Human Development & Dictatorships: Cuban Healthcare and Other Myths

For decades, the Communist regime in Cuba has sold an image of a nation with high human development, boosted by its alleged world class healthcare system and education. However, reality tells a story of coercion, lies, and misery. The case of the Cuban dictatorship is not unique. Other regimes have positioned themselves as having achieved commendable levels of development: Chile under Pinochet, Kazakhstan under Nazarbayev, and numerous others. In this episode, economic historian and Assistant Professor at George Mason University Vincent Geloso discusses how authoritarianism is a poor vehicle for development, and how an expansion of rights and democracy has been a driving force behind the improvement in the lives of billions over the past century.