I never thought I would see a day where he would quite.
Its about time. I expected he would rule to the death!

Castro had been in power since 1959, providing embarrasment for every
US President starting with JFK.


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By AP
Feb 19, 2008


HAVANA - An ailing, 81-year-old Fidel Castro resigned as Cuba's president Tuesday after nearly a half-century in power, saying he will not accept a new term when parliament meets Sunday.

The end of Castro's rule — the longest in the world for a head of government — frees his 76-year-old brother Raul to implement reforms he has hinted at since taking over as acting president when Fidel Castro fell ill in July 2006. President Bush said he hopes the resignation signals the beginning of a democratic transition.


"My wishes have always been to discharge my duties to my last breath," Castro wrote in a letter published Tuesday in the online edition of the Communist Party daily Granma. But, he wrote, "it would be a betrayal to my conscience to accept a responsibility requiring more mobility and dedication than I am physically able to offer."

He survived assassination attempts, a CIA-backed invasion and a missile crisis that brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. Ten U.S. administrations tried to topple him, most famously in the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion of 1961.

 

Stomper

More of the same! Raul has to be a Fidel clone!

Man just think of all the '59 Caddy parts floating around down there!

 

Problem is they have not had any parts in years, most cars are rigged in one fashion or another just to keep them running, but even that has put most old cars on the side of the road. The cuban community in Miami does not expect much change for at least another 6 years, but what do they know? Would love to see the island return to democracy, I wasn't old enough to go there when it was but it would make a fast get-a -way from Miami with casinos etc.

 

It's been an awfull lot of years and I only remember bit's about the occurances which were in the top of the news then, when the people threw out Batista and the new government came to New York and the United Nations and made overtures to all the free countries in the world for support. I can remember Castro, a US educated guy (a lawyer I believe) looking for support but denied, and ridiculedgoing back to Cuba and nationally organizing the country taking property (hotels, sugar plantations ect away from mainly US corporations. I believe United Fruit took the biggest hit. I know just about every employee of National airlines owned beachfront property there and their ownership was wiped out overnight. Las Vegas and New York mafia took the same hit that we have seen in the movies.
Castro wanted support from the US and could only get it from the USSR and a communistic Cuba resulted.. I don't remember all that much but I do remember the US State dept was the reason we have hadall of the problems since 59.
We've wooed and have better relations with the communist government of China than we've even attempted to with a country 90 miles from our shores.

 

Hey Zin
Better days ahead as George has DEMANDED FAIR REAL Democratic elections.

 

Yep Bill, just like in Iraq. And my wife remembers it was "Ike" who wouldn't give Castro "the time of day!"

 

ok .. I give up. how does one get from Eisenhower to "ike" ? ? ?

 

Stomper, if your name was Dwight, guaranteed you'd be looking for a nick name-any nick name!

 

Presidential campaign slogans

I like ike

auh2o

yes we can................................LOL

 

hey, that is not so bad .. how about my in-laws, his name Doyle .. her name Eunice ...
I wont tell you my X's name, I got enough problems.