Enjoy Your Retirement, Fidel

One thing most people don't realize, and for very good reason, is that when Fidel LIBERATED Cuba, he was NOT a Communist. Our schools don't teach the truth about Fidel, plain and simple. Pre-Fidel Cuba was ruled by Batista, who was a son-of-a-bitch. But as with so many other dictators over the years, he was our SOB: He was corrupt and pro robber baron business. The masses were uneducated; health care sucked; infant mortality was high; poverty was rampant; Things were much like a Refuckyoucan wet dream: The vast majority of wealth concentrated in the hands of a few and the rest be damned.

Castro's revolution was probably one of the most pure revolutions in world history. He literally came out of the hills, with virtually total support of the masses/peasants. Once his new government was installed, he set about in search of aid to finance his dreams of modernization. Now remember, the old guy was our guy, so the new guy, no matter how popular, was a bad guy by default. He got squat from us. Well what are you gonna do?

You go to the other guys: the Rooskies, the Commies. And I think from there, we know the story. Or rather the propaganda. We couldn't blame the missile crisis on out own actions, or lack thereof. The Bay of Pigs... the senseless and totally ineffective embargo... multiple botched assassination attempts...

As I said, our high schools don't teach the truth. Another thing people tend to not realize: Text book authors are still authors. They make their money from selling books. If truth doesn't sell, leave it out. Tell some lies. Say what you need to say to sell. It ain't rocket science. Anyway...

I didn't learn the basics of the truth about Castro, till I got to college in my thirties. I don't remember learning much about his youth; Ho Chi Minh was educated in France, but I don't know about Fidel. So...

Cloud up and rain all over me if you want, I really don't give a fuck. Hopefully, if Barack gets elected he'll finally take the sensible steps to end the silliness that has been our Cuba policy for the past 50 years. McCain..? Keep on doing the same shit. We're Republicans; failure is our trademark. Hillary's apparently still waiting for her pollsters to get back to her, surprise surprise. With Barack, maybe we'll get some good rum and cigars.

Is Fidel's Cuba perfect? Fuck no. The Neo-Cons probably learned a lot from looking at Fidel's prisons. On the other hand, they could learn a lot from looking at his schools and health care system. Yo Fido...

Enjoy. I hope you're healthy enough to enjoy your last few years, fishing, hunting, watching beisbol. Come to Seattle; the beer's on me.