Fidel Castro has died.

Fidel's brother Raul has been running the country for the last 10 years and has done little to change the hardline policies and practices, with the exception of some relatively minor new economic opportunities for Cuban citizens to engage in private enterprise.

And Trump's last stated position on Cuba is to reverse Obama's restoring diplomatic relations and ending some economic sanctions of Cuba. Most Congressional Republicans hold that position as well.

But perhaps this "end of an era," even if only symbolic in terms of the political and economic system in Cuba, will ease that opposition.

 

I'm looking forward to the public displays of mourning, the gatherings honoring Fidel, etc. in Cuba.

Of course participation and attendance will be completely voluntary .

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A friend from Cuba thought the US policy toward/against Cuba was ridiculous. He said the communists in Cuba could barely run Cuba, much less try to take over the US.

 

I saw this last night. I was expecting it to happen years ago, but I'm not sure how much will really change in Cuba. After Raul dies, there might be some more reforms.

But, even last night the news was saying "look at these people celebrating in Miami who escaped from Cuba and lost everything". Yet they were in their 20's and 30's who have just been fed propaganda from their parents and grandparents who could have been big landowners who made land ownership for younger people too expensive, business owners who didn't want to pay their employees much, didn't care if poor people had healthcare, and rich and powerful people who controlled the government and could get away with anything.

I wonder why the right wing conservatives don't like Castro?

 

I have a friend " Pavell " he speaks four languges. Spanish, french, italian, and english. Pavell is Cuban, and my age. His Dad still lives in Cuba. Today he said the country is torn about Castros passing. 50 % loved him and so on. The Big thing that stands out when compared to America is Health Care, including dental and vision are all free. Doctors live in 2 story houses with the office on the bottom floor. And about every 2 blocks. He said there is no wait ever and they have the finest hospitals. Also Education is 100% free all the way to and including PHds. America has taught me to fear and hate that man.

 

Castro is complicated.

He is a product of his time and at that time, it wasn't out of the ordinary to do what he did and did with reasonable success. I believe if the US had not taken the actions it did, Cuba wouldn't have been as impoverished as it was/is. And it would have likely drifted back to a more Western way a lot sooner.

This is not to ignore his human rights abuses. His actions with those who opposed him as well as communities such as the LGBTQ community were deplorable (imprisonment and death).

Compared to right wing dictators such as Pinochet (fully supported by the US by the way), he might be seen as relatively sane.

I believe we can condemn the worst of his actions while still admire his efforts (perhaps admire is too strong a word).

 

What we know is that the US diplomatic isolation and economic embargo and sanctions for 50+ years, until last summer, accomplished little or nothing to change Cuba's internal political and economic policies and practices, particularly when the US acted alone.