CUBA: The Great Journey in Economic Development on the United State’s

CUBA: The Great Journey in Economic Development on the United State’s Doorstep Introduction A discussion of Cuba and the occurrences within the country over the last century is often surrounded by probing analysis as to the extent to which the Revolution of 1959 actually served as a change from past regimes. It is ignorant to evaluate the revolution in a vacuum, because past events that created the climate where such a change could take place. Yet it is also immature to state that 1959 was purely a product of history and previous revolutions. The story of the Cuban revolution and events since does not begin with the revolution itself. Rather, it starts from the political, economic, and social situations which evolved over centuries. The revolution of 1959 was not the first revolution to take place in Cuba. Political struggles within the state had been occurring for years trying to create a stable system that would provide the stage for Cuba to assume its possible level of economic development and growth. Additionally, there was a desire to release the pop ulation from dictator control. The rise of the leader Fidel Castro continues to mark a drastic divergence from previous leadership and policy. For this reason the political changes of 1959 and afterwards must be viewed as a revolution, a complete change of the political system and policy of Cuba. Moreover, after seizing control of Cuba, Fidel Castro implemented a very unique form of Communism often referred to as â€Å"Castroism.† Under Castro’s control – and with substantial help from the Soviet Union – Cuba flourished in a number of areas including health care and equality. This Communism and relationship with the U.S.S.R., however, led... ...kin, p. 53 [7] Rabkin, p. 50 [8] Rabkin, p. 54 [9] Rabkin, p. 54 [10] Peter Taaffe, Mai Cuba: Socialism and Democracy. 2000. http://www.slp.at/theorie/cuba_2.html [11] Peter Taaffe, Mai Cuba: Socialism and Democracy. 2000. http://www.slp.at/theorie/cuba_2.html. [12] Rabkin, p. 53 [13] Rabkin, p. 55 [14] Rabkin, 51. [15] Rabkin, p. 170 [16] Speech by Fidel Castro, December 6, 2002, attended by Kimberly Roberts [17] Plank, p. vii [18] Plank (Wriston), p. 32 [19] Plank (Wriston), p. 36 [20] Peter Taaffe, Mai Cuba: Socialism and Democracy. 2000. http://www.slp.at/theorie/cuba_2.html. [21] Peter Taaffe, Mai Cuba: Socialism and Democracy. 2000. http://www.slp.at/theorie/cuba_2.html. [22] Garza, Laura. â€Å"UN Condemns U.S. Embargo On Cuba† 1995. [23] Plank (Wriston), p. 40 [24] Rabkin, p. 53