[Rowan.]

it has been kept very quiet. What is the USA actually doingto cuba at the moment? I have heard that they have attacked Fidel. not sure though.

what is actually happening to Cuba and the USA.

please respond.

[smashthestate]

What are you talking about?

[Rowan.]

well apparently America has tried to get rid of Castro. Or Attacked him Lately.

[smashthestate]

well apparently America has tried to get rid of Castro. Or Attacked him Lately.

I doubt it. Besides, the guy is going to be six feet under in a few years at the most anyway. We're in no hurry.



Also, what sources did you find this information from? I never heard anywhere that there were recent attempts by the U.S. to knock off Fidel.

[Rowan.]

For some reaon i don't know exactly where i have heard these from. Alot of ppl i know, know that i respect Cuba alot and i think some of them have told me.I thought the same thing, Where are they getting this information from? there must be some reason. The bloke's 76, give him a break.

[Red Louisiana II]

The US's been trying to destroy the Cuban Revolution since '61, since then, the US has attempted to kill Castro 'round 500 times - Not to mention terrorism against Cuba, beginning with the failed merc invasion, and the bombing of sugar crops...

Any invasion of Cuba will be reprelled by the people of Cuba, I can tell you that.

[bach]

colombian drug lord is somehow right, yet, the US is not attacking Castro;

All leaders and dictators in this world from Bush to Castro use intimidation and fear in order to keep the masses quite and faithfull to the state which offers them protection from the evil world.

So what Castro does is very simple, now and then he tells the cuban people, "The US is going to invade us" "they have a machine that makes hurrianes" "they are droping bombs", and people actually believe it. The same goes for Bush and his gang, and many other rulers.

So yes the reports are true if you live in Cuba, however here in the somehow "real" world they are just reminence of internal propaganda whitin Cuba.

Not to mention I have seen the tapes in which Castro and his folowers actually said such things like in "La mesaredonda" the roundtable a three hour long propagandistic program run by the cuban govrnment

[tragicclown]

The American ambassador to the Dominican Republic made a threat against Cuba and Bush has blocked congress from lifting the blockade, but they wont try to kill Castro again.

It would be a waste of time, Castro is bulletproof.

[jpyy]

Nothing can kill Castro,
Much rum and cigars are the way to a healthy life...

Castro once said in an interview that if "surviving" would be in the Olympics he'd win the gold medal any time

[The One.]

I think a lot of military figures deserves that medal more than castro.

[smithbrian86]

Cuba has been under attack since day one, and that won't change. I don't mean to change the aim of this thread but does anyone think the Cuban socialism experiment will fall apart without Castro?

Brian Smith

[Justin534]

the US has attempted to kill Castro 'round 500 times

Actually 600

[CheLives]

colombian drug lord is somehow right, yet, the US is not attacking Castro;

All leaders and dictators in this world from Bush to Castro use intimidation and fear in order to keep the masses quite and faithfull to the state which offers them protection from the evil world.

So what Castro does is very simple, now and then he tells the cuban people, "The US is going to invade us" "they have a machine that makes hurrianes" "they are droping bombs", and people actually believe it. The same goes for Bush and his gang, and many other rulers.

So yes the reports are true if you live in Cuba, however here in the somehow "real" world they are just reminence of internal propaganda whitin Cuba.

Not to mention I have seen the tapes in which Castro and his folowers actually said such things like in "La mesaredonda" the roundtable a three hour long propagandistic program run by the cuban govrnment

Castro is not a dictator - his posistion is an elected one, through popular vote.

his posistion is also limited, there are numerous levels of political control in Cuba, from work places and neighbourhood level, to national level.

It is wll documented that the US has been activley attempting to kill Fidel and other Cuban Leaders, strangle th eeconomy, sabatoge industry etc. The orchestrated an invasion in '61, and hundreds of other illegal acts of subversion. They do not deny this, it is widely publicized.

The idea that the Cuban government makes these things up is demonstrably false.

[Fernando]

In no democratic country population can bear a 5-hour speech.

Seriously: Who has run in cuban elections against Castro? How many parties are in Cuba? Has the people freedom to get out? Which world ruler has maintained in power for so long?...

[CheLives]

In no democratic country population can bear a 5-hour speech.

Seriously: Who has run in cuban elections against Castro? How many parties are in Cuba? Has the people freedom to get out? Which world ruler has maintained in power for so long?...

Im not sure about speech lengths being a sign of democracy. SUrely if you have grown up in a advanced capitalist country, the idea of listening to a political leader for 5 hours seems difficult. Most in the US/Canada etc. couldnt listen to their leader for more than the 30 second sound bites they have been conditioned to: devoid of serious content of course.

When Castro was last in New York a few years ago, he spoke into the wee hours of the morn., and few left. People who cheering through out.

I have been at Castro speechs in Cuba, and seen many on video. NO ONE is sleeping or getting edgy like people who have to listen to Bush etc. do.

Capitalist countries define 'democracy' in a very limited way, and marginalize other forms. Candidates in Cuban elections do not run on Party platforms, and the Cuban Communist Party does not run Candidates. People run as individuals, and have to be known by their communities. There are no slick marketing gimmicks etc.

As far as the people not being able to emmigrate: This is incorect. Cubans do emigrate legally. The Cuban gov. issues about 25, 000 permanat exit Visas to the US alone (But the US gov. rarely honours them, while it allows any Cuban who enters the US illegally immidiate citizenship and special status - including not being charged for any crimes committed to get there).

tens of thousands of Cubans also leave to other countries on temporary visas to attend conferences, sporting events, music tours etc. the vast majority return.

In contrast many south american countries make it very difficult for their people to obtain tourist visa - eg. Peru.

A recent US sponsored poll of Cubans found that only a minority of Cubans would like to emmigrate if they had the money and would be allowed to by the potential host countries.

[Fernando]

I have been at Castro speechs in Cuba, and seen many on video. NO ONE is sleeping or getting edgy like people who have to listen to Bush etc. do.

Sure. Because US people (<>Americans) are sure that Bush is only their civil servant and he is not able to solve their problems nor save their souls and they think he is quite a dumb. I think this is democracy. I can not understand when people stand for hours waiting for (gospel?).

Capitalist countries define 'democracy' in a very limited way, and marginalize other forms. Candidates in Cuban elections do not run on Party platforms, and the Cuban Communist Party does not run Candidates. People run as individuals, and have to be known by their communities. There are no slick marketing gimmicks etc.

I think you are right: it is limited. Anyway, it is the same thing that Hitler, Mussolini, Franco and so on said. In Spain we had "democracia orgánica": there were a senate chosen by the people on the basis of their professions. People had "direct" representation. There were an only party and the dictator spoke for hours in TV and directly and people (apparently) enjoyed very much. IT WAS NOT A DEMOCRACY.

If people is free let them choose their political party, please.

As far as the people not being able to emmigrate: This is incorect. Cubans do emigrate legally. The Cuban gov. issues about 25, 000 permanat exit Visas to the US alone

If they emmigrate illegally I think there is an evidence that they are not Visas enough.

In contrast many south american countries make it very difficult for their people to obtain tourist visa - eg. Peru.

We have here in Spain many, many, many peruvians which apparently have eluded these tight controls.

[CheLives]

I have been at Castro speechs in Cuba, and seen many on video. NO ONE is sleeping or getting edgy like people who have to listen to Bush etc. do.

Sure. Because US people (<>Americans) are sure that Bush is only their civil servant and he is not able to solve their problems nor save their souls and they think he is quite a dumb. I think this is democracy. I can not understand when people stand for hours waiting for (gospel?).

SO you are saying having a president that the population thinks is dumb, and can not solve their problems is how to meausure 'democracy'?

Capitalist countries define 'democracy' in a very limited way, and marginalize other forms. Candidates in Cuban elections do not run on Party platforms, and the Cuban Communist Party does not run Candidates. People run as individuals, and have to be known by their communities. There are no slick marketing gimmicks etc.

I think you are right: it is limited. Anyway, it is the same thing that Hitler, Mussolini, Franco and so on said. In Spain we had "democracia orgánica": there were a senate chosen by the people on the basis of their professions. People had "direct" representation. There were an only party and the dictator spoke for hours in TV and directly and people (apparently) enjoyed very much. IT WAS NOT A DEMOCRACY.

If people is free let them choose their political party, please.

As far as the people not being able to emmigrate: This is incorect. Cubans do emigrate legally. The Cuban gov. issues about 25, 000 permanat exit Visas to the US alone

If they emmigrate illegally I think there is an evidence that they are not Visas enough.

The US will not honour LEGAL visas from Cuba. Only illegal entries. ANd then it grants illegal Cuban migrants, especially if they have criminal records or committed crimes to migrate instant legal status, full citizenship, and special privilidges.

In contrast many south american countries make it very difficult for their people to obtain tourist visa - eg. Peru.

We have here in Spain many, many, many peruvians which apparently have eluded these tight controls.

Many '3rd world' governements place tight restriction on emigration. Peru is just one example. Yes, there are hundreds of thousands of Peruvans who migrate: there are millions of Mexicans, Italians, Philipinos, Indians who migrate (despite strict controls). Yet no one looks at the millions of Mexicans in the US and says that this is an argument that capitalism is undemocratic.

[Boondock Saint]

What is with Cuba lately?

Cuba means nothing. Nothing.

Its a little island that will within the next decade open up to capitalism once Fidel dies. The time will return when American casinos and hotels line the Cuban shores ... the Cuban people will be infected with the greed of capitalism and within fifty years Cuba will be a state of the US.

Its silly to think the US really cares about Cuba ... as if Fidel is some over powering threat to the US ...

Fidel mattered and come to think of it ... all of Cuba mattered only when they were a missile platform for the Soviets ... and before that only because some really awesome casinos were there. Now they dont matter.

Only to some folks who think the little island is some slap in the face to capitalism ... its just a typical island nation with more people then jobs ... once Fidel dies the cult of personality will be broken ... a battle for power will come about and some capitalist will back the winner and *poof* up in smoke goes the entire facade of socialism.

The most important part of it all?

More Cuban baseball players for the major leagues.

[Dr. Rock]

Cuba hardly "means nothing".

1. They are a shining example of governmnet spending gone right. They were once a true third world country and they now have a healthcare and education system that should be the envy or the American social safety net. That is besides the fact that they are isolated from the biggest economy in the world and denied medicines.

2. They have been sticking in the eye of the United States ever since the revolution. What they mean to the American elite is exactly this- Cuba shows an unfavorable example in their eyes to other small exploited nations in the world especially in South America. They dont allow wholesale foreign private investment and that is a tough fucking stand to make shockingly 80 percent of their people support it.

It is unlikely that Cuba and the Cuban system can take the world by force, but it wouldnt anyway. It has set the example

[Comrade Ogilvy]

well apparently America has tried to get rid of Castro. Or Attacked him Lately.

I doubt lately they would try to, because he is so old and is on his way out soon.