Fidel Castro is dead

[gareth_r]

Cuba might not have been Communist if the USA's fear of socialism hadn't driven Castro into an alliance with the USSR.

[Jasandjules]

DaveCWK said:

Any bets on how many BBC employees will be sent to cover the funeral? It was 140 iirc for Mandela. I'll start with a nice round 100.

Somewhere hot and sunny over winter - at least 200

[grumbledoak]

gareth_r said:

Cuba might not have been Communist if the USA's fear of socialism hadn't driven Castro into an alliance with the USSR.

Not really. Castro saw war with the USA as his destiny. That didn't leave him many choices.

Edit - Google News for Fidel Castro Financial Times and click through.

[anonymous-user]

grumbledoak said:

gareth_r said:

Cuba might not have been Communist if the USA's fear of socialism hadn't driven Castro into an alliance with the USSR.

Not really. Castro saw war with the USA as his destiny. That didn't leave him many choices.

Edit - Google News for Fidel Castro Financial Times and click through.

USA supported the brutal Batista regime Castro overthrew. They were never going to be friends with Castro.

[SKP555]

BBC balance in action

Latin American dictator 1 dies



http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/6167237.stm

Latin American dictator 2 dies


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-3811...

[Johnnytheboy]

dudleybloke said:

Indeed
If Communism was that great they wouldn't need armed guards to keep the people there.

I'm now racking my brains to think of a truly communist regime that hasn't had to restrict outward travel in some form.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Johnnytheboy said:

I'm now racking my brains to think of a truly communist regime that hasn't had to restrict outward travel in some form.

Any Israeli kibbutz. A true communist regime and you can leave whenever you choose.

[ChemicalChaos]

I think the fact that such a committed communist died on Black Friday shows that some higher power has a good sense of humour

[TwigtheWonderkid]

grumbledoak said:

About fifty years overdue, really. I wonder if Cuba's misery can finally end now.

Yes, the highest adult literacy rate in the whole world and the best free health service. How they must wish for a return of the previous dictatorship.

[gareth_r]

El stovey said:

grumbledoak said:

gareth_r said:

Cuba might not have been Communist if the USA's fear of socialism hadn't driven Castro into an alliance with the USSR.

Not really. Castro saw war with the USA as his destiny. That didn't leave him many choices.

Edit - Google News for Fidel Castro Financial Times and click through.

USA supported the brutal Batista regime Castro overthrew. They were never going to be friends with Castro.

Public opinion in the USA stopped support for Batista before Castro won.

[Northern Munkee]

This is satire..

[grumbledoak]

gareth_r said:

Public opinion in the USA stopped support for Batista before Castro won.

I can't claim to know much about Batista's support. It seems to me that Castro could have overthrown Batista, reinstated elections five years later, and been a hero to all even if he had lost the election. But these Glorious People's Revolutionaries (TM), no matter how valid their claims of overthrowing corruption and despotism appear, or who they are overthrowing, never do willingly relinquish power.

[Oakey]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

Yes, the highest adult literacy rate in the whole world and the best free health service. How they must wish for a return of the previous dictatorship.

Great, so they get to spend long, healthy lives being able to read about how oppressed they are.

[anonymous-user]

i knew someone who escaped from cuba, it was not a pleasant place. spies on corners, minimum wages, not much choice.

but a great health care system and education.

[BigMon]

A divisive character, just like Thatcher.

I didn't dance with joy at her death, and I won't be dancing with joy at Castro's death either. Equally I didn't shed a tear when either of them snuffed it.

[redrabbit]

Trump's view in now: "brutal dictator"

[davepoth]

redrabbit said:

Trump's view in now: "brutal dictator"

And probably "'Trump Towers Havana' has a nice ring to it"

[Dindoit]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

Yes, the highest adult literacy rate in the whole world and the best free health service. How they must wish for a return of the previous dictatorship.

Hundreds of thousands of people were so desperate to tell us about it they fled the country to spread the word. Presumably with excellent grammar.

[dandarez]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

grumbledoak said:

About fifty years overdue, really. I wonder if Cuba's misery can finally end now.

Yes, the highest adult literacy rate in the whole world and the best free health service. How they must wish for a return of the previous dictatorship.

Thought for the day.
I wonder, really do wonder, what this country (ours) would look like now if it had a similar embargo on goods and everything placed upon us for that period of time?

[Trabi601]

I see this very much like the former East German regime.

I wonder what people will be saying in 20-30 years time? - many former East Germans would happily embrace a return to the 'good old days' where you were guaranteed a home, a job and food on the table.