Fidel Castro RIP

[Tim Hall]

Red Ken was on Radio4 news singing his praises. I'm sure he said he would have loved to live there. We would have loved that too.

No, he said if he had to chose a latin american country in which to live, he'd choose Cuba.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

I thought you were going to say that Miss Goodbody is fond of a good fidel.

If that doesn't get over 100 likes there is something wrong with the world

 

[jefmcg]

That's like holding a lifetime grudge against HM The Queen for the Beetles.

No, actually, it's like taking a lifetime grudge against the queen Edward VII for Bob Hope.

(it's The Beatles, btw)

Edited for historical accuracy.

 

[User482]

Speak for yourself, some of us have a lot of time for Ken. And he was praising Castro while also acknowledging his faults, a position that might be a bit sophisticated for the Café version of this thread.

It appears to be a bit sophisticated for SC&P, too.

 

[Stephenite]

Speak for yourself, some of us have a lot of time for Ken.

The herpetological connection?

 

[Stephenite]

Haha. Not entirely, but it is something to be admired, yes.

Yes, it is.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Red Ken was on Radio4 news singing his praises. I'm sure he said he would have loved to live there. We would have loved that too.

He wouldn't have loved it if he was gay.

 

[User482]

The herpetological connection?

I recommend zovirax.

 

[swee'pea99]

It'd be nice to be able to hail him as a man of principle who stuck to his beliefs, stuck two fingers up to Uncle Sam, good health provision etc. But then when you think that Juan Público can't read all the eulogies on the Interwebs because it's banned in private homes, I think again...

No-one but an idiot would pretend that Cuba was a perfect society - what society is? But Castro as a man never made the all too easy and depressingly familiar Animal Farm segue from freedom fighter to bling-dictator, aggrandising and enriching himself and cronies, but stuck to his commitment to making life better for ordinary people, in the face of overwhelming odds - a commitment which he fulfilled to a very large extent. His success also offered hope and encouragement to others throughout central and south America in their efforts to free their nations from their supposed destiny as vassal states to rapacious American corporations.

 

[JtB]

(it's The Beatles, btw)

Hahaha... thanks for pointing that out. All these years I just assumed they were a bunch of tone-deaf insects.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

This thread is, yet another, exemplified of the perils of having any standards or ideals to start off with. You just become an easy target for those with none to sneer at.

Jeez...

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

but stuck to his commitment to making life better for ordinary people.

Not gay people obviously though eh?

He "disappeared" more than twice as people as Pinochet, is that the kind of "success" you admire?

There's only one officially recognised Union in Cuba and no worker is allowed to strike, is that a way to a better life for ordinary people - successful socialism? http://survey.ituc-csi.org/Summary-Cuba.html

Seriously, the man did one thing in his life that endears him to left wingers the world over - told the US to eff off and, supported with free money from the Soviet Union, he kept this up for decades whilst his people starved (Cubans are still on rations for heaven's sake). How on earth is that making life better for ordinary people?

How can any society be lauded when hundreds of thousands of its people risk death escaping - the people who actually had to live under a dictatorship with no free press or free elections or the basic human freedom to leave? Easy to stroke your chin humming the Internationale when you don't actually have to live with the consequences.

 

[swee'pea99]

Seriously, the man did one thing in his life that endears him to left wingers the world over - told the US to eff off and, supported with free money from the Soviet Union, he kept this up for decades whilst his people starved

Seriously, that's crap. Seriously, the regime, for all its undoubted faults, among other things, raised literacy rates from 23% in 1959 to 100%, increased life expectancy from 58 to 78, reduced infant deaths per thousand to 4.7 (significantly below the US rate of 7/1000) and increased the number of doctors from 6,300 to 70,000. Yes, there's been political repression, but to suggest that the government has done nothing other than tell the US where to stick it is utter nonsense.

 

[DaveReading]

Peter Hain got the balance about right on ITV today:

"Although responsible for indefensible human rights and free speech abuses, Castro created a society of unparalleled access to free health, education and equal opportunity despite an economically throttling USA siege."

 

[Starchivore]

Do your country's leaders care this much?