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faceless
admin
Joined: 25 Apr 2006
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 Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 1:40 pm Post subject: Castro to finally retire |
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I heard Bush on the radio saying that America would help Cuba to achieve all the things that democracy brings now that Castro has officially stepped down. I wonder if he means that they'll hope to oversee the degradation of their health and education services and then revert the place back to a playground for the wealthy?
I'm pretty sure that even if there were the completely fair and never tainted elections like we in 'the west' have that the people of Cuba will elect a party that isn't very different from what they already have. |
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maycm
'cheeky banana'
Joined: 29 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 3:11 pm Post subject: |
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Someone I work with has been to Cuba on more than one occasion and tells me that on the whole, the people are a happy lot, with a general feeling that what they do is for the good of the country and there is no visible sign of corruption or persons who have got rich standing on the shoulders of "the workers".
Sounded to me as though it was one case where communism comes close to really working as it was intended to. |
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faceless
admin
Joined: 25 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 3:40 pm Post subject: |
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| his was actually a socialist government, not communist in the Stalin sense, which made the sanctions even more offensive. |
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Brown Sauce
Joined: 07 Jan 2007
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| Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 3:44 pm Post subject: |
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| Bush's speech in response could be interpreted as he was talking about himself, certainly didn't sound like he was talking about Castro ... |
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luke
Joined: 11 Feb 2007
Location: by the sea
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| Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 3:58 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | Message from the Commander in Chief
Dear compatriots:
Last Friday, February 15, I promised you that in my next reflection I would deal with an issue of interest to many compatriots. Thus, this now is rather a message.
The moment has come to nominate and elect the State Council, its President, its Vice-Presidents and Secretary.
For many years I have occupied the honorable position of President. On February 15, 1976 the Socialist Constitution was approved with the free, direct and secret vote of over 95% of the people with the right to cast a vote. The first National Assembly was established on December 2nd that same year; this elected the State Council and its presidency. Before that, I had been a Prime Minister for almost 18 years. I always had the necessary prerogatives to carry forward the revolutionary work with the support of the overwhelming majority of the people.
There were those overseas who, aware of my critical health condition, thought that my provisional resignation, on July 31, 2006, to the position of President of the State Council, which I left to First Vice-President Raul Castro Ruz, was final. But Raul, who is also minister of the Armed Forces on account of his own personal merits, and the other comrades of the Party and State leadership were unwilling to consider me out of public life despite my unstable health condition.
It was an uncomfortable situation for me vis-à-vis an adversary which had done everything possible to get rid of me, and I felt reluctant to comply.
Later, in my necessary retreat, I was able to recover the full command of my mind as well as the possibility for much reading and meditation. I had enough physical strength to write for many hours, which I shared with the corresponding rehabilitation and recovery programs. Basic common sense indicated that such activity was within my reach. On the other hand, when referring to my health I was extremely careful to avoid raising expectations since I felt that an adverse ending would bring traumatic news to our people in the midst of the battle. Thus, my first duty was to prepare our people both politically and psychologically for my absence after so many years of struggle. I kept saying that my recovery "was not without risks."
My wishes have always been to discharge my duties to my last breath. That’s all I can offer.
To my dearest compatriots, who have recently honored me so much by electing me a member of the Parliament where so many agreements should be adopted of utmost importance to the destiny of our Revolution, I am saying that I will neither aspire to nor accept, I repeat, I will neither aspire to nor accept the positions of President of the State Council and Commander in Chief.
In short letters addressed to Randy Alonso, Director of the Round Table National TV Program, --letters which at my request were made public-- I discreetly introduced elements of this message I am writing today, when not even the addressee of such letters was aware of my intention. I trusted Randy, whom I knew very well from his days as a student of Journalism. In those days I met almost on a weekly basis with the main representatives of the University students from the provinces at the library of the large house in Kohly where they lived. Today, the entire country is an immense University.
Following are some paragraphs chosen from the letter addressed to Randy on December 17, 2007:
"I strongly believe that the answers to the current problems facing Cuban society, which has, as an average, a twelfth grade of education, almost a million university graduates, and a real possibility for all its citizens to become educated without their being in any way discriminated against, require more variables for each concrete problem than those contained in a chess game. We cannot ignore one single detail; this is not an easy path to take, if the intelligence of a human being in a revolutionary society is to prevail over instinct.
"My elemental duty is not to cling to positions, much less to stand in the way of younger persons, but rather to contribute my own experience and ideas whose modest value comes from the exceptional era that I had the privilege of living in.
"Like Niemeyer, I believe that one has to be consistent right up to the end."
Letter from January 8, 2008:
"…I am a firm supporter of the united vote (a principle that preserves the unknown merits), which allowed us to avoid the tendency to copy what came to us from countries of the former socialist bloc, including the portrait of the one candidate, as singular as his solidarity towards Cuba. I deeply respect that first attempt at building socialism, thanks to which we were able to continue along the path we had chosen."
And I reiterated in that letter that "…I never forget that ‘all of the world’s glory fits in a kernel of corn."
Therefore, it would be a betrayal to my conscience to accept a responsibility requiring more mobility and dedication than I am physically able to offer. This I say devoid of all drama.
Fortunately, our Revolution can still count on cadres from the old guard and others who were very young in the early stages of the process. Some were very young, almost children, when they joined the fight on the mountains and later they have given glory to the country with their heroic performance and their internationalist missions. They have the authority and the experience to guarantee the replacement. There is also the intermediate generation which learned together with us the basics of the complex and almost unattainable art of organizing and leading a revolution.
The path will always be difficult and require from everyone’s intelligent effort. I distrust the seemingly easy path of apologetics or its antithesis the self-flagellation. We should always be prepared for the worst variable. The principle of being as prudent in success as steady in adversity cannot be forgotten. The adversary to be defeated is extremely strong; however, we have been able to keep it at bay for half a century.
This is not my farewell to you. My only wish is to fight as a soldier in the battle of ideas. I shall continue to write under the heading of ‘Reflections by comrade Fidel.’ It will be just another weapon you can count on. Perhaps my voice will be heard. I shall be careful.
Thanks. |
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pirtybirdy
'Native New Yorker'
Joined: 29 Apr 2006
Location: FL USA
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| Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 9:43 pm Post subject: |
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| The people must like this government, because if they didn't, they would have revolted. I know the Cubans in Little Cuba Miami don't like Castro and always say the people are oppressed and what not. If the majority didn't want that government, they'd toss him out, it's as simple as that. As far as I'm concerned, if the people like their government, that's all that matters. |
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Marcella-FL
Don't make me pull this van over!!!
Joined: 01 May 2006
Location: KMC, Germany
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| Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2008 12:46 am Post subject: |
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| pirtybirdy wrote: | | The people must like this government, because if they didn't, they would have revolted. I know the Cubans in Little Cuba Miami don't like Castro and always say the people are oppressed and what not. If the majority didn't want that government, they'd toss him out, it's as simple as that. As far as I'm concerned, if the people like their government, that's all that matters. |
Easier said than done. I seem to remember we had a majority in 2000 who wanted a different government but couldn't/wouldn't/didn't toss them out. (if only I was the assassin type.) |
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faceless
admin
Joined: 25 Apr 2006
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eefanincan
Admin
Joined: 29 Apr 2006
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 4:34 pm Post subject: |
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| I'd have to disagree, Face. I think he looks quite emaciated and his eyes have really sunken in. He's got the look of someone with advanced cancer or illness. |
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nekokate
Joined: 13 Dec 2006
Location: West Yorkshire, UK
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| Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 4:41 pm Post subject: |
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| He looks quite jaundiced and he's put a lot of weight on! Oh, wait... |
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faceless
admin
Joined: 25 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 7:08 pm Post subject: |
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| well I mean he looks quite healthy considering he was supposed to be at death's door about 6 months ago |
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eefanincan
Admin
Joined: 29 Apr 2006
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 10:49 pm Post subject: |
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| faceless wrote: | | well I mean he looks quite healthy considering he was supposed to be at death's door about 6 months ago |
True enough  I think I heard he has stomach cancer or something like that. |
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major.tom
Macho Business Donkey Wrestler
Joined: 21 Jan 2007
Location: BC, Canada
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| Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 12:31 am Post subject: |
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This photo makes me feel sad. He looks much older and more frail than I remember, almost unrecognizable from his former self. I hope his health is holding out.
On the positive side, at least he can rely on the Cuban Healthcare system. |
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Aja
Reggae Ambassador
Joined: 24 Jun 2006
Location: Lost Londoner ..Nr Philly. PA
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| Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 1:19 am Post subject: |
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| pirtybirdy wrote: | | The people must like this government, because if they didn't, they would have revolted. I know the Cubans in Little Cuba Miami don't like Castro and always say the people are oppressed and what not. If the majority didn't want that government, they'd toss him out, it's as simple as that. As far as I'm concerned, if the people like their government, that's all that matters. |
/me giggles at pirty |
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Aja
Reggae Ambassador
Joined: 24 Jun 2006
Location: Lost Londoner ..Nr Philly. PA
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| Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 1:22 am Post subject: |
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| and wonders what cloud shes living on these days |
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