Profit and loss

[calbert at tiac.net]

Teufel:

> The examples of Stalin and Mao warn of creating governments according
> to an economic model.

No, they warn of subsituting the vision of one for a process of 
many....

> The example of Cuba illustrates an industry-driven boycott. Much like
> Big Oil's boycotts before WWII of non-cartel producers, Florida sugar
> farmers make sure that the boycott of Cuba stays.

What do you know of US sugar policy and its effects on the world 
market? I'm a consumer of sugar in my little sody pop project, and 
can tell you that the braindead US policy is not mirrored elsewhere - 
wanna buy cuban sugar? go to Canada - I'd say try N. Europe as 
well, but they too engage in protectionst policies favoring their beet 
growers at the expense of Cuba and other Carribean nations....

But if you lifted the prohibition today, Cuba's economy would still be 
a stunning failure next week - not because Cubans can't produce, 
it's because Fidel's understanding of economics is ABYSMAL, and 
his opinion is the only one which matters there....However, if you 
were to remove Fidel today, Cuba would quickly become the 
Indonesia of the Atlantic (barring the sort of debilitating nepotism in 
which Indonesian rules have engaged)...

but that said, I believe we SHOULD lift the embargo - yesterday....


love,
cfa 
>