Continued Criticism of Cuban Working Force

taking a cue from bad leaders, Raul Castro appears determined to highlight how bad Cuban workers are and how the economic troubles in the island are their fault.

in his first "official" speech as Prince Regent, Raul chastised labor representatives in the following manner:

[Raul Castro] stressed that, in socialism, workers are the "owners of the collective means of production," and that "the only owners of the riches of the country can not be excused of their responsibility, and [those owners] are none other than yourselves and the rest of the people."

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translation: things are not working and it's your responsibility that they are not.

of course, it's not King Fidel's and Prince Raul's fault, who have ruled without elections for 47 years, forcing slavery-in-fact to the people of Cuba, who have no real incentive to work. after all, if you make money, you become suspect of "anti-social" activities and can have your gains confiscated.

oh no ... it's the workers's fault. yea.

of course, he followed those comments by saying that corruption "was a serious problem." what he means by corruption, though, is theft of government resources or cheating consumers at the marketplace.

how do i know? because just yesterday, party-mouthpiece Juventud Rebelde published criticism of how more than 11,500 businesses in Havana were selling their products at higher prices than advertised, or delivering lesser quantities.

this follows comments by Fidel last November (not so blunt nor so critical of the people) that over half of the gasoline belonging to the state was being stolen, and that such activities had the power to destroy the revolution from within.

that's what they really mean by "corruption."

i call it the marketplace at work and the rules of supply and demand imposing themselves.

when the state itself is the greatest thief, and that thief controls all resources, there is no possible way to deal with it but to steal back.