Castro resigns
Posted by Moonage on 19 Feb 2008 | Tagged as: International Issues
Wow. I sure didn’t expect to wake up to this. My entire life, plus some, the US has been more than willing to kill, cripple, mame, or otherwise incapacitate Castro. During the Cold War he was a thorn in the US side, and he relished that role. Over the years other despots looked to Castro for support and took comfort in his ability to survive. Most recently Hugo Chavez considered Castro a hero. All the while all this was going on Cuba sunk from a prosperous tropical land to a land of no hope and a collapsed economy. Cubans risked their lives to get out of Cuba. Miami became Little Havana. Castro just kept going and going and going. A few years ago his health started failing and he eventually turned over some of the reins to his brother. Now, yesterday, he made it official. He’s retiring. His brother has hinted at some fairly major economic reforms. With those reforms there will be some capitolistic needs. With that will come a certain amount of autonomy for those lucky enough to prosper. Then, just like China, when that whiff of freedom hits the air in Cuba, it will take root and can’t be stopped. Then, just maybe, I’ll be able to visit what my friend claims is the most beautiful place on Earth with the nicest people. That’s the Caribbean I know. That’s the Cuba of old.
Good luck Cuba!
4 Comments »
on 19 Feb 2008 at 11:38 am 1.new obsolescence said …
While I do not support many aspects of what Castro has done in Cuba, especially concerning personal liberty and human rights, I have to say I have always admired him. Here is a man who has stood in utter defiance of the worlds most powerful country for almost 50 years! I think that what is so intriguing to me about the Castro’s and Chavez’s of the world is their conviction and unwillingness to back down to even the most formidable opponents. I think a lot of us at some level would love to give a piece our mind to the powers that be. I will never forget when Chavez said, “Don’t mess with me Condoleezza, I sting those that rattle me!” Two words, brass balls. That being said, my personal opinion is that because of the unwillingness to compromise on both sides the Cuban people have endured many years of unnecessary suffering. I hope that with Castro leaving both sides will consider reexamining their position and do what is best for the Cuban people and not blindly follow political dogma.
on 19 Feb 2008 at 12:02 pm 2.Moonage
said …
I don’t mind giving a piece of my mind to the powers that be. However, Castro, Chavez, Ahma-whatever, and people like that are NOT my powers that be. So, I’d appreciate it if they would do the world some good and show some civility when discussing issues.
“I think that what is so intriguing to me about the Castro’s and Chavez’s of the world is their conviction and unwillingness to back down to even the most formidable opponents.”
In Castro and Chavez’s, as well as Noriega and a few other despots, it wasn’t a conviction for what was best for their people, it was a conviction to hold on to power by neutering their people economically and politically. When the US didn’t pander to Castro, he sold out to the Russians. During the early days of the “revolution”, it was the US complaining about human rights and the loss of freedoms for the Cuban people that drove the wedge between the US and Castro. When Castro seized all the privately held assets US citizens had in Cuba, that was the final straw. So, the man you admire stole from the US, stole from individual investors, stole from his own people, and drove a once affluent country into third-world status. There is nothing to admire about Castro. Stubborness in face of being wrong and corrupt is too easily misinterpreted as conviction apparently just because some people buy into the false assumption that everything the US government ever does is corrupt. I don’t live like that. Regardless of what the US did over the years, Castro was nothing but a petty despot that destroyed his country as most despots do. The only thing we did wrong at the Bay of Pigs was not commit 100% to winning and send in enough resources to get the job done. If we had, Cubans would have enjoyed the continued prosperity they had fifty years ago and the US wouldn’t have had to endure the problems we have dealing with Cubans killing themselves trying to get here. There is nothing to admire about Castro. Especially if you are Cuban.
As far as Chavez’s little line, I think someone else, not from the US, told him to shut up. His own people are rebelling against him at this time. His effort to eliminate any semblence of democracy was overwhelmingly defeated by his own people. And, I’m pretty sure that given an honest chance, they would vote him out. However, these people you admire to some degree because they insult OUR leaders know better than to allow THEIR people a choice as to whether they think this type of beligerence is a good thing or not.
And, as far as beligerent despots go, you left out Ahmadinajed or however you spell it. He loves taunting the US as well. His leaders told him to shut up and chill out not too long ago as well.
on 19 Feb 2008 at 3:23 pm 3.new obsolescence said …
Let me make my position clear, Castro is a ruthless dictator and I say good riddance. I in no way support Castro or Chavez as far as their political ideology and do not whatsoever support their political actions. My heart goes out to the Cuban people and I hope that our government takes whatever steps possible to improve relations with Cuba so that they can be released from the tyranny that they been subjected to for so long. I worry that not much progress will be made as long as his brother remains in power but, that remains to be seen. At least with Castro moving out of the picture there is light at the end of the tunnel and any action,by any government or body that could make freedom and democracy a real possibility for Cuba would receive my unyielding support. The only quality I said that I admired is their conviction and that quality only. Maybe, the word fascinated would have been a better descriptor of my feelings towards the man. I am not the only person who shares this strange fascination. Pop-culture is full of images of Castro- like figures, case in point, the millions of images, T-shirts etc. with Chez Guevara’s face on them. I doubt that more than a small fraction of people that wear these shirts really understand who Chez was or what he stood for, what he is to them is a pop -culture icon for the rebel. Think of the way that horrible figures such as Al Capone or other 30’s gangsters have been made pop culture heroes. There is something in the human psyche attracts us to this type of figure. From cinema to gangster rap these type of characters are everywhere, they captivate the public, they do everything we say we hate but we idealize them for it. The real question is why?
on 19 Feb 2008 at 3:33 pm 4.Moonage
said …
In that perspective, I can understand it better. You kind of centered the previous comment on that one issue for the most part.
I think they captivate the public, or I would more likely call them their “audience”. They do things “we” wouldn’t, but wish we could. Everyone would LOVE to run around without a conscience nagging at us or any semblence of self-doubt. It’s just a show tho, we’re just not allowed to see that side of these people. They have their flaws just like the rest of us. I personally have never been captivated by the bad guy. Well, I take that back, I did enjoy Frankfurter in Rocky Horror and Doctor Evil. But, as far as the run of the mill despot or gangster, no. They’ve just never fascinated or appealed to me. It’s so much more difficult to get things done the hard way. It’s people who thrive in those situations that appeal more to me, not who has the biggest or most guns. I never liked Westerns for that reason either ( Other than the Good Bad and Ugly. Or, unless you consider Star Trek a Western set in space. )
Sorry if I took your comment wrong, it’s not the first time I’ve done that. And, coming on the heels of Michelle Obama’s comment, it just sort of fit the prevailing trend these days.