Cuba

What is everyone's opinion of Cuba?

Is the US right o blockade Cuba? Is Castro a dictator?

I am looking for a wide variety of opinions but especially US opinion

It's a topic that highly interests me.

1. They are probably good people, they just have a bad leader.

2. I do think we should blockade Cuba, but Castro doesn't seem to care, so it brings up some tough questions...

3. Yes, Castro is a dictator, clearly what he has done over the years supports the fact that he is.

The end. :D

yea, you could argue that hes a bad dictator, but at the same time you could argue that he is a good one. while he is a dictator, and thus has absolute power (and got it without the wanting of the people), he still is not that terrible. under him Cuba's economy has thrived quite a bit, and they have one of the best (mayb THE best, dont remember) health systems in the world, of course, he has done some bad stuff, and like i said earlier he definently falls under the category of dictator... i personally think the USA does have the right to blockade them though, but like dublix says he doesnt really seem to care about it too much....then again, how could we know ;)

damn dictators :p

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then again, how could we know

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That's true, maybe it does bother him a bit. Either way, doesn't look like he's budging any on the matter. Besides, other countries don't uphold the embargo. Damn dict's. :D

Fidel is subject to recall at any time must by law report back to mass meeting in their constituency once every six months.

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Here are some essential facts about the 1993 Elections to the National Assembly.

The Cuban elections were the occasion for a massive show of resistance and unity in face of the US blockade.
99% of the electorate voted
7% of the ballots were spoiled.
Of the 589 deputies, 80% of them were elected for the first time. Their average age is 43.
77% are men and 23% are women
59 of the deputies are peasants or agricultural workers.
46 are industrial or manual workers.
23 are trades union leaders.
25 are intellectual, artists and journalists.
29 are teachers and specialists, 10 are secondary and university student leaders.

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Taken from The Cuban Solidarity Campaign.

I thought Castro threw anyone and everyone who opposed him politically in a jail cell and knee-capped them if they were lucky. Am I wrong?

Edit:

http://web.amnesty.org/report2003/cub-summary-eng
http://web.amnesty.org/web/ar2002.nsf/amr/cuba!Open

It's still no vacation there for the people, in years past it was even worse.

Ennis,

As you well know, I am not president of the European Union, nor am I prime minister of England (if I were that much of a **** I would have topped myself long ago), so this is my personal opinion.

Fidel came to power when the people needed him? they believed in him? he is now well past his sell by/merchandising date?

He made mistakes............the Cuba missile crisis of the sixties being the most obvious?...he really should just arrange democratic elections and retire.....just like DeValera?

I am not a great fan of dictatorships...they generally arise out of a mess, sort things out for a few years, then plunge the country back into an equal or greater mess?

Hitler and Mussolini?...OK they started a war.........silly

But there are examples which I think were good: Dr. Salazar of Portugal and Francisco Franco of Spain.............their countries are actually benefitting from the austerity that they imposed?

I lost two uncles back in '36 with the Brigada Internationales...........I lost others in WWII...

OK I have rambled enough...1. YES Fidel Castro IS a dictator.

..............................................2. YES I believe that the US is right with its blockade, because the guy should have stepped down long ago.
..............................................3. History will find him to be a "good guy" but he did not step down in time?

Look at what he replaced...........just like South Vietnam?

Just my £.02

Cheers, but whilst I am here I have one for Ennis :D

There were Lenin. Stalin and Tony Blair travelling through Siberia.
The train hit a snowdrift and stopped.
Stalin says to Lenin: "what should be done, comrade?"
Lenin says: "shoot the driver...but what do you think?
Stalin says:"shoot the driver, his family, and anyone who ever met him"
they both then ask Tony Blair for his opinion and he says:
"let's bounce up and down and pretend that the train is still running"

:D

[1] If "under him Cuba's economy has thrived quite a bit"
Why do people risk everything to leave ?
[2] "and they have one of the best (mayb THE best, dont remember) health systems in the world,"
That's one of the many "suppose" promises that Fidel made in '59 if I am correct. What did Fidel do ? Well he took the health care system that they had and basically drove it into the ground.
[3] Kinda odd that whenever they send journalist to Cuba they only seem to be able to interview people who support his regime.
[4] Human rights organizations identify Catro's regime as one of the most repressive.
[5] In Cuba they have a tradition in which they they honor a pass revolutionary hero, which is then passed on to the new generation. But a lot of the songs revolve around Fidel Castros "suppose" great deeds for the country. Which I personally cannot think of any.
[6] Lets see education in Cuba under Fidel's control. There is only one goal when it comes to educating children in Cuba and that is: indoctrination. Basically to twist reality and and a bit of history here and there and eventually make them blind to the truth, but followers to his beliefs in the end.
[7] As for the US embargo. It doesn't affect the Cuban economy as many people like to suggest. If you actually look at it the embargo doesn't even really work that well. Cuba does trade freely with other countries.
[8] It is illegal to own certain things unless if Catros government allows it.

Castro has a group called Committee for the Defense of the Revolution which basically is compromised of supporters who keep an eye on people and rat anyone out who is against him. What do they get in return ? Less suffering and special treatment.

Last but not least Cuba is "Fidel Castro's playground" meaning he does as he pleases and you always have to play by his rules other wise...... you end up dead, imprisoned etc etc....

But as for Cuba it would be a great place if Fidel was gone. [ Too bad that in ads they only show you the nice places not the poverty stricken areas. I wonder why ?] When it comes to Cuban people there very friendly. There amazing baseball players and talented musicians.

Too bad a hyprocrite runs the country.

If you really wanna know how Cuba is talk to a Cuban person who has lived there and managed to get out. Then you will truly find out what Fidel and his little minions are up to.

That's all ......

Yeah, and Fidel knows damn well that if he simply stepped down or changed his ways that the US and a throng of other countries would lift the sanctions/embargo and that country would take off and thrive leaps and bounds from where it is now. That would bring them from squander to relative prosperity in no time.

You bring up a great point Agent_Steal, if he's so great then why do I watch Cubans coming on rafts every year on TV. No one in their right mind would risk it all like that if their homeland was so great. Well, John Walker did, but that's another story entirely.

I'm probably a minority in my party (republican) when it comes to the Cuban and Mexican 'immigration' issue. I can't help but feel sorry for them and let them stay here if they are willing to work and be good citizens. Of course, I wouldn't want my country to be inundated by Cubans and Mexicans, but I think we can make room for the ones who have come from Cuba (mainly).

The embargo is a relic of the cold war. Today it remains because no one
has the courage to kiss off the Cuban-American voters, especially
since Florida was so important in the last presidential election.

Castro is a "dictator", at least by the conventional definition, but
not as bad as some of the dictators (Saudi Arabia) that we call
"allies".
:cool:

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not as bad as some of the dictators (Saudi Arabia) that we call
"allies".

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Great point, I can't wait for the day when we are far less dependent on foreign oil. Anyone ready to open up ANWR? I am, unfortunately the supplies up there aren’t long term and the effects wouldn’t kick in for upwards of a decade. Oh well. :(

I just hope we're funding those who are seeking out alternative fuel sources with as much money they need to get this under control. There is nothing quite like being the subject of possible blackmail by a group of dictators sitting on half of the worlds oil supply.

You may not have political freedom in cuba , but you are safe (it is illegal not to pick up hitch hickers at night) . There are more doctors per capita than any other nation on earth. Many of them have gone to help other S. american countries. If you wish to be a doctor all you have to do is show up , not go into debt for 10s of thousands of dollars. Its all perspective, if you are greedy cuba is not for you. Considering the position castro has been forced into by the usa's blockade, cuba does ok for being crippled by it for decades. I personally find dictorial criticisms from the usa to be hypocritical considering the cuban five http://www.freethefive.org/ and the tacit support of terrorism against cuba , Orlando Bosch is walking miami right now (thanks jeb bush) who has murdered many civillians. "According to the justice department in George Bush Sr's administration, Bosch had participated in more than 30 terrorist acts. He was convicted of firing a rocket into a Polish ship which was on passage to Cuba. He was also implicated in the 1976 blowing-up of a Cubana plane flying to Havana from Venezuela in which all 73 civilians on board were killed." http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/...851913,00.html
Or the planned terrorism in the 60s http://www.antiterroristas.cu/index....cha=2004-01-04 or the good old bay of pigs as well as many cuban americans have planned terrorist actions from the usa that have been done to cuba , as to boat people that seems to be ok if you come from cuba but you get a boot to the ass if you are hatian (don't many want to leave a poor country regardless of its rulers,politics).... Personally if i had to live in the USA or Cuba i would take cuba , but thats just me:) If you live in the usa and you visit cuba you can expect fines in the thousands of dollars from your state department , 3000-10000 last i saw it enforced.

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Personally if i had to live in the USA or Cuba i would take cuba , but thats just me

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Go for it man, no one is stopping you. Crappy choice if you ask me. :)

Answer: Take a trip there - look for yourself. Walk the streets talk to the people OUTSIDE of tourist business districs and bus routes.

I thought this was iinteresting.
http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/interne...eut/index.html

I'll bet Castro is on a fat pipe sending emails where ever the hell he wants. Shame really.

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There are more doctors per capita than any other nation on earth.

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Actually I think that Cuba is like number 3.

Anyways you have to be a member of Fidel hierarchy or a foreign tourist to enjoy the best medical attention and resources in well-equipped hospitals without feeling the lack of resources that the Cuban population has to endure.

So what's the point of having so many doctors ?

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Personally if i had to live in the USA or Cuba i would take cuba

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Lumpy I personally dont think that you would be saying that especially if you were living in the same conditions that the Cuban people have to suffer everyday.

I watched a rockumentury a while back about The Manic Street Preachers gig in Cuba. For anyone who has not heard of them they are a Welsh band. (Wales is part of the UK just incase the Americans here did not no) Befor the gig they met with Castro, the interviev went something like this:
Castro meats the Manic's.

Casto: Welcome to my country.
Manic's: Good to meet you Sir. Do you like lowed music, will you be at the gig?
Castro: I have been to war. War is very lowed. Your gig will be a piece of cake.
Manic's Cool see you there then.

Interview after gig

Manic's: Did you enjoy the gig Sir
Castro: War is lowed, you were loweder though.