Do you know how does Socialism work in Cuba?

As a student in Cuban school I learned some theoretical basis of the Socialism sistem proposed but the philosopher Karl Marx. But some months ago while visiting a Bookshop I found an edition of "The Communist Manifest" by Karl Marx and Friederich Engels. I decided to buy it for personal studies.

I learned, the first time, that there are different proposal of Socialism sistems. But Marx insisted that his proposal was the Cientific Socialism, the theory that works to solve the conflict between the Capitalist and the worker.

According Marx the capitalists are the owners of every kind of private bussiness and their goal is to reproduce the capital through exploiting the workers. The workers are those who have nothing except the habilty to work and they have to sell itl. They have to work sometimes only to survive.

This kind of relationship respect to the material production did not exist before around the 14th century. The natural sistem of economical relations is the sistem of the primitive community where no body have the private control over the resources for material production (those things that people need to live).

The capitalism sistem is self-destructive because it causes that an increasing group of persons become more and more poor and just few become more and more riches, so the time will come,when this situation should produce a revolution of the working-class that should result in a Proletariate Dictatorship.

It is supposed that such Dictatorship will bring the happy end for the workers. They will be the owners of factories and enterprises, every one will can enjoy human rights and the fruit of the working effort. No more capitalist, no more despots who abuse of the workers.

It should be ideal that not violence be necessary, but most probably the only way to reach this goal is that the workers fight and defeat the capitalist bourgueosie or middle class.

The real facts in the Cuban Socialism

There are some valid reasons in Marx proposal: capitalism is self-destructive, is not right and works to the detriment of human beings. It is also probably right that in almost of the cases only a revolution leaded by workers could change the situation.

But, have Marxist Socialism really accomplished the promised paradise for the workers in this earth? I can not answer thinking in the ex-Soviet Union and their old satellites. I consider my own country.

Cuban Revolution was needed. The first years of Revolution gave some hope of freedom and real changes for the working-class. It is true that the attitude of the USA government causes some dramatic decisions and definitively produced an alliance with the Soviet Communist power. Fifty years later the Soviet Union exists no more, neither the European comrades. What is the situation in Cuba. Now I speak as a young worker. I am not a middle class man, I am not pro- USA politic of dominion, and certainly I am not a servant of the yankee imperialism as the Cuban government consider to all those who dare to think in different way.

I have a terrible deception of the sistem which control my country life. The goverment pretend we have a Socialist Republic and that follow the ideas of Marx. But why so many Cubans leave the country, the paradise in the Caribbean Sea? Are all these inmigrants from the burgueosie? Are they rich owners who leave Cuba because they lost their private bussiness?

No, persons who go to the inmigration offices want to leave Cuba because of they can not suffer more the Sistem. They are willing to take the risk of living and work as foreigners in other countries where they could live according their ideas of exit, freedom, economical development. They want to exercise the human right to take decisions, to take risks, to try an idea or a plan for better living; something they can not in Cuba now.

I do not say that everything is OK abroad but for some strange reason the most of the people who leave Cuba do not come back. Most of those who inmigrate with the project to work hard in other country where they have better possibilities do not come back.

The only owner of all the bussiness enterprises and the resources of production, in Cuba, is the state. The workers are not the owners, now they are the servants of the state instead of the capitalist burgueosie. The salary is between 10 to 20 USD. In a Beauty Saloon in Holguin city an advice offered: Massagist and Cleaner Vacancies. Salaries: Massagist - 250.00 Cuban Pesos (10 Cuban Convertibles or 8.00 USD) and Cleaner - 250.00 Cuban Pesos.

A contract of work in elementary schools receives the salary of 250.00 Cuban Pesos. These contracts are to teach those subjects that only require a College Diploma, Almost the salaries are in the range of 250 - 300 Cuban Pesos, some 400 and 500. The limit for almost is 8, 10 or 16 USD. This money hardly is of use to set some food on the table. If a family formed by 4 persons, parents and children, planned to eat each one a banana for breakfast that means they will use the half of a salary only to eat a banana each one everyday!

It is true, all the children can go to school and study free. But are they really learning? Yes they learn to repeat slogans against everything different to the sistem. Good teachers are disappearing from the schools and teenagers hardly trained in emergent courses go to the classrooms. Many of then soon or late leave the work so bad paid.The book "The Golden Age" by Jose Marti it is a classic for Cuban chidren. This book is hardly understood for our children today. This book is formed by 4 numbers of a magazine addressed to all the American children. It was written in the 19th century. In its first pages we can find this paragraph: "Freedom means that each man has the right to express his thoughts, to live and to speak without hypocrisy. A man who can not speak without hypocrisy can not live as a honest man." It seems that a lot of people including the children in Cuba can not learn and understand, and hardly to practice this beautiful and certain teaching.

It is true that Cuba has an army of good physicians helping people aorund the world but I invite you to give thanks to God or to whatever you desire that you are not among the citizens who run an obstacles race trough the hospital and clinics. I do not mean that this problem or worse than it is only a Cuban problem. The fact is that the Cuban government pretend that we are a Medical Power and a Model of medical care. For whom? I would like you visit some of our hospitals in the capital which an special section for foreigners, you could appreciate quiet different the room are for each one: foreigners and natives. On the other side I have to recognize those good doctors we still have working here and the care the sicks receive at "Ameijeiras Hospital".

In Cuba it is supposed you have freedom to express your ideas, if you do not contradict the government ideas of course. If you talk again Socialism, according their understanding, you are a servant of the North American empire. No one can write a journal or a news paper with a different opinion. Democracy and freedom to speech are manipulate in all countries, but it is hoped it does not happen in a Socialist country where all human rights are to be respected. The workers can not express what they really think or feel in the Communist paradise.

In Cuba there is true religion freedom for those Churches and religions that clip hands to the government speech. The government broadcast through TV and radio only those religious events with Socialism approach. An exception were the masses during the visit of Pope John Paul II. People can go to the church, even preach on the streets and delivery religous tracts. This was not possible before 1990.

It is true things are better, but true religious freedom opens other doors. It is true that there are conflict in this area in other countries but I am not able to talk about these countries, I can properly talk about mine. On other side itis supposed that in Cuab we are building a better society for all. For the benefit of all Religion and State should be definitively separated. No religous organization is homogeneous, neither political organizations. So in each sides we should expect to find different opinions, tendences. But the so called Socialism, as understanding in Cuba has well learned the intolerance and dogmatism of many religious leaders and organizations in past times and today.

After fifty years of Socialist Revolution, Cubans have not satisfied the problem of housing. There material to build new "Shoppings", as Cuban call the stores and markets where you pay with Cuban Convertible (CUC), but it is difficult to get the materials to repare and build the house of workers. But there is an expiatory goat for many things including this. It is the bockade of USA on Cuba. Come to Cuba and you will be able how much the blockade has affected our markets and "shoppings". You will find almost everything but to high prices that the workers can not pay.

About Access to Internet

Few Cubans have access to Internet. A simple thing as contact a professor of a Universiy abroad or access to a Library through internet is not possible for most of us. Now the government offers the opportunity to access to Internet by a prepaid card of 6.00 Cuban Convertible (about 7.00 USD) per hour. The half of a salary or a complete salary in some cases! It is a ripe off if you learn that in some places the connection is so slow that to open a site could take 3 minutes or 5, in extreme situation. Internet and cells are privileges for young male and female prostitutes, some doctors and agents in especific jobs as in the the airport, and those whose relatives could sent USD each month or frecuently.

I had a conversation with a Professor of History and Marxism. I asked her why a Cuban can not establish a business. She said: "You have not capital to do it. Capital means million of dollars, and you can not get this money". I suggested that I could beging a little business with 800.00 USD in Cuba and then increase my little capital even if it takes a long time. She answered: "You may not. Because we are Socialist and we can not allow private property." She also refers to the sistem in China as a good model we should learn from it but I wonder if she really knows that China is a so called "Red Capitalism".

So works Socialism in Cuba and this is not a detailed report. Finally I want to remark that I do not intend to attack anybody neither present my country as the worst society. I am evaluating with my own opinion the reality I live everyday. And I would like some day to share how I could access to this Hubpages and submit this hub.