Although the perspective of Cubans may differ from mine, as well as people on the left or supporters of socialist policies, this was probably the most exciting news I've heard from Cuba in a long time. To hear Fidel Castro, the former ruler of the Caribbean island, admit that the Cuban economic model is not working should be a symbol of socialist economic models in general. In its ideal form, say in a Utopia where we are such humble citizens as to consistently desire hard work for our community's well-being, communism could work. I believe that with almost any government and community, however, human weakness will get the best of us and our leaders (the ones managing our money).I am skeptical of socialist policies because reliance is put on the goodness of others. While I understand that in order for society to function, people need to be trusted and depended upon, from life experience it is rare to find even a friend who is more concerned with your well being than their own (let alone concerned with the well being of society in general). While individuals in a socialist or communist society may be wise enough to understand that their own self interest is ensured through a desire to maintain productivity and harmony from the top all the way to the bottom (government to citizen), time will erode this mentality. In other words, over time, citizens of communist societies will forget why they must work hard during the full work week and eventually put the load on others, combined this will erode at the success of a communist nation. The Washington Post points out that it is not that Cubans are simply "lazy". The management of the economy in a communist government starts from the top rather than the bottom; economists and politicians try to manage the market's needs rather than capitalist behavior satisfying demand. This fact is what has led to the erosion of the Cuban economy, not just lack of incentives for citizens to work.
A socialist policy in the United States is certainly not the same as a communist government, yet these policies are dependent upon sacrifices from all citizens, including those who deem themselves politicians and their employees. Self interest, which breeds a desire for instant gratification, will take advantage of our human weaknesses. Systems such as welfare and social security demonstrate their ability to kill work incentives along with increasing the incentives and feasibility of corruption. I quote a family member of mine who told me, "Well, Obama extended the unemployment benefits for another 6 months, so I'm going to head out to Vegas for a few days." Him being an older family member of mine, at the time I was so shocked I could not think of what to say in a respectful manner. When I thought afterwards about what he had said, I realized that the only person in this world who I could trust to manage my money was myself. This lack of trust is not to argue against socialist policies in general, because in a society that hopes to improve itself over time by minimizing income disparities, socialism makes perfect sense. Yet, little by little, Cuba and perhaps supporters of socialist ideals will understand that although initially socialist policies can be a beautiful thing that will help those in need and those who do not have the social and financial resources to improve their lives, over time, many of these plans will not survive if they are not monitored and controlled properly.
No comments:
Post a Comment