 | Criminy. Even the Castros get it. When will Bambi? |
Raul Castro said Sunday that his government will scale back controls on small businesses, lay off unnecessary workers and allow more self-employment -- significant steps in a country where the state dominates nearly every facet of the economy.
| While the American administration is looking to stamp out self-employment ... |
Cuba's president, however, squashed notions of a sweeping overhaul to the country's communist economic system in response to the financial crisis it faces. "With experience accumulated in more than 55 years of revolutionary struggle, it doesn't seem like we're doing too badly, nor that desperation or frustration have been our companions along the way," the president said.
| Never mind all the boat people and the swimming Buicks ... |
Castro spoke before parliament, which opened its biannual session without Fidel Castro, who has made a slew of recent public appearances of late but missed another chance to share a major public stage with his younger brother.
| "Nurse, we need another colostomy bag!" |
Instead, lawmakers got Raul, who said authorities will "update the Cuban economic model," suggesting reforms could be on the horizon. Cuban officials plan to reduce state control of small businesses, authorize more Cubans to become self-employed and build a new tax structure that will compel state employees to contribute more.
About 95 percent of all Cubans currently work for the government and Castro has suggested that as many as one in five state employees are redundant. He promised job cuts, calling for "the reduction of work forces that are considerably bloated in the state sector."
Castro said those left out of work would be retrained or reassigned so as not to stay unemployed, but also said warned that few sectors would be immune to job-cuts. While he offered no specifics, his comments on economic and employment reform could mean a lot in Cuba, where many had hoped the government of Raul Castro could embrace small economic openings after he took power from his brother, first temporarily, then permanently, in July 2006.
The 'update' has to be managed to keep the current political and military parasites in power. If the Cubans, a naturally industrious people, start to do things for themselves, sooner or later they will turn to their 'leaders' and ask the obvious question:
"Say, you guys are kinda stupid. Who put you in charge?"
At that point 'la revolucion' is over. |
| Communist China went through several such loosenings of power. Let's give Mr. Castro the Younger a little time before believing it will last. |
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