Th e Cuban Revolution as Socialist Human Development Studies in Critical Social Sciences Series Editor David Fasenfest Wayne State University Editorial Board Chris Chase-Dunn, University of California-Riverside G. William Domhoff , University of California-Santa Cruz Colette Fagan, Manchester University Matha Gimenez, University of Colorado, Boulder Heidi Gottfried, Wayne State University Karin Gottschall, University of Bremen Bob Jessop, Lancaster University Rhonda Levine, Colgate University Jacqueline O’Reilly, University of Brighton Mary Romero, Arizona State University Chizuko Ueno, University of Tokyo VOLUME 36 Th e titles published in this series are listed at brill.nl/scss Th e Cuban Revolution as Socialist Human Development By Henry Veltmeyer Mark Rushton LEIDEN • BOSTON 2012 Cover illustration: Agricultural fi eld in the UBPC Vivero Organipónico Alamar cooperative, Havana, Cuba. Photo taken on 5 December 2007 by Mark Rushton. Th is book is printed on acid-free paper. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Veltmeyer, Henry. Th e Cuban revolution as socialist human development / by Henry Veltmeyer, Mark Rushton. p. cm. -- (Studies in critical social sciences, 1573-4234 ; v. 36) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-90-04-21043-1 (hbk. : alk. paper) 1. Socialism--Cuba. 2. Humanism--Cuba. 3. Cuba--Social policy. 4. Cuba--Economic policy. I. Rushton, Mark. II. Title. HX158.5.V45 2012 303.44--dc23 2011035784 ISSN 1573-4234 ISBN 978 90 04 21043 1 Copyright 2012 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, Th e Netherlands. Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill, Global Oriental, Hotei Publishing, IDC Publishers, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers and VSP. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Koninklijke Brill NV provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to Th e Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910, Danvers, MA 01923, USA. Fees are subject to change. CONTENTS Acknowledgments ..................................................................................... ix Acronyms.................................................................................................... xi List of Tables and Figures .......................................................................xiii 1 Introduction .............................................................................................1 PART I THE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT PROBLEMATIC 2 Human Development, Capitalism and Socialism in Th eory ..........13 Human Development: Foundations of an Idea for Progressive Change ..........................................................................14 Bringing in the State: From Socialism to Welfare Capitalism ......................................................................................... 24 Development as Freedom: Human Development in Th eory ...............................................................................................29 Cuba’s Formulation of the Human Development Concept ............ 32 Capitalism, the Market and the Nation-State ...................................33 Human Development and Public Agency ........................................ 42 Conclusion ............................................................................................ 43 3 Human Development in Practice: Reform(ing Capitalism) Versus (Socialist) Revolution ..............................................................45 Dynamics of Capitalist Development ................................................46 A Policy Framework for ‘Sustainable Human Development’ ................................................................................... 47 Policy Dynamics of Decentralisation and Popular Participation ..................................................................................... 52 Cuba, Structural Adjustment and Globalization ............................. 57 Dynamics of Socialist Transition and Development ....................... 59 Th e Socialist Transition in Cuba ........................................................ 62 Conclusion ............................................................................................ 64 4 Socialism, Human Development and the Cuban Revolution ........ 67 Development Under the Washington Consensus ............................69 Beyond the Washington Consensus .................................................. 69 vi contents Socialist Human Development in Practice .......................................72 From the Capitalist Market to a Socialist State, 1959–1960 ........... 75 Orthodox Central Planning, 1961–1963 ...........................................80 Th e Great Debate, 1963–1964............................................................. 88 Che Guevara and Human Socialist Development, 1964–1969 ...... 92 Return to Orthodoxy in Human Development, 1970–1985 .......... 99 Th e Rectifi cation Campaign, 1986–1990 ........................................ 106 Conclusion .......................................................................................... 114 PART II DIMENSIONS OF SOCIALIST HUMAN DEVELOPMENT 5 Socialism as Revolutionary Consciousness: Dynamics of a Revolution ................................................................................... 119 Conceptual and Ethical Foundations of Socialist Humanism ...................................................................................... 120 Marx on Capitalism and Human Development .............................121 Th e Human Development Debate ................................................... 123 Socialist Human Development as Freedom ................................... 125 Marx and Che on Capitalism, Communism and Human Development .................................................................................. 134 Socialist Human Development as Equality and Social Justice .............................................................................................. 139 Shaping of a Revolutionary Consciousness .................................... 141 Education for Human Development ............................................... 143 Conclusion .......................................................................................... 150 6 Human Development as Social Welfare ..........................................151 Development Dimensions of Human Welfare ............................... 152 Policy Dynamics of Human Welfare ............................................... 157 Education, Human Development and the Revolution ..................158 Egalitarianism in the Form of Income Distribution ......................159 Inside the Revolution: Health Matters ............................................ 162 Conclusion .......................................................................................... 168 7 Socialist Humanism and the Equality Predicament ......................171 Equality in Th eory and Practice .......................................................173 Cuba before 1959 ............................................................................... 176 Policy Dynamics of Poverty Alleviation: January 1959–September 1960 ................................................................... 184 Policy Measures for Equality 1960–1985 ........................................ 187 contents vii Consolidating the Transition ............................................................189 Human Development and Work ......................................................192 Human Development at Work: Egalitarianism as a Socialist Work Ethic ...................................................................... 194 Gender Matters: Equality at Issue .................................................... 196 Revolution and the Racial Divide .................................................... 200 Th e Urban-Rural Divide.................................................................... 204 Conclusion .......................................................................................... 205 8 Socialist Human Development as Freedom ..........................................................................................209 Development as Freedom ................................................................. 210 Freedom as Emancipation ................................................................ 214 People’s Power in the Cuban Socialist State ....................................217 Institutional Dynamics of National Politics ................................... 220 Beyond Elections: Debating Democracy and Democracy in Cuba .......................................................................221 Th e CDR: Security versus Freedom .................................................225 Civil Society, the State and Democratic Politics............................. 227 Democracy as Freedom .....................................................................230 El Barrio and the Dynamics of Participation and Local Development .................................................................................. 232 Conclusion .......................................................................................... 233 9 In Solidarity: A Fundamental Principle of Socialist Humanism .........................................................................................