Cuba And Lessons From Other Communist Transitions

Based on comparative lessons from other transitions from communism, the process of reform in Leninist societies may be divided into two main stages: the onset of reform; the sustaining and deepening of the reform process. The first stage may be marked initially by "tinkering type measures that do not alter significantly the power of the party and the state, but which may be followed by deeper structural reforms that begin to change the political and economic character of the system. Once the initial stage is passed without triggering a popular revolution, then the reforms need to be sustained and deepened. As they become more structural in nature, they may lead toward a complete transition away from command economy and monopoly on political power--the twin pillars of Leninist communist regimes, upheld by actual or threatened repression. However, what is important is the movement and direction of the reform process; the end point may not necessarily be some kind of a replica of a Western democratic system.

Help identify the commonalties and differences in communist transitions in Europe and Asia, draw lessons from them, and apply them in a comparative fashion to Cuba.

Transforming Socialist Economies: Lessons for Cuba and Beyond argues that countries with centrally-planned economies can pursue divergent paths towards market liberalization. The book reviews the reform processes of China, the Central Asian Republics, Eastern Europe, Russia, Vietnam, and the role of the international financial institutions, and draws lessons for Cuba, a country on the verge of wider economic transformation.

The Cuban model of communism has been an inspiration—from both a positive and negative perspective—for social movements, political leaders, and cultural expressionists around the world. With changes in leadership, the pace of change has accelerated following decades of economic struggles. The death of Fidel Castro and the reduced role of Raúl Castro seem likely to create further changes, though what these changes look like is still unknown. For now, Cuba is opening in important ways. Cubans can establish businesses, travel abroad, access the internet, and make private purchases. Paths for Cuba examines Cuba’s internal reforms and external influences within a comparative framework. The collection includes an interdisciplinary group of scholars from around the world to explore reforms away from communism.

As once-powerful communist rulers flee their presidential palaces and centralized economies give way to free markets, the future of Latin America's last socialist country hangs in the balance. In a fast-paced style that is both technically sophisticated and admirably free of economic jargon, Eliana Cardoso and Ann Helwege provide a much-needed road map for a peaceful and productive transition from communism to capitalism. They vividly depict the tough choices Cuba faces in the years ahead, and propose a series of reforms to ease Cuba through a transition to capitalism while preserving some legitimate gains--such as those in education and health care--that socialism has provided the Cuban people. The authors begin with the crux of Cuba's predicament: it is an overly centralized single-crop economy that is fast running out of money, as it can no longer depend on privileged trade relations with the former Soviet Union. In this difficult period, Cuba faces the challenge of managing an increasingly chaotic, dysfunctional economy. Is Cuba's transition to capitalism bound to yield another Haiti? Cardoso and Helwege answer with a resounding no. They begin their analysis with a fascinating history of the political roots of Cuba, from Cuban "independence" after the Spanish-American War to the rise of Castro and the development of a socialist economy. After discussing the various economic alternatives reflected in the experience of neighboring countries--models as diverse as Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, and Chile--the authors present a systematic program to help Cuba prevent economic decline and political chaos. Their plan involves rapid privatization and the attraction offoreign investment, while providing safeguards against the excesses and inequalities endemic to Latin American capitalism.

A unique comparative study examining why some communist regimes remain in power, whilst others have fallen.