1. SPS Accounts:
    Do you find yourself coming back time after time? Do you appreciate the ongoing hard work to keep this community focused and successful in its mission? Please consider supporting us by upgrading to an SPS Account. Besides the warm and fuzzy feeling that comes from supporting a good cause, you'll also get a significant number of ever-expanding perks and benefits on the site and the forums. Click here to find out more.
    Dismiss Notice
Dismiss Notice
You are currently viewing Boards o' Magick as a guest, but you can register an account here. Registration is fast, easy and free. Once registered you will have access to search the forums, create and respond to threads, PM other members, upload screenshots and access many other features unavailable to guests.

BoM cultivates a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. We have been aiming for quality over quantity with our forums from their inception, and believe that this distinction is truly tangible and valued by our members. We'd love to have you join us today!

(If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us. If you've forgotten your username or password, click here.)

Cuba and Castro and stuff

Discussion in 'Alley of Lingering Sighs' started by Liriodelagua, Aug 4, 2006.

  1. Aikanaro Gems: 31/31
    Latest gem: Rogue Stone


    Joined:
    Sep 14, 2001
    Messages:
    5,521
    Likes Received:
    20
    Hmm - Cuba could probably still be wealthy and all that while being communist - that they're not is probably the fault of the US's embargo - nothing to do with communism.

    Of course - their idea of 'communism' isn't much like what communism is supposed to be - much like all the other 'communist' countries.

    Marx had a really good idea - it just rather died at the 'dictatorship by the proletariat' part...
     
  2. Register Gems: 29/31
    Latest gem: Glittering Beljuril


    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2001
    Messages:
    3,146
    Likes Received:
    1
    Gender:
    Male
    Wrong. Without Castroism(as it isn't Communism), Cuba would be another US puppet in the region, with lots of poverty for all except the very richest. Much like back in the days of Batista.

    It's not good right now on several accounts, but it's pretty much FAR better than any other country in that region.
     
  3. Iku-Turso Gems: 26/31
    Latest gem: Diamond


    Joined:
    Oct 15, 2005
    Messages:
    2,393
    Media:
    1
    Likes Received:
    28
    And we'd have to find that place without the history of anti-communism of the U.S.
    Even today if a some state would want to have something even close to communism, the USA would most likely want to intervene.
     
  4. The Shaman Gems: 28/31
    Latest gem: Star Sapphire


    Joined:
    Oct 18, 2004
    Messages:
    2,831
    Likes Received:
    54
    Knowing what happened to other countries once their dictators died, Cuba may improve - or get even worse. With so many "special interests," I fear for the second.

    Eldular, in the 1980's and early 1990's, Bulgaria had similar problems with supplying the stores, economic mismanagement etc. to what Cuba appears to have now. However, a lot of people today fare worse than now. So don't get so angry when people give opinions - who knows, in 10 years, they may be right.
     
  5. Aikanaro Gems: 31/31
    Latest gem: Rogue Stone


    Joined:
    Sep 14, 2001
    Messages:
    5,521
    Likes Received:
    20
    Hmm - apparently it's Castro's 80th birthday today. He looks pretty good for 80...
     
  6. Eldular Gems: 10/31
    Latest gem: Zircon


    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2005
    Messages:
    355
    Likes Received:
    1
    It isn't his real BDay Aik, it's normally in September I think, he simply changed the celebration to Aug for a certain special meaning that day has.
     
  7. trillex Gems: 13/31
    Latest gem: Ziose


    Joined:
    Aug 4, 2001
    Messages:
    520
    Likes Received:
    0
    I like Cuba and I like Castro. But I wouldn't mind it being just a slightly bit less socialistic, but will still offer free education, health care etc. Just look at Denmark, I feel like we've reached the right point of democratic and socialism, with a very slight hint of capitalism.
     
  8. Cúchulainn Gems: 28/31
    Latest gem: Star Sapphire


    Joined:
    Oct 20, 2004
    Messages:
    2,956
    Likes Received:
    1
    I prefer Hugo's brand of socialism to Castros, but Castro is making the best of what he has, and you can hardly blame him for being paranoid in his old age. Before the Revolution, most farmland in Cuba was owned by rich Americans. Even Fidel's parents were not exempt from his land reforms, which I can respect.

    The first thing most Americans do in our pubs is order a Guinness and a Cuban cigar, something they cannot do in their own country.

    Edit: I never expected this to happen in the US.
     
  9. The Shaman Gems: 28/31
    Latest gem: Star Sapphire


    Joined:
    Oct 18, 2004
    Messages:
    2,831
    Likes Received:
    54
    Well, Castro's an old-guard communist who wants to hold to power. There was probably some good in the system, but it will need either a drastic overhaul or a new system. That aside, I'd worry more who his successors will be like and how good they'll be for the country.
     
  10. AMaster Gems: 26/31
    Latest gem: Diamond


    Joined:
    Jul 26, 2000
    Messages:
    2,495
    Media:
    1
    Likes Received:
    50
    Does anyone else think the US really needs to drop the whole blockade thing?

    'course, that'd piss off key voters in Florida; guess we'd better keep letting a tiny minority dictate foreign policy.
     
  11. Argohir Gems: 10/31
    Latest gem: Zircon


    Joined:
    Feb 8, 2004
    Messages:
    397
    Likes Received:
    0
    @Cúchulainn: I never expected it, too. It would be a good thing for the world if there were more socialist senators in US senate.
     
  12. The Shaman Gems: 28/31
    Latest gem: Star Sapphire


    Joined:
    Oct 18, 2004
    Messages:
    2,831
    Likes Received:
    54
    @AMaster

    Well, it would be better for the Cuban people, definitely. However, I think the idea was to hurt them as long as they have socialism or at least have a ace up the sleave in any negotiations, so I don't expect it to happen soon. Maybe after Castro's death, I guess.
     
  13. Kara Ay Gems: 2/31
    Latest gem: Fire Agate


    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2006
    Messages:
    48
    Likes Received:
    0
    Sometimes it isn't important if you are socialist or capitalist...The important thing is how you treat the people you govern....
     
  14. AMaster Gems: 26/31
    Latest gem: Diamond


    Joined:
    Jul 26, 2000
    Messages:
    2,495
    Media:
    1
    Likes Received:
    50
    Initially, sure; but since the end of the Cold War the idea has been that anyone seeking to thaw relations with Cuba will lose the support of key voters in Florida. So nobody tries to thaw relations.

    It surely can't be a matter of principle, as we made nice with China over three decades ago.
     
  15. The Shaman Gems: 28/31
    Latest gem: Star Sapphire


    Joined:
    Oct 18, 2004
    Messages:
    2,831
    Likes Received:
    54
    Hm, if the scenes of joy that were shown on TV when Castro was hospitalized are any clue, this would imply that as long as he lives the situation won't normalize.
     
  16. The Shaman Gems: 28/31
    Latest gem: Star Sapphire


    Joined:
    Oct 18, 2004
    Messages:
    2,831
    Likes Received:
    54
  17. Ragusa

    Ragusa Eternal Halfling Paladin Veteran

    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2000
    Messages:
    10,140
    Media:
    63
    Likes Received:
    250
    Gender:
    Male
    Castro's death would give the US an opportunity to declare victory and end their quixotian war with Cuba.

    If Bush can travel to Vietnam and say how swell it all is there, he can accept a commie Cuba without Castro as well ... it would be like victory (without caps) ... (not that anyone outside the US cared).

    In that case expect the crazy anti-Castrones in Miami to cry bloody murder, and vote for the first irresponsible idiot (no matter what party) who promises to continue give them their pork (as perpetual professional anti-communist counter-revolutionaries on US payroll) and hold up sanctions on Cuba and restore whatever property they had before the revolution, however aquired. After all, unlike Castro, Batista was an angel.

    All that makes me wish that Castro should please wait dieing until after the 2008 elections, because after that normalisation could be seriously considered even by Republicans without risking to forfeit the Cuban vote in Florida, one of the critical states in US elections. So, when he dies earlier, probably nothing will change.
    :idea: Hah! :idea: Maybe the US can use them to train cooky Venezuelans as perpetual professional anti-communist counter-revolutionaries on US payroll against Chavez!
     
Sorcerer's Place is a project run entirely by fans and for fans. Maintaining Sorcerer's Place and a stable environment for all our hosted sites requires a substantial amount of our time and funds on a regular basis, so please consider supporting us to keep the site up & running smoothly. Thank you!

Sorcerers.net is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products on amazon.com, amazon.ca and amazon.co.uk. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.