Castro Steps Aside

[jake_fink]

For those of you interested in events in Cuba, things are shifting. Castro's health has forced him to step aside, and only days after GWB hinted at a "plan" while in Miami.

Stay tuned.

Ailing Castro steps aside

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Conspiracy theorists are rubbing their hands at this one. From what i've heard, Raul will be worse than Fidel - more ideological, that is.

So, has he stepped aside for good? Or just for the duration of this illness?

bk

p.s. on a related note, did anyone see that Evo Morales, Hugo Chaves and the man Lula will be playing a game of football as part of the inauguration ceremonies for the Bolivian parliament? That is, if Morales's broken nose has healed ...

 

[scotrace]

Been following this with interest.

But I doubt it will be more than a blip. Castro is already said to be recovering nicely.

Apparently the word on the street in Miami is that Castro is dead. They believe that the old man's demise would not be announced suddenly, but that his brother et al will wait until they have a chance to consolidate power before announcing. A week or more. Sounds a lot like wishful thinking.

When he does finally die, who is to say that they will go to a democracy? Is there interest among the population there? Two generations have known nothing but Communism Castro style. I hope they do, very much so. Wouldn't it be great to be able to vacation in Havana again? Cuba would be flooded with tourist dollars from the USA.

Here's hoping for a good staph infection for Fidel.

 

[Johnnysan]

Wouldn't it be great to be able to vacation in Havana again? Cuba would be flooded with tourist dollars from the USA.

Havana is one of those Golden Era places that people of my generation have only been able to think about visiting. It would be nice to see it opened up in my lifetime, but one wonders how the past fifty years has transformed what once was. [huh]

 

[Serial Hero]

Pumping a few US dollars into the local economy would fix the place up nicely.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

My cousin says it's the worst place she's ever been to (though also the safest, somehow).

bk

 

[skillbilly]

I hope that Cuba remains "officially" closed to American travelers. It is incredibly easy to go to Cuba via Mexico. Once that invisble wall goes down, Cuba will become like every other nation invaded by Coke, McDonalds & "progress". It will lose it's heart. I personaly like the idea of nations untouched by our government.

 

[Tomasso]

Cuba Was All About The Casinos.

I traveled to Cuba twice(1995,1998), both times from Toronto. Cuban customs issued tourist cards instead of stamping passports so as not to discourage U.S. tourists and their dollars. Lots of Italian and Canadian tourists. The Cuban people are wonderful but the country, as a whole, is literally falling apart. I stayed at the Hotel Nacional which really gives one a glimpse into Cuba's storied past. But, I don't think that Ill be going back even if they reopened the casinos.

 

[scotrace]

I'm curious; why is that, Tomasso?

 

[Wild Root]

I've heard good and bad about Cuba... I've heard there are lots of great old buildings and original 30's-40's places... but, most are falling apart because it’s too much money to restore… and that’s why their still original… to much money to change! And the cars! So many pre 60's cars that all look very original... it's amazing how they've fabricated parts for these vintage autos to keep them looking good and running well.

I'd like to visit some day, only if I was with a good friend who spoke the language and knew the culture.

=WR=

 

[jake_fink]

My cousin says it's the worst place she's ever been to (though also the safest, somehow).

bk

Cuba itself is beautiful, and Havana has a kind of dilapidated beauty that I think would appeal to pretty well anyone who stops by this forum. Restaurants and bars are often so homey that they actually are homes, and prices are more than reasonable. Aesthetics aside, the Cuban people I met were all kind and generous or at the very least polite. I understand that there are (or were, I haven't been in a few years), problems with drugs and prostition that were fueled by, or at least parallel to, the tourist industry.

Americans can get there easily if they want, just not directly, and not if they want to support their government's embargo.

 

[Lincsong]

Who fired that silver bullet?

 

[scotrace]

.

I don't know how rigorous enforcement is, but an American arrested for violating the embargo would be charged, specifically, with Trading With The Enemy; a very, very serious offense carrying mandatory and lengthy imprisonment.

Purchasing a single Cohiba could, in theory, mean years in the pen.

 

[Tomasso]

I'm curious; why is that, Tomasso?

What initially attracted me to Cuba was its storied past, as my folks had always regaled me with stories of their visits to pre-Castro Cuba. I also was into cigars in the 90's and Cuba is still considered Mecca, in that regard. All in all, I found the place a little depressing, like the ruins. Anyway, I quit cigars and I can say that I've been to Cuba. As for the Caribbean, I've found that I prefer the smaller islands of the Lesser Antilles, especially those with french heritage.

 

[Tomasso]

Purchasing a single Cohiba could, in theory, mean years in the pen.

It's been written that JFK delayed the announcement of the Cuban embargo until his staff had accumulated a lifetime supply of Cuban cigars for his personal use. I thought less of him after hearing that story, though it turns out that he didn't get to smoke many of them.

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

'Root, one reason why all those old Plymouths are still running is because the Russians copied the old Plymouth flathead 6 engine and used it in their trucks for many years after Plymouth quit making them, so parts and entire engines are still available.

I read an article in Car and Driver years ago that basically said that the mechanics in Cuba are so skilled at keeping the old cars alive that they could practically build a 1954 Plymouth from scratch using Russian truck running gear.

 

[Shaul-Ike Cohen]

Richard Friedman, candidate for the governor of Texas, was in the news a couple of months ago for smoking, as he said afterwards, forbidden substances. That is, his regular fat Cuban. I'm sure that brought him lots of votes dahn thayrr.

 

[Serial Hero]

Americans can get there easily if they want, just not directly, and not if they want to support their government's embargo.

Actually, Americans are free to travel to Cuba if they want. They're just not allowed to spend any money when they get there. There are fishing tours that go there all the time from Florida, but they have to take everything they need; food, water, fuel for the boat, ect.

 

[Lincsong]

Yeah, next the morons will be selling t-shirts with Che on the front and Castro on the back. The idiots in the media are fawning over how "nicer Raul will be" than his brother.:rage:

 

[Close Shave]

"And he gave it for his opinion, that whoever could make two ears of corn, or two blades of grass, to grow upon a spot of ground where only one grew before, would deserve better of mankind, and do more essential service to his country, than the whole race of politicians put together."

Jonathan Swift