Fidel Castro dead

Castro, like any other dictator, lived to be in control. He wanted to be the main man, the chief, the head honcho. The excuse that he didn't grant his country an election for fear of US interference is a rather convenient excuse in my opinion.

And didn't he then pass power over to a family member? That's * up mate, you have to admit?

Look, he certainly wasn't even close to being on the scale as other dictators like Hitler or Pol Pot, of course not, but he's not the benevolent being that some people deem him to be.

 

I can see your point, of course. However, his brother was his second in command during the revolution so it was a pretty natural handover to make.
And I don't really think you're as naive as you try to make out when you wouldn't expect the US to interfere in an election. They had a budget of $50B to do carte blanch in Cuba, an election would have been top priority.

 

I'm saying that it was a convenient excuse for him to continue holding onto power, and his brother wasn't a natural successor. What about the views of the Cuban people?

Or is democracy something that isn't compatible with the Socialist way of things?

 

It's hardly convenient. Constant fear of invasion.
If it was convenient it was a convenience established & maintained by the US for over 50 years.

Alas, we must agree to disagree..

 

Well, wouldn't that same reason apply to any leader who finds himself on the wrong side of the US? What about Putin? What would you say if he announced tomorrow that he's simply going to remain in power in Russia for the next 20 years because any election could result in interference by the US?

There's a whole slew of Middle-Eastern dictators who'd be only too happy to use the same card I'm betting.

 

If you see my earlier post, the list of US installed puppet goverments in Latin America bears out Castros fears. He didnt need to be paranoid to realise they were after him, just vigilant.

 

Rogic 1-0.

 

That didn't answer my question. Do you deem it acceptable in Putin goes down that road? After all, the US have been gunning for him for years now.

 

It's irrelevant. Totally different scenario....Cuba were incapable of retaliating on an equivelant scale, the US were safe in this knowledge.
You try & assassinate Putin you're going to need a good hiding place.

 

Why would you say that Raul Castro wasn't a natural successor to Fidel?

 

Surely that should be for the people of Cuba to decide ?

 

You can be sure that if there were "open and free" elections in Cuba they would be rigged by American power, money and influence.

There would no price that White House wouldn't be willing to pay to get a US puppet in place. Of course all would be conducted under the banner of "democracy".

 

I would agree, but bearing in mind the lack of democracy, I'm curious as to why Daibhi thinks Raul wouldn't be suitable.

 

It's only irrelevant because admitting that Putin, who's been in the sights of the US for years, would be entitled to do the same thing as Castro doesn't sit right with you because Putin isn't left-wing.

I understand completely that Castro faced a lot of issues as far as the US were concerned, and that he was worried about the legitimacy of any election, but that goes for a lot of nations who aren't on good terms with the US, and we certainly don't afford those dictators the same courtesy as we do Castro.

Why is that? What's the difference? Why is Castro allowed to be a dictator who used his position to basically hand control to his brother yet we're critical of, say, the Royal Family for passing power and privilege to family members as some sort of birthright?

Because he was handed the position by his brother, that's why. The Cuban people had * all say in who's in charge, do they?

Now, if you want to nail your mast to such a system then that's fine, but bear in mind that it cuts both ways. You can't gloss over nepotism in some instances, but poo poo it in others.

What's good for Castro is good for Putin, correct? After all, both are enemies of the US, both have & had legitimate fears of electoral interference, right?

I'll ask you the same question I asked CymruBhoy. If the media reported tomorrow that Putin had announced he was taking control of Russia as its leader until he decided he no longer wanted the job, and would then pass it to a family member to continue his reign would you applaud such a move?

 

I disagree. Whilst I don't doubt that the US would use all of it's power and influence to put a candidate forward that would suit their aims, I think the Cubans would be well placed to hold a free and fair election.

 

Lol. I love opinions!!

 

It would never be free and fair though.

It would have the illusion of being a democratic choice, but as is often the case with powerful interests, this is rarely the case.

 

The two situations are so completely different that it makes no sense to compare them. Raul Castro was one of the 82 men who landed in Cuba on the Granma and one of the 20 odd that safely made it into the Sierra Maestra mountains. He was instrumental as one of the leaders of the revolution and hd been head of the armed forces ever since.

Of those who are left of the original revolutionaries, he is indeed the natural successor to Fidel. Putins brother, if he has one, is not a famous hero of the revolution in Russia, or a giant in Russian politics.

It is non- comparable

 

So, you believe that Putin would be perfectly within his rights to remove the rights of the Russian people to a free and democratic electoral process so long as he cites possible US interference as his reason?

And the last time I checked having a stellar military record doesn't mean someone is qualified to just take over a country. Do the people of Cuba not deserve a say in who Governs them?

 

Going to miss him. RIP.