Castro Resigns!!!! (1 Viewer)

[CT Saints Fan]

He resigned? With the same team? I didn't even know he was testing free agency. Did we bring him in to take a look? Does he have intangibles?

 

[ra]

........nice sand, hot Latin girls, gambling, and alcohol. ....

Now you're speakin my language!

 

[Shawn]

Yes, Betsy, I'm talking about the oldest portion of Havana, the old walled fortress city area. There's solid stone buildings and foundations there dating back to Spanish colonial days.

The surrounding buildings, which grew up haphazardly and were poorly constructed, will go, yes.

I trained a lot of soldiers from South Florida. Some of them came from families which still hold original Spanish land grants, signed by Spanish royalty. Those families haven't forgotten that their land was taken from them either.

There are a lot of old buildings that are certainly falling down--buildings along the lines of what you see in the French Quarter, 19th century buildings.

But you're talking about a city that hasn't seen that much development since, really, the 50's. And even that wasn't extensive. So in some ways, it compares to Prague before communism fell. Some buildings will come down, but I doubt that enough will come down to completely change the complexion of the city.

As for the Spanish land grants--that's exactly why I don't see any rapid change happening there. Those people won't get their land back, short of the U.S. military intervening somehow and setting up a puppet government. That's just my opinion, but by and large, the people of Cuba--who still live in Cuba--have a love/hate relationship with the Cuban exiles, and with Fidel Castro. I just don't think they're going to allow a wholesale return and claim to lands that have been owned or occupied by other people for the past 50 years.

I know that people I've met feel a little like, they stayed and stuck through the Castro years, and they'll be damned if someone is going to just come marching back and take something they left behind.

Furthermore, as much as many people hate Fidel (and an awful lot of Cubans don't)...but those who do, aren't neccessarily enamored or forgiving of people they saw as aligned with Batista. And probably less enamored with U.S. born children of Cuban exiles, who have never been to Cuba, trying to come back for a big land grab.

It's a pretty messy situation...and the bottom line is that I don't think there's enough support on the island at this point to weaken Raul, who has historically been more ruthless, and more traditionally communist than Fidel. In fact, history suggests that Raul was instrumental in pushing Castro into bed with the Soviets, when he didn't want to get involved with them.

 

[Saint77]

So how soon will we have a [SIZE=-1]La Frita King opening here in the US?
[/SIZE]

 

[DadsDream]

I completely agree that the old Cuban aristocratic colonial families that left the island will have very little chance of ever recovering what they lost.

Still, when you're up all night in a bar, jumping up every five minutes to scream "Muerte a Castro! Cuba libre!" while you down yet another rum & coke with a twist of lime, it's hard to imagine these folks don't have something up their sleeve.

 

[DadsDream]

Seems the Cuban-American community agrees with you, Shawn.

THE NEW YORK TIMES
In Miami, Cuban Exiles Unmoved
Fidel Castro Resigns as Cuba’s President (February 20, 2008)

Cuban exiles in the United States reacted coolly on Tuesday to the overnight news that Fidel Castro was resigning the presidency of Cuba, an island he has ruled with an iron fist for almost 50 years.

With Mr. Castro’s younger brother Raúl, who has been running the country for a year and a half, seen as most likely to succeed him, many said they expect the system of communist central control to continue unchanged.

Modest crowds gathered under gloomy skies in Miami’s Little Havana district, to the west of the main downtown core, but the excitement level was limited. Some Cuban flags were displayed, and signs saying “No Castro, No Problem” were waved.

Virgilio Hernandez, 67, who came to the United States from Cuba as a child, said: “Castro is known in all parts of the world as a horrible man. But the manipulation will continue under Raúl. Things will not change until we have a real election.”

READ MORE
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/19/us/19cnd-miami.html?hp

 

[blackadder]

Some of them came from families which still hold original Spanish land grants, signed by Spanish royalty. Those families haven't forgotten that their land was taken from them either.

Kinda like those Palestinian refugees who still hold onto their Ottoman or Mandate era land titles along with the keys to the front doors of thier houses that the Israelis bulldozed or confiscated 50 years ago.

Yep, people have long memories.

 

[SoonerJim]

The better question is, do Raul or Fidel have children to which the property can be passed? That's the problem North Korea has: the two boys aren't up to Kim Jong Il's high standards of despotism.

Overrunning Cuba with casinos wasn't the solution I had in mind, but if it works, I'll take it.

 

[rob021275]

I think we'll see a U.S. major league baseball franchise in Havana within my lifetime.

I have a friend who is a HUGE Yankees/MLB fan and he agrees. The only issues are:
1) A more friendly government
2) Stadium standards/upgrades (I'm sure there's at least one big stadium in Havana)
2) Relocation or expansion?

The money part will be taken care when big business gets down there.

Ironically, it could be an Al Davis-style move by one of the Florida franchises.

 

[guillermo]

This means nothing. It doesn't matter if Fidel is dead or not, his days are number and the transition has been prepared for years now. Fidel is 81 years old and Raul is 76. At some point there will be internal pressure for change and I think the system will not be allowed to be kept for years now.

What the american government will not recognize is that the Castro regime is product of the american policies towards the island. Without the embargo, the communist party would not have a reason to be.

Bush is talking about the beginning of the transition in Cuba like he would present any influence of the process. The difference between Cuba and say, Iraq is that the cuban population has a higher level of education and to build democratic institutions will be easier (they may have difference, but there are not set in tribal origins).

The new political institutions have to be build within the country. The economic development of the island is already financed by international capital, with huge investments from Spain, Canada, Mexico and France. The embargo only have stopped the opportunity of american capital to participate.

There surely will be an influence of the cuban-americans in the development and political transition, but it may not be as definitive as many expected.

 

[CT Saints Fan]

Will I need a passport to travel there?

 

[SWJJ]

I have heard speculation that fidel has been dead already for over a year. They wanted to avoid an uprising for democracy so Raul has been running the country for the last year and a half, now that his rule is set up, and he has legitimacy (sort of) watch for the announcement in the next couple of months that fidel has passed.

just someone I know specualting

 

[DadsDream]

Always good to see you check in, Guillermo. Hope all's well with you and yours.

 

[SoonerJim]

Will I need a passport to travel there?

You can go if you're in journalism or engaged in international study. Oliver Stone went there under the pretext of filming a documentary on Fidel, and after a month of cavorting with the prostitute underclass encamped around the tourist district, proclaimed Castro the genius of our time; the equal of Gandhi.

Unfettered access to harlotry will do that to you.

 

[CT Saints Fan]

You can go if you're in journalism or engaged in international study. Oliver Stone went there under the pretext of filming a documentary on Fidel, and after a month of cavorting with the prostitute underclass encamped around the tourist district, proclaimed Castro the genius of our time; the equal of Gandhi.

Unfettered access to harlotry will do that to you.

What about in the future? Like after it opens up, and the casino(e)s take over, etc.