ABSTRACT
Fidel Castro’s exhortation needs to be seen in the context of his criticism of the state. During one of his interventions he stated: “The state lacks political orientation; it is guided by other criteria, and what abounds in the State is irresponsibility". Castro’s combination of political realism and idealism is again noted in his statement that “voluntary work” is a school of communism, since “it teaches man to forget about himself and do something for others and for society". Such idealistic rhetoric is compatible with his policies following the nearly total elimination of bonuses and paid overtime work. The great dilemma Castro faces in the short run is the salvaging of the domestic situation—his power base without which there would not be any internationalism—while postponing or, as he asserts, reorienting construction of socialism. He is likely to encounter not only discontent among the population and an erosion of his credibility, but also possibility of increasing tension with the Soviet leadership.
