Human Development: Lessons from the Cuban Revolution

Capitalism is a system in crisis. In the context of an urgent need for an alternative system, Cuba provides valuable lessons. The Cuban Revolution’s unique features have allowed it to survive both the conditions that brought about the collapse of the Soviet model of socialism and the renewed assault of US imperialism. The Revolution also serves as an inspiration for developing countries seeking to escape the clutches of global capitalism. Henry Veltmeyer examines the Cuban Revolution from the perspective of socialist human development, critiquing of the notion of human development used by the United Nations Development Programme to rescue capitalism from its fundamental contradictions and give a human face to an exploitative and destructive development process. Veltmeyer’s analysis shows the necessity to jettison a process designed to benefit the rich and powerful at an enormous social and environmental cost, one disproportionately borne by the working classes and the impoverished masses of the developing world.