US cable: Cuba to be insolvent within 2-3 years

[Zorro]

<snip>

A newly released confidential U.S. diplomatic cable predicted Cuba's economic situation could become "fatal" within two to three years, and detailed concerns from other countries' diplomats — including China — that the communist-run country has been slow to adopt reforms.

The cable was written in February, months before Cuban President Raul Castro announced a major revamp of the island's economy, laying out plans to fire a half-million state workers and open up the island to expanded forms of private enterprise.

The cable, sent by the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, which Washington maintains instead of an embassy, was released Friday by WikiLeaks. It was apparently written by America's chief diplomat on the island, Jonathan Farrar.

There was no immediate reaction from the Cuban government, but the cable's release is not likely to help improve U.S.-Cuban relations already strained by the long detention of an American contractor on suspicion of spying — not to mention 50 years of Cold War animus.

<snip>

More at: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101210/ap_on_bi_ge/cb_wikileaks_cuba

[social_critic]

1. Why would it hurt Cuban-US relations?

The Cuban government can point out they ARE evolving, and are going to fire all those workers, who will be expected to become capitalist entrepeneurs, making profits, and so on. The question is whether they reform the laws so these entrepeneurs can work within a legal framework or they'll be like the christian copts in Egypt, an underclass limited to be garbagemen and other poorly paid jobs.

[roody]

2. They won't be as bad-off as we will be in 2-3 years

in the US.

[Billy Burnett]

3. No shit!

What utter BS this story is.

Look at what is happening in America today ...

Horrific: Bing plans to end water, sewer, public safety services to 1/3 of Detroit
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9741457#9741483

:wow:

[social_critic]

4. I don't think you understand just how poor Cuba is

Cuba has a very low per capita GDP, it's about 25 % that of the USA. For us to fall as far down as Cuba, we would have to have a great depression lasting 30 years.