Cuba

[Ennis]

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.

[dublix]

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.

[Deimos326]

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

[dublix]

then again, how could we know

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.

[Ennis]

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

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.

Taken from The Cuban Solidarity Campaign.

[dublix]

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.

[nihil]

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

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"

[Agent_Steal]

[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 ......

[dublix]

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).

[rcgreen]

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".