests that there is much higher gender equality in Cuba than America. In the same way as a dead man & woman are equal too. So what. I think that stat hides a lot more than it reveals.

Having said the above, I've never understood the degree of ongoing hostile rhetoric toward Castro's Cuba from the US. During the cold war, yes, but not now. Socialist state, OK, but relatively benign really. On a US online forum I asked the question 'was Castro really that bad, & if so, give me some evidence'. The response was plenty of hot air but precious little else. Yet from the tone you'd think they were talking about Stalinist USSR. All 3 candidates in the US election haven't passed up the opportunity to take a passing swipe at Castro, almost as if it's part of the job requirement. McCains quip the other night that “America hopes you'll be meeting Karl Marx real soon" was totally inappropriate (in one sense, although funny in another). Then again, I’m sure the rhetoric from the Cuban govt has been pretty similar. If this is as bad as it got between foes, it would be a lot more peaceful world.

“And yet, Castro has outlived them all:”

No, the President of the USA has been performing his duties since George Washington was first elected.

And the President of USA will endure beyond that day when both Castro and his anointed successor are both dead and buried.

The difference?

Castro is a despot who has appointed his successor, like a roman emperor groomed or later bred his heir.

The President of USA is a post which is appointed through a democratic process.

“Castro will be remembered as a formidable foe to American imperialism.”

I always considered him as the western outpost of Soviet imperialism.

Certainly, Cuba felt the pinch when Moscow scaled back on the “fiscal largesse” for support of its offshore military wing.

IMHO the world will be a better place when Castro is but dust in the dirt. Good riddance.

I must admit a friend treated me to a cinema ticket to see Sicko by Michael Moore and Michael Moore took some good samaritans who were the fore front being rescuers during 9/11 tragedy to Cuba because the United States Government failed to help them. I Cuba they got first class treatment. I understand that Cuba used to be run by the Mafia until Fidel rescued the people with the revolution. That Country has been under siege by the United States ever since.

KGB,

What you say about the GDP would be true if it didn't include black market (and more importantly, barter) estimates and if that values are significantly different to the normal GDP per capita measure. AFIAK, parity measures of GDP do include these estimations.

Unlike you're "equal when dead", as previously explained life expectency is very close to that of the United States. If you're going to criticise a measure at least use the criteria it uses.

The reality is that Cuba is the country with the highest HDI in central america and the Caribean, with the exception of the Bahamas and Costa Rica, both of which it is very close to (ranked 51st, 48th and 49th).

Lev,

Can you give me one gdp measure that includes the informal sector? I can think of none. In fact that is often cited as a major weakness of gpd figures, especially when comparing developing countries with developing countries.

Re the “equal when dead” comment, I wasn’t referring to the life expectancy figures but to the alleged superior gender equality in Cuba compared to the US. A dead man & woman are equal. As I say, the gdi is well-known as a potentially very misleading indicator. I’m aware that the gdi is based on life expectancy among other things, & that only clouds it’s meaning.

Not disputing Cuba’s impressive HDI figure in the region. My point is to what extent is that due to Cuba’s economic management? They can take part of the credit, yes, & Venezuela, China & American Cubans can take part of the credit too.

I think when Raul arrives on the scene, they’ll do even better. He’s already initiated a debate on the shortcomings of the communist economy. He knows it’s high time to move on.

Julie,

As for Michael Moore’s political stunt, personally I’d take that with a grain of salt. Moore has an agenda & the Cuban govt were only too happy to comply. I’m sure America could give better health care to the ailing Fidel than the Cubans if they really wanted & I’m sure you’d see that as a stunt if they did. What better way to embarrass the US than to take over some 9/11 victims. Moore was using the victims to make a film to add to his millions. What a hypocrite.

Fact is Cubans have voted with their feet, with 2 mill out of 13 mill having fled the country in the past 50 years. That is huge. That figure would be a lot higher if the Cuban govt (with US assistance) hadn’t put all sorts of restrictions on others taking off as well. I’m sure the East German health care was pretty good too, but…..Do the math.

Oops, to Lev, that should read: “developing with developed countries” & ignore the “a dead man & woman are equal.”

Col,

you’re more anti Castro than I am. So I’ll ask you the same question, as far as dictators go, was Castro really that bad? Bearing in mind that communism (& fascism) was a response to the times. As bad as those systems were, what preceded them was pretty dire, would you agree? And you’re not going to get a nice friendly warm democratic movement that is capable of taking control, so what do you do

KGB “as far as dictators go, was Castro really that bad?”

KGB simply put, A “good dictator” is an oxymoron.

The truth about Castro will not be known until after his brother is dead, just as the extent of the evil of Honecker’s Stasi was not apparent until the communist swill, who ran the GDR, were kicked out and the truth revealed.

Although the news about the place was bad, no one knew fully extent of the atrocities which happened in Cambodia under Pol Pot.

No one will ever know how many died, were imprisoned or tortured during the years of China’s “cultural revolution”

Whilst some here take issue with Chile and Pinochet, talking about thousands is a lot different to talking about millions.

I like that old saying

“A single death is a tragedy, a million deaths is a statistic.”

The author Uncle Joe Stalin.

Master of cynicism, murder and the communist system which supported Castro.

Ultimately, whilst he might not have been “Stalin’s Creature”,
Castro was “Stalin’s Creature’s Creature”.

And I never forget Lenin, who put socialism into its context

“the goal of socialism is communism”

“Bearing in mind that communism (& fascism) was a response to the times. As bad as those systems were, what preceded them was pretty dire,”

That is no excuse

I would observe what preceded things in Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Yugoslavia or what preceded Germany’s invasion of Poland or Czechoslovakia was not so “dire” as to warrant political subjegation by Stalin.

I would observe the general state of African nations has declined since “self rule” replaced colonial rule.

Without making too much a point of it, Latin America and much of the Caribbean were ex Spanish and Portugese colonies. The transition to democratic rule of ex British colonies never displayed the same level of rapid descent into revolution which has blighted the ex colonies of the Iberian Peninsula countries.

One is at pains to ask why?

Hi Col,

I agree with most of what you say, but my question is a relative one. My point is not to argue the pros and cons of dictatorships v democracies, and I think it’s not a one size fits all in any case as different conditions require different solutions. I’m definitely not one of those who say that democracy is always better than a dictatorship, eg Ataturk (dictator) set up the platform for Turkey’s future nicely & probably better than had a western democracy been imposed on them.

Your point is that we can’t answer that question until the regime ends and is replaced by a democracy, which will allow us to fully guage the extent of the damage.

But I think clues have a way of getting out. The world was getting plenty of clues about the effects of the cultural revolution, the khmer rouge, saddam, stalin, hitler well before those regimes collapsed. What was found out later just confirmed the clues earlier.

When 2 million (1/6) of the Cuban population do a runner, clues get out. So far the evidence of Castro’s human rights abuses is pretty tame as far as dictators go. And that’s my point. Yes, there were & are human rights abuses (eg earlier killing & locking away of dissidents), but no, I don’t think they stack up compared to many other dictators, given the amount of rhetoric aimed at him. In short, the level of rhetoric doesn’t match the evidence thus far. I think he’s embarrassed & frustrated the US on more than a few occasions, and the US hasn't forgotten.

Getting off topic here, but given our recent discussion on the Apology to the Aborigines thread, same thing IMO. I think that yes, there were human rights abuses (definitely not genocide) and compared to other rulers at the time, I don’t think white rule was bad at all (in fact far from it). Judging by some of the posters on that topic, a total outsider reading that might assume that white rule was akin to the Nazis. Just absurd.

Edit: (last point in last para)

Col

To be more accurate, I'll change “white” rule to “British” rule, as different white rulers were different in their treatment of indigenous populations, as you yourself point out.