HA HA To bad he didnt break his neck

SteveStromberg · 10-21-2004, 08:52 PM

Cuba's President Fidel Castro, right, trips after a speech at a graduation ceremony in Santa Clara, Cuba, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2004, in this image made from television. An Associated Press photographer at the scene said Castro tripped on a concrete step after he finished walking down the stairs from the stage, then fell onto the ground on his right side, first hitting his knee and hip, and then his elbow and arm. Speaking live on state television less than a minute after his fall, Castro told television viewers across the island of 11.2 million people that he thought he had broken his knee "and maybe an arm ... but I am all in one piece." (AP Photo/APTN)

island911 · 10-21-2004, 09:08 PM

I watched Dan Ra^ther tell the story.

First, deep concern in his voice, with the idea that the dictator might have hurt himself. Then, happy relief in Ra^thers tone, as he expained Castro is still in one piece.

sick!

I think Ra^ther ought to get a one way ticket to Cuba. Let the bumb embrace his fantasy.

350HP930 · 10-21-2004, 09:21 PM

Perhaps he was choking on a pretzel?

VaSteve · 10-22-2004, 04:09 AM

Why do we still (as a nation) hate Cuba? Seriously. Are they really the threat to our existance that they may have been in the 1960s?

I see 11.2 million people waiting to buy US products.

ErVikingo · 04:35 AM

We don't hate Cuba. We do not approve of their government system and their leader.

Cuban people (like every other background) are good people, they have just not been lucky to have grown up in a place where freedom is valued, cherised and thus protected.

I see more than "11.2 million people waiting to buy US products". I see good people waiting to savour freedom and to be allowed to reach their full potential and add value to the human race.

I see your point but its quite extreme and self centered.

Hopefully not offending you, Juan

notfarnow · 10-22-2004, 04:36 AM

Oh yeah, Cubans had it GREAT under Batista.

ErVikingo · 10-22-2004, 04:42 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by notfarnow
Oh yeah, Cubans had it GREAT under Batista.

Yep, so "great" they overthrew him (which was a move supported by a very high percentage of the population). They just did not really know what Fidel was really planning.

Not sure what your comment tries to imply though "Oh yeah"

VaSteve · 10-22-2004, 04:58 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by ErVikingo
We don't hate Cuba. We do not approve of their government system and their leader.

Cuban people (like every other background) are good people, they have just not been lucky to have grown up in a place where freedom is valued, cherised and thus protected.

I see more than "11.2 million people waiting to buy US products". I see good people waiting to savour freedom and to be allowed to reach their full potential and add value to the human race.

I see your point but its quite extreme and self centered.

Hopefully not offending you, Juan

It was maybe a half thought out statement as best. I'm not offended. I suppose my question is, why do we not like their governement, when we tolerate the poor governance of many other countries (that we're not presently disrupting

).

I honestly don't know the conditions in Cuba enough to say what its like and how the people are oppressed by Castro/government.

Is not part of the problem there created by the US's long standing rift with Castro? Why can't we ease sanctions?

Why is it that I could legally travel from the US to any other part of the world that we (as a government) don't like (Iraq even!), but not Cuba?

US policy is not always dominated by the motivation for providing "freedom". Providing freedom also provides benefits for us as well (alliances, new markets, etc.) This is the genesis of my statement.

notfarnow · 10-22-2004, 04:59 AM

I was being sarcastic... I get irked when I hear people lament the fact that Cubans aren't "free", when in fact they managed to overthrow a corrupt government that they opposed.

So I agree with you, the revolution had massive public support. It's unfortunate that they have never been able to evolve their political process. This is a fact that Castro himself aknowledges, but it seems pretty obvious that there political process has remained undevelopped as a result of outside pressure... namely from America.

It also irks me when people refer to the the "embargo". What embargo? There is no "embargo".... when you stop OTHER countries from doing business with each other, it's a blockade.

notfarnow · 10-22-2004, 05:06 AM

Sorry ErVikingo, I misread the tone of your post. Didn't mean to come off like a jerk.

ErVikingo · 10-22-2004, 05:29 AM

Notfarnow, no problem. I was just not clear as to what you meant. I agree with your comments!

VaSteve, I don't know enough to tell you why as a nation we allow it. Its something to do with the fact that, different from other countries we have gotten into, in Cuba people are (big "supposedly") not being abused or killed.

I guess part of the problem could be traced back to the sanctions. But if Castro's regime stays in power, even if you remove sanctions, people will be oppressed.

The problem is, any moneys you send to Cuba first support Castro and then whoever you sent it to. They have their hands on everything.

For example, if we send $500 to our relatives (mi wife's parents left Cuba right after Castro came in); they only get approx $250. The rest is kept by Castro or "the police".

It sucks and I don't know what the solution is. Killing Castro won't solve the problem (it would nevertheless help!) as he has had many years to train a lot of people. He has created a system and they are a lot of people in high places with him. When Castro leaves, they'll take over and who knows if they'll be better or worse.

Another reason the so called embargoes don't work is that, we (the USA) are the only ones enforcing them. Every other country is reaping the benefits and making tons while at it.

No one deserves to die but, I'll have a celebration the day Fidel is finally gone.

notfarnow · 10-22-2004, 05:37 AM

I just hope that when Castro goes, Cuba will still be able to maintain its autonomy. Castro's biggest failure is his inability to cede power to a new generation of leaders... or to develop a new generation of leaders.

red ufo · 10-22-2004, 07:37 AM

Hey why don't the JC send there kids to go liberate Cuba.

You know since we have mastered guerilla warfare in Fallujah and Najah. Its time to send high school kids to go kill everybody in Cuba and liberate them. What ever evil Cuba are left the Hurricanes will wipe out. You know that Fidel is an evil man because he won't allow in Uber Walmarts and Circle K stores. That sick bastard won't allow US coporations to turn his country into slave labor for Wall Street.

What the hell is the matter with him? I say we elect a redneck who can barely speak english to represent us. Blow 1 trillion to bomb Cuba, then have another trillion to Halliburton to rebuild it. Then we'll blow it up again, then rebuild, then blow it up again,,,

gaijinda · 10-22-2004, 07:59 AM

See the other thread on fascism.

Then think about old Fidel.

Pretty good match.

One thing we can all agree on is term limits..

ErVikingo · 10-22-2004, 08:12 AM

Red Ufo, you need to relax, you're going to pop a vein man.

Your posts are always so angry (here and on ____list).

Drop the caffeine a bit!

red ufo · 10-22-2004, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by ErVikingo
Red Ufo, you need to relax, you're going to pop a vein man.

Your posts are always so angry (here and on ____list).

Drop the caffeine a bit!

Kewl!

If your not pissed at whats going on in todays world you aren't paying attention. People should be pissed moments before the gov puts them in the gulag.

See ya in the dentention camps!

Overpaid Slacker · 10-22-2004, 09:37 AM

Notfarnow -- I'll confess I don't know a lot about Batista's Cuba, but La Revolucion!! seemed like a lot of the misguided "workers of the world unite" crap that wasn't thought through. Just my guess, but I doubt many Cubans would opt to continue to live under just about the last Stalinist regime on Earth if an open, though corrupt, society was their other option.

I think the root of the enmity toward Cuba is not Cubans, but this *****bag Presidente that keeps his people squarely under his thumb (or in prison) and who has been a serious threat to the United States in the past, whether as a Soviet pawn or inciting/funding mischief elsewhere.

FWIW Castro is idealized by the US media, which conveniently elide over his treatment of his people, and the executions, "disappearances" arbitrary imprisoning of any dissent, etc. I realize nobody here is going to "take my word" for the conditions in Castro's Socialist Paradise, but I assure you I'm not making it up.

Finally, an embargo is a ban by a nation (or nations) on all trade by such nation(s) with a particular target. In this case, it's unilateral -- No trade between the US and Cuba, either way.

A blockade would be our surrounding Cuba and not allowing it to trade with ANY nation.

JP

350HP930 · 10-22-2004, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Overpaid Slacker
FWIW Castro is idealized by the US media, which conveniently elide over his treatment of his people, and the executions, "disappearances" arbitrary imprisoning of any dissent, etc.

I think you are confusing cuba with the US puppet governments in latin america.

While some group's leaders have been jailed in cuba for going against the government there you must keep in mind that cuba has been defending itself from almost 50 years of an intense covert war waged by the most powerful nation on earth. Fidel knows that most anti-castro groups have been organized and backed by the CIA. To allow them to operate unfettered in that country would be like our country allowing al-qaeda to go unchecked in ours.

Even jailed anti-castro activists have admitted that their treatment in jail or under house arrest has been very humane. That stands in great contrast to the torture and execution faced by opponents of US backed governments in the region.

So taking into account that the US has been going after castro since he bit the hand that fed him with actions that include outright terrorism being practiced against that country by the US they have been doing quite well. Their people are educated, well fed and all have access to health care so castro and the cuban people have done quite well despite decades of having the biggest bully on earth trying to beat them up any chance it gets.

ErVikingo · 10-22-2004, 03:37 PM

Mad,

I only disagree with some of your closing comments. Reportedly there is a good health care system and they are well fed. I have close family there and believe me, Castro's regime meaning of well fed and good health care is very different to what we are used to (even by those with no health insurance).

"Having done quite well..." I guess you could say that but, what is well? When you have roughly 11 million people living in what we would call poverty that is not quite well.

An example, of "well fed". Having to brive a military for an 89 year old blind lady to be able to buy 1/2 pound of pork for close to US$10. Poverty is that, having access to that small amount of pork makes her rich there. Being kind is, having gone through the problem to get that meager portion, you share it with your neighbors...

True story I'm afraid and very close to home

350HP930 · 10-22-2004, 03:47 PM

So does the average citizen need to be obese to be concidered well fed?

Also, ow are we defining poverty? I was suprised during the elian gonzales fiaso to see that his average cuban parants were able to have videos of his birthday party. While I understand it was probably shot by the community camera it would appear that the average communal standard of living there is above what we concider poverty level here.

I know a lot of hard working US families that don't have videos of their kids birthday parties cause they can't even afford a video camera.