3 Jan 2010

Cuba to embrace Elinor Ostrom?

International media usually reports that Raul Castro, suitably impressed by his visit to China and Vietnam where major economic reforms were introduced long ago, favours a similar acceptance of a market-based economy.

However Mariela Castro, the president's daughter, does not believe Cubans want to adopt a foreign model.

"Cuban people are asking for a much more sustainable socialism, not a return to capitalism," she explains. "They want a permanent system of consultation, better mechanisms of participation to work for a democratic socialism."



My friend Roberto Perez reckons its commons, usufrucht and Elinor Ostrom all the way, participatory socialism as the future for Cuba.

Because unless you have a democratic economy based on principles of ecological sustainability, nothing really works in the long term.

We shall see.

Neither capitalism nor traditional socialist planning seem appropriate, Cuba might just come up with something else.

1 comment:

tim said...

I you are referring to what Cuba or the many tyrannies of history which called themselves Communist/Socialist (Stalinist Russia, Mao's China, North Korea, etc.) have done 'traditional socialim', I would disagree with the use of that phrase to describe them. Those countries were not socialist at all. I am sure you agree because if you thought they were, I am sure you would definitely not call yourself a socialist.

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