Castro takes fall

[Aegir]

Here's hoping it's more serious than they're reporting!

[angus]

Here's hoping it's more serious than they're reporting!

Pretzels, anyone?

[A18]

Awesome.

[Alcon]

The lack of pointy things lying on the ground in this world is depressing.

[12th Doctor]

Here's hoping this is the last we have seen of him.

As I have always said, if I were President, I would have a division of troops on constant alert, waiting to drop into Havana in the event that he dies.

[WalterMitty]

i bet brtd already has a 'get well soon' card in the mail.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Here's hoping this is the last we have seen of him.

As I have always said, if I were President, I would have a division of troops on constant alert, waiting to drop into Havana in the event that he dies.

Yes, Iraq has certainly shown that countries with oppressive dictaors will welcome a hastily thrown together American-led invasion to put CIA-backed exiles in charge with open arms.  Firearms that is.  We don't have the troops to try thanks to Iraq and that is a good thing in this one instance.  Cuba is no threat to the US and once the Castroes are both gone, a East European style democraticization should be able to occur.

[12th Doctor]

Here's hoping this is the last we have seen of him.

As I have always said, if I were President, I would have a division of troops on constant alert, waiting to drop into Havana in the event that he dies.

Yes, Iraq has certainly shown that countries with oppressive dictaors will welcome a hastily thrown together American-led invasion to put CIA-backed exiles in charge with open arms.  Firearms that is.  We don't have the troops to try thanks to Iraq and that is a good thing in this one instance.  Cuba is no threat to the US and once the Castroes are both gone, a East European style democraticization should be able to occur.

Two things:

1) Cuba is not half a world away.

2) Are Islamic radicals going to go to Cuba in order to convert the country into an Islamic Theocracy?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

i bet brtd already has a 'get well soon' card in the mail.

No, I want him to die to break up the Cuban vote in Florida. If it weren't for that I wouldn't care one iota either way.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Here's hoping this is the last we have seen of him.

As I have always said, if I were President, I would have a division of troops on constant alert, waiting to drop into Havana in the event that he dies.

Yes, Iraq has certainly shown that countries with oppressive dictaors will welcome a hastily thrown together American-led invasion to put CIA-backed exiles in charge with open arms.  Firearms that is.  We don't have the troops to try thanks to Iraq and that is a good thing in this one instance.  Cuba is no threat to the US and once the Castroes are both gone, a East European style democraticization should be able to occur.

Two things:

1) Cuba is not half a world away.

2) Are Islamic radicals going to go to Cuba in order to convert the country into an Islamic Theocracy?

yeah, the Bay of Pigs worked so well. Remember, the plan was to get the people to revolt as well. It didn't happen.

Cuban will turn democratic post-Castro on its own. You would just seriously muck things up, and Americans would die and it'd cost too much anyway.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Two things:

1) Cuba is not half a world away.

Quite true, but our logistics for an invasion of Cuba are only marginally better than those of an invasion of Iraq.

2) Are Islamic radicals going to go to Cuba in order to convert the country into an Islamic Theocracy?

Nope, which is one reason why Cuba is no threat.  There are a lot of dictators in the world, and Castro has only been about average on the dictator brutality gauge.  If it weren't for the Cuban exiles living in the electoral vote rich state of Florida, we would have long ago adopted a more rational policy towards Cuba.  Cuba will definitely improve once the Castroes are gone, and I definitely agree with the adminstration's decision to expressly not send any wishes for Castro's recovery.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I've never understood why Castro gets so much more hatred than the regime in Burma, which makes Castro look like Ghandi, or the regime in Uzbekistan, same deal. There are dozens of dictators far worse than Castro, forget about him. But the simple fact the US embargoes Cuba while taking products made in virtual slave labor in Burma or stationing military in Uzbekistan is disgusting.

[12th Doctor]

Here's hoping this is the last we have seen of him.

As I have always said, if I were President, I would have a division of troops on constant alert, waiting to drop into Havana in the event that he dies.

Yes, Iraq has certainly shown that countries with oppressive dictaors will welcome a hastily thrown together American-led invasion to put CIA-backed exiles in charge with open arms.  Firearms that is.  We don't have the troops to try thanks to Iraq and that is a good thing in this one instance.  Cuba is no threat to the US and once the Castroes are both gone, a East European style democraticization should be able to occur.

Two things:

1) Cuba is not half a world away.

2) Are Islamic radicals going to go to Cuba in order to convert the country into an Islamic Theocracy?

yeah, the Bay of Pigs worked so well. Remember, the plan was to get the people to revolt as well. It didn't happen.

Cuban will turn democratic post-Castro on its own. You would just seriously muck things up, and Americans would die and it'd cost too much anyway.

Yeah, the plan also called for Air Support.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Ah, more resources wasted.

Explain why Castro is so much worse than the regime in Burma or Uzbekistan.

Better yet, why is Castro so much worse than the Chinese? That's something I can't understand one bit.

[12th Doctor]

Ah, more resources wasted.

Explain why Castro is so much worse than the regime in Burma or Uzbekistan.

Better yet, why is Castro so much worse than the Chinese? That's something I can't understand one bit.

He isn't, but while we have an opportunity....

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Then why's only Cuba embargoed, and in what interest is it to waste American lives and resources invading?

[minionofmidas]

Wait - Castro takes a fall? Does that mean he'll lose power to Tom Carper?

[John Dibble]

Then why's only Cuba embargoed, and in what interest is it to waste American lives and resources invading?

Oh come on - you know why only Cuba is embargoed, and why people express more hatred towards Castro than than those other regimes you mentioned. It is simply because the American people know about Castro, and are ignorant about those others. It's simple politics. Not hard at all to understand.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Yeah you're right and it's extremely ridiculous.

Castro isn't anywhere near the most brutal dictator in the world. There are way more important things to worry about. We can't buy cigars manufactured in Cuba but we can buy shoes made in Burmese slave labor camps.

[cwelsch]

I hope he dies after all the people he's had killed trying to escape his island prison.

[ncjake]

I hope he dies soon. Then I can go home!

But seriously guys, the embargo is symbolic. It has ZERO effect on the Cuban economy. Cuba is one of the biggest tourist destinations for Europeans and Canadians. The embargo would have worked, but our so called "allies" don't mind a tyrant as long as it's a left-wing tyrant.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

well it's stupid to have an embargo that has no effect and just limits the rights of Americans. That's why it needs to be lifted.

[A18]

Isn't Castro a big Kerry supporter?

[ncjake]

well it's stupid to have an embargo that has no effect and just limits the rights of Americans. That's why it needs to be lifted.

It's symbolic. Americans can still travel there. All they have to do is connect from Mexico or Canada or another Carribean nation.

Yes Philip, Castro is a big Kerry supporter. He supports Democrats because they like him and would have him stay in power. That's why 80%+ Cubans are Republican.

[minionofmidas]

I hope he dies soon. Then I can go home!

But seriously guys, the embargo is symbolic. It has ZERO effect on the Cuban economy. Cuba is one of the biggest tourist destinations for Europeans and Canadians.

HUGE overstatement.
But yes, tourism has become big business in Cuba in the last ten years or so.
ncjake: No offense meant, but don't you think that's more to do with which social classes mostly left Cuba? 90% of US Cubans (1.5 Mio(?) )are white, less than 50% of those remaining (10.5 Mio) are.
The Cuban upper and middle classes had ties with the Republican party before 1959 - maybe the very tough US/Republican position on Cuba has a lot to do with that?

And no, I don't approve of any dictatorship, not even one if it were as socialist as Cuba once claimed to be.