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The Soviet Unions fate is explainable because what existed there was not pure communism. Real communism has no class system, no leaders, everyone is equal and everyone does their bit for the commune. So people with skills don't do their job for money the do it for everyone else because others will be doing the same with their skills.

And the only reason Cuba needs to turn to tourism to thrive is because the US boycotts everything else it tries to do and because Russia can no longer buy all it's sugar.

But without a leader, how is anything going to survive?

Even the smallest snake has a head.

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They survive because everyone looks out for each other.

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And where is Cuba in relation to the US and the rest of the world? And money made in the exportation of goods to the rest of the world would probably be cancelled out in the cost of exporting it in the first place. You try telling some american companies that they cannot sell their goods in America and see how long they last.

There's a common misconception that Cuba equals illegal.

Might I remind you that only the American dollar is prohibited in Cuba.

Americans travel there all the time.  Just not on flights originating from American soil.

Americans spend money there every day.  Just not with their native currency.

Cuba is what it is because they are what they are.  Not the Cuban people, but the government.  Cuba is in the fiscal crisis they're in because they're a communist regime.

Human nature is not to "look out for each other".  Human nature is to protect yourself and protect your family.

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Okay, NOW I get it. What you're saying is "this perfectly self-contained Communist utopia can't exist without it's Captilalistic "Big Brother" life-line?"  
I thought they all supported each other. Why do they even need to worry about the state of their economy?

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Cuba isn't a perfectly self-contained Communist utopia. It's a dictatorship with communist ideals. No where is there a perfect communist country because true communism can only exist in theory due to human nature.

And because it's not truely communist to the fullest extent of the world it needs money and if they can't sell anything then they can't make money and so their economy suffers and, if the USA gets what it wants people will rebel and Cuba will become a democracy. Sadly, while Castro lives that will not happen.


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When that ONE country just happens to be the biggest economy in the world then it makes quite a difference. And you say it OBVIOUSLY isn't working, well, Cuba has gone half a century with the USA blocking it's every move and it's still there. It's not obviously not working at all. All the US is doing is making things as difficult as it possibly can.


Edited to accomodate Hype's last post.