End of the Castro era

Pot meet kettle!

Actually, Whirlyturd, I think more than half of us are beginning to despise YOU and your loathe of America. Originally Posted by Yssup Rider

but 100% think you are the dipshit of the year

but 100% think you are the dipshit of the year Originally Posted by cptjohnstone

Can't prove that one, unless you believe the Glenn Beck poll!

Here's the proof for you, Assup!

Got nothing tonight ... Again. No points. No positions. Just the background irritant we used to use to get people to buy shit they didn't want.

I understand that Cuba will have free and open elections to choose their next strongman.
Vote for Communism and the Beard

Just to put it perspective ... the news reports he will be stepping down in FIVE YEARS!

Will this thread last that long?

but 100% think you are the dipshit of the year Originally Posted by cptjohnstone

100% of half-wits can never equal 100% Been taking more agroamerican math have we?

A bunch of McDonald's, Hilton's, Harrah's casinos would have changed everything. If the US had admitted it's mistakes and formed a good relationship with Cuba all of this could have been avoided. Instead like way too many times in the past the US back the two-bit dictator.

Batista was living in Florida and returned to Cuba to run for president in 1952. Facing certain electoral defeat, he led a military coup that preempted the election.

Back in power, Batista suspended the 1940 Constitution and revoked most political liberties, including the right to strike. He then aligned with the wealthiest landowners who owned the largest sugar plantations, and presided over a stagnating economy that widened the gap between rich and poor Cubans. Batista's increasingly corrupt and repressive regime then began to systematically profit from the exploitation of Cuba's commercial interests, by negotiating lucrative relationships with the American mafia, who controlled the drug, gambling, and prostitution businesses in Havana, and with large multinational American corporations that had invested considerable amounts of money in Cuba. To quell the growing discontent among the populace—which was subsequently displayed through frequent student riots and demonstrations—Batista established tighter censorship of the media, while also utilizing his anti-Communist secret police to carry out wide-scale violence, torture and public executions; ultimately killing anywhere from 1,000 to 20,000 people.

The U.S. government essentially became a "co-conspirator" in the arrangement because of Batista's bitter anti-communism, which, in the rhetoric of the Cold War, seemed to maintain business stability and a pro-US posture on the island. According to historian and author James S. Olson, "The U.S. government had no difficulty in dealing with him, even if he was a hopeless despot."

You can guess what happen next. The sad truth is that before Batista Cuba was a wonderful place. All gone now due to Batista and Castro. Originally Posted by BigLouie

U.S. support for Batista was not all you have it cracked up to be, BL.

1950s CIA Aid to Castro Reported
October 19, 1986|Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The CIA . . . secretly provided financial support to Castro's movement prior to his overthrow of Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1959, according to a new book.

Tad Szulc, author of Fidel: A Critical Portrait, said the CIA's apparent goal in providing the movement with "no less than $50,000" was to purchase good will for the United States among the rebels in the event that they triumphed. . . . [the U.S.] secretly channeled funds to the 26th of July Movement (Castro's guerrilla organization) through the CIA." http://articles.latimes.com/1986-10-...astro-reported


It was Democrat President Franklin Delano Roosevelt that installed Batista (Stephen Kinzer: Overthrow: America's Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq N.Y.; 2006; p.89); however, U.S. support for Batista waned during Eisenhower’s presidency. Eventually the U.S. realized Batista had to go because of his unpopularity among the Cuban people and the instability that unpopularity was creating:

By late 1957:

“[I]t became evident that the Cuban [Batista] government was an odious type of dictatorship that might use training, equipment, and arms from the United States to kill Cubans endeavoring to throw off oppression, Washington felt obliged to act. The United States began to hold up Batista's orders for military hardware. In March 1958 an embargo on the shipment of arms and ammunition to Cuba was declared.”

After the November, 1958, Cuban election, the U.S. government recalled its ambassador, Ambassador Earl T. Smith, and sent an informal emissary, William D. Pawley: an American entrepreneur, a former Ambassador to Peru and Brazil, and a personal friend of President Eisenhower’s, to persuade Batista to resign and leave Cuba. Pawley was authorized to offer Batista a residence in the U.S. Pawley met with Batista twice, but Batista would not agree to leave (Philip Bonsal: Cuba, Castro and the United States; Pittsburgh; 1971; pp.21-22). http://books.google.com/books?id=tzy...rdware&f=false


“‘Batista's soldiers, demoralised by the general repudiation of the government they served and by the accelerated corruption among their own officers and elsewhere... simply melted away as a fighting force after mid-1958 . . . Batista now saw all the elements of his power eroded, his large army useless, his political support at home non-existent, his henchmen looking for exile, and the Washinton backing he had so long enjoyed withdrawn’" (Philip Bonsal: op. cit. p. 19, 23). http://books.google.com/books?id=tzy...ed=0CD4Q6AEwAQ


Castro had a chance to court U.S. favor, but he instead flouted U.S. interests and possible cordial relations by confiscating property belonging to U.S. citizens, and he further sought an open alliance with the U.S.S.R. Castro made the choice for Cuba; unfortunately, Cuba's people reaped the harvest Castro sowed.

That is correct. Two terrible rulers ruined a wonderful country. Really sad state of affairs.

Just to put it perspective ... the news reports he will be stepping down in FIVE YEARS!

Will this thread last that long? Originally Posted by LexusLover

No

My observation: whenever a totalitarian says he'll step down in "x" years, he usually is either "helped" down earlier or forgets his promise after x years.

Has Chavez been sworn in from his Cuban hospital bed yet? Perhaps they can make it a two-fer resignation.

COG, did you ever stop to think that perhaps BigLouis AUTHORED that wiki article?

COG, did you ever stop to think that perhaps BigLouis AUTHORED that wiki article? Originally Posted by gnadfly

You know, that never occurred to me. In fact, it still hasn't.

It is just like Cute Old Guy and gnadfly to quibble over where the article came from without making any type of statement about the subject of the thread.

Before both rulers Cuba was a really great place. Their dollar was just as strong as the US at the time. Great prospects. Then two terrible rulers ruined it all. Castro is the worst because he refuses to change even as his country suffers and it is clear none of his plans work. The US doesn't help because it's policies are misguided. If we can normalize relationship with China we should be able to do it with Cuba.

Of course CuteOldGuy will have nothing to add, he'll just quibble over small points of no matter.

It is just like Cute Old Guy and gnadfly to quibble over where the article came from without making any type of statement about the subject of the thread.

Before both rulers Cuba was a really great place. Their dollar was just as strong as the US at the time. Great prospects. Then two terrible rulers ruined it all. Castro is the worst because he refuses to change even as his country suffers and it is clear none of his plans work. The US doesn't help because it's policies are misguided. If we can normalize relationship with China we should be able to do it with Cuba.

Of course CuteOldGuy will have nothing to add, he'll just quibble over small points of no matter. Originally Posted by BigLouie

José Martí is probably the best leader Cuba ever had, but Cuba hasn't ever had a truly good and benevolent ruler since Columbus stumbled onto the island in 1492. It's always been a nation of "haves" and "have nots".