Cuban system is one of the best in education and health and has performed well in Human development index, a country which Castro called ‘socialist’ in 1961. Cuba has emphasised popular participation, even when leaving the political control absolute within the one party system. It has been critiqued by people like Samuel Farber, for many reasons; like many luxury or high-cost goods channelized by the ruling groups through extra-economic more likely in terms of political means, rather by expenditure of monetary income, restrictions applied on foreign travel, for low levels of internet availability, lack of its own good to sell in international market, dependence on sugarcane economy and lack of developing consumer goods. Emergence of New left is also witnessed in Cuba, which emphasise more on political liberty, defending standard of living and for democratically self-managed economy and polity. These visions will find tougher to battle, in a state where political repression is high enough. It is not to dismantle the revolutionary success of Castro or de-emphasis the socialist outcomes that provided redistribution of resources with much success but to initiate a dialogue on the reform of left according to new realities. December 17, 2014, witnessed a radical shift in United States policies towards Cuba. Washington has constantly tried to overthrow the Cuban regime with every sort of humiliated tactics. Those cannot be easily put into the dustbin of amnesia. There has been an attempt for political normalization. Embassy has been opened in Havana. Trade and travel restriction has been eased. Raul Castro ever since he has assumed power has been moving towards adopting the Sino Vietnamese model[i]. The highlight of this diplomatic success is that, it’s a victory for Cuba’s national self-determination since Washington failed to impose its hegemonic social-economic political system over Cuba. The removal of trade barrier will improve the standard of living of Cubans and help to liberalize which according to Samuel Farber ‘will undermine the support for the Castro government thereby facilitating the resistance and political formulation of alternatives to its rule’ (Farber, 2014). For many like Farber the resumption of US – Cuban relations is a real victory. But many are sceptical over those diagnoses, since it’s a play with the imperial Big Brother. End Notes: [i] A model of state-capitalism, which ensures the monopoly of political power to the Communist Party, but not relaxing its essential control over the strategic sectors of the economy like banking. It may share the rest with a domestic and foreign private sector. Bibliography: Baker, P., 2014. The Newyork Times. [Online] Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/18/world/americas/us-cuba-relations.html?_r=0 [Accessed 10 June 2015]. Farber, S., 2014. The Alternative in Cuba. Jacobin, 22 12. Farber, S., 2015. Cuba’s Challenge. Jacobin, 10 June.
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