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Latin America
Castro: Socialism Will Survive in Cuba
2003-12-06
President Fidel Castro insisted Friday that his socialist system will survive him, as he celebrated the 10th birthday of Elian Gonzalez - the shipwrecked boy who was the center of a fierce international custody battle. Castro characterized as "idiots" those who believe that socialist rule on the island will end with his death.
Yeah, you dumb guys! When Fidel dies, Egon Krenz will pick up the banner and march on!
"This revolution does not depend on one individual, or two, or three," Castro declared in a speech of more than two hours at a birthday celebration in the courtyard of Elian's school in the child's hometown of Cardenas, about 85 miles east of Havana. Speaking about a meeting he said occurred earlier Friday in Washington between Cuban Americans and U.S. officials, Castro said "that group of idiots ... would die of bitterness, of frustration and even shock to see how this country has resisted 45 years of blockade." The 77-year-old leader, who will celebrate 45 years in power this New Year's Day, also joked about his "longevity genes." His father, Angel Castro, was in his early 80s when he died October 1956, two years before the triumph of the Jan. 1, 1959 revolution.
Wonder if everybody was happy to see him go, too?
Posted by:Fred Pruitt

#6  Cubans don't have "long memories", but Fidel's propaganda machine made sure we didn't forget. The downside of using a propaganda machine, however, is that the people distrust you even when you tell the truth. For example, in 1983, Fidel Castro was right when he said the invasion of Grenada was not motivated by the safety of the American medical students. But the Cuban people discounted that rare truth from Fidel as part of the usual propaganda. We concentrated instead on mocking the highest Cuban military officer in Grenada, Pedro Tortolo Comas, who was rumored to have cowed away when the invasion came. (He actually fought bravely, and risked his life when he ran away to the Soviet Embassy to avoid capture.) To this daym tough, when somebody runs away from a fight we say; "he ran like Tortolo."
Posted by: Sorge   2003-12-6 2:17:54 PM  

#5  Anonymous;

Do you see the Cuban flag? Well, the flag was created not by a Cuban independence fighther, but by one of the very early Cuban-Americans, who organized an expedition to Cuba in 1850... To annex Cuba to the United States. (He was captured and killed by the Spanish authorities.)
Posted by: Sorge   2003-12-6 10:51:51 AM  

#4  I propose a scientific experiment to see if Fido is right: he kills himself and we see if socialism lasts.
Posted by: Spot   2003-12-6 9:17:44 AM  

#3   Castro declared in a speech of more than two hours ...

That's a short stem-winder for Fidel. Must be slowing down with age. He used to go six hours, easy.
Posted by: Steve White   2003-12-6 1:21:37 AM  

#2  I say that when Castro goes, we trade Puerto Rico for Cuba.
Posted by: Anonymous   2003-12-6 1:11:20 AM  

#1  President Fidel Castro insisted Friday that his socialist system will survive him

Yeah, by at least ten minutes.
Posted by: mojo   2003-12-6 12:32:16 AM  

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