RIP Commandante

[Scouse]

Despite America's best and repeated efforts Fidel Castro died of natural causes.

Love Cuba. Wonderful country full of friendly people living in abject poverty. One of the things I disliked most about US foreign policy was the economic embargo that has kept them in that poverty. Especially when the UN voted 184-4 to break the embargo - which the US promptly ignored.

Whatever you think of him he was principled and followed through on what he believed in. And whilst he still has his detractors he also had massive popular support.

 

[Job]

Yes Russia...without them, the US would have invaded years ago.
Has the regime changed, or will the family carry on as before?
Because there are millions waiting to tell their story of what a cunt he was.

 

[Gwadien]

2016 truly the worst year ever

 

[Raven]

RIP washed up cunt who imprisoned his political opponents in work camps...or just murdered them.

 

[TdC]

free rum & coke in Miami this weekend

 

[Bodhi]

So principles involve :

- Executing political opponents.
- sending gays to re-education camps
- almost starting World War 3

What a guy!

 

[Gwadien]

So principles involve :

- Executing political opponents.
- sending gays to re-education camps
- almost starting World War 3

What a guy!

I'm not going to defend Castro to the hilt, but I am going to make a point about bias western media.

• Batista also executed political opponents, and had the backing of the US government to do so.
• The UK itself only legalised homosexuality in 1967, many 'civilised' countries are still homophobic.
• Cuba almost starting WW3? Castro went to America when he took over with an olive branch to the US government, they refused to meet him, so then he met with Khrushchev. the USSR and the USA were using small countries as pawns, one of those two countries should be responsible for 'almost starting WW3' and no-one else.

I think the BBC have covered this pretty well, whilst they have been a bit bias against him, they have still pointed out the positive parts of his regime.

They have the equal literacy rates to most western countries and they have a universal health care system which is free.

Cuba had a shit period because the US blocked the rest of the world trading with them, because their views didn't align.

I mean sure, criticise Castro for the things that he actually did wrong, but try to remove the 'from the capitalist western nation' filter.

 

[DaGaffer]

So principles involve :

- Executing political opponents.
- sending gays to re-education camps
- almost starting World War 3

What a guy!

Most of Cuba's problems, and the enduring rule of the Castros, is down to the Americans.

 

[Bodhi]

Oh yes, entirely the fault of the States, you can tell by all the other Marxist economies thriving outside of US Ostracision.

Like, Um..Venezuela? Oh.

Not saying the US are perfect, but blaming them for Castro being a dictator sending his own people to death?

K, m8.

 

[Raven]

Oh know, he dih'ent!

Trump calls Castro "brutal dictator" - BBC News

 

[DaGaffer]

Oh yes, entirely the fault of the States, you can tell by all the other Marxist economies thriving outside of US Ostracision.

Like, Um..Venezuela? Oh.

Not saying the US are perfect, but blaming them for Castro being a dictator sending his own people to death?

K, m8.

Read some history. Castro wasn't even a communist in the Soviet sense until Cuba was effectively forced into Moscow's sphere of influence by the Americans. The Cuban revolution was primarily about agrarian land reform, but if you have a massive country 90 miles away that is determined to turn the place back into client state, you get into bed with the only people who can stop that happening. Castro became the very thing the Americans feared but he wasn't that thing until they made him.

The Americans could have ended the embargo at any time since the end of the Soviet era, but they didn't (and yet Vietnam wasn't a problem) because of American domestic politics; it's all on them (even that WW3 stuff you alluded to, the American s were doing exactly the same thing in Turkey before the first missile set sail for Havana)

 

[Access Denied]

Screw Castro. Shepherd Book is dead!