Cuba to ease regs on small businesses?

HAVANA (AP) — Raul Castro said Sunday that his government will scale back controls on small businesses...and allow more self-employment — significant steps in a country where the state dominates nearly every facet of the economy"

I wouldn't start packing a bag for the worker's paradise just yet. Y'see, when autocrats are in trouble (or see trouble on the horizon), they always promise to ease the burden on the always-struggling small businesses. But when push comes to shove, they always renege.

Reason is that it's an article of faith among leftists that entrepreneurs (and businessmen) are not only terminally stupid (thus easily fooled, repeatedly, by the same tricks), but also are infected with a kind of disease that makes them keep starting and trying to succeed at various businesses. To Leftists, it's like businessmen are too stupid to NOT keep trying to succeed. (How sick is *that* rationalization?)

Y'all probably think I'm just being sarcastic. Not at all. Read John Maynard Keynes. This guy was one of the pillars of 20th century economic theory, and he and his followers were absolutely certain that businessmen would keep on putting a max effort into starting and running businesses *regardless of how hard government made it for them to do that.*

It's really amazing stuff to actually see in writing.

Thing is, Keynes came up with several seemingly sound principles and theories, but then also this goofy one about businessmen. And his disciples/followers never questioned any of the master's teachings. As a result, this completely loony notion--that the amount of entrepreneurial activity is essentially unaffected by the level of regulation and difficulty imposed by government--is an article of faith by all Keynesians to this day.

Can you say "clueless dumb bastards"?