Based on information from the U.S. Intelligence Chief, the Washington Post is reporting that Cuban President Fidel Castro may be on his death bed.Can you believe that the Cuban Revolution occurred roughly 50 years ago?
With support from the infamous guerilla Che Guevara, Fidel ousted President Fulgencio Batista becoming Prime Minister of Cuba in 1959.
While his brother Raul has recently taken over the leadership post from Fidel, what relationship changes, if any, do you feel the U.S. should undertake with that Country of 11 million people living 90 miles south of Florida?
I have to admit that whenever I see photos or movies from Cuba with American made cars dating back to the ’50’s it does bring back fond memories.
However I also have sad memories of us abandoning the brave Cubans and Americans who participated in the Bay of Pigs operation of April 17, 1961. As some from the left continue to hammer our current president, the Bay of Pigs failure, under President JFK, may go down in history as one of America’s biggest foreign policy blunders.
All I can say is, thank God. Castro and his communist cronies are some of the most depraved scumbags every forced upon the world. Whatever noble changes he wanted to implement in Cuba through his revolution was long ago perverted by the evils of communism and repression of human rights. Everytime I see some imbecile sporting a Che t-shirt, I want to slap the taste out of their mouths. El Che was a complete incompetent as a military strategist and leader. His rambling letters and manifestos devoid of any rational or coherent thought. He was personally responsible for the murders of thousands of Cubans. He was more radical than Fidel and Raul, which is why he was eventually sent away to support revolutions in other countries. In the end, he got what deserved – execution by the CIA and an unmarked grave in the jungles of Bolivia.
Pre-Castro Cuba was the crown jewel of Latin America. Cubans enjoyed the highest standard of living than any other Latin American country and much of America. Communism completely destroyed a beautiful, thriving country and sent over 1 million Cubans into exile. Yet Fidel is seen as a hero to so many around the world and the mental midgets in Hollywood. Go figure.
I agree, I certainly hope that the post-Castro regime will open up and return Cuba to its previous prosperity. It’s a beautiful island, with a resilient people who deserve to enjoy the fruits of their labor.
Joe. I’m no fan of Castro’s. But the prosperity you speak of was in the hands of a corrupt few. It is why Castro was able to lead a revolt.
You have to give the old fart credit. He’s survived through ten US presidents. No mean feat when you are looking over your shoulder the whole time.
Who says crime doesn’t pay? This thug has had a darn good life considering what an evil person he is. The earth will be a better place when he is gone.
It’s not just “the left” identifying Bush’s Iraq invasion as a blunder of global historical proportions. We saw it first, true, but a lot of right wingers are finally beginning to see the light! 😉 All Bush has left is Dick, Laura, and the dog. All the big Neo-Cons have waltzed-off to their cushy consultancies while others bleed for their blunders.
OK, and why is this relevant to Orange County? I must have missed the last Cuban rally here.
How much longer do we have to endure these irrelevant posts?
Isn’t larry supposed to be on vacation anyway?
CQT 96.
I enjoy posting these stories just to to get under your skin. By your reaction I guess my plan is working. One day I expect you to simply scroll on by my posts like I suggested in responding to one of your earlier criticisms. If you are not happy with my Orange Juice posts simply ask Art for a refund of your monthy access charges. I will reimburse them personally.
It’s OK to speak of immigration from Mexico and Central America into CA but let’s not cover one of the worlds most notorious dictators who has outlived more US presidents than you probably voted for.
Start counting the days. We leave on Thursday.
One thing I will truly miss while we are away is your commentary.
Please study a little bit of history. We’ve had lots of military “adventures” and the Bay of Pigs fiasco no long term consequences. Its only when we get into “Nation Building” and ignore the locals that we have the problems that Bush will leave us with to clean-up.
Anonymous 5:04 p.m.
Thank you for an intelligent response to my post. Although I can see your side of the debate I think the Cuban community in the greater Miami area would not be in agreement with your assessment. They have waited since 1961 to take back their country after the USA abandoned them. We cut and ran.
You might make a similar case for those living in southern Iraq after the first Gulf war under President Bush 41. After defeating his army we allowed Saddam to keep and later use choppers to kill thousands of Iraqi citizens living in the southern part of his country after we had encouraged the Kurd’s and Shiites to rebel.
We can surely point fingers at administrations under the leadership of both parties for bungled foreign policy decisions.
And let’s not overlook President Jimmy Cater’s bungled attempt to rescue American hostages from Iran.
Nobody “cut & ran” at the Bay of Pigs – the exiles were defeated and Kennedy decided not to send in the Marines as the CIA was proved wrong about Cuban’s greeting the invaders enthusiastically (shades of Iraq) – later on the US paid a ransom to get all the exile prisoners back. As result Cuban’s were allowed to stay here if they touched land instead of being thrown back to the sea like Mexicans.
Two email responses to this post were as follows:
Larry,
Had JFK provided air support operational and arms Cuba would have been a free state in three days. As for Castro–he can’t adios soon enough.
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Another response
20 million people would be free
i’d have cuban cigars.
its a good trade.
man,,,a little political and moral courage by JFK…making good on promises to freedom fighters……….
i was with a teacher on saturday whose uncle did 20 yrs as a political prisoner..his brother 15.
12/17/2006 2:32 PM
Duty and deceit, The Boston Globe
By Quang X. Pham | June 27, 2005
WATCHING THE conversation between Vietnam’s prime minister and President Bush last week, I couldn’t help remembering my late father, Pham Van Hoa. Among the discussion between the two former adversaries is the possibility of bringing Vietnamese military officers to the United States to learn about our culture, strategies, and values.
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But shouldn’t we host officers of the Iraqi Army first?
It wouldn’t be the first time Vietnamese military personnel arrived on these shores. In 1957 my father had landed in Texas for flight training with the US Air Force. He was among the first groups of military officers to arrive from South Vietnam. After the French departed Indochina, the United States took over the advisory role to help the South Vietnamese combat a growing insurgency. Five allied officers from Cuba were in my father’s class. http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/06/27/duty_and_deceit/
Anonymous 5:04 p.m.
I respectfully disagree with your comment on our “cut and run” action on the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba. After directing and financing the invasion, our CIA did abandon the Cuban exiles who were enlisted to carry out the CIA invasion plans. You have to wonder if the planned takeover was due in part to Fidel’s confiscation of property owned by American interests.
Our covert? involvement in the Bay of Pigs invasion probably played a major role in the Cuban Missile Crisis which followed.
As to checking history let me embellish my prior comment about President Jimmy Carter and his role in giving away the Panama Canal and our bases in that area.
In the 1977 Treaty between President Carter and Omar Torrijos we removed strategic US military bases at both ends of the canal.
The Panama Canal is now controlled by COSCO. No I am not referring to COSTCO supermarkets. I am referring to the Chinese Ocean Shipping Co. who is controlled by the People’s Liberation Army of China. I would characterize this Act as a major blunder.
Your response is truly welcome!
An even bigger blunder was JFK’s approval of the regime change in Saigon in 1963 just three weeks before his own assassination. South Vietnam’s president and his brother were murdered. Chaos followed before LBJ sent combat troops ashore 18 months later and the rest is history…
The point is that when the battle is lost you pull back regroup and change tactics. Cuba won the Bay of Pigs so then they went for the missiles, but lost that one (Leaders on both sides had some brains). Minimal damage to us Americans.
Now we’ve had “stay the course” with no results and continued loss of life – its an insult to Americans to call it a blunder.
Anonymous 5:04 p.m.
If you have not done so let me suggest you watch our 18 minute interview with former Sec of Defense “Cap” Weinberger. That program was filmed at the Nixon library four years ago. Listen to my questions of the Sec. regarding Lebanon,Iraq and Iran.
You can view that show, free of charge 24/7 from our archives at http://www.cuttingedge-atalkshow.com
This fighting in Iraq is not your typical warfare. Israel has been dealing with terrorism in that same region of the globe for a number of years.
In fact if you go back far enough in US history let me remind you of the British Redcoats who came marching down the road from Lexington and Concord all dressed up in their uniforms while the Minutemen hid behind trees in Massachusetts.
This middle east battle is on their turf.
One problem, not getting much coverage, is our current “rules of engagement.” We are so fearful of media backlash on how we execute the battle that our troops are fighting with one hand tied behind their back.
What we failed to consider, or perhaps we bungled it, was the need for an exit strategy.
Isn’t it easy to be a Monday morning quarterback. No! This is not second guessing our government. They took on a task and need to consider every facet.
Let me also remind the readers that we still have troops in Korea 50 years after that fighting ended.
While we are now in the middle of celebrating the Chanukkah and Christmas holidays let us not overlook the 100,000 plus American service personnel who do not have the luxury of enjoying the comforts of home and family during this holiday season. Let me request that you keep them in your prayers for their safe return, whenever that date is to be.
Weinberger was correct in that it’s “not cut and run” when you’re in a situation you can’t win.
Without the French we would have lost the revolutionary war – and after the last battle they went home instead of staying to “advise” us.
Real leaders take responsibility and face reality. You don’t need to make excuses for the troops – no one questions their performance.
Anonymous 5:04 pm
I am pleased that you watched our interview with Cap Weinberger.
In answering my question about removing our Marines from Lebanon he did reference “cut and run” with a qualification that we’re not allowing the troops to defend themselves. In that example we were “guests” of a foreign nation and restricted to an exposed specific geographic location. Our neighbor Fidel surely did not roll out the red carpet for us when we were participants in the invasion of his nation. Therein lies the difference.
Merry Christmas!