Fidel's latest offering
If you would like a definition of incoherent and rambling, check out Fidel Castro's latest column. It is a hazy mix of World Cup and how the Iraqi government under Saddam Hussein was a good friend to Cuba, with some references to Iran sprinkled in. Oh, and we're going to have nuclear war. Signed, Fidel.
25 comments:
That'a boy, Greg.
Always acceptable to rag-on Fidel, to puff your boney chest out to impress the equally deluded stooge-academics within the bowels of the declining empire.
Yeah, hate on Fidel all you want. He certainly has much less innocent blood on his hands than do any living or dead US president--including Obama.
But you have to take folks' eyes off the balls--as your work helps kick the little people in the nuts.
Certainly, nothing you can or will say will reverse the momentum that we are seeing as far as the US empire goes. The decline is all but assured.
And you? Is tenure all but assured for you, Greg.
You keep hating-on Chavez and Fidel, and your fellow 'progressive' liberals, stooges for the liberal wing of the US ruling class--they will keep patting you on the head.
Just keep those cheeks spread, and don't utter a meme or thought that requires critical analysis.
The "peter principle" will serve your circumstances just fine.
"Yeah, hate on Fidel all you want. He certainly has much less innocent blood on his hands than do any living or dead US president--including Obama."
William Henry Harrison
But you have to take folks' eyes off the balls--as your work helps kick the little people in the nuts.
Ah, Fidel has made Cuba the second poorest country in the hemisphere not Greg.
"Certainly, nothing you can or will say will reverse the momentum that we are seeing as far as the US empire goes. The decline is all but assured."
I think the butt-spreading academics call this Marxist determinism. It has proved so useful as a form of analysis over the last 100 years. Keep it up, Slave Revolt and one day you'll call one correctly.
Fidel's World Cup analysis is crap. he should stick to a sport he knows: the imperialist empire's national pasttime.
Why the sudden decision to start erasing people's comments, Greg? Am I entitled to respond to an insult, or not?
Once again, Greg, why the sudden decision to start erasing comments? What's the problem with me complaining about someone who constantly denounces people as "Stalinists" in the most irresponsible manner? What's your deal, profe?
Such humorless comments, I must say. Still, I thought your posting was funny, Greg.
I wonder when they'll break it to Fidel that he really should consider doing a -30- on his columns...
LOL...while it is definitively a rambling rant, he does make some interesting observations along the way. He pretty much criticizes Saddam Hussein for invading Kuwait and praises Colin Powell. His analysis of the Iran, Turkey, and Brazil negotiations is relatively restrained, and would not be out of place in a "moderate" Islamic country's opinion pages.
Agree with Randy, he should stick to baseball.
Bolinica--and maybe you should stay with what you are best at: kissing the ass to furthers your pimply, consumerist desires.
Certainly, Fidel's analysis of world events and politics carries far, far more impact than yours.
I chalk it up to simple jealosy on your part.
You will never make history. You are not revered--only reviled.
You will never make history. You are not revered--only reviled.
Dang Yoda, you are deep!
"Certainly, Fidel's analysis of world events and politics carries far, far more impact than yours."
What an insightful comment! A longstanding, albeit retired, head of state has more influence on world affairs than a poster on a blog. By this logic, we should read his words for one purpose alone. Boli-Nica, just obey.
Big news out of Havana. Cuba has decided to release pretty much all (52) the people remining on Amnesty's Prisoner of Conscience list. Beyond a success the Catholic Church and Spain's policy of engagement, this will have large implications on Obama's policy. He has made the plight of the "political prisoners" front and center, in terms of the required first step towards improved relations. Now we will have to see what that means, or whether the goal post will move once again. As it stands today, this gives huge momentum to the Right to Travel/Agricultural sales bill going through congress (passed Committee last week). But the embargo (absurdly) can not be lifted until Cuba is a market economy and all Castro's are no longer in politics. If the US was smart they would reciprocate by ending the $33 million in regime change ("democracy promotion") programs currently in place.
Tremendous news for those being freed, especially the sick ones. Zapata's death, Farinas's hunger strike, the protests of the Damas de Blanco, publicity by bloggers and international pressure combined to make the alternative more palatable for Raul than continued international condemnation. It is good that the Catholic church could play a mediating role. I just hope the Spanish socialists have not gotten ahead of themselves as they have a penchant for making dramatic statements before the results are in. Changing the common position will not be easy when there are still political prisoners. It may be easier for Obama and the US to change elements of the sanctions than the EU.
Spain is already advocating for the EU "common position" on Cuba to be normalized. Spain's FM has also put the onus squarely where it belongs - on the US Government - saying (quite correctly) that this is exactly what Obama had demnaded as a precursor to better relations. As William LoGrande, Cuba expert at American U said - “In some ways you might see this as Cuba testing the sincerity of the US, doing something dramatic that the US demanded, to see if the US responds positively.”
I think the US should send Bosch and Posada Carriles to Spain for a trial.
Why Spain anon? The crimes were committed in Cuba.
The alleged crimes have occurred in Venezuela, Panama and Cuba. Given that Panama and Venezuela already had him under their jurisdiction and convicted him, given that Cuba's judicial system would not offer a fair trial (Ochoa? Padilla?), Spain or Italy might make some sense. US has shown itself as hopelessly torn by outright political support for Posada Carriles (under Bush) and a kind of shame of not wanting to reveal US complicity in his long career.
I should have been more clear - yes crimes also occured in Venezuela and Panama. Venezuela is requesting the extradition, knowing that the US does not have a extradition treaty with Cuba. Posada has been convicted but excaped while his trial was under appeal.
Meanwhile, as announced Wednesday by the Venezuelan FM Maduro:
the U.S government recently delivered a diplomatic note on this issue for the first time in five years, which is being evaluated by the Venezuelan government to subsequently issue a response.
Maduro did add that the note was full of "legalese excuses" but that a full response is forthcoming. In the past the US argued that they would not fulfil their obligations to extradite because Venezuela would torture him. It is ridiculous - as there is no evidence of this assertion. It is likely the US is also arguing that he has to stand trial in the US for the laughable immigration charges. That is the only crime the US is apparently concerned about - not the bombing of an airplane or killing of an Italian tourist in Havana. Anyone with half a brain knows why they are playing this game: Because the US was complicit in Posada's crimes.
For the record, I'd support a trial for Posada just about anywhere. But clearly the US has other plans. I just remembered that the US was shopping around for a friendly country to take in Posada. No one suitable was found - probably because even the most reliably pro-US countries in the world would (correctly) not want to be seen as harboring the "bin laden of the americas." The other more independent minded countries would fulfill their legal obligations and extradite to Venezuela...
"It is likely the US is also arguing that he has to stand trial in the US for the laughable immigration charges. That is the only crime the US is apparently concerned about - not the bombing of an airplane or killing of an Italian tourist in Havana. Anyone with half a brain knows why they are playing this game: Because the US was complicit in Posada's crimes."
Currently he is being charged with lying to federal prosecutors about the bombings, not immigration charges. Nor the bombings themselves. Conveniently all the FBI evidence was shredded. The US govt. is relying on journalist Ann Bardach's notes from her 1996 NYT expose. Alleged US complicity is knowing about a plot to bomb a Cuban plane in advance, the CIA did nothing with the information. See Kornbluth.
Meanwhile, in Havana, the Cuban government continues to allow dozens of fugitives from US justice to live free from fear of prosecution. Many are accused hijackers and terrorists.
Sorry I should have been more precise again. The trial is about lying to the Feds during the immigration review process (the charges are perjury and immigration fraud). Lies include 1) not admitting any other aliases, 2) not admitting to speak English, 3) saying he arrived via Texas when he arrived in Florida on a fast boat (of another terrorist), 4) lying about being in Panamanian prison (for trying to bomb an auditorium, 5) lying about the Badrach interview where he admitted the 1997 Havana bombings, etc. etc.
My understanding is that the plane bombing has not been mentioned by the Federal prosecutors at all.
BTW, this information comes from reporter Tracy Eaton's excellent Along the Malecon blog, who's keeping tabs on the trial.
He's recently reported that 90% of all filings in the case have been deemed secret by the judge - for national security reasons. BTW, the Judge (Kathleen Cardone) is the same woman who let him off on the previous immigration charges for ridiculous reasons (supposed minor errors by the prosecution's translator, when Posada speaks English).
Not all the FBI evidence has been shredded. There are FBI documents from their trip to Havana to investigate the bombings - on the type of the bombs, etc. Relatedly, it was just after the Feds were given tons of evidence by the Cubans (some from the Cuban 5) that the Cuban 5 were arrested in Florida as spies.
As for the fugitives in Havana, a few have been turned in recent years, and Raul has made clear that they'd be prepared to discuss their return with the US. What is needed is an extradition Treaty - somethign the US apparently has no interest in pursuing.
Few would shed tears if Posada were "rendered" to Guantanamo - on the Cuban side of the fence.
What is funny is watching Leftside furiously criticizing the U.S. governments legal decision to not extradite the guy, based on what he calls "technicalities",. All then, in another post on this blog defending the supposed legalities of a communist regimes' justification for jailing dissidents.
If Posada Carilles were a known Al Qaeda terrorist imprisoned in Gitmo, I have no doubt Leftside would be up in arms about the "illegal" nature of his imprisonment. Heaven forbid he be sent to Syria or Egypt.
Boli, the distinction is clear. One country is upholding its laws and the other is doing its best to ignore them and prevent justice.
I guess you're really saying you think countries have no right to restrict their citizen's contact with enemy/terrorist/subversive foreign governments? So you think the US should permit me, for example, to meet and do work for Cuban "diplomats" - or Hamas, or Iran, or North Korea - for the purpose of doing my part to overthrow our system? If so, please explain. Certainly the US has done more than Cuba than all those governments have to us...
And I guess you think it is quite ok to hold and try someone on a legal island, explicitly for the reason of avoiding the laws of that country? I condemn it no matter who is doing it. On the other hand, Cuba's laws against consorting with the enemy Governments like the US (Article 91 and Law 88) are quite clear and everyone in Cuba supports their purpose - to prevent the US from buying its way into influencing events there. Even most of the couple hundred or so official dissidents disagree with the biggest parts of Us policy vs Cuba - the millions for subversion, the embargo and wet foot, dry foot.
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