A POSTCAPITALIST PARADIGM: THE COMMON GOOD OF ...

The Chinese Revolution also subordinated the economy to politics, but
tried to go a step further. The Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) was an
attempt to let revolutionary ideas and values prevailing over everything
else, neglecting the economic sphere. However, it was a forced and brutal
attempt that completely failed. From sheer necessity the revolution
stepped back: the economic sphere was given more space and the
sphere of values and ideas was considerably scaled down to almost
mer ely pragmatism.
In a way the Islamic awakening of the last decades is also an attempt to
break with the capitalist logic and to restore a better hierarchy of spheres.
But those attempts are to some extent anachronistic or sometimes
show a democratic deficit.
In my opinion, societies where one has come closed to a satisfying
restoration of the spheres, or try to do so, are ALBA countries like Cuba,
Venezuela and Bolivia. I limit myself to Cuba, which I know best. 47 Sources
of inspiration of Cuban revolution were Marx and Lenin, but also José
Martí. This has resulted in an original mix in which consciousness, ideas,
ethics and even utopia occupy a prominent position, in contrast with classic
Marxism where those aspects are marginal or even excluded. In my
view the most important contribution of the Cuban revolution to Marxism
is the reintegration of the ethical and utopian dimension. 48 But also
on the issue of the environment the Cuban revolution is at the vanguard.
Already in 1992 at the conference of Rio, Fidel Castro warned that the
survival of humanity was endangered. 49 Sustainability is a top priority
47 In this article I will mention Cuba three times as an example. To avoid misunderstandings,
I have not the slightest intention to idealise the Cuban revolution. For
those who suspect me of that I recommend to read my analysis of the huge challenges
of the Cuban society today: Vandepitte M., ‘Los desafíos económicos y sociales
de la revolución cubana en 2010’, May 23, 2010,
http://www.rebelion.org/noticia.php?id=106387. Neither do I want to present Cuba
as a model. One of the biggest mistakes of 20 th century was considering particular
countries of revolutions as models to imitate or to export. If I mention Cuba it is as
a illustration, as a source of inspiration or as a prove that something is possible.
48 Demuynck K. & Vandepitte M., De Factor Fidel, Antwerp 2008, chapter 4.
49 Castro F., ‘Speech given at the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development’, Rio de Janeiro, June 12, 1992, http://www.cuba.cu/gobierno/discursos/1992/ing/f120692i.html.
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