Castro

[Screamfeeder]

A source of mine inside the state department has passed along information that Fidel Castro may be dead as of earlier today (08/24/2007).

Since I know rumors like this have happened before I want to clarify that yes my source could be full of shit and I am in fact a fucking douchbag moron with 0 redeeming value.

Either way, true or not true, with his brother Raul in charge and not in too great of shape himself, what happens to Cuba when the Castro's are no longer around? Install Puppet government? Wait for the smoke to clear and hope someone we can control steps in?

[Millie]

This rumor has been floating around pretty much all day, but no one in either the Cuban or the American government has stepped up to make an official announcement yet. My money's on this whole thing's being just a rumor. There have been Castro death rumors before (most notably, about 3 years ago, when his present health problems first cropped up). At any rate, Raul's been running the show for at least that long.

Don't expect all that much to change under Raul, because for all intents and purposes, the way things are now is the way Raul has had them for a few years.

The best-case scenario is that the embargo gets lifted and relations with Cuba semi-normalize. But I don't see that happening, especially with a resurgent Russia and the very likely possibility that Putin tries to strengthen diplomatic relations with Cuba after Fidel's death. Worst-case scenario is that Raul liberalizes Cuba's economy to the same extent China liberalized its economy, and Cuba joins forces with other anti-US Latin American countries in an economic bloc.

As for Raul's longevity: he's old, but he's pretty far from infirm. Let's not forget how long we sat around waiting/hoping for Fidel to finally kick the bucket, only to be constantly thwarted by his rebounding health. I wouldn't count Fidel out just yet, if he's alive, and I wouldn't count on Raul's passing very quickly after Fidel's death.

[Cybsled]

Our gov has thought he was "dead" plenty of times.

My take:

Raul takes over. He has already stated he won't deal with the Bush Admin. Assuming he sticks to his guns (highly probable he will), that leaves 2009ish as a point where they might try to reach out. Honestly there is no solid reason to keep the USA as an enemy. You can still hate them, but that doesn't mean you remain isolated (a la North Korea). They know they have products that Americans still crave (cigars and sugar are big ones), and with such a close neighbor with mass buying power they would make shitloads of money which they could use to strengthen their country.

America will go lax on concessions so long as they play "nice" like China and we get choice trading deals. Cuba has some choice vacation real estate and there is alot of potential $$$$$ there (which is part of the reason the USA is pissed off).

[Millie]

Originally Posted by Cybsled

Our gov has thought he was "dead" plenty of times.

My take:

Raul takes over. He has already stated he won't deal with the Bush Admin. Assuming he sticks to his guns (highly probable he will), that leaves 2009ish as a point where they might try to reach out. Honestly there is no solid reason to keep the USA as an enemy. You can still hate them, but that doesn't mean you remain isolated (a la North Korea). They know they have products that Americans still crave (cigars and sugar are big ones), and with such a close neighbor with mass buying power they would make shitloads of money which they could use to strengthen their country.

America will go lax on concessions so long as they play "nice" like China and we get choice trading deals. Cuba has some choice vacation real estate and there is alot of potential $$$$$ there (which is part of the reason the USA is pissed off).

Strategically, one of two things happens:

1) We normalize relations with Cuba post-Bush and enter into the economic relationship outlined above
2) China and/or Russia do it instead of us

I'd say Scenario 2 is far more likely, given our historic animosity with Cuba. But Scenario 1 is not out of the question. It definitely won't happen under Bush, but it might be more likely under his successor.

[oaklanbash]

Originally Posted by Screamfeeder

A source of mine inside the state department has passed along information that Fidel Castro may be dead as of earlier today (08/24/2007).

Since I know rumors like this have happened before I want to clarify that yes my source could be full of shit and I am in fact a fucking douchbag moron with 0 redeeming value.

Either way, true or not true, with his brother Raul in charge and not in too great of shape himself, what happens to Cuba when the Castro's are no longer around? Install Puppet government? Wait for the smoke to clear and hope someone we can control steps in?

Sigh and I played in EQ beta.... oh wait no I didn't

[Jedah]

Originally Posted by Screamfeeder

Since I know rumors like this have happened before I want to clarify that yes my source could be full of shit and I am in fact a fucking douchbag moron with 0 redeeming value.

Ostensibly, he had pancreatic cancer. Even if he's not dead, by this point, he's well beyond fucked.

[Khorum]

I say we invade.

[brekk]

If we keep pushing for ethanol, we're going to need to drop our other dependances on corn, which means we're really gonna want Cuba's sugar to replace high fructose corn syrup.

[Kaosu]

Question. I'll make it short and simple. I can understand the government, but why does the U.S people hate Fidel Castro?

Don't cite Cuban Exiles for a example. I'd like to know the real politics behind all this hate.

Even certain positions in the U.S government has acknowledged that Castro hasn't been all bad for Cuba's citizens.

So why all the hate? What has he done to shit in your Wheaties?

(Even if you don't hate Castro, but have a general idea why he is disdained by general Americans, please let me know. That is, if its anything but the fact that he has Marxist policies implemented in the government)

[Twobit Whore]

I think this generation simply hates him because they were raised to.

Hell, WE are the ones who tried to fund an invasion and overthrow of the Cuban gov't in 1961. After that, can you blame him for having disdain for America and seeking alliances with our enemies?

[Ashes Emberblade]

I don't hate Castro. He single handedly caused all of the intelligent, creative, hard-working Cubans to emigrate to the US. All of the 1st/2nd generation Cubans I know are wonderful people that really epitomize what's great about the opportunities available in America.

[Millie]

Originally Posted by Kaosu

So why all the hate? What has he done to shit in your Wheaties?

(Even if you don't hate Castro, but have a general idea why he is disdained by general Americans, please let me know. That is, if its anything but the fact that he has Marxist policies implemented in the government)

Cuban Missile Crisis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I reckon a good many folks in our government haven't forgiven ol' Uncle Fidel for that time, you know, he let the Russians aim a bunch of nuclear warheads at our country and nearly ended the entirety of human civilization.

Other than that, I'm sure he's a swell guy.

[Kaosu]

I reckon a good many folks in our government haven't forgiven ol' Uncle Fidel for that time, you know, he let the Russians aim a bunch of nuclear warheads at our country and nearly ended the entirety of human civilization

And I'm also sure that Uncle Fidel wasn't too happy with the Bay of Pigs or the dozens, if not hundreds of assassination attempts on Fidel's life, some by CIA.

So what do you do when you are convinced that a much greater power than yourself is poised to wipe you and your associates out?

Even the wikipedia article hints that the U.S government had "plans" to invade.
Operation Ortsac - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cuban Project - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Oh certainly, lie down and take the impending big black dildo with glee.

I'm sorry, I still don't see what the problem is. Other than the U.S's fear of socialism or "anything" Marxist related.

Edit: Even after reading that wikipedia article, apparently a advisor for JFK admitted on public radio that Castro didn't even want the nuclear warheads to begin with, but it was out of heavy "Russian" pressure. I'm even less convinced that Castro is the evil entity out to get your child while hes in bed, hiding in the closet sort-of thing.

[Millie]

I'm not justifying or defending Castro's regime or our misadventures with and attitudes toward Castro. I was just giving you an example of why people in our country, especially those in our government, aren't his biggest fans. You asked for a non-Communist reason for US hated of Castro, and I offered one.

[Kaosu]

Nor did I mean to sound aggressive, at all.

Just that, theres always this silence in the air; a forbidding smell of disgust everytime someone mentions Fidel Castro in a conversation with a lot of people I know.

As I said with my first post, I understood why the U.S government really hated Castro, however I was more interested in the average everyday U.S citizen. The only thing I could think of is the unbridled hatred of Ninten- er, socialism here in America.