Cue the world’s smallest violin, and get ready to party
Word around the net is that Fidel Castro has (temporarily, of course) turned power over to his brother. As it happens, I first read it on Instapundit, posted by guest blogger Megan McArdle. She writes
CASTRO IS STEPPING DOWN TEMPORARILY due to illness, and handing the reins of power over to his brother. From what I know about Castro, I’d guess he must be really damn sick. Not that I wish anyone (even Castro) dead, but it will be interesting to see what follows his demise. I doubt the communist regime will long survive its founder.
I too doubt the regime will long survive it founder. I think the Reaper may have Fidel by the balls, because the old tyrant is too much the sociopath to yield power willingly. Here’s hoping.
I am going to go out on a limb here and guess that Ms McArdle is not, repeat not, Cuban. Because if she were, she would know that the sooner the evil son of a bitch dies, the better.
If you want to follow along, Babalu Blog is a good place to start. Plan on a big party in Miami.
Posted on August 1st, 2006 by pwyll
Filed under: Cuba
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I think you,re gonna have a stomachache with the food in the party, Fidel is not dead!!!!!
read the news asshole!!!!!
One of the joys of blogging is to receive insulting comments from strangers who seemingly cannot read.
My dear Mr Brown, a careful reading will show that I wrote “that the sooner the evil son of a bitch dies, the better”. Unfortunately, you are right. The butcher is not dead yet. The party won’t really get going until then. But anticipation is part of the fun. And don’t worry, you’re still invited.
I too see this a potential reason to party, although I’m not Cuban. Any predictions on what happens after he dies? I also wonder how the Cubans who fled will be viewed by those who couldn’t.
I spoke with two Cuban Americans this morning on this issue: one a brilliant member of our editor’s high school class who left Cuba as a very young boy, the other a doctor who lived under Fidel Castro’s regime for 20 years before coming to the United States.
Drawing on their profound and informed observations, my comment is this: Fidel Castro, the world’s longest-ruling head of state, has done so because, in addition to his horrid suppression of dissent, is inarguably a very charismatic leader. That charisma is not tranferrable. His regime will not survive him; change is at hand.
Further, the significance of the transfer of power announcement is limited strictly to the fact that such an announcement was made. We have no way of knowing what is actually going on — as I write, Fidel Castro may already be dead. Taking press releases from the Cuban government at face value is unwarranted in the extreme.
Speaking for myself, I have great faith in the Cuban people. It is my hope and prayer that the difficult transition coming will lead to much deserved freedom with a minimum of bloodshed.
The Cuban people should a chance to govern themselves — by God they’ve earned it.
Dr. Malo, that was well reasoned and well said. Thank you.
CCL: The natural cleavage among Cubans is not along the axis of who left and who did not. It is between those who loathe Castro and those support him. By comparison, all other factors are insignificant.
Every government keeps records. I look forward to the day when truth is known about the atrocities Castro has inflicted on the people of Cuba. He turned the jewel of the Caribbean into a charnal house and a sewer.
All of my life I have heard from fools who have lost no one, who live in luxury in this greatest of all nations, I have heard them tell me about the wondrous health care and educational system of Cuba. How much the US could learn from Fidel. I wonder how many will stand by their words, and how many will forget they ever uttered them?
In your “Things Not Remembered” post, Dr. pwyll, I quoted today’s Washington Post editorial on change in Cuba. Regarding champions of freedom living under Castro’s regime, again I turn to today’s Washington Post editorial:
“…. [T]here are, thankfully, also courageous and dedicated people in Cuba who have been preparing for the post-Castro era. One of them is Oswaldo Payá, the leader of the Varela Project, which several years ago gathered 25,000 signatures on a petition seeking a referendum on free elections and other reforms. The regime ignored the petition and jailed most of its organizers. But Mr. Payá persisted, staging a national dialogue in which some 12,000 Cubans discussed their future in small groups. The result was a document called the Program for All Cubans, which Mr. Payá released in June. It lays out a plan by which the opposition would negotiate a political transition with Mr. Castro’s own National Assembly, leading to free elections; the model is the mostly peaceful dismantling of communist regimes that occurred in Central Europe in the late 1980s.”
I salute Mr. Paya, and all his supported both in Cuba and abroad.
That is to say “Mr. Paya and his supporters” (correction to comment #5, above).
Comment #7 corrects comment #6, not number 5 — and I apparently need to sign off and get some rest.