Today in history, in 1961, Fidel Castro declared his devotion to Marxism-Leninism, and that Cuba would become a Communist state.
Ah yes, think of all the violations of human rights and international law by Cuba during the past four plus decades. Curious however that it still remains a cause celebre among the left and certain braindead Canadians looking for a cheap vacation during the cold Canadian winter. Ironically, I have actually listened to Canadians discuss their contempt for the US policy of isolating Castro, reveling in the fact that the Canadian government routinely flouts it and celebrating in the fact that as Canadians they can make a political statement by traveling to Cuba and therefore scoring one against the evil US administration. (Note: Most of this occurred when Clinton NOT Bush was president so there was plenty of anger and resentment against the US during that time and it was not caused by Bush, the invasion of Afghanistan or the action against Iraq).
The interesting thing is that once this gloried political point was made, I was usually regaled with “tails” of how cheap the booze and whores were and how amazing the fing sex was and how you could get a blow job on the beach for US$5 and an ice cold beer for 50 cents. Nice to know that so many of these visitors were acting on principles that they obviously “felt” very strongly about. Bah! Cuba at the very minimum could have a standard of living comparable to Costa Rica now if historical trends are anything to go by, but does it? Viva la Revolucion! Mindless fing Left.
Yes, well, the Canadian government, under fire from (apparently) the few religious wackos remaining in Canuckistan, finally eliminated the special visa category for international trafficking in women for Canada’s local sex trade, er, strippers. So the Cubans can look forward to more fucking Canadians cumming and going.
news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u … ppers_dc_1
[quote]OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Canadian government, under fire because one of its ministers has been accused of giving preferential treatment to a Romanian stripper, said on Wednesday it was scrapping a program that handed out temporary work permits to foreign-born exotic dancers.
Immigration Minister Judy Sgro is facing daily calls to resign over her decision to grant a temporary residency permit to Alina Balaican, a Romanian stripper who had worked on Sgro’s election campaign earlier this year. She also extended Balaican’s expired work permit.[/quote]
[quote=“fred smith”]Ah yes, think of all the violations of human rights and international law by Cuba during the past four plus decades. Curious however that it still remains a cause celebre among the left and certain braindead Canadians looking for a cheap vacation during the cold Canadian winter. Ironically, I have actually listened to Canadians discuss their contempt for the US policy of isolating Castro, reveling in the fact that the Canadian government routinely flouts it and celebrating in the fact that as Canadians they can make a political statement by traveling to Cuba and therefore scoring one against the evil US administration. (Note: Most of this occurred when Clinton NOT Bush was president so there was plenty of anger and resentment against the US during that time and it was not caused by Bush, the invasion of Afghanistan or the action against Iraq).
The interesting thing is that once this gloried political point was made, I was usually regaled with “tails” of how cheap the booze and whores were and how amazing the fing sex was and how you could get a blow job on the beach for US$5 and an ice cold beer for 50 cents. Nice to know that so many of these visitors were acting on principles that they obviously “felt” very strongly about. Bah! Cuba at the very minimum could have a standard of living comparable to Costa Rica now if historical trends are anything to go by, but does it? Viva la Revolucion! Mindless fing Left.[/quote]
Jesus, Freddie, you sound like a preacher who is dying for some.
You need a holiday. May I suggest Cuba.
Just curious, but why all the sanctions on Cuba etc when China is just as nasty to it’s people, threatens to invade a democracy, but instead of getting masive pressure to reform, gets its balls licked instead?
I think they are a holdover from the days when Cuba had nuclear-tipped missiles pointed at the U.S.
(In case you didn’t know, after the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Soviet Union went ahead and quietly moved nuclear weapons and missiles back into Cuba, as was finally declassified and admitted a couple of years ago by Russia. I don’t think the U.S. has ever acknowledged deceiving the public about this to keep people from living in terror.)
I think they are a holdover from the days when Cuba had nuclear-tipped missiles pointed at the U.S.[/quote]
Just curious, how many foreign countries has the US invaded in the past 40 years?
How many has Cuba invaded?
I think they are a holdover from the days when Cuba had nuclear-tipped missiles pointed at the U.S.[/quote]
Just curious, how many foreign countries has the US invaded in the past 40 years?
How many has Cuba invaded?[/quote]
Cuba has had its finger in a number of pies including Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Grenada, Angola and support for other communist revolutionaries.
Again, it would be fabulous if certain posters could refrain from rushing to point out America’s every fault to somehow excuse other countries actions. I find it so loathsomely self-abasing that it almost makes me wretch. Get a spine. Get off your knees.
Cuba has also been involved in some pretty shady deals with gangsters and drug smugglers to bring in the hard currency that it so desperately needs. It has a population that enjoys no democracy nor human rights. Reporters and dissidents are routinely jailed and tortured and economically it is basically offering up its young for prostitution to fat Canadians.
Finally, its much vaunted medical system is dollar priced and therefore available again to fat Canadians who should have such a fantastic system at home that there would be no need for them to visit Cuba for medical care? Right?
Ok, Chewycorns, Cuba intervened in Angola. You got one. Good for you. Here’s a few for the US.
Countries bombed by the US since 1960:
Guatemala
Vietnam
Congo
Laos
Peru
Guatemala
Cambodia
El Salvador
Nicaragua
Grenada
Libya
Panama
Iraq
Bosnia
Sudan
Afghanistan
Yugoslavia
Foreign assasination attempts US was involved in:
1960 - General Abdul Karim Kassem, leader of Iraq
1961 - Francois Duvalier, leader of Haiti
1961 - Patrice Lumumba, Prime Minister of the Congo
1961 - General Rafael Trujillo, leader of Dominican Republic
1963 - Ngo Dinh Diem, President of South Vietnam
1960s - Fidel Castro, President of Cuba , numerous attempts
1960s - Raul Castro, brother of Fidel.
1965 - Francisco Caamano, Opposition leader, Dominican Republic
1965-6 - Charles de Gaulle, President of France
1967 - Ernesto Che Guevara, Cuban leader
1970 - Salvador Allende, President of Chile
1970 - General Rene Schneider, Commander of Chilean Army
1970s, 81 - General Omar Torrijos, leader of Panama
1972 - General Manuel Noriega, chief of Panama Intelligence
1975 - Mobutu Sese Seko, President of Zaire
1976 - Michael Manley, Prime Minister of Jamaica
1980-86 - Moammar Qaddafi, leader of Libya, numerous attempts
1982 - Ayatollah Khomeine, leader of Iran
1983 - General Ahmed Dlimi, Army commander of Morocco
1983 - Miguel d’Escoto, Foreign Minister of Nicaragua
1984 - All nine leaders of the Nicaraguan National Directorate
1985 - Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, Lebanon Shiite leader
1991 - Saddam Hussein, leader of Iraq
1998 - Osama bin Laden, former US trained “freedom fighter”.
1999 - Slobodan Mlosevic, President of Yugoslavia
I’m not saying that Communism is good and Capitalism/Democracy are bad. One would have to be a fool to believe that. Despite my avatar (which I only selected in order to piss Fred off), I admit that Communism is a failed experiment. It sounds good initially: egalitarianism, absence of private property and mutual support of the common good instead. But it obviously doesn’t work. It is contrary to human nature, as acquisitiveness is a basic human trait, property ownership has existed since the oldest societies, and every Communist regime that has tried to crush these basic impulses has found it impossible except through indoctrination, forced labor, forced expropriation, suppression of speech and other basic freedoms, torture and even death. Lots of death.
Communism is clearly an inefficient system, as people lack motivation to produce more (in fact they have motivation not to produce more, lest they increase their quotas), all industries are run by one humongous ineffient bureaucracy, and despite the aim of communism to promote equality, the government must resort to inequality of rewarding special perks to valued members of the party for enforcing the rules. Thus, millions died due to the states’ efforts to shape the people against their will in the Soviet Union, China, Cambodia, etc, and millions more died due to famines that resulted from foolish and incompetent agricultural practices.
So I’m not defending Communism. It was an interesting idea, but the experiment seems to have failed and the few remaining Communist regimes are shifting towards capitalism and democracy on their own, out of the realization that such changes are clearly in the best interest of their countries.
But I do feel that sanctions against Cuba are outdated and cruel and should finally and completely be lifted. Castro poses no threat to the US – heck, he’s gonna die any day now anyway. And I think the other poster raised a valid point. Why so kissy kissy to Communist China and not Cuba? The more we expose the people of Cuba to the goods and way of life of the US, the faster their Communist government will fall.
I think they are a holdover from the days when Cuba had nuclear-tipped missiles pointed at the U.S.[/quote]
Just curious, how many foreign countries has the US invaded in the past 40 years?
How many has Cuba invaded?[/quote]
Cuba has provided support to terrorists in most of Central America and South America for several decades now. I seem to recall that “Cuban advisors” were involved in some of the African conflicts as well.
BTW, how many countries has the U.S. had nuclear weapons pointed at, and how many has Cuba pointed nuclear weapons at?? Should we not attempt to change those regimes in any way possible?
(Yes, I include China. 
Let’s retake the mainland, comrade!)
[quote=“Mama T”]
Countries bombed by the US since 1960:
Vietnam
Laos
Cambodia
Iraq
Bosnia
Sudan
Afghanistan
Yugoslavia [/quote]
These were all bombed by Democratic presidents, so that should be ok with you. Hey, didn’t John Kerry commit war atrocities in Vietnam and Cambodia?? Seared, seared I say!
[quote=“Mama T”]
Countries bombed by the US since 1960:
Congo
Peru
Guatemala
El Salvador
Nicaragua
Grenada
Libya
Panama[/quote]
BTW, you included “Guatemala” twice. As for these remaining countries, I don’t remember us bombing Congo (which one?). As for the rest, with the exceptions of Libya and Panama, we were fighting, hmm, how do I put this . . . Cuban-“advised” communists.
Notably in Grenada.
I don’t particularly recall us bombing any of them, but hey, what the hell, anything to kill the Shining Path, Sandinistas, and other scum.
Hey, how come you skipped Chile? Aren’t you going to spout off the usual tired stuff about Allende again??
Libya, well, we bombed them specifically because of Pan Am 103, and Qadaffi hid out in his underground bunker for the rest of the 1980’s and 1990’s. And after getting rid of Saddam, Qadaffi notably gave up his nuclear weapons program. Which is a good thing, don’t you think?
[quote]Countries bombed by the US since 1960:
Guatemala
Vietnam
Congo
Laos
Peru
Guatemala
Cambodia
El Salvador
Nicaragua
Grenada
Libya
Panama
Iraq
Bosnia
Sudan
Afghanistan
Yugoslavia [/quote]
We bombed BOMBED the above countries in bold? Are you sure about that? I would like to see a bit more evidence on this. AND since Yugoslavia was a NATO action as were many of these others then how does that qualify as bombing or perhaps the better term here should be “attacked.”
Foreign assasination attempts US was involved in:
[quote]1960 - General Abdul Karim Kassem, leader of Iraq
1961 - Francois Duvalier, leader of Haiti
1961 - Patrice Lumumba, Prime Minister of the Congo
1961 - General Rafael Trujillo, leader of Dominican Republic
1963 - Ngo Dinh Diem, President of South Vietnam
1960s - Fidel Castro, President of Cuba , numerous attempts
1960s - Raul Castro, brother of Fidel.
1965 - Francisco Caamano, Opposition leader, Dominican Republic
1965-6 - Charles de Gaulle, President of France
1967 - Ernesto Che Guevara, Cuban leader
1970 - Salvador Allende, President of Chile
1970 - General Rene Schneider, Commander of Chilean Army
1970s, 81 - General Omar Torrijos, leader of Panama
1972 - General Manuel Noriega, chief of Panama Intelligence
1975 - Mobutu Sese Seko, President of Zaire
1976 - Michael Manley, Prime Minister of Jamaica
1980-86 - Moammar Qaddafi, leader of Libya, numerous attempts
1982 - Ayatollah Khomeine, leader of Iran
1983 - General Ahmed Dlimi, Army commander of Morocco
1983 - Miguel d’Escoto, Foreign Minister of Nicaragua
1984 - All nine leaders of the Nicaraguan National Directorate
1985 - Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, Lebanon Shiite leader
1991 - Saddam Hussein, leader of Iraq
1998 - Osama bin Laden, former US trained “freedom fighter”.
1999 - Slobodan Mlosevic, President of Yugoslavia [/quote]
You have obviously gotten this off of zmag.net and I would like proof that the US was involved in all these assassination attempts. Second, the US NEVER trained Osama bin Laden. We provided support for the Muhajadin. This is typical Chomsky illogic and its worst. If I sell you a gun and you give it to someone else and that person kills someone with it, are you still responsible?
There is a God and MT has finally seen the light. I am thrilled to see you write this.
100 percent agree.
Therefore, if the US were to try to prevent such an evil system as you have characterized it from being implemented by force in numerous countries including Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Grenada, El Salvador and Nicaragua among others and various actions in Iran and Chile, then would you still say that you can point out that the US was involved in violent action in or against these countries without qualifying the reason why? I mean if we just look at your list of statistics and do not understand that this was to fight the very evil system that you mentioned doesn’t this put the US and its actions in a whole new light.
For example, if I shoot someone that sounds pretty bad, but if you qualify it with the statement that I shot someone trying to rob, rape or kill someone else than my action is seen in a very different light. I believe that you have mentioned this very clearly in your post but I would strongly urge you also to attribute these motives to our involvement in those conflicts which you first mentioned. Finally, let me reiterate that I think zmag.net has gone overborad with the “involvement” in these assassinations. The list certainly looks inflated to me.
Might I suggest folks do a Google on …“Cuban Intelligence Agency”
It brings up a lovely group known by the letters DGI. They are huge, well trained and extremely effective. And have been very active since their inception in the early '60’s.
Quite a colorful group…mostly blood red. Its who the East Germans went to for training in torture. You know they had to be good. But then, Ol’ Fidel keeps the prisons full of training subjects.
Methods and techniques countering this group was one of the prime motivators for the training provided at the School of the Americas.
Another sad anniversary today:
Public rally for Bhopal gas leak
corporate responsibility at its best 
I said it before and I will say it again. Che Guevera was a narcissistic posturing little prat who only cared about his own image. Too bad he didn’t get nailed by the Bolivian peasants 15 years earlier. A worthless little spoiled shit who was given everything in life and gave nothing. Hedonism, materialism, nihilism and cynicism met up in equal measures in that little fool and the result was what you see today. Those rushing to buy Che T shirts, and all the while, what are they really proclaiming. They are saying loud and clear: we are just as dim and selfish and self-centered and narcissistic as Che. We have no values. We have nothing to give. We are cynical and greedy and our life means nothing.
I’ll agree the idolization of Che Guevara is ridiculous. He was a revolutionary, which means of course that to some he was a terrorist and to others a ‘freedom fighter’ (just as Reagan considered the CIA-created Contras in Nicaragua ‘freedom fighters’ though they mostly killed civilians). Idolizing a guerrilla seems like a flashback to the 70’s militant left. However, I watched Rambo III (was it III?) last week when Rambo went to Afghanistan to help the Mujahedeen and they were shown as heroes, yet Osama just isn’t that popular anyway anymore.
Anyway, Fred’s list of countries that Cuba supposedly helped is very dubious. Cuba did send teachers to help educate peasants in Nicaragua, which had a very positive influence. In much of the country there were no schools before the Sandinistas came to power. However, that government actually started working on behalf of the people, which of course is a no-no for US business interests. Cuba offered support to various insurgencies, especially Angola, just as the US did, so both are really equally to blame there.
However, given the China issue already mentioned it is clear that human rights are no real issue with US-Cuba policy. It is pride. The fact that Cubans have had one of the best health care systems in Latin America according to the World Health Organization despite pointless, crippling US sanctions. In the US, however, 15.2 % of the population has no medical insurance even though the US is the richest country in the world. Americans spend more than anyone else in the world on health care yet the service provided is less than that on a 3rd World country under sanctions. Pretty pathetic. The literacy rate in Cuba is also one of the highest in the Western Hemisphere. Castro has had his faults, but it is clear that most of the population support him. During the Bay of Pigs no real contact was established with anyone on the island who wanted to overthrow him. Do I support Castro’s methods? Of course not. Do I favor US influence on the island to make it a vacation paradise where most of the population lives in poverty like it was under a ‘friendly Cuban administration’? That would be a thousand times worse. Fred and many fellow Republicans, however, will continue to froth at the mouth about human rights violation despite the fact that many of our allies’ reputation regarding this is far worse. Essentially, according to the government there are no human rights abuses unless they are committed by countries not allied with us. But it’s clear that few in the gov’t are really thinking about what is best the CUBANS THEMSELVES. Having lived most of my life in Miami, I can attest that most of the older Cubans lost their land and want it back to kick everyone off, and the younger Cubans mostly support Cuba and want an end to sanctions. The sanctions themselves have made Cubans realize that the US is the problem, not Castro. If the gov’t really had wanted to overthrow Castro it would have dropped the sanctions, which Clinton (alas look who we have now) was deliberating on.
[quote=“butcher boy”]Another sad anniversary today:
Public rally for Bhopal gas leak
corporate responsibility at its best [/quote]
Actually, it is.
The Indian workers cut and ran when the systems malfunctioned; if they had stayed and done their jobs as they had been trained to do, and as they were paid to do, nobody would have gotten hurt.
Because a bunch of third-world morons decided to abandon the chemical plant at the first hint of trouble, some 20,000 people were harmed.
Union Carbide paid out a fortune to those people.
A bad event, all around – but it was less UC’s fault than the fault of the glorious Indian workers.
So, why won’t Warren Anderson, CEO of Union Carbide even appear in court despite subpoenas and extradition requests? Too busy jetting between his three homes and living the good life, I suppose.
MaPo, you’re fast becoming the MOST offensive poster on here. And that’s saying something.
[quote=“rooftop”]So, why won’t Warren Anderson, CEO of Union Carbide even appear in court despite subpoenas and extradition requests? Too busy jetting between his three homes and living the good life, I suppose.
MaPo, you’re fast becoming the MOST offensive poster on here. And that’s saying something.[/quote]
Why, because my political opinions don’t agree with yours? Poor little guy. Have a lollipop.