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Fidel Castro... QUITS?

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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24703 - Karma: 29,679
Fidel Castro has STEPPED DOWN AS LEADER OF CUBA...

CIGARS FOR EVERYONE!!!!!!

http://news.aol.com/story/_a/fidel-castro-resigns-cuban-presidency/20080219062309990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001
Feb 19 2008 7:36AM
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reggyboy
Posts: 1608 - Karma: 13
thats crazy! end of an era
Feb 19 2008 7:54AM
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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24703 - Karma: 29,679

If only Che were still around...

Feb 19 2008 8:02AM
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freestyler540
Posts: 13040 - Karma: 18,223
yup Castro resigned big wooop wanna fight about it?


Feb 19 2008 8:44AM
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jimmychung
Posts: 6857 - Karma: 25
this is HUUUGE!!!!! hopefully whoever takes his place isn't a shithead, and hopefully communism will be replaced there.
Feb 19 2008 9:03AM
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kepler.
Posts: 8761 - Karma: 139
You mean his brother?
Feb 19 2008 9:12AM
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martin.
Posts: 2115 - Karma: 34
who cares his brother is just gonna replace him
Feb 19 2008 9:18AM
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CLang518
Posts: 208 - Karma: 10
is his bro just like him? 
dictator status??
Feb 19 2008 9:19AM
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MFinSLC
Posts: 408 - Karma: 31
Its not like fidel has been running it for the past few years anyway.  His brothers has been acting as president and now will be the official president and he is no better.
Feb 19 2008 9:32AM
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hotdog.garbage
Posts: 1854 - Karma: 10
Hey Everyone: Buy (or get your canadian friends to buy)property in Cuba RIGHT NOW.
Feb 19 2008 9:35AM
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BeerGoggles
Posts: 712 - Karma: 11
That's actually an amazing suggestion. But it all depends on how long his brother intends to live.
Feb 19 2008 9:49AM
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fujarome
Posts: 8630 - Karma: 1,561
screw that, I wanna raise an army and go down there and conquer it for myself. Come on, how hard could it be?
Feb 19 2008 10:12AM
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SirFryanator
Posts: 11149 - Karma: 1,415
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hTsG2pDFZnSqzgFf5HW0eNihxYFQ

In this article it also mentions that Castro doesn't want the younger generation to be ruled out. This could possibly mean a democratic transition in Cuba...finally.
Feb 19 2008 10:13AM
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sconniestyle
Posts: 3945 - Karma: 26
his brother has traditionally taken less of a hard line stance on things than fidel.  raul is a bit more open to suggestion from minority opinions, but i think that a true democratic transition is far away. 

this has been a pretty busy week as far as world governments go, first kosovo becomes independant, then the serbs in kosovo vow to remain part of serbia, and now castro is out, and it's only tuesday.

by friday, i feel it is totally feasable that the iraq conflict will end peacefully, the gaza strip will become a harmonious place for all faiths to live in harmony, and hugo chavez will gift the us a large supply of oil to help ease our slide into recession.
Feb 19 2008 10:38AM
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Skipig25
Posts: 10729 - Karma: 256
we're studying eastern europe right now in geography, and my professor last thursday said "I predict that within the next 5 years, kosovo will seperate from serbia."

then it happened that weekend. good timing.
Feb 19 2008 11:41AM
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Elijah.
Posts: 9322 - Karma: 76
Hahahaha, you forgot about world peace!
Feb 19 2008 11:43AM
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Codedude
Posts: 111 - Karma: 10
If anything, this is bad news, his brother is even worse. you should read stories on cnn about that guy. fuckin crazy. the ban on cuba wont be lifted anytime soon
Feb 19 2008 12:12PM
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sconniestyle
Posts: 3945 - Karma: 26
well once the recession is stopped because of chavez' gift of oil, president mccain can re-instate the draft and force world peace with occupation of any countries with differing viewpoints.
Feb 19 2008 12:13PM
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Dylan_
Posts: 9824 - Karma: 1,403
are cuban cigars legal now ?
Feb 19 2008 2:50PM
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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24703 - Karma: 29,679

Hmm.. I've heard hes a bit more progressive than Fidel...

I've heard he is trying to implement reforms that would fix the nation's economical issues (The people get a monthly income of about.. oh.. 19 USD a month?)

Feb 19 2008 3:00PM
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Hannah.
Posts: 4625 - Karma: 56
yeah but how is he gonna do that and is it gonna work? plus they gotta do a whole election thing
Feb 19 2008 3:17PM
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sconniestyle
Posts: 3945 - Karma: 26
technically fidel has been an "elected" official since 1976
Feb 19 2008 3:19PM
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babujib
Posts: 5039 - Karma: 104
you do realize che fought with fidel, and essentially got him into power...
Feb 19 2008 3:38PM
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holyDINOSAURS
Posts: 7038 - Karma: 639
yeah i was going to say...
Feb 19 2008 4:25PM
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Line0777
Posts: 532 - Karma: 42
I wish man.... i wish
Feb 19 2008 4:34PM
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*monsterskier*
Posts: 2671 - Karma: 61
i wonder if they're possibly gonna get a democracy..unless his bro is exactly like fidel
Feb 19 2008 4:35PM
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Line0777
Posts: 532 - Karma: 42
Well his Bro is not as Charismatic as Fidel. But he is really just as bad. Hopefuly they will get a democracy, but most likely that wont happen for a LONG time. But hey you never know.
Feb 19 2008 4:37PM
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comeatmebro
Posts: 10720 - Karma: 66
pretty sure that is scheduled for NEXT week. it's alright though, i thought that too. i think the world schedules got printed wrong...
Feb 19 2008 4:38PM
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sconniestyle
Posts: 3945 - Karma: 26
yeah, it was fidel, raul, and dr. che as the strategists behind the revolution.  they were exiled in mexico and america when they planned it.

Feb 19 2008 4:55PM
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babujib
Posts: 5039 - Karma: 104
yeah thats what im sayin, rauls gonna be in charge who has the exact same ideals as fidel so its not that big of a change
Feb 19 2008 5:27PM
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sconniestyle
Posts: 3945 - Karma: 26
it won't be a significant change in the short term, but the leaders of the revolution are getting old, and within a generation or so could all be gone.  that is when a big change may happen.

however, things like this tend to be magnified in a region under such political scrutiny, it will be interesting to see what happens.
Feb 19 2008 5:58PM
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saucer_boy_lives
Posts: 498 - Karma: 39
wow, he's still alive?
Feb 19 2008 6:01PM
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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24703 - Karma: 29,679
It's going to remain a military dictatorship for a while.. for sure..

but you never know. Soon enough.. Cuba could turn into quite a showpiece if Democracy is allowed in the next 10-20 years.

By then Raul will be either 86 or 96.. and probably not competent enough to run the country any more than his ailing brother is now..

The problem is, a lot of the Cuban people are fine with the communism part... they all have healthcare, and even though they spend a good amount of their income on food,  they at least have that as well. They just dont like the DICTATORSHIP part.. where they are unable to explore their lives outside of that of Cuba, and Cuban culture.

If you ever get a chance, watch For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story

It has Andy Garcia in it. Super good film. Helps you sorta understand some of what the Cuban people are exposed to.
Feb 19 2008 7:21PM
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Quinny
Posts: 3477 - Karma: 163
Don't hold your breaths. Raul isn't going to try any real reforms until is brother is actually dead. Even though Fidel has "stepped down" he'll still have a lot of say in the communist party and how the Cuban government acts.
Feb 19 2008 8:24PM
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Quinny
Posts: 3477 - Karma: 163
*his
Feb 19 2008 8:28PM
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sconniestyle
Posts: 3945 - Karma: 26
true, and it's not only fidel. most of the government structure that helped fidel into power, and helped keep him in power, are still in place. 

sometimes it seems that the public perception of cuba is that fidel has been the sole reason they have been governed the way they were, but that isnt true.

fidel will still be a player, not only behind the scenes, but in the public forum.  his "reflections" articles he pens for the state run newspaper (the same platform he used to announce his resignation) will still be regularly coming.
Feb 20 2008 10:19AM
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Quinny
Posts: 3477 - Karma: 163
I am of the opinion that once Fidel dies and American business is allowed back into Cuba, the communist regime will begin to dissolve. Before communism told hold, Havana was one of the most progressive cities in the western hemisphere. It also has a deep water port, ideal for large shipping and cruse liners. Cuba could potentially be very prosperous if capitalism can take hold.
Feb 20 2008 11:30AM
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sconniestyle
Posts: 3945 - Karma: 26
i agree with that, but i can't shake the notion that there will be a few remaining members of the "old guard" hanging on to castro's doctorines, delaying the push to capitalism at least a little bit.

it will be very interesting to see what happens in the future. there has also been talk about what will become of the homes/land/possessions that were absorbed into the republic after the revolution.

in the example i heard, a family owned a villa before they fled/were forced to leave the country, but in their absence, the property has obviously been used by other familes in the meanwhile.

when capitalism returns, who will have the rightful claim to the properties siezed, the original owners or those using the property for the past 50+ years?
Feb 20 2008 11:37AM
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Alexander_Keith
Posts: 3204 - Karma: 25
Very true. The transition will take a generation or two. I'm optomistic we'll see capitalism become successful in Cuba in our lifetimes.
Feb 20 2008 12:10PM
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Dustin.
Posts: 13839 - Karma: 7,704
His brother favors democracy actually, but Fidel will still be on the leadership ladder somewhere so who knows?
Feb 20 2008 1:35PM
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