Today's Tomás Estrada-Palma Message: 2007-08-26

Really Revolutionary Economics

The Cuban Revolution of Fidel's making is nothing new and is just another form of slavery. Fortunately, I have discovered a really revolutionary economic plan who's time has come.

The plan is very simple but the ramifications are infinite and fortunately vastly positive over our current choices. If you look at it this way: What is the best way for the 3 billion people on earth to survive and even prosper? But before that, what is the best way for the Cuban people to live together on the island in such a fashion as everyone is doing well economically speaking? We start by examining taxes. Taxes have the power to destroy or at the very least shrink the part of the economy or society that is being taxed. So what would be the best thing to tax that we might even want to shrink? The two main areas are vice and urban land hoarding.

Vice, for example alcohol, does a measurable quantity of economic damage to any society. Therefore these costs can be compiled then added to the purchase price of the harmful product. This revenue would be used to mitigate the damage caused by the vice. Urban land hoarding, being the main cause of poverty in most modern societies, can be reduced by taxing or collecting the earth rent then running the government with that revenue. What happens when we fund most of society's public needs with a location value fee? Urban land owners will only hold as much land as they can put into useful production and not a penny more. Why? Because they would lose money doing so. The question then becomes, what would then happen if urban land hoarding was no longer profitable?

There is ample evidence to remove all doubt that society then develops urban land to its most efficient usage. To do this requires many laborers and this will cause full employment. Those who do not want to live in the city centers can live a bit farther out and pay little or no tax because their location is not as valuable. Businesses, free from profits and sales taxes and the paperwork labor to collect it for the government would be able to have a more stable system to earn profits. Look at it this way: If we could eliminate all those destructive taxes like those on sales, income, housing, imports and exports, investment, etc. - then replace them with the location value fee so the the government would collect the same amount of revenue, wouldn't it be better just because of all the savings everyone would reap in time and money not having to be the government's bean counters running our current slave labor based economic system?

As I have said, the economic plan is very simple but the ramifications are vast. This plan will lead very rapidly to making Cubans the richest people on the planet. For me to tell you exactly how will take years. Why? It took me five years to just begin to understand the plan because for the first 4 1/2 years I refused to look. Then I finally read Henry George's masterpiece, "Progress and Poverty" over the summer of 1993 and then I knew. So you are either going to have to trust me that what I am proposing for Cuba will work beyond your wildest dreams or you are going to have to read the book yourself. Henry George is brilliant. As Albert Einstein once said, "There is no disputing the teachings of Henry George. There are those who have read his masterpiece and those who have not. For those who have cannot but agree with him." Or something like that as I am paraphrasing Mr. Einstein. So read the book or please just trust me.

The Revolution and Earth Rent

The two basic economic models of the 20th Century were communism and capitalism or variations of the two. Fidel's communism outlawed private ownership of one's own labor output but he banned private ownership and sale of property too. With capitalism labors' output is taxed and earth rent is paid to private owners of land. Plus government taxes housing and other endeavors as well. You are more free in capitalist countries but the economic system is geared to enrich the wealthy class on the backs of labor.

The new economic system in Cuba should allow people to own all the fruits of their labor but also outlaw private collection of earth rent. Instead, that earth rent, based on the location value of a given property, would be paid to run the local, provincial and federal governments. Essentially, buildings and other land improvements as well as labor, sales, imports and exports, etc. would remain untaxed. This will lead to an economic explosion. The farther outlying from the central business areas the lower the earth rent because it is less desirable location wise. The rural areas with farms would be untaxed. So food production is going to soar!

The choice between capitalism and communism is a lousy one. In fact now you see why Fidel and the US government have worked together for decades.

Fidel Dead - Week One

The junta is trembling now. They know Cubans want a big change. Cubans are waiting for the confirmation before they take to the streets. They are tired of only having squatter's rights in their own country. Why should the Castro boys be the only ones permitted to cut deals and make money? All Cubans need to earn a decent living.

So the regime will continue to use a ghost writer now that Fidel IS a ghost of his former self. Raul is checking out villas for his retirement. Top island commies are digging up their dead loved ones, cremating the remains and hiding them from an angrier and angrier Cuban population who they now fear. That fear is not unfounded. The top criminals should leave before the mob can reach them.

My Motive

Many of you Cubans might be asking why the hell is Tomas doing this with respect to Cuba? First of all Cubans are really nice people who have been tricked by a master con man, Fidel Castro, and really need help getting out of this mess. In addition, America has really been a disappointment to me. The US has lost it principles upon which we were founded and each year edges closer in the direction of the current Cuban model. What is worse is most Americans are clueless to this fact and do not know any longer what is righteous and moral. Most in the states think everything is just peachy. No - my only hope of living in a truly free country is to help Cuba transform itself into that country rather than hope Americans will find their way again. It will be easier to create a wealthy, prosperous nation in Cuba than to fight an uphill battle in the US. Most Cubans here and on the island already agree with what I propose for Cuba. Lets kick these greedy pirates off the island so we can get busy making the greatest nation of the earth. My hope is Americans will see how well we are doing on the island with this new social/economic model and will demand the same from the American government.

Cubanos! Demand a Raise!!!

Fifty cents per day is an insult. You must demand a 1000 percent increase and that should come with REAL health care - not the free stuff that the Cuban government offers now that does not include actual medicine. Refuse to work until these demands are met. It is the minimum that should be expected by you all and that's just for starters. You are going to get much more than that but first the pirates of the Caribbean must go!

Right in the Height of the Fidel Dying Season!

Sure...it's just my luck! Right in the height of the Fidel dying season! We've just moved and Verizon can't get to us for a couple weeks. No home phone or Internet. I'll have to do my Blogtalk show remotely using the Annapolis city wifi and do all my blogging and emailing at work. On the weekends I'll do that using the Annapolis wifi as well and if you want to call me around noon Saturday or Sunday Skype me. During the week call my work number at 202-334-6482 here at the Washington Post especially if you have new info' on Fidel demise or other movements in Cuba. The editors here could even print it if it's a scoop.

In the meantime Cubanos in Cuba - get on radio bemba and spread the word! Liberty and prosperity are at hand. Strike tonight!!!

Strike! Strike! Strike!

The slave government will delay announcing the death of Fidel as long as possible because they fear the Cuban people at last. Now it is up to the Cuban people to - do nothing! Absolutely nothing! It is called a worker's strike. It has been employed for ages by workers who want higher pay and better working conditions - like not being mis-governed by greedy nincompoops...