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cubanlord
Joined: 08 Jul 2005
Location: In Japan!
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 Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 5:29 pm Post subject: |
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| Gopher wrote: |
CubanLord: gracias por las preguntas.
Yes, I have many reservations about Castro. I wish he had stepped down from power decades ago, for one thing. I do not like what he has done with this power that he consolidated around himself, personally, and I never liked fidelismo or foquismo as a method for political change either -- too bitter; too militant; too destructive. I also do not much care for his rabid and unquenchable antiAmericanism either.
On the other hand, we are also talking about one of the greatest men of the twentieth century -- a man worthy of our admiration and not our scorn or hatred in many respects.
If we can appreciate that Anakin Skywalker has good and bad qualities, and, incredibly, if we can develop sympathy for Darth Vader, one of the greatest villains of all time, I do not see how we can not look at Fidel Castro as a man torn by similar ambiguities.
Castro is no Hitler, Stalin, Hussein, or bin Laden, for example, and it is nonsense to compare him to these monsters -- their deaths, by the way, I might celebrate as good for all of us. But I do not see too much that is good about Castro dying, except that it may allow some conflicts to be put to rest.
And you do not need to cite hypothetical examples for me to understand that Castro has caused Cubans suffering, as I have first-hand knowledge of a thing or two concerning Cubans and Cuban affairs. Regretfully, that is as far as I can go to help you understand that I understand this. |
The hypotheticals were definitely not directed towards you. I know you well enough to know that you have a good grasp on Latin American politics, culture, etc.
I agree with your point. Although, It's hard man. It's not easy to not hate a man that has, in the past, messed with your family. I will say this, since his coming to power, Castro has soften up a bit (especially over the last decade).
I guess that's my "Spanish culture" coming out of me. The whole family cohesiveness thing; protect the family at all costs type. You knw what I am talking about.
Regardless, my heartfelt apologies to all as everyone is entitled to their own opinions regarding whatever is being spoken. Carry on.   |
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Gopher
Joined: 04 Jun 2005
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| Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 5:31 pm Post subject: |
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CubanLord: don't worry about it. My personal opinion, however, is that many of the Miami Cubans have simply lost perspective and are not capable of having a rational discussion on this issue. You cite "por la familia," and maybe that is it...maybe I still do not fully appreciate the depth of this phenomenon in spite of all that I have done to apprehend the culture and politics of this region and the people who inhabit it.
I know many Cubans, incidentally, closely, and I know about their issues such as not being able to rent or sell their house, even if they are living somewhere else, like a major South American metropolis, or, frustratingly, not being able to let their gringo friends use it while studying there,etc...they can only sit back, try to be calm, and watch the State possess their property because they have not lived in it for X years...
I just note that even when these Cubans express disagreement and outrage over Castro and his govt, it is not at all like what happens when a Miami Cuban starts talking about it. The exiles, like I said, seem to have lost perspective, lost their way, and allowed themselves to become totally consumed by anger and hatreds better dismissed as unworthy of them -- such as celebrating in the streets of Little Havana, hoping Castro dies a long, painful death...don't the exiles realize that this dancing looks suspiciously like antiIsraeli Arab Middle Easterners celebrating in the streets when one of their missiles scores a hit against an Israeli city? |
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Bulsajo
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 6:26 pm Post subject: |
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Maybe isn't the century's or even the region's worst tyrant, but I think Cubans whose homes, lives, and families have been shattered due to Castro's reign have a right to be joyful and celebrate when Castro dies.
It's their experience, and I doubt- on that day when it comes- that any of them will care who bystanders might compare them to.
For example, I doubt that "Well hey, at least he wasn't as bad as Mao" or similar arguments will cut much ice with them.
My wife's mom and grandmother both fled NK as refugees during the war, my wife told me they both cried tears of joy when Kim Il Sung died.
So that's my 2 cents, and just for the record I personally don't know anyone of Cuban heritage.
I really DO hope to go there on a holiday before Castro kicks it, so I wish him a speedy recovery from his operation.
There will be a lot of changes when he goes, some good but some not so good... |
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cwemory
Joined: 14 Jan 2006
Location: Gunpo, Korea
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| Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:50 pm Post subject: |
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Looks like the rumours of the (his) (near) demise are greatly exaggerated....
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Castro says he's stable after surgery
By VANESSA ARRINGTON, Associated Press Writer
HAVANA - Fidel Castro said Tuesday that his health was stable after surgery, according to a statement read on state television, as the Communist government tried to impose a sense of normalcy on the island's first day in 47 years without Castro in charge
Castro, who temporarily handed power to his younger brother Raul on Monday night after undergoing intestinal surgery, indicated the surgery was serious when he said: "I can not make up positive news."
But he said his health was "stable," and "as for my spirits, I feel perfectly fine," according to the statement read by moderator Randy Alonso on a daily public affairs program.
Castro expressed his gratitude for the good wishes he received from leaders and supporters around the world, and called on Cubans to remain calm and maintain their daily routines.
"The country is prepared for its defense," he said in the statement. "Everyone needs to struggle, and work."
Castro's comments came after Parliament Speaker Ricardo Alarcon dismissed suspicions among anti-Castro exiles that the Cuban leader was dead, said the president's "final moment is still very far away."
Raul Castro, the island's acting president, was nowhere to be seen as Cubans began to worry about what comes next and exiles in Miami celebrated a development they hoped signaled the death of a dictator. Cuban dissidents kept a low profile while watching for signs of Castro's condition.
"Everything's normal here � for the moment," said hospital worker Emilio Garcia, 41, waiting for a friend at a Havana hotel. "But we've never experienced this before � it's like a small test of how things could be without Fidel."
Alarcon rejected the notion that Castro's condition could be critical. He told the government's Prensa Latina news service that the Cuban leader is known for fighting to the very end, but said his "final moment is still very far away."
Alarcon also expressed disgust over celebrations taking place in Miami's Cuban exile community, "vomit-provoking acts" he said were being led by "mercenaries and terrorists."
He called on Cubans to unite and follow the example of Castro, who "watches over every detail and takes measures to confront any enemy aggression."
The main newscast on state-run TV gave no details of the 79-year-old leader's condition, but ran a string of man-on-the-street interviews with Cubans wishing him well and professing confidence in the revolution's staying power. The anchor said Castro had the people's "unconditional support."
It was unknown when or where the surgery took place or where Castro was recovering. Alarcon called the surgery a "delicate operation" but provided no details.
The Venezuelan government, Cuba's closest ally, said Cuban officials reported Castro was "advancing positively" and leftist Argentine lawmaker Miguel Bonasso said Castro aides told him the leader was resting peacefully.
Cubans were stunned when Castro's secretary read a letter on state television Monday night announcing their leader was temporarily turning over power to his younger brother, the island's defense minister and the president's designated successor.
In the letter, Castro, who turns 80 on Aug. 13, said doctors operated to repair a "sharp intestinal crisis with sustained bleeding." Neither Castro brother was shown.
Alarcon said Castro made a point of delegating all responsibilities when his doctors told him to rest � a decision he said was made by a man "who was completely conscious and able to adopt these resolutions."
Castro had been seen frequently in recent days, delivering speeches in eastern Cuba during a revolutionary holiday and making waves at a trade summit in Argentina. Those back-to-back trips and the resulting stress "ruined" his health, according to his letter.
"It's so surprising, because in Argentina he gave off such a strong political image and looked quite vital," said Rafael Marti, a businessman from Spain visiting Cuba with his wife. He said he didn't expect rapid change on the island 90 miles south of Florida.
Cubans agreed nothing was likely to change overnight � especially not with Castro's fiercely loyal brother at the helm. Raul Castro, who turned 75 in June, has been his brother's constitutional successor for decades and has assumed a more public profile in recent weeks.
The calm delivery of the announcement appeared intended to signal that any transition of power would be orderly. Yet some feared resentment over class divisions could spark conflict if a political vacuum develops.
"It's better for things to move slowly, instead of abrupt change," Garcia said. "But people are a bit nervous � anything could happen."
Dissidents said they expected the government to be on the defensive, with a high security presence and a low tolerance for political acts.
"It's clear that this is the start of the transition," said activist Manuel Cuesta Morua. "This gives Cuba the opportunity to have a more rational leadership" because top leaders will be forced to work together rather than following one man.
Officials halted some interviews by journalists Tuesday, with one plainclothes officer ejecting an Associated Press reporter from a cafe for asking questions. People on the street were reluctant to talk to foreign journalists, and many declined to give full names.
"We've been asked to keep things normal here, and to make sure that the revolution continues," said Daniel, a young social worker.
Government work centers brought employees together for small rallies throughout Havana.
"For this man, we must give our life," a customs worker told a crowd waving Cuban flags and shouting "Long live Fidel!"
Elsewhere, it looked like a regular day in Havana, with people packed into buses and standing in line outside stores.
Across the Florida straits in Miami, where hundreds of thousands of fleeing Cubans have settled, boisterous celebrations Monday night gave way to speculation about what would happen in Cuba when Castro dies. Car horns still blared, but some cautioned the celebrations may have been premature.
Many Cubans on the island thought the Miami celebrations were in poor taste.
"We aren't going to celebrate someone's illness," said a waitress who wouldn't give her name.
In Washington, the State Department said it would support a democratic transition in Cuba. Spokesman Sean McCormack said the Cuban people are weary of communist rule and eager to choose a new form of government.
"We believe that the Cuban people aspire and thirst for democracy and that given the choice they would choose a democratic government," he said.
Castro, who took control of Cuba in 1959, has resisted repeated U.S. attempts to oust him as well as demands for multiparty elections and an open economy. He has survived communism's demise elsewhere and repeatedly insisted his socialist system would long outlive him.
Doctors in the United States said Castro's condition could be life-threatening but since the details of his symptoms were not released it was hard to say what caused the bleeding: severe ulcers, a colon condition called diverticulosis or � an outside possibility � cancer.
Castro seemed optimistic of recovery, asking in his letter that celebrations scheduled for his 80th birthday be postponed until Dec. 2, the 50th anniversary of Cuba's Revolutionary Armed Forces.
The leaders of China, Venezuela, Bolivia and Mexico wished Castro well.
Castro has been in power since the Jan. 1, 1959, triumph of the armed revolution that drove out dictator Fulgencio Batista. He has been the world's longest-ruling head of government, and his ironclad rule has ensured Cuba's place among the world's five remaining communist countries, along with China, Vietnam, Laos and North Korea.
Talk of Castro's mortality was taboo until June 23, 2001, when he fainted during a speech in the sun. Although Castro quickly recovered, many Cubans understood for the first time that their leader would eventually die.
Castro shattered a kneecap and broke an arm when he fell after a speech on Oct. 20, 2004, but laughed off rumors about his health, most recently a 2005 report he had Parkinson's disease. |
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060802/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cuba_castro |
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Gopher
Joined: 04 Jun 2005
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| Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 9:15 pm Post subject: |
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| Bulsajo wrote: |
| the century's or even the region's worst tyrant... |
No, not by any measure.
For the worse tyrant in the Caribbean Basin and for all of twentieth-century Latin America as well, I nominate...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafael_Le%C3%B3nidas_Trujillo
| cwemory wrote: |
| the rumours of the (his) (near) demise are greatly exaggerated... |
Castro has not appeared since his hospitalization, and Havana's information service has merely read a statement that it attributes to his authorship. For all we know, he is indeed dead and the remnants of his state is running a sham while it figures out what to do...
But I agree that the Miami Cubans, who nearly immediately claimed he was dead and celebrated this, were seriously exaggerating whatever data they may have had.
That happens in exile communities. There is a story of Chilean exiles living in Costa Rica for years before finally going back home. They periodically created and then circulated rumors amongst themselves, for complex reasons, alleging, for example, that Pinochet was near death.
This provoked much excitement, and led to immediate bickering and nastiness between these Chilean exiles over who would lead the follow-up govt, who might be appointed minister of health, and they broke down into competing factions over who was best suited to lead the Air Force or be a Congressman, etc., until, finally, the rumor just went away -- until the next one came along and the cycle began again.
Same thing occurred among Nicaraguan exiles living in Miami during the Contra Wars. Comes through loud and clear, for example, in Arturo Cruz, Jr.'s memoirs (he's the guy who dated Fawn Hall).
And this has been going on, also in Miami, in the Cuban exile community, since 1959.
There are many emotional ups and downs in Latin American exile communities. I do not know much about the Iraqi exiles in Washington, the ones referenced several times in Cobra II, but I imagine it was a very similar situation with them as well.
One thing I have picked up from reading Greek historians lately is that these issues have been repeating themselves for over two thousand five-hundred years in Western Civ. |
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On the other hand
Joined: 19 Apr 2003
Location: I walk along the avenue
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| Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 10:27 pm Post subject: |
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Bulsajp wrote:
| Quote: |
| I think Cubans whose homes, lives, and families have been shattered due to Castro's reign have a right to be joyful and celebrate when Castro dies. |
Hey, what about the ones who lost casinos, cathouses, and cheap hotels where illiterate chambermaids let you take nudie pics for a dollar? Don't they count? |
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cubanlord
Joined: 08 Jul 2005
Location: In Japan!
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| Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 11:17 pm Post subject: |
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| cosmicgirlie wrote: |
| cubanlord wrote: |
You missed the message. I wasn't saying you were ill or un educated. Here, I'll post it again since you didn't read everything:
Here's something interesting for all of you to think about:
Who is more capable of offering and dealing with a classroom setting of 42 children screaming and hollaring:
A person that just graduated from an institution with a Ph.D. degree in Education and no inclass time or a person that has a Bachelor's degree in education with 30 years of teaching experience?
You feel I have this pent up hatred for Castro?  What gave you that idea?  OF COURSE I DO! Furthermore, the point of what I said in what I quoted above is (in Laymen terms):
You can have all of the education in the world regarding a specific subject matter. You can be considered top tier in your "studies". However, he (or she) who has first hand experience in the subject matter, 30 years of physical presence experience and education will be more credible than the person that just sits around and reads all the time (especially those "reads" that are extremely subjected) and offers up opinions based on the "I'm looking from the outside in mentality rather than the inside out."
I don't feel superior at all. Although I do feel that I can offer up a more credible argument than someone that comes on here and starts spouting out quotes and facts that they have read but have never experienced. This is one of the very VERY rare cases in which I can actually say, "Yes, I know this stuff first hand".
Hhahahhaah..please don't think I am this guy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3s-0Ii4i04&search=translated
I'm not. Those that know me from this board know I am completely opposite. I'm sorry you mis-understood what I was saying. I never meant you weren't well-read or uneducated in the matter. |
Appology accepted.
Just a question or two. Do you believe in empathy? With that in mind, can a person who might not experience something first hand at least have the ability to have empathy? Can that said person not have the ability to put themselves in the shoes of another? Just because a person might not have the first hand experience does not mean they can not at least empathize and place themselves in the shoes of that person.
I'm not discounting the fact that experience can play a role in your ability to perform a job--without my personal experience I could not be the person I am on the job--but my first time out I had at least the ability to put myself in the shoes of what a good teacher could be like. |
Yes. I do believe in empathy. Unfortunately, I am plagued with (I forgot how Rteacher so eloquently stated it....) responding with my emotions first rather than cooling off then rationalizing it (as I am doing now). I guess off-the-cuff responses have their perks; just not on these boards. |
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thebum
Joined: 09 Jan 2005
Location: North Korea
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| Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 11:29 pm Post subject: Re: Castro hand power to brother during surgery |
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| Hater Depot wrote: |
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/americas/07/31/cuba.castro/index.html
| Quote: |
Cuban President Fidel Castro was undergoing intestinal surgery and provisionally handed over power in the Communist island nation to his younger brother Raul, according to a statement read on Cuban television Monday night.
Fidel Castro, 79, has led Cuba since a 1959 revolution. Raul Castro, 75, is the first vice president of the country, and as such, the designated successor to his brother.
Castro's secretary, Carlos Balenciago, read a letter he said was from the president in which he said stress had forced him into surgery and that he would be in bed for several weeks after the operation was complete. Castro turns 80 on August 13.
Raul Castro also assumes control over the armed forces and the leadership of the Communist Party, according to the statement. |
I for one am not wishing him a speedy recovery. |
i am. |
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cwemory
Joined: 14 Jan 2006
Location: Gunpo, Korea
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| Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2006 6:24 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
Raul Castro stays out of sight in Cuba
By ANITA SNOW, Associated Press Writer
HAVANA - Raul Castro has spent his entire life in the shadow of older brother Fidel. As Cuba's acting president, he continues to be on the sidelines. The focus remained entirely on Fidel Castro Thursday as Cuba's state-run media ran messages wishing a swift recovery after surgery for intestinal bleeding to the only ruler most Cubans have ever known.
"Certain of your rapid recovery, always toward victory!" a graduating class of Interior Ministry cadets said in a collective greeting to Castro published Thursday on the front page of the Communist youth newspaper Juventud Rebelde.
In the first three days after he was granted temporary control of the country, Raul Castro � the brother Fidel reportedly trusts more than anyone � was nowhere to be seen.
The reason why was unclear. The elder Castro could be reluctant to relinquish power after his 47-year rule, even if it's temporary, or media run by the Communist government could be focusing solely on him out of respect and habit. Raul, who has long deferred to his elder brother, could be keeping a low profile for the same reasons.
The elder Castro also made no appearances Wednesday, though his inner circle issued a statement late Tuesday telling Cubans he was in good spirits and beginning his recovery. His sister Juanita Castro, who lives in Miami and has been estranged from him since 1963, told CNN she had spoken with people in Havana who told her that her brother was released from intensive care Wednesday morning.
"He's not dead," she said, addressing rumors and speculation in South Florida that her brother had died. "He's very sick, but he's not dead."
Cuban Parliament Speaker Ricardo Alarcon told the New York-based independent radio show Democracy Now! that Castro was "very alive and very alert" when the men spoke the previous day, and that Castro was clearly in charge when he delegated specific tasks of government to his brother and six other high-ranking officials during his recovery.
Other than that, there was no new information about Castro's health. The daily current events show on state television, replayed late Wednesday, focused on such sports as martial arts and synchronized swimming.
People in Havana continued to go about their daily business, with no signs of an uprising. Even so, there appeared to be an increase in police patrols in some working-class neighborhoods and in coastal areas that have seen civil disturbances in the past.
The Committees for the Defense of the Revolution, the government's neighborhood watch groups, stepped up volunteer night patrols. Rapid Action Brigades, pro-government civilian groups used in the past to handle civil disturbances, were placed on standby.
Many Castro supporters expressed confidence that his health would improve and the island's communist system would remain intact no matter what happens to the elder Castro.
Fidel Castro "is just going to rest up for a couple of months," said retiree Clemente Perez. "Raul will be in charge, without a single problem."
"The revolution will continue while Fidel recovers," proclaimed Juventud Rebelde, the Communist youth newspaper. "Fidel, get well," read a front-page headline in the Communist Party daily Granma.
In Washington, Republican senators began drafting legislation to implement a plan by the Bush administration to give $80 million over two years to Cuban dissidents fighting for democratic change. Prominent Cuban dissidents have been wary of such aid, saying it would only endanger them and their cause.
Sen. Robert Bennett (news, bio, voting record), R-Utah, said Bush told him the administration was caught off-guard by Castro's illness. "I think all of us can say we had no idea this was coming," he said.
He didn't elaborate, but the remarks may speak to the scanty reliable intelligence the U.S. has on its Cold War foe just 90 miles south of Florida.
Cmdr. Jeff Carter of the U.S. Coast Guard, which patrols the water between Cuba and Florida, said there were no signs that Cubans were preparing to make the dangerous crossing in either direction.
Gleeful celebrations broke out in Florida, where hundreds of thousands of Cuban exiles live, when Castro's illness was announced. Cubans on the island expressed outrage Wednesday that people would celebrate an old man's infirmity.
"That's what you can expect from the type of trash that lives in the United States and cares nothing about this country," Havana housewife Oralis Delgado said. |
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060803/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cuba_castro_78;_ylt=AgKgInMYbzWbPJlgvh5dXQ1hxXsA;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl |
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igotthisguitar
Joined: 08 Apr 2003
Location: South Korea (Permanent Vacation)
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| Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 6:37 am Post subject: |
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CNN Hires Castro's Estranged Daughter
Thu Aug 3, 6:33 PM ET
NEW YORK - With Cuban leader Fidel Castro ailing after 47 years in power, CNN said Thursday it had hired his estranged daughter, Alina Fernandez, as a network contributor.
Fernandez, who was 3 when Castro took power and had sporadic contact with him, left Cuba disguised as a Spanish tourist in 1993. She moved to Miami, where she is a radio host and the author of "Castro's Daughter: An Exile's Memoir of Cuba."
Her father has temporarily handed over power to his brother Raul and remained out of the public eye after undergoing surgery for intestinal bleeding.
Fernandez will provide commentary and expertise about Cuba as the story about her father's health, and a potential succession of power, continues.
"At this critical point in history as a Cuban, it's important for me to draw the world's attention to the situation inside Cuba, as we reflect on its future," she said. "CNN is a global network, which can reach the largest population available.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060803/ap_en_tv/tv_cnn_castro_s_daughter |
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