VALUE for money. You pay your money and you take your choice; you get what you pay for. All wise statements, and like so many of those popular sayings, they hold a lot of truth. That is, they are true in most non-socialist countries.

At a time when Cubans have just been given the right to buy mobile phones without having to offer themselves and their heritage to fat tourists, it has made me reflect a little on the way that socialist governments treat their populace.

In Cuba they have become world famous for giving a fine education and top-notch healthcare to all citizens - arguably far superior to anything that their Caribbean neighbours offer.

It is perhaps stretching things a little to compare France to Cuba, but bear with me. The countries are at different stages of the cycle. The French revolution was much further back in history than the rise of Che and Fidel.

France makes sure that all of its citizens are fed, watered, educated, and medicated to at least the level of its capitalist neighbours, if not a bit better. It also allows its citizens to have luxury items such as cars, and the price for goods such as these are set at a theoretically affordable level, as are the prices for the basics such as a loaf of bread, a haircut, or a trip to the doctor.

The premise behind this system is that it makes all things affordable to all, and ensures homogeneity of quality and service across the board.

That is all very well when it comes to something that they are generally good at making, such as bread and cheese, but it does have a bit of a downside. If you are Jean, the not-very-good baker, and if despite 10 years of early mornings you have never really got the hang of baking bread, you will not go bust. Your business will stay open, because your village has to have a boulangerie, and the price of your poor-quality bread will not reflect its real-terms value as bird food. You will be getting the same price for it as Andre the top-quality baker gets in the next village up the road.

This may be why the French motor industry churns out slate grey, Peugeot-Citroen-Renault clones that are okay. They do a job, but don't make small boys go to bed dreaming of driving one when they grow up. There is not much point in producing a TVR, a Morgan, or one of those Indian Jaguars, because it will take loads more effort and you'll have to sell it for the same price as a Clio.

Socialism does seem to produce shoddy goods, and these are sold unremittingly at inflated prices to the citizens. French shops are full of expensive clothes, tools, furniture, electrical goods and shop assistants, but precious few shoppers. If the consumers had the chance to buy the same goods at half-price from a discount shop down the road they would be out in droves, but as prices are fixed they stay home in droves instead.

What about Cuban cigars, Bacardi rum, French Champagne, Cognac, Chanel No 5, I hear you say? Those are not really for the domestic market, those will be for the rich foreigners. We're stuck with a mobile phone and a baguette.