Castro suggests he will not hold on to power

[Gunny]

Reuters

HAVANA - Ailing Cuban leader Fidel Castro, who has not been seen in public for 16 months, suggested on Monday he might give up his formal leadership posts, the first time he has spoken of his possible retirement.

"My elemental duty is not to hold on to positions and less to obstruct the path of younger people," the 80-year-old Castro said in a letter read on Cuban television.

more ... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22302776/

Wonder if we'll be done punishing Cuba and lift the embargo when he steps down?

 

[Shogun]

I hope Castro goes out with wisdom rather than contempt for the US.

i'd be curious to see what system the people of cuba VOTES for after his death. Hopefully, we don't burst in and insist that they conform to our standards.


we enjoy national autonomy too.

 

[Gunny]

I hope Castro goes out with wisdom rather than contempt for the US.

i'd be curious to see what system the people of cuba VOTES for after his death. Hopefully, we don't burst in and insist that they conform to our standards.


we enjoy national autonomy too.

I doubt the people will actually be given a choice minus some reform-minded people at the top. I'm sure Castro has groomed at least one, maybe more people to step into his place.

Also bear in mind that if Cuba opens its borders and holds free elections, there are a LOT of Cubans sitting in Miami just waiting for the chance to go back and vote the existing gov't out.

I just see the embargo at this point as holding up any relaxation of control.

 

[tigerbob]

I doubt the people will actually be given a choice minus some reform-minded people at the top. I'm sure Castro has groomed at least one, maybe more people to step into his place.

Also bear in mind that if Cuba opens its borders and holds free elections, there are a LOT of Cubans sitting in Miami just waiting for the chance to go back and vote the existing gov't out.

I just see the embargo at this point as holding up any relaxation of control.

I agree. I suspect that we shouldn't hold our breath waiting for free elections if Castro steps down. But if there is a softening of attitude towards the US then I believe the way is open, if the US is prepared to respond in kind, for some real progress to be made.

Of course, if the US stuck a toe in the water first it could only help.

 

[Shogun]

Isn't is rather dangerous to already decide that a flux of AMERICAN cubans setisoned into Cuba, post-castro, will overturn the will of the Cuban people towards capitolism? If the Cubans WANT their communism then the perogatives of FORMER CUBANS living in Miami really don't mean much. It's not like Miami will see a reduction in it's cuban population if Cuba became capitolist overnight. It's not like the Communists in Cuba will feel any different in 07 than they did when the Batista fraud was courting capitolists.


If Cuba wants, and votes, for communism instead of capitolist after castro we should ABIDE BY THEIR DEMOCRATIC choice regardless of what CUBAN AMERICANS in Miami have to say about it. They have their capitolism here in America.

 

[tigerbob]

Wonder if we'll be done punishing Cuba and lift the embargo when he steps down?

Well, he did it, but the US State Department said this week that the embargo was going to stay in place, which I think is a piss-poor first step.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/19/AR2008021901138.html

In the end, what is Castro's legacy (other than being in the Guinness Book of Records for the longest speech ever given to the UN - 4 and a half hours)?

His regime was clearly responsible for the murder and jailing of hundreds, possibly thousands of political opponents, and for turning what was a comparatively prosperous country into, as I think the Washington Post put it, a bankrupt sugar plantation.

Raul Castro has a major opportunity. You can bet that airlines, fast food chains and many others are jostling for position to see how they can make potential use of this transition. The door is half open, irrespective of what the US State Department says.

 

[Paulie]

Wonder if we'll be done punishing Cuba and lift the embargo when he steps down?

I was wondering the same damn thing.

I'll go out on a limb and say no.

 

[Diuretic]

Well, he did it, but the US State Department said this week that the embargo was going to stay in place, which I think is a piss-poor first step.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/19/AR2008021901138.html

In the end, what is Castro's legacy (other than being in the Guinness Book of Records for the longest speech ever given to the UN - 4 and a half hours)?

His regime was clearly responsible for the murder and jailing of hundreds, possibly thousands of political opponents, and for turning what was a comparatively prosperous country into, as I think the Washington Post put it, a bankrupt sugar plantation.

Raul Castro has a major opportunity. You can bet that airlines, fast food chains and many others are jostling for position to see how they can make potential use of this transition. The door is half open, irrespective of what the US State Department says.

You'd have to have a good look at the realities of what Cuba was like pre-revolution (the 1959 one) and now. Castro has been a dictator, yes, but if you read about Cuba's history you'll see that it's been pretty well plundered by the usual suspects. Anyway, it's probably a bit hackneyed to say that Cuba is probably now ready to throw off the shackles of the dictatorship and move towards a form of democracy as we know it. I suspect though that America might be disappointed with the reaction of the Cuban people as a whole. Sure they want more material goods but I don't think they'll be that keen on going the whole way. I mean, I would think they'd be pretty unhappy about giving up free health care and free education (all the way up to university). With a bit of luck they'll be allowed to work things out for themselves and pick and choose what suits them. I do think that they'll be awake to any attempts at exploitation by the various corporations laying in wait.