Fidel Castro Gives Rare Speech Saying He's Nearing the End

[TheDemSocialist]

Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro delivered a valedictory speech Tuesday to the Communist Party that he put in power a half-century ago, telling party members he is nearing the end of his life and exhorting them to help his ideas survive."I'll be 90 years old soon," Castro said in his most extensive public appearance in years. "Soon I'll be like all the others. The time will come for all of us, but the ideas of the Cuban Communists will remain as proof on this planet that if they are worked at with fervor and dignity, they can produce the material and cultural goods that human beings need, and we need to fight without a truce to obtain them."
Castro spoke as the government announced that his brother Raul will retain the Cuban Communist Party's highest post alongside his hardline second-in-command. That announcement and Fidel Castro's speech together delivered a resounding message that the island's revolutionary generation will remain in control even as its members age and die, relations with the U.S. are normalized, and popular dissatisfaction grows over the country's economic performance.
Fifty-five years after Fidel Castro declared that Cuba's revolution was socialist and began installing a single-party system and centrally planned economy, the Cuban government is battling a deep crisis of credibility.

Read more @: Fidel Castro Gives Rare Speech Saying He's Nearing the End

Fidel Castro, one of the most controversial Latin American political revolutionaries openly saying that his time is extremely limited. The question now remains what does the future hold for Cuba? Will Cuba become/attempt to become the China of Latin America, or will they try to remain the same, or will they enter some other political path?

 

[Grand Mal]

Read more @: Fidel Castro Gives Rare Speech Saying He's Nearing the End

Fidel Castro, one of the most controversial Latin American political revolutionaries openly saying that his time is extremely limited. The question now remains what does the future hold for Cuba? Will Cuba become/attempt to become the China of Latin America, or will they try to remain the same, or will they enter some other political path? [/FONT][/COLOR]

I don't care how this makes me look. There's two autographs I'd like to have based on the events in my life- Fidel Castro and Muhammed Ali.
Well, there's others but those two first.

 

[Thrilla]

Read more @: Fidel Castro Gives Rare Speech Saying He's Nearing the End

Fidel Castro, one of the most controversial Latin American political revolutionaries openly saying that his time is extremely limited. The question now remains what does the future hold for Cuba? Will Cuba become/attempt to become the China of Latin America, or will they try to remain the same, or will they enter some other political path? [/FONT][/COLOR]

my money is on them remaining roughly the same...just with different leaders.
there is never a shortage of folks who want to be dictators , and there's little or no evidence they will veer away from their totalitarian communist ways.

there will be no revolution to free Cuba in the foreseeable future.... not even the American left is interested in Cuba having a free society.

 

[Thrilla]

I don't care how this makes me look. There's two autographs I'd like to have based on the events in my life- Fidel Castro and Muhammed Ali.
Well, there's others but those two first.

Ali , I get... Fidel, not so much....though having the autograph of a murderous tyrant might be worth money in the future, to collectors.

personally, I'd rather have his scalp hanging on my mantle.... it would be personally satisfying( moreso if i'm the one who scalps him), and worth more money than a autograph.

 

[Grand Mal]

Ali , I get... Fidel, not so much....though having the autograph of a murderous tyrant might be worth money in the future, to collectors.

personally, I'd rather have his scalp hanging on my mantle.... it would be personally satisfying( moreso if i'm the one who scalps him), and worth more money than a autograph.

Murderous tyrant? Honestly, those words sound much more interesting than the Cuba I know.
Having been to Cuba and been to Jamaica, ask me where I'd rather be an average working Joe. But that's gun-to-the-head, gotta make a choice stuff. Obviously I deplore the human rights record of the Castro regime, but at the same time I'm a fan of people who did it all on their own dime, didn't rise to positions of authority within organizations but made world events dance to their own tune. Does this make sense?
Probably not. Too many of those people ended up on the wrong side of history. But there's no denying they made themselves big.

 

[Grand Mal]

my money is on them remaining roughly the same...just with different leaders.
there is never a shortage of folks who want to be dictators , and there's little or no evidence they will veer away from their totalitarian communist ways.

there will be no revolution to free Cuba in the foreseeable future.... not even the American left is interested in Cuba having a free society.

Cuba will become more liberal, when the last of the revolutionaries dies. The society will open up and human rights will prevail.
It's like in the Soviet Union, the society had to wait for the last of the WW2 vets to die before becoming more liberal. Unfortunately Putin has steered it back on a conservative path...

 

[Chomsky]

I don't care how this makes me look. There's two autographs I'd like to have based on the events in my life- Fidel Castro and Muhammed Ali.
Well, there's others but those two first.

Ali , I get... Fidel, not so much....though having the autograph of a murderous tyrant might be worth money in the future, to collectors.

personally, I'd rather have his scalp hanging on my mantle.... it would be personally satisfying( moreso if i'm the one who scalps him), and worth more money than a autograph.

True, some of us evaluate individuals for what they've done in the totality of their lives, others for what they've accomplished at certain times and events, even when they may have fallen. I'm in the latter camp, and am willing to celebrate great things, even after the heros may have fallen.

What Castro and Guevara did in overcoming the Batista regime was absolutely amazing, IMO. From the reasons they did it, to the way they did it! But sadly, they subsequently established a totalitarian dictatorship over the next few years, culminating in embracing communism.

But if you ever want revolutionary inspiration, reacquaint yourself with the details of the Castro brothers' and Che Guevara's 'David & Goliath' overthrow of Batista!

And apparently they did it to combat what they saw as Batista giving over the Island's resources to American corporate interests, concurrently with his teaming-up with the Outfit and giving them sanction. Both of which the revolutionary triumvirate saw as the fleecing of the people by Batista.

It's really pretty interesting stuff. It's also a shame a revolution that seems to start-off as a populist people's movement, turned into despotism.

 

[Van Basten]

He needs to be taken out and shot.

Raul too.

But, the plans have changed. The bigger picture is more important.

It's also a shame a revolution that seems to start-off as a populist people's movement, turned into despotism.

That's what happens when things swing far left or far right, despotism is the only end result.

 

[Tigerace117]

True, some of us evaluate individuals for what they've done in the totality of their lives, others for what they've accomplished at certain times and events, even when they may have fallen. I'm in the latter camp, and am willing to celebrate great things, even after the heros may have fallen.

What Castro and Guevara did in overcoming the Batista regime was absolutely amazing, IMO. From the reasons they did it, to the way they did it! But sadly, they subsequently established a totalitarian dictatorship over the next few years, culminating in embracing communism.

But if you ever want revolutionary inspiration, reacquaint yourself with the details of the Castro brothers' and Che Guevara's 'David & Goliath' overthrow of Batista!

And apparently they did it to combat what they saw as Batista giving over the Island's resources to American corporate interests, concurrently with his teaming-up with the Outfit and giving them sanction. Both of which the revolutionary triumvirate saw as the fleecing of the people by Batista.

It's really pretty interesting stuff. It's also a shame a revolution that seems to start-off as a populist people's movement, turned into despotism.

It always does. Always.

 

[Fearandloathing]

I don't care how this makes me look. There's two autographs I'd like to have based on the events in my life- Fidel Castro and Muhammed Ali.
Well, there's others but those two first.

I got Ali's!

We are seeing the results of propaganda. We have seen Castro as the guy who Trudeau went to see in defiance of what the US wanted. The two of them became close enough friends that one of Castro's last outings had him attending Trudeau's funeral. Canadians have been vacationing there for 20 years, we do not see them as a threat, more like a warm, safe retreat from the ails of winter.

 

[Van Basten]

Read more @: Fidel Castro Gives Rare Speech Saying He's Nearing the End

Fidel Castro, one of the most controversial Latin American political revolutionaries openly saying that his time is extremely limited. The question now remains what does the future hold for Cuba? Will Cuba become/attempt to become the China of Latin America, or will they try to remain the same, or will they enter some other political path? [/FONT][/COLOR]

Provided they get an actually competent government that doesn't get off on oppressing the people? A slow transition to something like China to an actual democratic capitalist society. Cuba could actually pull off a democracy, I think. It will take time though. Part of it depends on how frightened of change the Castroist elite are.

 

[Sherman123]

Read more @: Fidel Castro Gives Rare Speech Saying He's Nearing the End

Fidel Castro, one of the most controversial Latin American political revolutionaries openly saying that his time is extremely limited. The question now remains what does the future hold for Cuba? Will Cuba become/attempt to become the China of Latin America, or will they try to remain the same, or will they enter some other political path? [/FONT][/COLOR]

Or will they become a Democracy?

 

[Van Basten]

Or will they become a Democracy?

Cuba becoming a decent society, quite the prospect.

 

[Fearandloathing]

Cuba will become more liberal, when the last of the revolutionaries dies. The society will open up and human rights will prevail.
It's like in the Soviet Union, the society had to wait for the last of the WW2 vets to die before becoming more liberal. Unfortunately Putin has steered it back on a conservative path...

In some ways it has begun. Most of the civil service is younger generation. Some very harsh penalties have gone away in the face of exposure to the rest of the world.

But like China there remains a deep penetration into people's lives. You can access the "internet" but it is their internet only allowing access to certain sites.

But all of that is stupid, everyone has TV and you can get Miami with bunny ears.

 

[Grand Mal]

In some ways it has begun. Most of the civil service is younger generation. Some very harsh penalties have gone away in the face of exposure to the rest of the world.

But like China there remains a deep penetration into people's lives. You can access the "internet" but it is their internet only allowing access to certain sites.

But all of that is stupid, everyone has TV and you can get Miami with bunny ears.

We were in a 'paladare' in Havana, a private home that was licensed to seat a dozen people for dinner. They all pushed the limits of the license, but anyway... we had taken our bottle of wine out on the deck to make seating for others and were finishing it with a young (okay, 30 looks young) Cuban architect who was working on the restoration of a building in the old town. He was pontificating loudly about how Cuba would be so much better after Fidel died, 30 feet from a very busy sidewalk in Havana, and unconcerned about passers-by. Probably would be different if he'd published his opinions, but still.
In the back country we stayed in 'casas particular', homes with tourist accommodation of a bedroom and ensuite. There, in Santa Clara and Trinidad and Cienfuegos, we met people who revered Fidel and put their hands over their hearts when they said, 'Che'.
It's not all black-and-white.

 

[TheDemSocialist]

It's not all black-and-white.

Nothing ever usually is. But great stories.