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lonestar2004
Live to party,work to affordit.
Registered: 10/03/04
Posts: 8,978
Loc: South Texas
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Discontent clouds Cuba anniversary
#4456591 - 07/26/05 05:11 PM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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Discontent clouds Cuba anniversary From correspondents in Havana, Cuba 27jul05
COMMUNIST Cuba marked the 52nd anniversary of the start of President Fidel Castro's revolution today without a traditional outdoor mass rally and under a cloud of growing social discontent.
Castro planned to address supporters in a Havana theatre this afternoon to commemorate the 1953 assault he led on a garrison to launch a revolutionary movement that brought him to power six years later. His critics say there is little cause to celebrate for Cubans who face persistent economic hardship, dilapidated housing, low wages and food shortages.
Record heat and power cuts of 12 hours or more a day led to scattered protests, vandalism and rare anti-Castro graffiti this summer, veteran human rights activist Elizardo Sanchez said.
Authorities have responded by mobilising rapid deployment brigades of militant supporters to disperse pockets of protest with batons, he and other dissidents said.
"I have not seen such widespread discontent in four decades," said Mr Sanchez, head of the Cuban Commission for Human Rights.
The ravages of hurricane Dennis, which killed 16 people and destroyed thousands of houses in its July 7-8 rampage through Cuba, further undermined trust in the government's ability to resolve crucial social problems, he said.
The death of eight children from an unknown cause, announced by public health authorities on Sunday, is an extra cause for concern for Havana residents and the government, which takes pride in Cuba's free universal health care system.
Castro, who turns 79 next month, declared earlier this year that Cuba had overcome the deep crisis it was plunged into by the demise of the Soviet Union more than a decade ago, with the loss of billions of dollars in subsidies.
"Some thought the Revolution was collapsing. In fact, the Revolution has grown stronger, though some fools do not understand that," Castro said in a speech on Saturday.
"There is no obstacle that can stop a just cause, a true revolution," he said.
Castro, who blames US trade sanctions for Cuba's economic woes, vowed to soldier on "perfecting" Cuba's socialist society.
Shipments of subsidised oil from Venezuela and new credits from China have helped Havana weather a severe cash crunch, allowing Castro to raise wages and pensions this year.
"We are doing well," billboards of the aging leader confidently proclaim in Havana.
At the same time, an official report said 43 per cent of Cuban homes needed repair and the country of 11 million people had a deficit of 500,000 houses. In June, authorities said 1,7 million Cubans had no running water due to a severe drought in eastern Cuba.
"It is very worrying that after 15 years of crisis there is still no solution in sight to many problems," said dissident economist Oscar Espinosa Chepe.
"This nation that undoubtedly has backed the government for many years is disillusioned and frustrated now, seeing a return to the past," he said.
Espinosa Chepe said Cuba was going in the wrong direction by closing small private business activities it had allowed a decade ago, instead of following the example of other communist states that opened up to capitalist markets.
"If the Cuban government opened up areas of the economy, like China and Vietnam, it may be able to avoid a social explosion," he said. http://www.theage.com.au/news/World/Cuba...l?oneclick=true
-------------------- America's debt problem is a "sign of leadership failure" We have "reckless fiscal policies" America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better Barack Obama
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WhiteRabbitt
Stranger
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Re: Discontent clouds Cuba anniversary [Re: lonestar2004]
#4456679 - 07/26/05 05:29 PM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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cuba will fall within 5 years is my bet.
-------------------- You gotta jump and swing up to hit me in the knees.
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zappaisgod
horrid asshole
Registered: 02/11/04
Posts: 81,741
Loc: Fractallife's gym
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Re: Discontent clouds Cuba anniversary [Re: WhiteRabbitt]
#4456882 - 07/26/05 06:33 PM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
WhiteRabbitt said: cuba will fall within 5 years is my bet.
A popular prediction for forty years. It will fall within five years of Stal....er I mean Castro's death. Be interesting to see what it falls into and whether we do anything other than give the expats boat fare.
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bukkake
Registered: 05/28/05
Posts: 2,764
Loc: Classified
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Re: Discontent clouds Cuba anniversary [Re: zappaisgod]
#4457094 - 07/26/05 07:32 PM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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Castro will die in a few months or years and maybe his chosen predecessor will be easier to assassinate. Then we can allow all of our bitchin' fruit companies to move back in, buy most of the land, and finally they'll legalize Cuban cigars.
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JesusChrist
Son Of God
Registered: 02/19/04
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Re: Discontent clouds Cuba anniversary [Re: bukkake]
#4458085 - 07/26/05 11:27 PM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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I bet that beautiful land will come cheap too! What is land worth when you are starving, have no decent access to health care and don't even have indoor plumbing?
I lived in Japan for six years in my younger days. I met a man that stayed on after World War II and just bought up land. Big time fucking millionare when the dust settled.
We couldn't have hoped to bomb Cuba into this bad of shape, even in the best war plans.
I like that Chavez is subsidizing Cuba. He would do better to watch his own ass, because his economy is crumbling.
-------------------- Tastes just like chicken
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bukkake
Registered: 05/28/05
Posts: 2,764
Loc: Classified
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Re: Discontent clouds Cuba anniversary [Re: JesusChrist]
#4458905 - 07/27/05 03:13 AM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
JesusChrist said: I like that Chavez is subsidizing Cuba. He would do better to watch his own ass, because his economy is crumbling.
Where'd you hear Venezuela's economy is crumbling? I'd be interested in reading whatever you may have about the continent of South America. I've only read Venezuela's literacy is rising and free health care is now present, via Cuban doctors being exchanged for cheap Venezuelan oil.
I find Chavez and the current situation in Venezuela fascinating. He's attempting to nationalize the abandoned/idle land of Western world landlords to use to feed his own people, acknowledges the US government atrocious foreign policy, and is preparing for a CIA-funded coup; and rightfully so. I'd like to see how that situation plays out. Whether he can actually lead Venezuela to an egalitarian democratic society or he'll turn into "just another failed authoritarian dictactor" before he's eventually assassinated in the name of greed and profit.
His allegiance to Castro and hilarious berating speeches of the world's remaining super power aside(huge mistake on his part, history will prove), he's done a hell of a lot more for the common Venezuelan common man/woman thus far.
Edited by bukkake (07/27/05 03:29 AM)
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