Cuban dictator Fidel Castro isn’t dead yet — despite the celebrations in Miami this week (see photo). But the Castro era is nearing a close — and what will take its place? The Bush administration is hoping Castro’s death will unleash an immediate and unstoppable democratic revolution.
But other Cuba-watchers expect more of a transition period. Considering what we’ve learned in Iraq about nation building, it might be best to go slow.
Probably the best way for the United States to encourage democratic change in Cuba is to end the decades-long economic embargo of the island.
Opening Cuba to trade and tourism would bring a flood of new ideas, money and hope to the island. And it would give the communist dead-enders fits.
What do you think, bloggistas? What’s in store for Cuba?
Posted by Randy Scholfield
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25 Comments
Well, the “stagnation” of capitalism that some ascribe to Communist Cuba might be something the US could learn from!
How DID they keep 1950’s era American cars running all this time while ours has become a throwaway society? Seems they used what they had instead of warring for what they “needed”.
Well, now you have gone and done it! I and my family have a personal stake in this. The filthy castro regime STOLE property from my family, including a hotel, villas, and a rum distillery. We currently have claims in the courst against the communists for that property in excess of millions of dollars. Until any Cuban government offers fair market compensation to us and others who had their property stolen, they should remain in isolation!
Viva La Raza Blanco!!
Go back to Cuba Ian.Americans don’t need your kind here.
Ian,I doubt you were ever distilled. The “hotel” you owned was really that double wide, wasn’t it. And the “villas” were cardboard boxes left over from Sam’s club. Get over it: you will never be paid any compensation for anything the communists took, even if your claims are true. It’s done, past, gone, fini. Castro’s old and pretty much useless. Open the country and show the people what democracy is all about . . . after Bush is gone.
There is a debate that the near 50 year embargo hasn’t worked at all. Castro is still in power, and considered the longest and most successful(as in staying in power) leader of the 20 Century.
What would Cuba be like if there was no embargo? Would Castro still be in power? Would Cuba be a communist country? Hard to speculate. But I believe it’s time to end it.
Whatever it takes to get little Ian Gonzales back to his island.We could take up a collection and buy back the double-wide and get him a few new boxes.JM, you wanna’ hold the money?
Hey, maybe I am a republican!!
I just want my white rum and cuban cigars.
State communism only works if the society is isolated. Once the Soviet system was opened to the west, the end was inevitable. North Korea keeps its isolation enforced by its own government; opening N. Korea to the benefits of interaction with the rest of the world would lead to the collapse of the regime, and the regime knows it. They need isolation.
In Cuba, we have assisted Castro in staying in power by isolating his regime, preventing his people from seeing first-hand the benefits of economic and personal freedom. We made ourselves the bad guy, and Castro took full advantage. The quickest way to end Castro’s regime is to open Cuba to the West; it should have been done long ago, and were it not for Cuban exiles holding the balance of political power in Florida, it would have been. But both parties needed that vote, both parties pandered to it, and Cuba stayed in captivity.
End the embargo.
JM,
Damn you, you exposed me! I am a short, fat, toothless, low iq, underachieving White guy. I live in a cardboard shack with my frau and five kinder and I can’t make ends meet on welfare and foodstamps. My IQ is only 70 and that is a mere 5 points higher than the average for african negroes. Help me JM, help me!!!!!
Tracy,
Thanks for the offer but save your pittance. I have a feeling that you, in the near future, will need it, for bail money. :)
GMC70
You are being naive regarding the embargo. We have massive trade and normal relations with China but that regime has gotton more repressive, not less. Ending the embargo will only further enrich fidel, raul, and the other scum.
I must say though, it will be a great day for humanity when fidel, mandela and the other vermin finally kick off.
Viva La Raza Blanco!!!
Ian, Sorry, bro, the doc said it’s terminal.
Are there people here who think the Cuban exiles should “get over it” but simultaneously believe that the displaced Palestinians should fight Israel to the death?At least Israel had a UN santion and Palestine was never a Country and the Palestinians were mostly tribal nomads with no sense of realestate ownership.I agree there is tragey in both cases.My point is that nothing exposes political bias more than a comparison of exiles.Santiago, my heart goes out to you. We dont always agree here, but you and your family have my prayers today.
Poor Poor Ian, instead of fleeing Cuba like cowards maybe you and your family should have fought back, Castro and a small group of rebels overthrew Batista. And if your family was so wealthy they must have been lackeys of Batista, who was also a brutal dictator. Also I would like to know since you floated over from Cuba doesn’t that you more of a wetback than the Mexicans? Claiming but I’m white isn’t cut it either, in fact considering the lack of white Cubans I have doubts about your pure bred claims considering that even Spaniards are dark skinned also. So were left with a Anti-Immigrant, Beaner. Immigrant Beaner who thinks hes white, too cowardly to defend his homeland and pissed because his family was to stupid to move their wealth when the revolution started, they had wire transfers in the 50’s
DingusThank you, I think you just answered my question.
Dingus,
Pay close attention moron, you are about to get an education!
Cubans did not take precautions because they believed the lies and promises made by the US government to help defend against the reds. The chickenshit scumbags Ike and JFK reneged on their promises and betrayed Cuba just as we would later betray South Viet Nam, got it?
Pre Castro Cuba had a population that was about 75% WHITE! My great uncle Javier was a 6ft5 inch Galician with blonde hair and blue eyes and all of my family look like that. He was an officer in the Falange and later served as an officer in the Waffen SS Europa Division. The vast majority of White Cubans and Spaniards are not dark and swarthy.http://www.sfcelticmusic.com/spain/celtica.htmhttp://halfmoon.tripod.com/Spain.html
Yes Dingus, my mom was born in Cuba but my dad and the rest of my ancestors were born in Galicia, Spain. I was born in Brookline Mass. in 1967 so I had no chance to take part in the fight against the reds in 1959. I am not a filthy wetback and there is ZERO non-White admixture in the genepool of my family! I have nothing in common with negroes, mullattoes, indios and mestizoes, period!
You are not worth anymore of my time moron. I must say though that you were much funnier when you took the guise of pancho viiiiiiiiiilla, beaner terrorist. Now, kindly go crawl back under your rock!
Viva La Raza Blanco!!!
Dingus,
I’ve met a “white” Spaniard–blond-haired, blue-eyed. Check Spanish history and you’ll find that the Moors mix is what darkened Spain.
Ian,
A dumb question, perhaps, but my memory is failing me. Were you born in Cuba?
I was in Cuba in 1954, I think it was, so I’m curious.
Never mind, Ian. I re-read your post, and you already answered. Sorry.
The embargo against Cuba gains nothing and is a waste of time (sorry, Ian). Why are we loosing any sleep over a tiny island? We should make it the 51st state.
Cuba could have been annexed by the US right after War of 1898 and become a state even before Arizona. Instead, the independent Philippines (the first republic in Asia) were kept, after brutally suppressing the independence movement.
Actually i would that most Cubans have had far more success in the US than had they stayed Cuba, even under Batista. Paul, its nice that you stick up for the lone fascist on the board, except for that dumbass Horst troll. I think that Ian’s even proud that his Uncle was a SS Nazi scumbag. And I do think that the Palestinian deserve their own country, I also think that Israel is turning world opinion against them by indiscriminate bombing. A better tactic would have been to go after terrorists Munich style, you kill the terrorists and have a lot less collateral damage
The Philippine-American War. After Dewey destroyed the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay he and his troops occupied Manila instead of transferring power to the first democratically elected President of the Philippines, Andres Bonifacio. The Americans denied the Filipinos the right of self-government, so the Americans fought the “rebels” (which the American press called them) brought down the “insurrection” (again the American press) in order to “pacify” the Philippines. The original agreement was for the American fleet to leave after they had resupplied for the journey home, which is consequently why there were many Filipinos who regarded the U.S. as an empirical country which justifies its militaristic aggression under the guise of “nation-building liberators.” However after the Japanese war, this grievance has for the most part been forgiven, but it hasn’t been forgotten.
IAN SAINT JAMES FOR PRESIDENT OF CUBA!!!=)
JFK actually got the American mafia to kill Castro. Batista was just as much a threat to free speech as the Communist regime, albeit if one spoke out against Batista and his cronies back then, one would usually find oneself dead somewhere in a dumpster in a Havanna back alley.
So once again “the white men’s burden” dogma that was used to justify swift conquest of Philippines in order to “christianize” the natives, is being revived. Isn’t this also part of the motivation behind Iraq invasion? Sadly, patience is a vice with this junta in the White House.
The embargo and travel ban are failures and should be lifted.
Only Bush and his neocon morons support it.
You people are morons. Cuba does business with countries like Mexico and Spain on a fairly consistent basis, and recieves oil from Venezuela. The Cuban people suffer because of Castro, not because of the U.S.. Tourists are treated like gods, and have grocery markets that rival your local Vons’s, yet Cubans get ration cards. Cuba suffers because of Castro, and it’s useful idiots in the American Left that will help keep people like Castro in power because of their perverse facination with Socialism and Communism.
Whoa.
Thanks a lot, Ian. You help us all see what rabid anti-Castro “exiles” are like.
Your sig line is just the icing on the cake.