Cuban Fiscal Policy

In 1959, Cubareceived 74 percent of its imports from the US, and the US received 65 percentof Cuba’s exports. On February 3, 1962, the United States imposed a fulltrade embargo on Cuba, completely ending any type of trade between the twocountries. This embargo remains in effect today, more than four decades later,and has grown ! to be a huge center of debate and controversy (DeVarona 8).Opponents to the embargo argue that the embargo does nothing more than hurt theCuban people, while proponents argue that the embargo places pressure on Castroto repair Cuba’s mismanaged and corrupt government. Both the supportersand the opponents of this embargo have strong arguments and evidence to supportthese

Cuba’s government is a totalitarian-socialist regime from a communist state. Fidel Castro is Cuba’s leader by default, but many Cuban’s dislike Castro’s ruling and cannot wait till the end of Castro’s rein. Castro also has his own army, which help him keep everything in order in and around the country. Fidel’s army is also known for brutal attacks on its citizens. Cuba’s religion is 85% Roman Catholic and many take their religion seriously.

The constitution of 1976, which was replaced by the constitution of 1992, defined Cuba, is a socialist republic. Both of them are guided by ideas of Marx. Lenin. Engels and José Martí. Communist party of Cuba is only party in Cuba, which is described "leading force of society and of the state” by Sawyer (2006,p.13). Cuba has a totalitarian system. It is no democracy. The National Assembly of People's Power is national legislature, which is the supreme organization of PCC and has 609 numbers for 5 years each term, has right to correct constitution and legislate laws. However, the power to make decision of legislative power is held by the 31 members of Council of Ministers. The president of this country, who is selected by Assembly, serves 5 years per term and can be selected unlimited time. In addition, any citizens who age over 16 and have not been convicted of a criminal offense can vote. The right of vote in Cuba is only to choose Candidates of the Assembly. According to Lambie (2010,p147), this select system of president means present president or someone who has important power might control the process of selecting for reappointment.

In the article, “Why Do We Still Have an Embargo of Cuba?” Patrick Haney explores the history of the embargo and the different factors which have maintained and tightened its restrictions over the past fifty years. The embargo consists of a ban on trade and commercial activity, a ban on travel, a policy on how Cuban exiles can enter the U.S., and media broadcasting to the island. These once-executive orders now codified into law by the Helms-Burton Act, have become a politically charged topic which wins and loses elections, spawned influential interest groups, and powerful political action committees.

Adjustments have been since then so that independent businesses in Cuba may trade with the United States, resulting in, “the United States [becoming] Cuba’s fifth largest trading partner since 2007,” (Lee and Renwick 5). Even though Obama came into office in 2008, and a year later reversed more of the restrictions set forth in the Helms-Burton Act, the actual lift of the embargo and Helms-Burton seems to not be as close as the media makes it seem. Since Raul Castro has come into office, also in 2008, he has claimed he would work towards normalizing relations with the United States, and further stated that he would leave office in 2018. Castro leaving office marks the end of the period the Castros have been in power, and leaves question to how the state of Cuba could potentially thrive. In my opinion, after reading many articles that bought forward the many problems Cuba is to overcome, I feel that Cuba has a long way to go in terms of achieving economic prosperity. However, I also deeply believe that the leaders of both Cuba and the United States are paving the roads needed to reach that level of prosperity. Journalists who have visited Cuba have come back claiming, “private businesses have blossomed due to the relaxation of limits of remittances from Cuban Americans to the island,” (O’Neil 2). This statement, and others like it, leaves me to feel

Since 1965, Cuba has been governed by Communist Party of Cuba (Partido Comunista de Cuba—PCC), a highly centralized system, which is the only authorized political party and rules as “the highest leading force of society and the State,” according to the constitution. PCC monopolizes all government positions. Party membership is a de facto prerequisite for high-level official positions and professional advancement in most areas, although non-party members are sometimes allowed to serve in the National Assembly. The Communist Party or one of its subsidiaries vets candidates for any elected office. President Castro has control over all aspects of life using the Communist Party and its affiliated mass organizations. President Castro personally

Castro’s half century run as Cuba’s first czar turned a once successful national economy into a shambles where everything is provided “free” by the government. The only problem is the government has nothing that isn’t already Castro’s personal fortune of one billion that in retrospect isn’t doing him much good now.

In 1959, Fidel Castro seized control of Cuba and the country turned from dictatorship to a communist state. The Cuban socioeconomics follow that of other Communist cultures for example the Soviet Union, where the government is in control all parts of its citizen’s way of life. In most recent years, Raul Castro has setup many reforms that benefit the people. The reforms are:

Even though there has been a lot of progress in Cuba, the lack of import and exports of goods into Cuba has led the economy into a big distress creating a situation where the Cuban people are struggling to put a meal on the table for their families. The Cuban people recognize that the embargo is the door that has kept them shut away from having a better life. After many years of supporting a broken policy, the United States goal of bridling a democracy in Cuba will be reached much quicker by ending the embargo rather than maintaining it.

Let us evaluate Cuba; the Cuban Government is a communist one. In order for the communist regime to work, the Cubans must be secluded by the rest of the world. Humans always want what they cannot have. The Cubans think that the rest of the world has the “good life” and they are deprived of it. When my husband’s cousin married a Cuban, and she immigrated to Canada, she expected to live like a queen. She had the impression that she would be extremely happy because she would be showered with material items, such as cars, large homes, junk food and electronics. Little did she know that she needed to work really hard to afford those items. A capitalist society has nothing given to them for free; most of us need to work to afford the necessities. When she went to work and saw that the government took half her pay in taxes, she was complaining about fairness. She soon realized that she had to work for items that she received for free

The political, economic, social and military facets of Cuba have been extremely volatile over the last six centuries, beginning with the settlement of the Spanish colonies in the 15th century. For several decades, Cuba desperately sought independence from Spain and after a series of rebellions the country was finally freed. From 1903 to 1959, Cuba was technically declared ‘independent’, but in reality was still a colony belonging to the United States. During this period, the U.S. provided little opportunity for the Cuban economy to grow; under the Platt Amendment, the provision that allowed the U.S. to maintain autonomous intervention on the island, the non-sugar industries were completely controlled by the U.S. Further, the U.S. instilled a “sugar quota” which directly mandated how much sugar Cuba was allowed to sell at a government subsidized price. By the 1950s, a majority of Cuba’s telephone and electrical services, public service railways, raw sugar production and non-sugar production were U.S. owned (Brenner, 2014). The U.S. provided itself a desperately needed economic crutch being Cuba’s largest export market.

The main consideration in this regard is, again, the degree of control which the government maintains over all aspects of Cuban civil society. This is particularly true in terms of maintaining what the government regards as civil order through the regulation and prevention of free expression and free communications. This type and degree of government control affects all aspects of Cuban citizens' lives.

In 1940 to 1944, communist Fulgencio Batista withheld power as the president of Cuba and then from 1952 to 1959, United States backed dictator until fleeing Cuba because of Fidel Castro’s 26th of July Movement. Socialist Fidel Castro governed the Republic of Cuba as Prime Minister from 1959 to 1976 and then as President from 1976 to 2008. Fidel Castro’s intent was to provide Cuba with an honest democratic government by diminishing the corrupt way in which the country was run, the large role the United States played in the running of Cuba as well as the poor treatment & the living conditions of the lower class.

Cuba is a very small country located in South America, right under the mighty United States of America. During the 1950s, Cubans were undergoing the first mission of trying to overthrow the current government which was led by Batista (Source 6). Ultimately success of the Cuba Revolution, in 1959, came about. In a way to govern the country and make sure it runs smoothly “The Provisional government [was put into place] from the 1st of January 1959” (Source 6). Fidel Castro seized the position of Prime Minister in Cuba and would stay in charge for approximately 49 years. Before the Cuba Revolution, Fidel Castro envisioned a way to improve and drastically change the way people in Cuba were living. Fidel Castro looked to improve conditions of living

This was further confirmed in an article written by Mitchell Orenstein, “Cuban Political System- More than just Castro”. He wrote, “The Cuban government follows a socialist approach to economic development, where the state owns most of the means of production and hold thigh control of many facets of the economy. Currently, the state possesses the large majority of the firms in the island and employs more than 90% of the labor force. The main sources of revenue for the government include taxes, remittances, tourism, and the export of sugar and nickel. In addition, the presence of foreign capital is restricted to few sectors like mining, technology and oil extraction”.