Left I on the News

There have been big developments in Cuba recently, from Fidel Castro's misinterpreted statement that the Cuban system "doesn't work" to the government announcement of a 500,000-person reduction in the public work force and the simultaneous expansion of private work opportunities. Rather than offering my own thoughts on these events, I wanted to provide readers with a list of things I've been reading, and found useful, in an attempt to understand these events and put them in context. So here's my recommended reading (and in one case, viewing) list:

• Report on the Political and Economic Situation in Cuba, written by my friend Gloria La Riva, featuring extensive background information
• A Marxist Analysis of Cuba's New Economic Reforms, by Brian Becker (National Coordinator of the ANSWER Coalition and a leader of the Party for Socialism and Liberation)
• Mills' Return, a 2007 talk by Ricardo Alarcón, President of Cuba's National Assembly, detailing the history of U.S. policy against Cuba (which puts what's happening in Cuba in its proper context)
• Cuba, The Measure of Revolution, a 2009 talk by Alarcón, also very important
• What the Economic Reforms Mean for the Cuban Revolution and Socialism, video of a recent talk by Brian Becker, very much different from his article linked above
• Cuba: Economic changes and the future of socialism -- interview with Cuban professor José Bell Lara, a very informative article about the way Cuban supporters of the revolution view what's happening
• The self-employed sector - Much more than an alternative, an article from today's Daily Granma explaining in detail some of the changes that have been adopted

It's a lot, I know, but every one of those articles (and one video) will almost certainly prove both enlightening and informative. All are highly recommended.