Breaking: Castro Resigns as President of Cuba

[Flagg]

On the front page of msnbc.com.

I'll post the article the second it's up. You know Miami is gonna be bangin' tomorrow.

[Flagg]

Link

Castro stepping down as Cuba's leader

HAVANA (Reuters) - Ailing Cuban leader Fidel Castro said on Tuesday that he will not return to lead the country as president, retiring as head of state 49 years after he seized power in an armed revolution.

Castro, 81, said in a statement to the country that he would not seek a new presidential term when the National Assembly meets on February 24.

"To my dear compatriots, who gave me the immense honor in recent days of electing me a member of parliament ... I communicate to you that I will not aspire to or accept -- I repeat not aspire to or accept -- the positions of President of Council of State and Commander in Chief," Castro said in the statement published on the Web site of the Communist Party's Granma newspaper.

The National Assembly or legislature is expected to nominate his brother and designated successor Raul Castro as president in place of Castro, who has not appeared in public for almost 19 months after being stricken by an undisclosed illness.

His retirement drew the curtain on a political career that spanned the Cold War and survived U.S. enmity, CIA assassination attempts and the demise of Soviet Communism.

A charismatic leader famous for his long speeches delivered in his green military fatigues, Castro is admired in the Third World for standing up to the United States but considered by his opponents a tyrant who suppressed freedom.

(Reporting by Anthony Boadle, Editing by Eric Walsh)

Could a mod kindly fix the tags in the above post, since I'm a fucking retard?

[Vympel]

You know Miami is gonna be bangin' tomorrow.

Why? Those cry-baby special interest fuckjobs just get to see the man they hate most retire in comfort, as opposed to being assassinated or whatever other shit they wanted to happen to him.

And it's going to be even funnier when they realize that just because Fidel is stepping down, Cuba's not going to be a land of milk and honey (for America).

[CJvR]

I always thought the bearded bastard would die on his post.

[K. A. Pital]

So, he resigns... an end of an epoch.

Castro looks like a Cuban Brezhnew now, what is amazing that his mind is still in a good shape.

And yeah, no kudos for Cuban expats.

[Flagg]

You know Miami is gonna be bangin' tomorrow.

Why? Those cry-baby special interest fuckjobs just get to see the man they hate most retire in comfort, as opposed to being assassinated or whatever other shit they wanted to happen to him.

Because they are fucking idiots who think they'll suddenly be able to go down there and start buying up land and start ruling over the serfs.

And it's going to be even funnier when they realize that just because Fidel is stepping down, Cuba's not going to be a land of milk and honey (for America).

Yeap. It sure fucking will be.

[Havok]

Hmm. Figured he would stick it out through the next election just to say he lasted one President more.

[Flagg]

If I had to guess I would say he's probably got a terminal illness and his death is imminent. He's allowing his replacement (His brother, I assume) to take over now so that when he dies there won't be a sudden power struggle.

[K. A. Pital]

Figured he would stick it out through the next election just to say he lasted one President more.

He doesn't need to. Cuba has made ties with Venezuela, Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina, Nicaragua and many other nations in the past decade. "Pinkization" of Latin America successfully opened doors to coopration with Cuba. Bush is breathing his dying breaths right now, he's universal target practice for every media around the world (except the US one).

Mission accomplished.

What is funny that conservatives suddenly ripped their hair in fear because of "spread of Castroite socialism in Latn America in the XXI century! Umpossible! Hu-uh!" - well, that's what happens after "Washington Consensus" failed so hard there's still burning trails.

I guess Castro had his share of laughs seeing that. I can't believe he actually succeeded in foreign and domestic policy, but it really seems he did.

P.S. He also has an awesome daughter.

[Darth Raptor]

Here's hoping this is just enough face saving room for the USA to lift the embargo.

[Flagg]

Here's hoping this is just enough face saving room for the USA to lift the embargo.

Not in an election year.

[KlavoHunter]

Here's hoping this is just enough face saving room for the USA to lift the embargo.

Cuban Cigars for EVERYONE!

[Gil Hamilton]

Huh, I though in 1000 years, Castro would STILL be ruling Cuba as a head in a jar.

[Shroom Man 777]

Stas, I'm intrigued by your statements and would like to learn more about Fidel Castro's legacy. I don't want to read wiki-crap and you seem to have a unique perspective, coming from a formerly socialist country. You seem to be knowledgeable on the matter and your opinions are untainted by bullshit American right-wing...bullshit.

[CJvR]

spread of Castroite socialism in Latn America in the XXI century!

Does anyone care now that the Soviets are deposited on the landfill of history? Who cares if the latinos want to be socialists, just don't invest there and let them ride socialism down in flames again.

[K. A. Pital]

Stas, I'm intrigued by your statements and would like to learn more about Fidel Castro's legacy.

This legacy is similar to most socialist countries - the difference being that Cuba still remains one. Cuba's per capita GDP is remarkably high for the carribean nations, especially considering what befell other nations in the 1980s with the "reagan revolution" (and a US-backed civil war that totally ruined Nicaragua), and considering the country has been in a massive trade blockade which hurt all Cubans but Castro.

I've had a few friends who have been there, in fact, both in Soviet times and today.

It's a poor nation, but so are most Latin American countries; what is interesting that, like most Second World nations, being significantly poorer than the First World Cuba nonetheless managed to achieve First World healthcare and education indicators - there's huge secondary enrollment and the society is a highely educated one.

It's remarkable also how much change in attitudes happened under Castro - starting with homophobia and persecutions of homosexuals in the 60s, which mimiqued other post-Stalin nations, Cuba managed to end up as one of the Latin American countries which actively encourages a change in attitudes towards homosexuality in society, and this movement is lead by Castro's daughter (she's still hot and used to be even better, apparently she played topless in a movie or something), who runs CENESEX and pushes for free transgender operations. A story of it's own, I guess.

Cuba has also found new trade partners, including the much closer Latin American nations.

Finally, Cuba's defiance of the United States inspired several populist Latin American leaders (their competence out of the question right now), which was good for Cuba as those leaders pledged economic cooperation, for example Castro made significant ties with Lula (Brazil), Chavez, Morales, and others - who didn't even "exist" as political figures or much less rulers of their countries, some 15 years ago, IIRC.

I wanted to travel to Cuba myself in 2005 (by the way, do you know Cuba has a visa-free regime with Russia ), however, other plans got in the way.

When I was younger and far more idealistic, I even filed an job application to the Cuban Foreign Ministry. Actually I'm not sure I would turn it down if one year they suddenly inform me of a greenlight.

Castro leaves, and Cuba remains a relatively successful country among the Carribean nations - not rich, but egalitarian, well educated and healthy. Compared to failures like Haiti or Honduras...

[K. A. Pital]

Does anyone care now that the Soviets are deposited on the landfill of history?

Yeah, the US conservatives do care and fear. They routinely publish scary tales about Chavez. How unfortunate for them that a hostile ideology, like Castro's, spread not into a god-forsaken island, but into one of the most oil-rich nations

[Stravo]

Here's hoping this is just enough face saving room for the USA to lift the embargo.

That's not going to happen for a good long time, not while Republicans and Cubans in Miami are 69ing each other. Cuban groups in Miami are adamantly opposed to anything that remotely means lifting restrictions on Cuba and they are a powerful voting block in Miami. The Republicans have had them in their pockets since the Bay of Pigs (when a whole generation of Cubans considered the Democratic party an enemy of the Cuban people for betraying the Cubans storming the beaches. I still have relatives who dream of going up to the eternal flame at JFK's tomb and spitting on it) and as long as they pay lip service these senile fucks and zombie relatives in Miami will continue to be good little Republican drones.

We have to wait for the last two generations to essentially die. The ones who came over around '60 and most of their kids. Once that happens the Cubans born here and consider themselves American tend to be Democrats or at least a lot more liberal than their parents and grand parents.

As to the news story I can tell you that it only reinforces what I've grown to believe for a long time. Cuba will remain socialist for a good long time. It wasn't just Castro. For all the tough talk of Cubans here who like to talk about the oppression and people yearning to be free it's become painfully obvious that the people there while not exactly happy with the system are obviously fine enough with it not to rise up and do something about it and are more than happy to continue seeing the system go on.

And why not? Free health care and education for an island that use to wallow in misery and the yawning chasm between the haves and have nots and this leadership has pissed in America's coffee more than once, stood up to the world's only hyper power for several generations. It's something to be proud of. Plus I think they know that if they open up and embrace democracy these assholes in Miami are going to swoop in and be even more nasty than the Castro regime.

[Illuminatus Primus]

When I was younger and far more idealistic, I even filed an job application to the Cuban Foreign Ministry. Actually I'm not sure I would turn it down if one year they suddenly inform me of a greenlight.

Yeah! Come on down here. Pack warm though. I'll be in the neighborhood too, because I swore to myself I'd sneak in through Mex before the embargo comes down. I need a taste of Cuba unravaged.

[Flagg]

When I was younger and far more idealistic, I even filed an job application to the Cuban Foreign Ministry. Actually I'm not sure I would turn it down if one year they suddenly inform me of a greenlight.

Yeah! Come on down here. Pack warm though. I'll be in the neighborhood too, because I swore to myself I'd sneak in through Mex before the embargo comes down. I need a taste of Cuba unravaged.

Better have enough to cover that $10,000 fine. Remember, only those opposed to Castro are allowed to send money to their families in Cuba and help prop up the communist regime.

[Sidewinder]

Here's hoping this is just enough face saving room for the USA to lift the embargo.

I second that.

[Tanasinn]

They routinely publish scary tales about Chavez.

Mostly because the man is an obnoxious douchebag. We Americans are nothing if not easily provoked.

[Sidewinder]

P.S. He also has an awesome daughter.

According to Wikipedia, Castro's (illegitimate) daughter is a vocal critic of her father's policies. Perhaps you're referring to Castro's niece?

[Darth Wong]

When I was younger and far more idealistic, I even filed an job application to the Cuban Foreign Ministry. Actually I'm not sure I would turn it down if one year they suddenly inform me of a greenlight.

Yeah! Come on down here. Pack warm though. I'll be in the neighborhood too, because I swore to myself I'd sneak in through Mex before the embargo comes down. I need a taste of Cuba unravaged.

Better have enough to cover that $10,000 fine. Remember, only those opposed to Castro are allowed to send money to their families in Cuba and help prop up the communist regime.

They fine any American who visits Cuba, even if he does it from another country? I have friends who go to Cuba all the time. Of course, they're not Americans ...

[Flagg]

Yeah! Come on down here. Pack warm though. I'll be in the neighborhood too, because I swore to myself I'd sneak in through Mex before the embargo comes down. I need a taste of Cuba unravaged.

Better have enough to cover that $10,000 fine. Remember, only those opposed to Castro are allowed to send money to their families in Cuba and help prop up the communist regime.

They fine any American who visits Cuba, even if he does it from another country? I have friends who go to Cuba all the time.

If you're caught doing it, yeah. Though the chances of being caught are pretty low unless you shoot your mouth off and leave a paper trail. There are people who've been fined for visiting Iraq as "human shields" before the invasion, IIRC.