Always wanted to go to Cuba, since 1960. I did not believe what my government said about Cuba, and I certainly did not believe what Castro was reported to be saying. A few years ago I was able to visit Cuba as part of an Archeological research group. I still do not know what to believe. I found really nice people, organic food production, very good education, high literacy rate and excellent medical care, despite a long crippling U.S. embargo. But what good is a high literacy rate if you cannot read whatever you want?
A Canadian mining engineer told me that the rest of the world((for instance the pope and Nelson Mandela) considers Castro to be a hero. Only the U.S. considers him to be evil. There is no doubt that he overthrew an evil, brutal, corrupt dictator who was supported by USA, and the mafia. Did he become another brutal dictator? I am still not sure how to look at Cuba. It is indeed a land of contradictions.
There are a few things that I do know. First, Cuba is a beautiful country. Second, the Cuban refugee community in Florida are a bunch of lying, self centered jerks. Third, we look like jerks with our long standing embargo.
We are so quick to point out others faults. Coming on and laughing and enjoying the defeat of a political opponent, the death of a leader, the bombing of a city you don’t like. We are doing nothing to stem the flow of this kind of discourse, and most have taken to the internet to get worse.
From the blog: So I had two ideas on Fidel Castro’s death and I wanted to draw both of them. I was thinking how funny it was that Castro survived eleven U.S. presidents and when he finally goes our president is Cheeto Potentate.
You don’t have to like Castro to know what Cuba was like before his regime. It was a playground for rich tourists on the surface, and underneath was oppression. One thing blocking normalized relations is the Battista-loving rich families who escaped Cuba at the revolution. They want all of their loot back, and Cuba’s not likely to give it to them.
Castro gave people quality medical care, even sending Cuban doctors abroad to help other countries, and provided free education to all. Granted he wasn’t a good guy, but things have loosened up in Cuba.
Trump wants to take away quality medical care from Americans, provide for only paid, private education, including using tax dollars for religious education.. HIs idea for “free speech” is prison or loss of citizenship for burning a flag to protest his unconstitutional actions. Fidel Trump?
I was never the kind of leftist who idolized Fiedl and Che. I have no interest in the cult of personality. No doubt the Cuban government was repressive, but it was nowhere near as bad as some other governments in the region. Here are some passages from the wiki article. And there’s worse:.
José Efraín Ríos Montt, President of Guatemala from 1982 to 1983.
.A general in the Guatemalan Army, Ríos Montt came to public office through a coup d’état on March 23, 1982. In turn, he was overthrown by his Defense Minister, Óscar Humberto Mejía Victores, in another coup d’état on August 8, 1983. In the 2003 presidential elections, he unsuccessfully ran as the candidate of the Guatemalan Republican Front (FRG). In 2007 Ríos Montt returned to public office as a member of Congress, gaining prosecutorial immunity, including from a pair of long-running lawsuits alleging war crimes against him and a number of his former ministers and counselors during their term in the presidential palace in 1982-83.12 His immunity ended on January 14, 2012, when his term in office ran out. On January 26, 2012 Ríos Montt appeared in court in Guatemala and was formally indicted for genocide and crimes against humanity.
.Ríos Montt remains one of the most controversial figures in Guatemala. Two Truth Commissions, the REMHI report, sponsored by the Roman Catholic Church, and the CEH report, conducted by the United Nations as part of the 1996 Accords of Firm and Durable Peace, documented widespread human rights abuses committed by Ríos Montt’s military regime, including widespread massacres, rape, and torture against the indigenous population in what has been called a Guatemalan genocide. Supporters maintain that there was no genocide, just a bloody civil war. Ríos Montt, at times, had close ties to the United States, receiving direct and indirect support from several of its agencies, including the CIA.
Kip W over 7 years ago
Yeah, no similarity. Castro smoked cigars!
eepatt over 7 years ago
Always wanted to go to Cuba, since 1960. I did not believe what my government said about Cuba, and I certainly did not believe what Castro was reported to be saying. A few years ago I was able to visit Cuba as part of an Archeological research group. I still do not know what to believe. I found really nice people, organic food production, very good education, high literacy rate and excellent medical care, despite a long crippling U.S. embargo. But what good is a high literacy rate if you cannot read whatever you want?
A Canadian mining engineer told me that the rest of the world((for instance the pope and Nelson Mandela) considers Castro to be a hero. Only the U.S. considers him to be evil. There is no doubt that he overthrew an evil, brutal, corrupt dictator who was supported by USA, and the mafia. Did he become another brutal dictator? I am still not sure how to look at Cuba. It is indeed a land of contradictions.
There are a few things that I do know. First, Cuba is a beautiful country. Second, the Cuban refugee community in Florida are a bunch of lying, self centered jerks. Third, we look like jerks with our long standing embargo.
Mr. Blawt over 7 years ago
We are so quick to point out others faults. Coming on and laughing and enjoying the defeat of a political opponent, the death of a leader, the bombing of a city you don’t like. We are doing nothing to stem the flow of this kind of discourse, and most have taken to the internet to get worse.
booga over 7 years ago
Not Castro… Mussolini.
Happy Two Shoes over 7 years ago
Dictator Trump hasn’t yet begun to destroy America.
Night-Gaunt49[Bozo is Boffo] over 7 years ago
From the blog: So I had two ideas on Fidel Castro’s death and I wanted to draw both of them. I was thinking how funny it was that Castro survived eleven U.S. presidents and when he finally goes our president is Cheeto Potentate.
Kip W over 7 years ago
You don’t have to like Castro to know what Cuba was like before his regime. It was a playground for rich tourists on the surface, and underneath was oppression. One thing blocking normalized relations is the Battista-loving rich families who escaped Cuba at the revolution. They want all of their loot back, and Cuba’s not likely to give it to them.
Dtroutma over 7 years ago
Castro gave people quality medical care, even sending Cuban doctors abroad to help other countries, and provided free education to all. Granted he wasn’t a good guy, but things have loosened up in Cuba.
Trump wants to take away quality medical care from Americans, provide for only paid, private education, including using tax dollars for religious education.. HIs idea for “free speech” is prison or loss of citizenship for burning a flag to protest his unconstitutional actions. Fidel Trump?
PainterArt Premium Member over 7 years ago
Dictators and strong are like wack-a-mole. One goes down and another one pops up. The supporters are starry eyed.
lonecat over 7 years ago
I was never the kind of leftist who idolized Fiedl and Che. I have no interest in the cult of personality. No doubt the Cuban government was repressive, but it was nowhere near as bad as some other governments in the region. Here are some passages from the wiki article. And there’s worse:.
José Efraín Ríos Montt, President of Guatemala from 1982 to 1983.
.A general in the Guatemalan Army, Ríos Montt came to public office through a coup d’état on March 23, 1982. In turn, he was overthrown by his Defense Minister, Óscar Humberto Mejía Victores, in another coup d’état on August 8, 1983. In the 2003 presidential elections, he unsuccessfully ran as the candidate of the Guatemalan Republican Front (FRG). In 2007 Ríos Montt returned to public office as a member of Congress, gaining prosecutorial immunity, including from a pair of long-running lawsuits alleging war crimes against him and a number of his former ministers and counselors during their term in the presidential palace in 1982-83.12 His immunity ended on January 14, 2012, when his term in office ran out. On January 26, 2012 Ríos Montt appeared in court in Guatemala and was formally indicted for genocide and crimes against humanity.
.Ríos Montt remains one of the most controversial figures in Guatemala. Two Truth Commissions, the REMHI report, sponsored by the Roman Catholic Church, and the CEH report, conducted by the United Nations as part of the 1996 Accords of Firm and Durable Peace, documented widespread human rights abuses committed by Ríos Montt’s military regime, including widespread massacres, rape, and torture against the indigenous population in what has been called a Guatemalan genocide. Supporters maintain that there was no genocide, just a bloody civil war. Ríos Montt, at times, had close ties to the United States, receiving direct and indirect support from several of its agencies, including the CIA.
lonecat over 7 years ago
My point is that a lot of the huffing and puffing about Castro is pretty hypocritical, since the US regularly supports dictators such as Rios Montt.
Dtroutma over 7 years ago
Lonecat: and out BFF Pinochet was a real prince, right?