David Aaaronovitch, writing in The Times, describes my comparison between Cuba and Haiti in my book Democracy Kills : What’s So Good About Having The Vote? as peverse.   But he misses the point entirely. His piece focuses on oppression within the Soviet bloc during the Cold War and asks Would You Live On the Wrong Side Of the Wall?   He is opposing a society that had cradle to grave welfare and extreme political control.  Democracy Kills examines societies that have NO welfare at all, but whose citizens are subjected to the brutal control of corrupt governments, warlords and tribal chiefs.

It’s worrying that Aaaronovitch focuses his argument on the ideology of Cuba, which none of us like very much, rather than examing which systems of governance have had the greatest success in bringing people out of abject poverty.  Why has dictatorial Cuba been able to provide the basic needs of its citizens while democratic Haiti has not? 

Once that is answered, we can begin to move on from the Cold War ideological baggage that so many like  David Aaaronovitch are trying to impose on the early 21st Century developing world. It is not about denying people freedom. It is about defining that freedom so it does not become a right to kill your neighbour and burn his village.  Nor is it about my pessimism, David, as you wrote. it is about finding a way through to justify my optimism.

Click here: Democracy Kills                                                             Click here: Democracy Kills

Click here: David Aaronovitch — Wrong Side Of The Wall