The Fall of Castro!

CeeKay · Post by **CeeKay** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 8:55 am

The mighty Castro has fallen!

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/americas/ ... index.html

CSL · Post by **CSL** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 10:16 am

Alefroth · Post by **Alefroth** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 11:19 am

That's too bad. He gave quite a dignified response. Just curious, is anyone next in line for when Castro does shuffle off?

Ale

Eel Snave · Post by **Eel Snave** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 11:31 am

Yeah, I was just thinking about that last night for no reason. Who's the most likely to succeed Castro? Or will the country just have an old-fashioned bloody coup?

Exodor · Post by **Exodor** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 11:34 am

I heard a brief bit of a story on NPR about Castro's succession plans, and it sounded like there are none

The money quote wasy something to the effect of "a power vacuum doesn't BEGIN to describe Cuba after Castro's death".

Eduardo X · Post by **Eduardo X** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 11:56 am

Alefroth wrote:That's too bad. He gave quite a dignified response. Just curious, is anyone next in line for when Castro does shuffle off?

Ale

Castro's brother Raul is one option, there are reformists who think Castro's type of socialism is obsolete and wish to instill a new type, and I'm sure there are others who will try to get elected.
It is pretty strange to try to learn another country's system of representative government. There is only 1 political party, so you are either a Communist or you're nothing. Each candidate gets some money to make a poster. This poster is a summary of their stances and a biography (as far as I recall) and no picture. I think about 97%-99% of Cuba votes, the rest being "protest abscentions," and many of the votes actually cast are left blank as a protest. Once every district votes in a representative, they elect a president, and that person has always been Fidel. I don't think anybody runs against Castro to try to become president.

Dirt · Post by **Dirt** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 12:19 pm

When Castro dies, the USA will move in.

Lee · Post by **Lee** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 1:01 pm

Dirt wrote:When Castro dies, the USA will move in.

That will be easy. We can just make it part of Florida.

Eduardo X · Post by **Eduardo X** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 1:04 pm

Dirt wrote:When Castro dies, the USA will move in.

When I visited Cuba, I saw that this simply cannot happen, as the people hate the US' interventions more than anything, but since leaving I have changed my mind about Cuba quite a bit.
I still think the US would have an extremely hard time tryign to take over Cuba, as the entire country is highly trained militarily. When the US invaded Grenada, the most resistance they faced was from Cuban workers who were fixing the airport.
Beyond military, the people of Cuba seem to be quite protective of their independence. They know the US wants to invade/take over. They don't seem to want this, but... I think I got the "nice" treatment when I was there, with nobody telling me about their disagreements with the government perhaps because they though I was a spy or something like that. I heard 2 comments against Castro, and about 100 for him.
When comparing that to the US, it is a significantly lower amount of dissent, but then again, in Cuba, dissent can lead to jail.

noxiousdog · Post by **noxiousdog** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 3:33 pm

Dirt wrote:When Castro dies, the USA will move in.

For what reason? Does it have more oil than Haiti?

CSL · Post by **CSL** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 3:44 pm

noxiousdog wrote:
Dirt wrote:When Castro dies, the USA will move in.
For what reason? Does it have more oil than Haiti?

I think there'd be quite a lot of pressure via Cubans living in Florida to step in. Not that the pressure would do anything.

jblank · Post by **jblank** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 3:55 pm

Alefroth wrote:Just curious, is anyone next in line for when Castro does shuffle off?

Ale

I think that Eduardo X is next in line of succession, or maybe thats North Korea. Pretty sure its one of those two countries.

Eduardo X · Post by **Eduardo X** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 4:01 pm

jblank wrote:
Alefroth wrote:Just curious, is anyone next in line for when Castro does shuffle off?

Ale
I think that Eduardo X is next in line of succession, or maybe thats North Korea. Pretty sure its one of those two countries.

Its Nicaragua!
AHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Eel Snave · Post by **Eel Snave** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 4:30 pm

ALL HAIL EDUARDO X!

GIS for Eduardo:

Yankeeman84 · Post by **Yankeeman84** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 10:55 pm

I just want the fuckin cigars so I can sell them on ebay!

Unbreakable · Post by **Unbreakable** » Fri Oct 22, 2004 12:24 am

If Casto dies, then there will DEFINITELY be a draft. The USA doesnt have the troops for another military action. Heck, we dont even have the troops for national defense, in case those shifty-eyed Canadians finally attack.

$iljanus · Post by **$iljanus** » Fri Oct 22, 2004 12:27 am

Somebody remind me. Why do we have to go into Cuba if Castro falls? Even if it's a bloodbath do people think we would be welcome there if we go in militarily? And what about the Cuban exiles who will want to grab power if we do intervene. Are we going to set them up down there over the wishes of the Cuban people?

WPD · Post by **WPD** » Fri Oct 22, 2004 2:59 am

siljanus wrote:Somebody remind me. Why do we have to go into Cuba if Castro falls? Even if it's a bloodbath do people think we would be welcome there if we go in militarily? And what about the Cuban exiles who will want to grab power if we do intervene. Are we going to set them up down there over the wishes of the Cuban people?

Because we're America and we love freedom.

CeeKay · Post by **CeeKay** » Fri Oct 22, 2004 9:45 am

WPD wrote:
siljanus wrote:Somebody remind me. Why do we have to go into Cuba if Castro falls? Even if it's a bloodbath do people think we would be welcome there if we go in militarily? And what about the Cuban exiles who will want to grab power if we do intervene. Are we going to set them up down there over the wishes of the Cuban people?
Because we're America and we love freedom.

Plus they're part of the extended axis of evil

$iljanus · Post by **$iljanus** » Fri Oct 22, 2004 10:25 am

CeeKay wrote:
WPD wrote:
siljanus wrote:Somebody remind me. Why do we have to go into Cuba if Castro falls? Even if it's a bloodbath do people think we would be welcome there if we go in militarily? And what about the Cuban exiles who will want to grab power if we do intervene. Are we going to set them up down there over the wishes of the Cuban people?
Because we're America and we love freedom.
Plus they're part of the extended axis of evil

Ahh, sort of like the stepchild of the axis of evil? Or second cousin of the axis of evil?

Zarathud · Post by **Zarathud** » Fri Oct 22, 2004 9:56 pm

Castro is the mini-me of the Axis of Evil.

$iljanus · Post by **$iljanus** » Fri Oct 22, 2004 10:02 pm

Castro has been around for so long he's Old Man Evil! Or the Elder Statesman of Evil. Or Axis of Evil Sr.