Castro resigning???

[avatar4321]

Did anyone else hear about this?

[laurita_chiquita]

Yeah we are watching TV and only BBC is mentioning ANYTHING about it

[nevadamedic]

Did anyone else hear about this?

That old bag will never step down, he will die in office.

[diuretic]

He could be either dead or dying. This could be like the old Soviet days when the death happened but wasn't reported for a few days while the succession was worked out, whereupon there was the big announcement, the state funeral and the Politburo shuffled one step sideways.

[truthmatters]

we are still dealing with a castro.

I hope President Obama normalizes relations with Cuba.

We really need to change tact with them. They willl become a democracy a lot sooner if we do.

[hjmick]

Finally, the policies of the Kennedy administration are paying dividends...

[Nukeman]

Finally, the policies of the Kennedy administration are paying dividends...
Now Now dont confuse TM she might not understand that the current policies on Cuba were started and continued under a number of Democrats but she will still find a way to blame it all on Bush!!!!

[Nukeman]

we are still dealing with a castro.

I hope President Obama normalizes relations with Cuba.

We really need to change tact with them. They willl become a democracy a lot sooner if we do.Why Johnson, Carter, and Bubba never did anything why would any of the current crop of Dems do anything????

Hell kennedy started it all!!!!!!!!!!

[Black Lance]

Finally, the policies of the Kennedy administration are paying dividends...

You must spread some reputation around before giving it to hjmick again.

[Black Lance]

we are still dealing with a castro.

I hope President Obama normalizes relations with Cuba.

We really need to change tact with them. They willl become a democracy a lot sooner if we do.

I agree. Allowing these countries to get themselves entangled in the international marketplace seems to be among the best ways to bring these command economies down.

[Black Lance]

Fidel Castro's resignation letter

Cuban leader Fidel Castro announces resignation in letter to state-run newspaper

(CNN) -- This is the text of a letter from Cuban leader Fidel Castro published Tuesday by the Cuban state-run newspaper Granma.


Dear compatriots:

Last Friday, February 15, I promised you that in my next reflection I would deal with an issue of interest to many compatriots. Thus, this now is rather a message.

The moment has come to nominate and elect the State Council, its President, its Vice-Presidents and Secretary.

For many years I have occupied the honorable position of President. On February 15, 1976 the Socialist Constitution was approved with the free, direct and secret vote of over 95% of the people with the right to cast a vote. The first National Assembly was established on December 2nd that same year; this elected the State Council and its presidency. Before that, I had been a Prime Minister for almost 18 years. I always had the necessary prerogatives to carry forward the revolutionary work with the support of the overwhelming majority of the people.

There were those overseas who, aware of my critical health condition, thought that my provisional resignation, on July 31, 2006, to the position of President of the State Council, which I left to First Vice-President Raul Castro Ruz, was final. But Raul, who is also minister of the Armed Forces on account of his own personal merits, and the other comrades of the Party and State leadership were unwilling to consider me out of public life despite my unstable health condition.

It was an uncomfortable situation for me vis-à-vis an adversary which had done everything possible to get rid of me, and I felt reluctant to comply.

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Later, in my necessary retreat, I was able to recover the full command of my mind as well as the possibility for much reading and meditation. I had enough physical strength to write for many hours, which I shared with the corresponding rehabilitation and recovery programs. Basic common sense indicated that such activity was within my reach. On the other hand, when referring to my health I was extremely careful to avoid raising expectations since I felt that an adverse ending would bring traumatic news to our people in the midst of the battle. Thus, my first duty was to prepare our people both politically and psychologically for my absence after so many years of struggle. I kept saying that my recovery "was not without risks."

My wishes have always been to discharge my duties to my last breath. That's all I can offer.

To my dearest compatriots, who have recently honored me so much by electing me a member of the Parliament where so many agreements should be adopted of utmost importance to the destiny of our Revolution, I am saying that I will neither aspire to nor accept, I repeat, I will neither aspire to nor accept the positions of President of the State Council and Commander in Chief.

In short letters addressed to Randy Alonso, Director of the Round Table National TV Program, --letters which at my request were made public-- I discreetly introduced elements of this message I am writing today, when not even the addressee of such letters was aware of my intention. I trusted Randy, whom I knew very well from his days as a student of Journalism. In those days I met almost on a weekly basis with the main representatives of the University students from the provinces at the library of the large house in Kohly where they lived. Today, the entire country is an immense University.

Following are some paragraphs chosen from the letter addressed to Randy on December 17, 2007:

"I strongly believe that the answers to the current problems facing Cuban society, which has, as an average, a twelfth grade of education, almost a million university graduates, and a real possibility for all its citizens to become educated without their being in any way discriminated against, require more variables for each concrete problem than those contained in a chess game. We cannot ignore one single detail; this is not an easy path to take, if the intelligence of a human being in a revolutionary society is to prevail over instinct.

"My elemental duty is not to cling to positions, much less to stand in the way of younger persons, but rather to contribute my own experience and ideas whose modest value comes from the exceptional era that I had the privilege of living in.

"Like Niemeyer, I believe that one has to be consistent right up to the end."

Letter from January 8, 2008:

"...I am a firm supporter of the united vote (a principle that preserves the unknown merits), which allowed us to avoid the tendency to copy what came to us from countries of the former socialist bloc, including the portrait of the one candidate, as singular as his solidarity towards Cuba. I deeply respect that first attempt at building socialism, thanks to which we were able to continue along the path we had chosen."

And I reiterated in that letter that "...I never forget that 'all of the world's glory fits in a kernel of corn."

Therefore, it would be a betrayal to my conscience to accept a responsibility requiring more mobility and dedication than I am physically able to offer. This I say devoid of all drama.

Fortunately, our Revolution can still count on cadres from the old guard and others who were very young in the early stages of the process. Some were very young, almost children, when they joined the fight on the mountains and later they have given glory to the country with their heroic performance and their internationalist missions. They have the authority and the experience to guarantee the replacement. There is also the intermediate generation which learned together with us the basics of the complex and almost unattainable art of organizing and leading a revolution.

The path will always be difficult and require from everyone's intelligent effort. I distrust the seemingly easy path of apologetics or its antithesis the self-flagellation. We should always be prepared for the worst variable. The principle of being as prudent in success as steady in adversity cannot be forgotten. The adversary to be defeated is extremely strong; however, we have been able to keep it at bay for half a century.

This is not my farewell to you. My only wish is to fight as a soldier in the battle of ideas. I shall continue to write under the heading of 'Reflections by comrade Fidel.' It will be just another weapon you can count on. Perhaps my voice will be heard. I shall be careful.

Thanks.

Fidel Castro Ruz

February 18, 2008


-----------------------------------------------------------

Good riddance.

[hjmick]

It wouldn't surprise me one bit if it turns out he is already dead. I look for them to announce his death within the next three months.

[Abbey Marie]

From the article:


The younger Castro has raised expectations among Cubans for modest economic and other reforms, stating last year that the country requires unspecified "structural changes" and acknowledging that government wages that average about $19 a month do not satisfy basic needs.

Quite the workers' paradise, no? And Hollywood libs love him. :rolleyes:

[Gaffer]

The younger castro is reported to be worse than his brother. Will be interesting to see what happens.

I can see it coming. We let millions of people live in squaller and misery for 60 years until the dictator dies. Then we declare a great victory when freedom is again introduced to the nation. We out lasted him they will say. Appeasement works.

Now we can open up talks and trade with his evil brother. The new dictator.

[Monkeybone]

Nuke and i were talking @ lunch and we both agree and think that he is probably dead. oh surprise!

[nevadamedic]

we are still dealing with a castro.

I hope President Obama normalizes relations with Cuba.

We really need to change tact with them. They willl become a democracy a lot sooner if we do.

Your right Obama is a lot like Castro and hold's the same principals. I'm glad you can recognize that!

[nevadamedic]

we are still dealing with a castro.

I hope President Obama normalizes relations with Cuba.

We really need to change tact with them. They willl become a democracy a lot sooner if we do.

Oh yea and Obama Bin Laden will NEVER get elected. He doesn't stand a chance. Although on the very slim chance that happens he will probably become another JFK, which I wont lose any sleep over.

[avatar4321]

forgot i started this thread two months ago

[hjmick]

forgot i started this thread two months ago

That seems rather prophetic. What did you know and when did you know it? :cool:

[Microcosmos]

Nothing's gonna change. Anytime soon, anyhow.