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Time for a (long overdue) change

Time for a (long overdue) change

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http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12853934

AFTER a scintilla of regret over lost youth, to turn 50 should be to enter the prime of life, with a plenitude of projects and achievements. That is not the case for the Cuban revolution. Fifty years after Fidel Castro took power and started to impose communism in Cuba, the island is once again close to bankruptcy. “The accounts don’t square,” Raúl Castro, Fidel’s slightly younger brother who last year took over as president, declared this week. His message was that Cubans will have to work harder and longer. Perks such as free holidays will be scrapped or curtailed.

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"under new management ..."

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Originally posted by generalissimo
http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12853934

AFTER a scintilla of regret over lost youth, to turn 50 should be to enter the prime of life, with a plenitude of projects and achievements. That is not the case for the Cuban revolution. Fifty years after Fidel Castro took power and started to impose communism in Cuba, the island i ...[text shortened]... will have to work harder and longer. Perks such as free holidays will be scrapped or curtailed.
But 50 years on, Cuba has remained defiant and still has not caved in to US pressure. Even if they accomplish nothing else, that alone would be sufficient grounds for calling the revolution a success.

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Originally posted by generalissimo
Fifty years after Fidel Castro took power and started to impose communism in Cuba, the island is once again close to bankruptcy. “The accounts don’t square,” Raúl Castro, Fidel’s slightly younger brother who last year took over as president, declared this week.
50 years of blockade, embargo, sanctions, destabilization and state-sponsored terrorism by the neighbouring U.S. I wonder how Cuba's "accounts" would have been if there had been, instead, some kind of contructive engagement? I also wonder how long ago Cuba would have shifted towards something more 'acceptable' to the U.S. had the U.S. been a bit smarter about all this.

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Originally posted by FMF
50 years of blockade, embargo, sanctions, destabilization and state-sponsored terrorism by the neighbouring U.S. I wonder how Cuba's "accounts" would have been if there had been, instead, some kind of contructive engagement? I also wonder how long ago Cuba would have shifted towards something more 'acceptable' to the U.S. had the U.S. been a bit smarter about all this.
Oh how i miss the days of Cher Guevara. She could really belt out a tune. And don't forget Cuba has better health care than the US if you don't mind sharing a bed with a late stage syphilitic patient. Oh yeah,bring your own sheets. All in all i think they've done a pretty, pretty. pretty. good job.

GRANNY.

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Originally posted by generalissimo
http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12853934

AFTER a scintilla of regret over lost youth, to turn 50 should be to enter the prime of life, with a plenitude of projects and achievements. That is not the case for the Cuban revolution. Fifty years after Fidel Castro took power and started to impose communism in Cuba, the island i ...[text shortened]... will have to work harder and longer. Perks such as free holidays will be scrapped or curtailed.
Sounds like he could have been a Congressman and/or a CEO on Wall Street. Really they are kind of the same thing.

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Originally posted by FMF
50 years of blockade, embargo, sanctions, destabilization and state-sponsored terrorism by the neighbouring U.S. I wonder how Cuba's "accounts" would have been if there had been, instead, some kind of contructive engagement? I also wonder how long ago Cuba would have shifted towards something more 'acceptable' to the U.S. had the U.S. been a bit smarter about all this.
Do you think democratically elected countries have the duty of supporting neighboring communist dictators?

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Originally posted by generalissimo
http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12853934

AFTER a scintilla of regret over lost youth, to turn 50 should be to enter the prime of life, with a plenitude of projects and achievements. That is not the case for the Cuban revolution. Fifty years after Fidel Castro took power and started to impose communism in Cuba, the island i ...[text shortened]... will have to work harder and longer. Perks such as free holidays will be scrapped or curtailed.
Kind of reminds me of America's economic situation! 😏

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Originally posted by generalissimo
Do you think democratically elected countries have the duty of supporting neighboring communist dictators?
Not necessarily. But apparently it's perfectly OK for them to support fascist dictators and help overthrow democratically elected socialist leaders.

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Originally posted by smw6869
Oh how i miss the days of Cher Guevara. She could really belt out a tune. And don't forget Cuba has better health care than the US if you don't mind sharing a bed with a late stage syphilitic patient. Oh yeah,bring your own sheets. All in all i think they've done a pretty, pretty. pretty. good job.

GRANNY.
That's better health care than I have right now. 😞

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Originally posted by FMF
50 years of blockade, embargo, sanctions, destabilization and state-sponsored terrorism by the neighbouring U.S. I wonder how Cuba's "accounts" would have been if there had been, instead, some kind of contructive engagement? I also wonder how long ago Cuba would have shifted towards something more 'acceptable' to the U.S. had the U.S. been a bit smarter about all this.
The only 'state-sponsored' terror waged against Cuba is by the minority Cuban elitest refugee population of South Florida. They, and cowardly politicians, alone are the wall that prevents what most Americans want: the same relations we have with China, a modern human rights violator on a scale that pales in comparison to Cuba. Got melamine in your milk?

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Originally posted by dystoniac
China, a modern human rights violator on a scale that pales in comparison to Cuba.
Dystoniac, does the extract from your post above contain a typo?

Did you mean: "China, a modern human rights violator on a scale compared to which Cuba's record pales."

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Originally posted by generalissimo
Do you think democratically elected countries have the duty of supporting neighboring communist dictators?
I think democratically elected leaders have the duty of pursuing policies that work, abandoning policies that fail or that are hypocritical, and disseminating unbiased information so that their democracies can actually work and so that their leaders can be held to account in the context of facts rather than propaganda. And isn't all this what you are demanding of Cuba?