[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 11 (Tuesday, February 8, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 8, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
 CUBA EMBRACING CAPITALISM WHILE AMERICA MOVES TOWARD BIGGER GOVERNMENT

  (Mr. DUNCAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, on February 3, the New York Times ran a 
headline that said: ``On the Street, Cubans Fondly Embrace 
Capitalism.''
  The story said life in Cuba is being transformed by a ``frantic 
search for dollars.''
  The story went on to say this:

       Although Cuba's Communist leadership has often sought to 
     rein in the changes, repeatedly reminding the people that it 
     has not chosen capitalism as a solution to the country's 
     grave economic problems, almost everywhere one looks these 
     days private enterprise is filling voids left by an exhausted 
     government.

  Just 5 months ago, the Cuban government allowed people to begin 
setting up new small businesses.
  The Times reported that the response was ``so enthusiastic that it 
caused serious absentee problems in state jobs and clogged downtown 
streets with petty merchants.''
  Amazing. Cuba is beginning to embrace capitalism while we in the 
United States head away from it toward more and more government.
  For those who believe that government can solve all of our problems, 
I say look at Cuba.
  Why can we not see that big government only makes our problems worse. 
When will we realize that the Federal Government has directly or 
indirectly, brought about most of the very problems that we are now 
trying so desperately to correct.

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