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Cuba: A Revolution in Motion
Isaac Saney Manufacturer: Zed Books ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
ASIN: 1842773631 |
Book Description
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INSIGHTS INTO A DIFFERENT WORKING PARADIGM.......2007-09-24
Extremely Biased.......2007-01-26
Absolute Garbage.......2005-04-19
all you ever wanted to know about Cuba.......2005-03-04
One of the most remarkable stories of our time.......2004-04-26
Dr. Saney is an Associate Director at Henson College, Dalhousie University in Canada. He is a frequent visitor to Cuba and conducts scholarly work in the fields of international development, political economy and law. The author is skilled at explaining Cuban political philosophy and helps us understand how the Cuban decision making process reflects the collectivist values of its society.
The book has six chapters. The first is about the history of Cuba especially as it relates to slavery, U.S. economic dominance and Cuba's dependence on the Soviet Union. The so-called 'Special Period' that began as the result of the collapse of the U.S.S.R. is also covered in detail. Dr. Saney tells us that despite extreme economic hardship and mounting hostility from the U.S., the Revolution has been reaffirmed by the Cuban people. The author describes the many reforms that have been implemented in order to stabilize the economy and ensure that commitments to social justice remain intact for all its citizens.
The second chapter discusses governance, perhaps one of the most misunderstood aspects of modern Cuban society. Dr. Saney states that the goal of the Cuban political system is to "extend democracy to both the political and economic spheres" by enshrining these rights in its constitution. In practice, free elections, unions and mass organizations allow for Cuban democracy to act as a force that shapes society from the bottom-up.
Chapter three addresses race and inequality. Dr. Saney shows us how Cuba has transformed itself from a highly-stratified society to one of the most egalitarian in the world. The author contends that the Cuban state's eradication of the economic basis of racism offers proof that the "abolishment of the capitalist order [is] an indispensable step towards the elimination of racism".
Chapter four is on the topic of crime and justice. Chapter five is about U.S. and Cuban history with an emphasis on recent events. While the Cuban justice system as described by Dr. Saney appears to compare favorably to most others in Latin America, ongoing U.S. hostility has meant that Cuba must make special provisions in its law to protect itself. If Cuba is to be castigated for punishing mercenaries, spies and other aggressors, then it is not unreasonable for the U.S. to cease its ongoing economic embargo, subversive activities and hostile rhetoric.
The final chapter focuses on the lessons learned from the Cuban experience. Dr. Saney discusses Cuba's significant contributions to the world community in organic farming, biotechnology and health care. Other noteworthy accomplishments that the author highlights include the Cuban military's support of Angola (which was a critical factor in freeing the South African people from apartheid) and the leadership role that Cubans have played in various international human rights organizations. The author also believes that the Cuban people will be successful in protecting socialism even as it opens its economy to foreign investment.
Cuba is not a perfect society, but Dr. Saney has amply demonstrated in this book that Cuba's vitality continues to pose a challenge to the "inherent injustice and unsustainability" of capitalism. I encourage everyone to read this outstanding book to learn more about the Cuban experience and to gain insight into how we might secure a better future for all.
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Banana Wars-The Price of Free Trade: A Caribbean Perspective
Gordon Myers Manufacturer: Zed Books ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Similar Items:
ASIN: 1842774522 Release Date: 2004-10-14 |
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Inequality in Latin America: Breaking With History? (World Bank Latin American and Caribbean Studies. Viewpoints)
Guillermo E. Perry , Francisco H. G. Ferreira , and Michael Walton Manufacturer: World Bank Publications ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
ASIN: 0821356658 |
Book Description
With the exception of Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean has been one of the regions of the world with the greatest inequality.Inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean: Breaking with History? explores why the region suffers from such persistent inequality, identifies how it hampers development, and suggests ways to achieve greater equity in the distribution of wealth, incomes and opportunities. The study draws on data from 20 countries based on household surveys covering 3.6 million people, and reviews extensive economic, sociological and political science studies on inequality in Latin America.
To address the deep historical roots of inequality in Latin America, and the powerful contemporary economic, political and social mechanisms that sustain it, Inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean outlines four broad areas for action by governments and civil society groups to break this destructive pattern:
Build more open political and social institutions, that allow the poor and historically subordinate groups to gain a greater share of agency, voice and power in society.
Ensure that economic institutions and policies seek greater equity, through sound macroeconomic management and equitable, efficient crisis resolution institutions, that avoid the large regressive redistributions that occur during crises, and that allow for saving in good times to enhance access by the poor to social safety nets in bad times.
Increase access by the poor to high-quality public services, especially education, health, water and electricity, as well as access to farmland and the rural services. Protect and enforce the property rights of the urban poor.
Reform income transfer programs so that they reach the poorest families.
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With the exception of Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean has been one of the regions of the world with the greatest inequality. Inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean: Breaking with History? explores why the region suffers from such persistent inequality, identifies how it hampers development, and suggests ways to achieve greater equity in the distribution of wealth, incomes and opportunities. The study draws on data from 20 countries based on household surveys covering 3.6 million people, and reviews extensive economic, sociological and political science studies on inequality in Latin America. To address the deep historical roots of inequality in Latin America, and the powerful contemporary economic, political and social mechanisms that sustain it, Inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean outlines four broad areas for action by governments and civil society groups to break this destructive pattern: Build more open political and social institutions, that allow the poor and historically subordinate groups to gain a greater share of agency, voice and power in society. Ensure that economic institutions and policies seek greater equity, through sound macroeconomic management and equitable, efficient crisis resolution institutions, that avoid the large regressive redistributions that occur during crises, and that allow for saving in good times to enhance access by the poor to social safety nets in bad times. Increase access by the poor to high-quality public services, especially education, health, water and electricity, as well as access to farmland and the rural services. Protect and enforce the property rights of the urban poor. Reform income transfer programs so that they reach the poorest families.
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The Dominican Crisis: The 1965 Constitutional Revolt and American Intervention
Piero Gleijeses Manufacturer: The Johns Hopkins University Press ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover ASIN: 0801820251 |
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Storm Signals: Structural Adjustment and Development Alternatives in the Caribbean
Kathy McAfee Manufacturer: South End Press ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
ASIN: 0896084205 |
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New Wealth: Commercialization of Science and Technology for Business and Economic Development
George Kozmetsky , Frederick Williams , and Victoria Williams Manufacturer: Praeger Publishers ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover ASIN: 156720631X |
Book Description
Drawing from more than 25 years experience in research and project creation, Kozmetsky and Williams describe how accelerated commercialization strategies building on advances in science and technology offer a sustainable source of wealth. They show how collaboration among business, government, entrepreneurial, and academic partners--all focusing to leverage local resources to compete in the global marketplace--is an established and powerful strategy for 21st century business creation and economic development. This collaborative success strategy of "thinking globally and acting locally," along with supportive activities such as technology incubators, research methods, entrepreneurship training, and use of networks for resource sharing is what has come to be called the "Technopolis paradigm." Because a maturing Technopolis evolves as an integral component of a city, state, or larger sociopolitical unit, it promotes attention to sustainability and quality of life. Further, Kozmetsky and Williams consider the Technopolis paradigm as a process of constructive capitalism in that it utilizes private or corporate commercialization of science and technology to create wealth and shared prosperity, the value of which is set by competition in a free market.Customer Reviews:
The evolution and applications of the 'technolopolis network.......2005-07-05
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Back From the Future: Cuba Under Castro
Susan Eckstein Manufacturer: Routledge ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Similar Items:
ASIN: 0415947936 |
Book Description
Back From the Future is the definitive analysis of Castro's Cuba from 1959 to the present. The Second Edition contains a new Preface and Epilogue by the author addressing such important changes of the last decade as the growing immigrant community of Cuban-Americans in Florida, the withering U.S. embargo on Cuba, the role of Cubans in the 2000 elections, and the inevitable transition of power now that Castro is in his seventies. No other book on Cuba offers such an in-depth and grounded historical analysis.
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Sugar, Slavery, and Freedom in Nineteenth-Century Puerto Rico
Luis A. Figueroa Manufacturer: The University of North Carolina Press ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
ASIN: 080785610X Release Date: 2005-12-09 |
Book Description
The contributions of the black population to the history and economic development of Puerto Rico have long been distorted and underplayed, Luis A. Figueroa contends. Focusing on the southeastern coastal region of Guayama, one of Puerto Rico's three leading centers of sugarcane agriculture, Figueroa examines the transition from slavery and slave labor to freedom and free labor after the 1873 abolition of slavery in colonial Puerto Rico. He corrects misconceptions about how ex-slaves went about building their lives and livelihoods after emancipation and debunks standing myths about race relations in Puerto Rico.Historians have assumed that after emancipation in Puerto Rico, as in other parts of the Caribbean and the U.S. South, former slaves acquired some land of their own and became subsistence farmers. Figueroa finds that in Puerto Rico, however, this was not an option because both capital and land available for sale to the Afro-Puerto Rican population were scarce. Paying particular attention to class, gender, and race, his account of how these libertos joined the labor market profoundly revises our understanding of the emancipation process and the evolution of the working class in Puerto Rico.
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Latin America in the World Economy: Mercantile Colonialism to Global Capitalism
Frederick Stirton Weaver Manufacturer: Westview Press ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
ASIN: 0813338093 |
Book Description
Latin America in the World Economy considers the dual aspect of Latin American development: how external factors (phases of world capitalism since Columbus) interweave with internal factors (Latin American culture, politics, and social groups). Within his skillful approach, Weaver demonstrates how domestic social conflicts and power relations have consistently capitalized on changes in the international economy, while, conversely, engagement with the international economy has consistently constrained local struggles and patterns of change. With over half of the book dedicated to the "short" twentieth century (after 1930), Latin America in the World Economy is appropriate for courses in Latin American economic history, political economy, and development.
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Foundation for Democracy in Africa Report on the Fifth Annual International Symposium on Democracy, Trade, Investment and Economic Development in: Expanding Trans-Atlantic Trade & Investment
Trade, Investment and Economic Development in Africa (5th : 2002 : Miami, Fla.) International Symposium on Democracy , and Tr International Symposium on Democracy Manufacturer: Aglob Pub. ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback ASIN: 159427004X |
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