| Feb 19 @ 9:39 AM |
Castro Resigns
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eastham
Posts: 6,341
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Fidel Castro, 81, the longest serving head of state has resigned as president. Castro had turned over "temporarily" the reins of government to his brother Raul, who many think is more reform-minded that Fidel. Raul is though to have been behind the agriculture and food market reforms of a few years ago.
Of course, what does this mean for US-Cuba relations? Will incremental reform be sufficient to end the US embargo or will it continue to be an all or nothing proposition?
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| Feb 19 @ 9:45 AM |
Castro Resigns |
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MotownManiax
Posts: 7,881
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As much as I hate Castro and all that Communism stands for, I think this never-ending embargo needs to stop. The best medicine for a closed, totalitarian society is the influence of freedom, even if it starts as a trickle and seems unnoticeable. Once economic borders open the rest usually follows.
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| Feb 19 @ 9:46 AM |
Castro Resigns
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iam7545
Posts: 4,151
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Let's send that fat bastid Michael Moore and his Hollywood cohorts to Cuba to run the place. After all they think that the standard of living there is so freakin great!
I just hope the Cuban people will not have to endure posters of Moore everywhere you look!
[Edited on 2/19/2008 10:03 AM]
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| Feb 19 @ 10:07 AM |
Castro Resigns |
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MusicMonster
Posts: 2,954
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While not terribly well-versed on Cuban politics, I did note they have elections scheduled quite soon for president. Does this mean there's a chance Raul will be democratically replaced, and the Castros out of power?
Or is it sure to all be "fixed"? And if the latter, if it is predetermined, why have the elections at all?
-MM 
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| Feb 19 @ 10:32 AM |
Castro Resigns
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eastham
Posts: 6,341
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Yes, the elections are Sunday. Fidel may still be elected to the ruling council, but Raul will be officially elected president. They won't "force" Fidel off the council even for ill health. Raul's wife Vilma was sick for several years. They didn't replace her on the council until she died.
Here's some info on the free-market farmers' markets. Fidel had gotten rid of them in the late 80's, but Raul brought them back and they have proven to be quite successful.
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| Feb 19 @ 10:33 AM |
Castro Resigns |
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kattsmeow
Posts: 21,272
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 It is very quiet in Miami right now too. I went and look at a cam for there.
Actually, there are Cubans that tyhink he might be a little "cold" right now. 
Lets hope and pray that this will in the long run, open the doors for the Cuban people. 
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| Feb 19 @ 10:43 AM |
Castro Resigns
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eastham
Posts: 6,341
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The Cubans in Miami have been wishfully thinking that Fidel has been dead for nearly a year now. Everytime that happens, they trot him out. He must be very bad though as they are making this official.
And I'm not sure that the Miami Cubans are as accurate a marker as they think they are. For all of Fidel's faults, and there are a great many, he still enjoys the love of his people. Of course, some of this love is of an us against them type, but it's love nonetheless.
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| Feb 19 @ 10:45 AM |
Castro Resigns |
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kattsmeow
Posts: 21,272
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For all of Fidel's faults, and there are a great many, he still enjoys the love of his people
Really? So who are his people??
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| Feb 19 @ 10:53 AM |
Castro Resigns
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eastham
Posts: 6,341
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There are a great many Cubans who still misguidedly support the revolution and its human face, Fidel Castro. You can't gauge how the average Cuban, who chose to remain in Cuba, feels against those who left.
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| Feb 19 @ 10:56 AM |
Castro Resigns |
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nah12
Posts: 3,973
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East i guess you did not read his message (statement)....he is stepping aside...he is doing so that the legislature can nominate his brother Raul to be his successor....the Cubains are not surprised they expected this from him.....
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| Feb 19 @ 11:06 AM |
Castro Resigns
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MusicMonster
Posts: 2,954
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So, I didn't actually quite get the answer..
Is there any possibility with these elections, that the Castros could be rendered "out of power" by another party? ala GWB pretty soon, for instance. And if so, who?
Or, are the results a given in all possible cases? As in Castro vs Castro..
-MM
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| Feb 19 @ 11:06 AM |
Castro Resigns |
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eastham
Posts: 6,341
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Nah,
I actually did read his statement Castro is stepping down as President. However, this is from the AP story:
Castro remains a member of parliament and is likely to be elected to the 31-member Council of State on Sunday, though he will no longer be its president. Raul Castro's wife, Vilma Espin, maintained her council seat until her death last year even though she was too sick to attend meetings for many months.
So, despite his infirmities and that he will no longer be president, he is still expected to be named to the Council of State on Sunday, just not as its president.
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| Feb 19 @ 11:21 AM |
Castro Resigns
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iam7545
Posts: 4,151
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This announcement is meaningless. Nothing will change as his brother will be in power.
For those of us that know how bad the Cubans live it is disappointing. All I see is that after his bout with Cancer - Castro figured out a way to transition power to his family.
There is no free election in sight. Great time for a CIA action! 
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| Feb 19 @ 11:35 AM |
Castro Resigns |
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eastham
Posts: 6,341
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From the Guardian, an analysis of possible changes coming down the road for Cuba.
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| Feb 19 @ 11:41 AM |
Castro Resigns
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iam7545
Posts: 4,151
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thx eastham - It is good to see that the Brits get it!
if you watch the TV news here one would think that all of the Cubans here would be rafting back to Cuba on air mattresses or something.
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| Feb 19 @ 11:44 AM |
Castro Resigns |
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eastham
Posts: 6,341
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The reforms will be baby steps. And while the rhetoric may urge Cubans to seize the day, there would be absolutely no support for a US invasion, whether by military or CIA operation.
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| Feb 19 @ 11:46 AM |
Castro Resigns
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iam7545
Posts: 4,151
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What reforms???
It will be poverty and strife as usual! Marxism at its finest.
His brother, Raúl, has acted as president since an intestinal illness left the Cuban leader too weak to rule in July 2006. It is expected that Raúl Castro will be appointed as his brother's successor when the first National Assembly meeting since January elections takes place on Sunday.
And if the 76-year-old maintains the power he has held for the past 16 months, little is expected to change.
"Cuba will remain a communist country and a one-party state," Dr Stephen Wilkinson, the assistant director of the International Institute for the Study of Cuba at the London Metropolitan University, said.
However, he added that reform was expected to take place within those confines.
[Edited on 2/19/2008 11:49 AM]
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| Feb 19 @ 11:47 AM |
Castro Resigns |
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MusicMonster
Posts: 2,954
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Oh well.. I'll dig into it more later..
-MM 
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| Feb 19 @ 11:52 AM |
Castro Resigns
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eastham
Posts: 6,341
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Read the links, Iam. Raoul has already reinstated the free-market farmers markets throughout Cuba. Some think this is a first step of a series of reforms to agricultural production and distribution.
But what will we do? While the Cubans in Florida are united in their hatred of Castro, they are more circumspect about the embargo, especially the harsh changes Bush made in 2004.
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| Feb 19 @ 11:53 AM |
Castro Resigns |
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kattsmeow
Posts: 21,272
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MM, their elections are a farce ok? No one other than who Castro wants can get elected.
East,,do you know many Cubans?
If or when this Communist goverment falls, there will be a mass migration of people from this country back to Cuba.
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