Too bad he wasn't an only child. Although if he was, he'd just pick someone else with his ideology. Castro accomplished some radical things - there was a time in the 1960s when Cuba had a lower infant mortality rate than the US, and Cuba had offered to send doctors to the rural South to perform humanitarian aide for Americans living in abject poverty - but he got so caught up in trying to swipe at America he neglected his country, and caused his people great suffering. Plus, the guy was a brutal dictator.

The key word is was. Screw Disney Land, right now Miami is the happiest place in the world.

Not for the P&R Forum? hmmmmm...........

Anyways, how long has he held power for up until now? Almost 50 years.....

Yeah, you're probably right, Politics and Religion might be a better place for this. I was thinking that Fidel stepping down is a major social event, and not just political, but since it's his brother, I'm probably too optimisitc.

He is stepping down as the president not as dictator.

Sort of like Putin. Only it looks like Vlad will be able to hold onto power with no trouble from a different job title. But then with a different Castro in power, it's probably the same situation. Except, if Fidel is a symbol of the last half century, maybe his passing will inspire people to join the new century?

Can't you move it John? Or do you just not have mod powers over the gen. disc. forum?

That's why I recommended renaming "P&R Talk" to something like "Debate Talk" in the suggestions forum, so we could have all kinds of political, social, civics, religious, etc. types of discussions.

On topic though, does anyone know who will be succeeding him? I'm sure their gov't won't allow someone to actually be "elected" by the people.

Originally Posted by jamestl2

On topic though, does anyone know who will be succeeding him? I'm sure their gov't won't allow someone to actually be "elected" by the people.

His brother Raúl has slowly been taking the reigns while Fidel was in the hospital pretending to run things. Raúl is his successor, also a bit old and he has been mum about what direction he might take the country. Most think he will lighten up a bit but IMHO he will go slow and make sure he has a finger in every pie about to be baked.

Originally Posted by jamestl2

Can't you move it John? Or do you just not have mod powers over the gen. disc. forum?

I'm not sure whether this is a forum he's a moderator of ... but I moved it. Now I'm going to give John an infraction. Make that a temporary ban.

What is the USA's obsession with Cuba?! Everyone goes on about how terrible the country is and how brutal Fidel was yet there are plenty of people who say that when they visited Cuba, they found many of the people to be happy and cheerful. Cuba does not present any real threat to the USA whatsoever - I wish America would not be so preoccupied with their tiny Communist neighbour

Originally Posted by whym

What is the USA's obsession with Cuba?! Everyone goes on about how terrible the country is and how brutal Fidel was yet there are plenty of people who say that when they visited Cuba, they found many of the people to be happy and cheerful. Cuba does not present any real threat to the USA whatsoever - I wish America would not be so preoccupied with their tiny Communist neighbour

I think the fact that they are so close, and the fact they have missiles pointed at us, and the history that we have (Cuban missile crisis) all play a part in the interest we have with them. I will say that it is not near as bad as it once was.

Yes, we seem to have a tradition of hating Cuba. Castro has fouled up all of the USA's attempts to remove him from power. Plus, if I remember this right, he kicked out American businesses that were beginning to establish themselves there. The US tried to retaliate but instead embarassed themselves with the Bay of Pigs invasion. I don't think the US government ever forgot that. We have a long memory for loss. Strangely, the US still maintains Guantanamo Bay right in their "enemy's" country. I never understood that. I have heard some nasty things about Castro through the years, but eveyone I know who has been to Cuba has said the people seemed happy, content, and well cared for. I don't know.

We need more people like him in this world for real!

I lived in Cuba myself for two years and you are right: they are a cheerful and happy bunch of people; although an impoverished island.

Really two points being presented:

1) What is the U.S. fixation with Cuba
2) Is Cuba really all that bad

The U.S. fixation comes from the idea of Russia putting nuclear missles in Cuba during the cold war. I believe that, and the overtly anti-U.S. Rhetoric are the sources of the sanctions /fixation. Since the missles and cold war are gone, it seems we now use the FACT that fidel is an opressive dictator to keep those sanctions in place.

I'm not sure if the sanctions are still justified, but Cuba is an oppressive regime. Fidel and his buddy Che killed anyone who opposed their Iron rule. Cuba used to have one of the biggest middle class populations in the region. I think the really interesting thing is that Barack Obama has a poster of Che posted in his campaign headquarters. What does that tell you about the guy's value system?

Originally Posted by cbwm

I think the really interesting thing is that Barack Obama has a poster of Che posted in his campaign headquarters. What does that tell you about the guy's value system?

That it's closer to honest morality than that of the Chuckabee that released a man from prison only because he raped a relative of Bill Clinton.

Bagging on Huckleberry only makes me like you more

Edit: BTW, there is nothing moral about idolizing a mass murderer who basically destroyed a functioning nation. I see Che shirts all the time these days worn by college students. His life has been idolized by Hollywood (Motorcycle Diaries). Its pathetic. I guarantee none of the ex-Cuban middle class living in Florida will be voting Obama. These people had their businesses, belongings, and, in some cases, the lives of their relatives stripped from them.

Originally Posted by cbwm

BTW, there is nothing moral about idolizing a mass murderer who basically destroyed a functioning nation. I see Che shirts all the time these days worn by college students. His life has been idolized by Hollywood (Motorcycle Diaries). Its pathetic. I guarantee none of the ex-Cuban middle class living in Florida will be voting Obama. These people had their businesses, belongings, and, in some cases, the lives of their relatives stripped from them.

So true. People who say otherwise have no earthly idea how horrible communism really is.

Originally Posted by cbwm

I see Che shirts all the time these days worn by college students.

I own one of those t shirts! Actually, even before I bought the shirt, I thought it was rather pathetic - Che was a strong communist, yet now his brand is being used for capitalism - not sure what he would say about that.

Another thing I noticed when watching a video on YouTube of a debate between Bush and Kerry was that both couldn't say quickly enough that they were against state healthcare - why is this? America seems to hate the idea that the government could actually provide basic, free healthcare too all. A number of European countries, ours being one of them, has state provided healthcare and this generally works very well. So what's the deal with why America is so against it?

We tell ourselves healthcare works terribly anywhere else in the world, especially England and Canada.