Fidel Castro Resigns

[getinthevan]

Fidel Castro announced his resignation as president of Cuba and commander in chief of Cuba's military Tuesday, according to a letter published in the state-run newspaper, Granma.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/02/19/castro/index.html

I always thought he would die before he would resign.

[dragonboy]

For an 81 year old he looks pretty darn good in a shell-suit, no?

[Jaimoe]

For good or bad, nothing will likely change. Fidel Castro hand-picked the people in power surrounding him decades ago. I assume Raul won't take over since he's almost as old as Fidel.  

[Penny Lane]

i think that he's been dead for a while---somehow they're superimposing him to the news outlets. him and chavez worked it out...

[BH]

Can we get some good cigars now?

[bowl of soup]

Fidel doesn't get his just due as one of the worst rulers of the 20th century.  He turned a just revolution into a typical Latin American power and privilege grab, killed thousands upon thousands of dissidents, and sent an entire country into near starvation through centralized control of Cuba's agriculture.  He also attempted to export this garbage to other countries through support and/or direct military involvement (there were thousands of Cuban troops in Angola for years - Angola!) He can't die soon enough.

[aMD]

Fidel doesn't get his just due as one of the worst rulers of the 20th century.  He turned a just revolution into a typical Latin American power and privilege grab, killed thousands upon thousands of dissidents, and sent an entire country into near starvation through centralized control of Cuba's agriculture.  He also attempted to export this garbage to other countries through support and/or direct military involvement (there were thousands of Cuban troops in Angola for years - Angola!) He can't die soon enough.

The thing that I don't understand is that he did those awful things and was never overthrown!  Who would've thought his reign would end with a resignation at age 89?

[bowl of soup]

It's hard to fathom that he came to power in the 50's and held on for so long.

[Angry Ewok]

Can we get some good cigars now?

From Cuba? Maybe. Cuban cigars aren't what they used to be... I'm not an expert on the local brands, but I have been assured that the absolute best cigars won't be found in Cuba.

[Jaimoe]

What's better, Cuba ruled by Castro or Cuba raped and pillaged by the Mafia and US government? It's a fair question and don't think for a second the latter wasn't true.  

Don't get me wrong, I don't romanticize Cuba like many of my fellow Canadians do. Cuba is a rich poor country. Many of its citizens are hungry and desperate... and very proud and educated too. The US is already a trading partner with Cuba, it's just not publicized. Bring on free elections, lift the embargo and in a perfect world, don't let foreign hands control the wealth of that potentially rich country.  

[aMD]

i heard speculation that castro's actually dead.  it might make sense.  he never struck me as the resigning type.   :-/

[Jaimoe]

i heard speculation that castro's actually dead.  it might make sense.  he never struck me as the resigning type.   :-/

That news would leak so fast it's not funny. Raul Castro was there with Fidel and Che Guevara before and after the Revolution, so nothing will change in Cuba. Even when he dies, little will change.

[bowl of soup]

What's better, Cuba ruled by Castro or Cuba raped and pillaged by the Mafia and US government? It's a fair question and don't think for a second the latter wasn't true.  

Don't get me wrong, I don't romanticize Cuba like many of my fellow Canadians do. Cuba is a rich poor country. Many of its citizens are hungry and desperate... and very proud and educated too. The US is already a trading partner with Cuba, it's just not publicized. Bring on free elections, lift the embargo and in a perfect world, don't let foreign hands control the wealth of that potentially rich country.  

U.S. policy towards Latin America for the eternity of time has been, well, a bit sketchy.  The tradgedy of Castro is that it all started with so much promise.  Castro has destroyed much of Cuba's rich potential and left a legacy of fear that won't go away easily.

[Jaimoe]

What's better, Cuba ruled by Castro or Cuba raped and pillaged by the Mafia and US government? It's a fair question and don't think for a second the latter wasn't true.  

Don't get me wrong, I don't romanticize Cuba like many of my fellow Canadians do. Cuba is a rich poor country. Many of its citizens are hungry and desperate... and very proud and educated too. The US is already a trading partner with Cuba, it's just not publicized. Bring on free elections, lift the embargo and in a perfect world, don't let foreign hands control the wealth of that potentially rich country.  

U.S. policy towards Latin America for the eternity of time has been, well, a bit sketchy.  The tradgedy of Castro is that it all started with so much promise.  Castro has destroyed much of Cuba's rich potential and left a legacy of fear that won't go away easily.

I spoke with many Cubans when I visited Havana a year ago. They are a proud, curious bunch to be sure. I think there is a change happening. Old Havana is being restored. More shops and stores are opening and some Western economic develoments are happening. There is an obvious police and military presence in the country and citizens are leary of getting arrested - for example, they really harass cab drivers for some reason. At the same time, people are extremely proud of their educational system, free medicine, no illegal drug trade, no guns, no pornography, no Mafia etc... There's good and bad in the country and it's a really safe place, even for a group of American businessmen that stayed in my hotel and stood out like sore thumbs, which was pretty funny.

[MMJ_fanatic]

Good riddance