Castro out, Castro in!

So Fidel Castro is finally stepping down this Sunday as president of the council of state, and commander in chief, of Cuba. It now looks pretty much certain that his brother, Raúl will be invited by the council of state to become president.

This move could well lead to a wide range of economic changes in Cuba, though we'll have to wait to see how far they'll go. They can't exactly adopt the China model but I reckon that Cuba can find a way to renew the revolution while improving the living conditions of its citizens. A more even-handed approach from the United States would help them with this.

In other news of Marxist-Leninist insurgency, the Northern Rock bank will finally be nationalised at some point this week. Seeing as British tax payers were guaranteeing the bank, it's pretty sad that it has taken months for Alistair Darling to follow my (well, Lenin's) advice. I remember that Iberian Notes used to use 'nationalising the banks' as an emblem of the terrible things socialist governments can do. One presumes that New Labour's nationalisation of a bank that nearly collapsed because of the instablity inherent in the capitalist system is acceptable. Business in neo-liberal societies traditionally condemns state involvement in the market, unless it's to pick up the pieces after the whole mess falls apart. And it happens again and again and again.