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I just watched the movie Che! (1969), starring Omar Sharif. I recommend it just because it's interesting….not because it's great filmmaking. You can see it at Hulu for free before the end of the year:http://www.hulu.com/watch/15572/cheAfter watching it I see this news article, which says that the 50th anniversary of Castro's move to power in Cuba is New Year's Day.http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081228/wl_nm/us_cuba_castro_1And if you can believe it, in that same story, Raul Castro must have come to the following conclusion about socialism that some of us knew all along:
He expressed dissatisfaction with the system of subsidies for those who can work, but do not, saying government handouts discourage Cubans from being more productive.
Wow man! You are a great host. This is the best group I've seen. ;D
He does have his good points doesn't he? 🙂
Oh he does Mr. Baker, not to overlook all the grand contributions of the rest of this group.I feel like I'm stealing! All of this information, all the years of study, right here to be assimilated.Its a great gift from all of you, and I am in my glory. Thank you 🙂
Oh he does Mr. Baker, not to overlook all the grand contributions of the rest of this group.I feel like I'm stealing! All of this information, all the years of study, right here to be assimilated.Its a great gift from all of you, and I am in my glory. Thank you 🙂
If you think this is all we offer, register at http://www.forum.writersofhistory.com and you can have even more fun if you're a serious student of History. 🙂
Wow man! You are a great host. This is the best group I've seen. ;D
I'm glad you enjoy the forum. We do work hard at it. Have you seen the movie that I mentioned? If not, there's a remake or retelling of Che Guevara's story coming out as a film very soon.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0892255/It's supposed to be in two two-hour parts for one long movie. I may take a look at it on when it comes out on dvd.
I would also encourage you to register at http://www.writersofhistory.com Hopefully we can turn it into a place for serious academic discussions of history and historical method.
A question for this thread on the 50th anniversary: what is the direction of Cuba in the next 50 years? Will communism fall once Fidel/Fidel and Raul pass on? Would it be a good idea for the U.S. to drop its embargo to make Cubans realize what kinds of benefits are available in the free market system?
Dropping the embargo would help the automakers; assuming they could provide repair parts for all those 50's cars the Cubans have been nursing along all these years. 😉
I am not convinced that dropping or keeping the embargo makes much difference. The Cubans are probably pretty used to not being able to get American goods directly anymore.
I went to Havana when I was a teenager(1953). There were only about 5 or 6 traffic lights in the whole city. Approaching an intersection everyone blew the horn and took their lives in their hands. In the three days we were there we saw numerous wrecks. The slums were unreal. Some families lived in shacks with only three sides. Meat markets hung meat outside and it was covered with flies. Burial practices were also unusual. A body was placed in a vault above ground and covered with lime. After a year the eldest son or other family member removed the bones, cleaned then and put them in a box at the foot of the vault. Rent was charged on the box. If the rent was not paid the bones were evicted and tossed over into a fenced boneyard.Later when Castro was roaming the mountains the US media was there praising him and fawning over his every move.
I think Cuba will run to the arms of Putin and Medyevdev, once Fidel and Raul have passed on. I see the brothers waiting for the US to bend, I see a young communist party ready to spit in the eye of U.S. Recent allowances to the Cuban people, like DVD's, the thrill for a Cuban National to actually stay in a hotel, usually only reserved for tourists and some artisits benefitting greatly from endowments by U.S. patrons says to me, they want to sit at the adult table. Continued defiance of some basic human rights, tells me they are doomed to the immature stature of a non-productive government, unless and until a great world power absorbs Cuba into its economic sphere. Of course, my humble views.
I think Cuba has suffered enough. The Cold War is over and Cuba is no serious threat to us (unless Russia is going to start the whole mess over again). Let's try to get Cuba into our sphere of influence and evict all Russian influences there.
I went to Havana when I was a teenager(1953). There were only about 5 or 6 traffic lights in the whole city. Approaching an intersection everyone blew the horn and took their lives in their hands. In the three days we were there we saw numerous wrecks. The slums were unreal. Some families lived in shacks with only three sides. Meat markets hung meat outside and it was covered with flies. Burial practices were also unusual. A body was placed in a vault above ground and covered with lime. After a year the eldest son or other family member removed the bones, cleaned then and put them in a box at the foot of the vault. Rent was charged on the box. If the rent was not paid the bones were evicted and tossed over into a fenced boneyard.Later when Castro was roaming the mountains the US media was there praising him and fawning over his every move.
That's a neat story. I wish I could go to Cuba since its culture seems to still shine distinctly even among other Latin American cultures. I would like to see how it is now due to its significant political isolation. I imagine it's rather different from other Latin American countries where Western capitalism has crept into the culture in various odd ways.
I think Cuba has suffered enough. The Cold War is over and Cuba is no serious threat to us (unless Russia is going to start the whole mess over again). Let's try to get Cuba into our sphere of influence and evict all Russian influences there.
That is not going to happen until there is a changing of the Guard at the top. The Cuban leadership has identified themselves with resistance to America. Rapproachment between the US and Cuba will no doubt have to wait until the givernment in Cuba turns over completely. But you are right, it is probably past time to reconcile with them and try to draw in the larger society of American states on the basis of restoring personal freedoms in Cuba and increasing commercial and toruism ties with the US.
