Maggie's Farm

At Reason, Cuba and the Death of Communism: Fidel Castro finally admits the obvious. One quote:

This week, the regime said it will dismiss 500,000 people from government jobs, which account for 84 percent of the work force. Reflecting ruefully on the perils of sheltered bureaucracy, Raul Castro declared recently, "We have to erase forever the notion that Cuba is the only country in the world where one can live without working."

As a blanket indictment, that statement is grossly unfair. Many Cuban government employees put in long hours—working in the black market.

Even with guns and secret police and informers on every block and state terror in general, it's tough to keep a population oppressed. The only way to do it is to kill them, in which case those who imagine that they can control people and their economic activities become kings of giant cemeteries.