Quote Originally Posted by Seamus Fermanagh
How in heaven does that build a middle class?
Education? If nothing else, Cuba excels in the socialist ideal of schoolsandhospitals, getting more bang for their buck than practically anyone else. The criticism of western and British in particular liberal socialism is that endless resources are poured into that double-headed deity. The Cubans get excellent results with next to no resources.

Don't get me wrong, better health care for the poor has obvious benefits -- and not just politically. But keeping the poor alive can actually worsen the economic straits without something for them to aspire to.

Where in Chavez' programs do we see encouragement of entrepenurial endeavors? Assistance in development of roads/bridges/ports/commercial space? Assistance for professional degrees and job development?

If such programs exist, with a trend towards private ownership or assumption of control by private citizens, that would signal something different.
You've ignored my mention of teachers, results of the pursuit of universal education. Before you can have all those modern capitalist developments, you first need a population who can read and write. Without that you will have a system that will inevitably veer towards extreme corruption as all power is concentrated in the hands of the educated ruling class, only to be brought down by a socialist revolution that will bring about a population that can read and write and thus pursue the happiness that is every man's right.

The revolution happened in Venezuela when they elected Chavez, who is fairly moderate as revolutionaries go (Castro was even more so). Remember things can always get worse if you intervene (eg. Iran and Mossadegh), and be thankful Chavez and no-one worse was elected.