Fidel Castro

[Commonwealth]

I heard on the radio this afternoon that he passed.

[altiplano]

I was surprised to hear this as when it happens (or is announced) it is going to be big-time news and pretty hard to miss on all media venues - but I found this...

Rumors of Castro's death are greatly exaggerated

By Lydia Martin, McClatchy Newspapers

Last update: August 24, 2007 – 6:00 PM

MIAMI — On Friday, the rumors heated up again for the third week in a row: Fidel Castro's death would be announced, first at 2 p.m., then at 4, then at 5.

For the past year, since the Cuban government announced that Fidel had ceded power to brother Raul following intestinal surgery, rumors that he's on the brink of meeting his maker keep boiling over and dying down, creating a roller coaster of emotion for exiles and islanders.

This Friday, teary callers told Ninoska Perez of Radio Mambi they were sure this was it, and Perez, as usual, reminded, "The moment will come, but this is not the moment."

At Aaction Home Health in Hialeah, Fla., office workers were abuzz because somebody from Cuba called a colleague to say folks in Havana were starting to take to the streets in anticipation of the news. At the University of Miami, media relations officers worked the phones in search of confirmation.

But once again, none of the rumors seemed to be panning out.

For many, waiting for proof has become like the low-grade anxiety that comes when you're bracing for a hurricane that may or may not hit. Even though it seems clear there won't be any real change on the island immediately after Castro's death, the exile community is holding its breath and preparing for something big nonetheless. Everyone knows whatever happens will be disruptive in some way. Or, at least, emotionally unhinging.

Last weekend, the rumors also reached fever pitch. The media perked up and started another round of the confirmation game. Calls flooded Miami Mayor Manny Diaz's office. The University of Miami and its Cuba experts wound up on high alert. And the community started rumbling anew, parents reaching out to children, friends calling friends.

"Last Friday, when the rumors started again, my phone rang off the hook," says Andy Gomez, senior fellow at the University of Miami's Institute for Cuban & Cuban-American Studies. "It was everybody. Friends, family, the State Department. People went nuts."

Another false alarm. Which, in an ironic way, was a relief to many who yearn for the end of Castro but know they'll have to put their lives on hold to deal with its aftermath.

"Every time I buy a plane ticket to go somewhere with my family, I always say, 'If Fidel doesn't die,"' says Maria Elvira Salazar, host of WSBS's talk show Polos Opuestos (Opposite Poles). "In a way, this is going to be like Hurricane Andrew times 10. We don't know what's going to happen, besides the idea that there will be a pharaonic funeral. But we know when he dies, everything will revolve around his death. Mega TV will be on 24-7 for God knows how many days."

(EDITORS: BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM)

Many South Florida Cubans jokingly say they hope Castro will make it through another weekend. But underlying such nonchalance is the anxiety of knowing that eventually they'll have to grapple with something huge.

"I did say last week, 'If he's going to die, let him do it on a Monday,"' says Barbara Gutierrez, a media relations officer at the University of Miami and former editor at El Nuevo Herald. "When the new rumors started, I felt like, 'Oh no. Here we go.' Because when this happens, it won't be just dealing with work," Gutierrez says. "It'll be dealing with my mother, who will want to go out and celebrate. It will be dealing with my own feelings. It will be dealing with the fact that in my family there are a lot of older people who we will have to be careful with, because the emotion of it all could make them sick."

(END OPTIONAL TRIM)

For now, though, the older generation in particular is keeping a stiff upper lip, says Radio Mambi's Armando Perez Roura, a longtime Cuban radio personality who has been poised to break the news of Castro's demise for decades.

"This is definitely the calm before the storm," Perez Roura says. After all, he says, it was a younger, more recently arrived Cuban crowd that jumped the gun and swarmed Calle Ocho to celebrate Castro's death when news of his ceding power broke at the end of July last year.

[/quote]

[Jeppesen]

I just phoned my mom back home (Cuba) and she told me local news haven't said anything as of 4:50PM. It might just be more rumors coming from Miami where he is hated more than everywhere else.

[rotorhead350]

It will be a shame when he passes. I think he is a very courageous man for standing up to the americans all these years. You speak to the majority of people in Cuba( i dated a girl from there and heard lots of talk while visiting) and Fidel is well respected there. People have jobs, food, and free education. It will be a shame the day the Americans invade the country and spoil everything. Next thing you know the streets will be lined with McDonalds, Starbucks, and the likes. Never have I been to a more relaxing and peaceful place. It is like you are stepping into a different world. rh350

[Wilbur]

Fidel, swell guy, the multi-millionaire business tycoon communist. I think he wrote the Liberal party's play book on how use your political power to line your own pockets.

[Siddley Hawker]

Alexandre Trudeau will be positively devastated when ol' Fidel finally kicks off.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1683921/posts

[Floats]

It will be a shame when he passes. I think he is a very courageous man for standing up to the americans all these years. You speak to the majority of people in Cuba( i dated a girl from there and heard lots of talk while visiting) and Fidel is well respected there. People have jobs, food, and free education. It will be a shame the day the Americans invade the country and spoil everything. Next thing you know the streets will be lined with McDonalds, Starbucks, and the likes. Never have I been to a more relaxing and peaceful place. It is like you are stepping into a different world. rh350

Are you F*&king kidding me????? People have jobs? food? How about freedom? pretty sure they dont have that, Im guessing you never left your cozy resort, where locals are not allowed. I drove into a town called Moron, about an hours drive from Cayo Coco. Poverty everywhere, kids no older than eight with black teeth hanging on to the jeep and begging.

Castro is not a good thing for Cuba, or the world. Communism doesnt work!! And the sooner that hes gone, the better. And then hopefully the people of CUba rise up and fight for change

[altiplano]

And then hopefully the people of CUba rise up and fight for change

Maybe you're not familiar with the history in Cuba?

They overthrew a US backed dictator and installed their own. They turned away a US backed attempt to invade their country. They have stopped US backed assassination plots. They have helped stop fascists in Africa - when no other nation would (no oil?). They have survived a 50 year economic embargo that has been put in place because of their politics and strangles them to this day.

Sounds to me like the people of Cuba have never stopped fighting.

[. ._]

The people of Cuba need to rise up to become rich like all the rest of the Caribbean!

-istp

[Floats]

They overthrew a US backed dictator and installed their own.They turned away a US backed attempt to invade their country

An until they overthrow him and install a democratic govt, they should keep fighting. You are obviously against the US or any one else to forcefully change the regime, so it is up to the poor people of Cuba to take the task.

My point is many people are very nieve thinking that Cuba is a wonderful place to live based on the resorts, which are top notch. But the truth is the people suffer there very much.

[rotorhead350]

I actually lived with my girlfriends family while there, not on a resort. So my knowledge of the people is firsthand. And it is not a Communist country, i believe they call it a Socialist republic. The people down there love Canadians, not so with the Americans. Once again this is all firsthand accounts. The majority of the countrys money now adays comes from tourism, and hey, if my tourist money is used to educate, feed, house, and help the cuban population then i'm all for it. Yeah people always want more, but people are still pretty happy and love their country. rh350

[w squared]

I actually lived with my girlfriends family while there, not on a resort. So my knowledge of the people is firsthand. And it is not a Communist country, i believe they call it a Socialist republic. The people down there love Canadians, not so with the Americans. Once again this is all firsthand accounts. The majority of the countrys money now adays comes from tourism, and hey, if my tourist money is used to educate, feed, house, and help the cuban population then i'm all for it. Yeah people always want more, but people are still pretty happy and love their country. rh350

While I don't question your knowledge of Cuba, I do question the distinction that you draw between "Communist Country" and "Socialist Republic".

U.S.S.R stood for United Soviet Socialist Republics...and I do seem to recall that being a communist country.

The problem with the communist system is that when you remove the linkage between your economic output and your financial reward, all incentive to contribute more than the next guy disappears.

[. ._]

Communism only exists in communes or kibbutzes. All else is socialism. Communism must be voluntary for it to work. If there is one person that disagrees with the nature of the equality of work, then that person must leave the system or it will fail.

Read the Manifesto, folks! It's some good shit if you're working class.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_manifesto

-istp

[altiplano]

They overthrew a US backed dictator and installed their own.They turned away a US backed attempt to invade their country

An until they overthrow him and install a democratic govt, they should keep fighting. You are obviously against the US or any one else to forcefully change the regime, so it is up to the poor people of Cuba to take the task.

My point is many people are very nieve thinking that Cuba is a wonderful place to live based on the resorts, which are top notch. But the truth is the people suffer there very much.

You're missing the point though Floats.

The reason that Cuba is in a mess is not Castro - it is the US embargo.

Sure the US says they will not do business with a dictator....

I especially like Reagan with Marcos, Rumsfeld with Saddam & Ike with Franco...

What a joke CIA sponsored coups are... Some of the worst men in the history of the world - and this is just the tip of the iceberg...

[altiplano]

U.S. State Department Policy Planning Study #23, 1948:

" Our real task... is to devise a pattern of relationships which will permit us to maintain this position of disparity [U.S. military- economic supremacy]... To do so, we will have to dispense with all sentimentality and day-dreaming... We should cease to talk about vague and...unreal objectives such as human rights, the raising of the living standards, and democratization... we are going to have to deal in straight power concepts. The less we are then hampered by idealistic slogans, the better."

George Kennan, Director of Policy Planning. U.S. State Department. 1948

[Expat]

Floats,
You are the most ignorant poster in this thread.

You want another Haiti?
Every US backed puppet has been short-lived, because of corruption that sets in quickly, from the very nature of the relations. I think that every country in South America went through that phase, and now the populations are fighting back.
Nicaragua was a US failure, so will be Panama, Columbia,and soon Mexico. Do I have to mention Iran, the Phillipines, Thailand, etc...
I live in central Asia, where people lived with a real Communist Government for 70 years. You know what? They all say that they were better off before.
People can live very well while ignoring the US and the capitalist system, where money is everything. The communists placed a great emphasis on education, family, arts, suppression of religious extremism.
I say that no one should condemn a system without knowing about it.
Cheers,

[Floats]

You're missing the point though Floats.

The reason that Cuba is in a mess is not Castro - it is the US embargo

I will concede that, the US should lift an old cold war embargo, Cuba and its people would be far better off. Canada and the rest of the world should do better to pressure the US. However that doesnt give Cubans freedom, and I think all human beings are entitled to this

And Expat? Ignorant, Just what the hell are you talking about?. How did this thread turn into one about me supporting US regime changes. I did make a quote

You are obviously against the US or any one else to forcefully change the regime

I should not of said this, as it is very clear that nation building is flawed exercise that is rarely successful. it was intended as a slant against altiplano for an obvious anti US stance.
The original thread I was talking about was what a shame it would be if Castro were to die. as if Castro was good for the country.

I live in central Asia, where people lived with a real Communist Government for 70 years. You know what? They all say that they were better off before

well a couple things here, First, people are stupid, they dont know any better. Im sure in many areas, things are not as "Stable" or "as good" as it was under Communist dictatorship. That doesnt make it right! Instability always follows a major change in government, and its gonna take time for people to realize their potential as a country. I have no idea how people can make an argument that any "civilized" people are not better off with a democratic system of government.


Floats the Ignorant of Canada

[altiplano]

intended as a slant against altiplano for an obvious anti US stance.

Me? Anti-US? Nahhh...

Just a student of history...

First, people are stupid, they dont know any better.

Here you are right on, but don't be too hard on yourself - you're in there with the other 97% at least.

[Jeppesen]

The people of Cuba need to rise up to become rich like all the rest of the Caribbean!

-istp

We are already rising against the world's biggest superpower and yet they haven't being able to conquer us.

Why the embargo? To my understanding, the US trades with Communist China, Vietnam, and Laos, why not Cuba?

It took the Americans 200 years to become what they are, Cuba has only being free since 1959 which translates into 48 years of independence. In 48 years of independence Cuba has being able to create programs for the benefit of the majority of its people, like free health care, and free education including University. Something Americans haven't being able to do in those 200 years of development and formation of their nation.

out of those 48 years with independence 46 are under the embargo. How can Cuba prosper when it needs to pay 3 times the price of a good because it needs to buy it from China or Vietnam when it can get it cheaper from Canada, France, or the US?

[altiplano]

Not to mention functional literacy rates that exceed the US. Who despite their money and power have an appalling 23% of adults functioning below the 4th grade level.

[hazatude]

Don't forget their cigars, rum and world famous beach-roving prostitutes.

[Floats]

Me? Anti-US? Nahhh...

Just a student of history...

Probably would be better if you went back to school.

Here you are right on, but don't be too hard on yourself - you're in there with the other 97% at least.

Work on your wit, I'd say you are about half way there

[altiplano]

Me? Anti-US? Nahhh...

Just a student of history...

Probally would be better if you went back to school.

Here you are right on, but don't be too hard on yourself - you're in there with the other 97% at least.

Work on your wit, I'd say you are about have way there

I don't really care how people spell on this site, but I think it's funny when people insult your education with spelling errors...

You'd probally do great with another have year too there buddy-boy...

[Floats]

Touche!!

You win

[altiplano]

yay!