Redstate

Posted at 12:59am on Jun. 24, 2008 I Have Found Sisyphus

By Pejman Yousefzadeh

He lives 90 miles off of the coast of Florida and is working to run a country into the ground:

At the recent metal workers' union congress in Havana little seemed to have changed since Fidel Castro, former Cuban president, became ill almost two years ago, temporarily handing power to his brother Raúl before resigning and leaving the country's leadership to him last February.

There was no jockeying among cadres for a piece of privatised industry pie. There was no talk of competition, markets, strikes or other action against management, or turning state-owned businesses into co-operatives. Speeches calling on members to work harder for Cuba, Fidel, Raúl and revolution resounded through the hall as they have for decades.

"The key is in perfeccionamiento empresarial" - perfecting the state company system - read the banner headline in Workers, the trade union federation's weekly newspaper.

The union meeting was the latest evidence that a debate fostered by Raúl Castro has for now been settled in favour of those who want to improve one of the world's most statist economies - not dismantle it - using a business model developed when the president was defence minister to improve the performance of armed forces suppliers.

I would say that you have to admire the persistence of the Cuban communists. But the reality is that you don't and you shouldn't.

Posted in Cuba | Economic Ignorance | Foreign Affairs | The Castros — Comments (1)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 6:35pm on May 26, 2008 Castro, like Hamas, is for Obama

By Soren Dayton

Fidel Castro writes on Barack Obama:

What did he say in his speech in Miami, this man who is doubtless, from the social and human points of view, the most progressive candidate to the U.S. presidency?

Meanwhile Castro attacks John McCain personally:

Cuban leader Fidel Castro blasted Republican presidential candidate John McCain on Friday for his criticism of the Cuban government this week, saying McCain had shown why he finished near the bottom of his class at West Point.

[Note by Jeff: The fact that McCain went to the Naval Academy (at Annapolis, MD), not the U.S. Military Academy (at West Point) appears to be lost on either Mr. Castro or on the writer of the Reuters article. If the former, that shows why Mr. Castro "finished near the bottom of his class at" the Petty Dictators Academy, and the lack of a correction in-text shows that the Reuters writer is either too ignorant to know the difference, too lazy to care, or too biased to correct Castro in favor of McCain. Of course, if it was just a mistake by the Reuters writer (and editor), then that simply demonstrates why they "finished near the bottom of [their] class at" Wannabe Journalist School. Either way, poor job by the news bureau all-stars.]

One candidate is attacked by Castro. The other is praised by Castro. And Hamas. Sometimes you know a man by his friends and enemies.

Just saying.

Posted in 2008 | Barack Obama | Cuba | Fidel Castro — Comments (7) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 7:56am on May 16, 2008 MI Morning Update: MI GOP Convention Date Set - New Russian Amb. a Michigan Native - Show Support for Cuba Pol. Prisoners

By saul anuzis

MORNING UPDATE:

A TAXPAYER…WHO VOTES FOR A DEMOCRAT…is like a chicken that votes for Colonel Saunders. Which part don’t they get?

STATE CONVENTION…ONE DAY ONLY…AUGUST 23…we will hold our state convention all on one day, Saturday August 23rd. We nominate state board, U of M, MSU, WSU board seats and re-nominate Supreme Court Chief Justice Cliff Taylor.

NEW AMBASSADOR TO RUSSIA…MICHIGAN NATIVE…Muskegon native John Beyrle (BY'-er-lee), who has been the U.S. ambassador to Bulgaria since 2005, has been nominated by President Bush to become the next U.S. ambassador to Russia.

Posted in Convention | Cuba | Michigan Republican Party | Republicans | Russian Ambassador | Saul Anuzis — Comments (0) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 2:58am on Mar. 22, 2008 A Few Obvious Points About Cuba

By Pejman Yousefzadeh

And yes, it is amazing that we actually have to remind people of this:

In 1958, the year before Fidel Castro came to power in a revolution and promised prosperity, democracy and the restoration of Cuba's 1940 constitution, the Caribbean island, while troubled by poverty, a corrupt dictator and the American Mafia, was also better off than most developing nations.

While poor compared to the United States, Cuba in 1958 had a per capita GDP of $3,170 according to the OECD. (Canada's was $8,947.). But Cuba outranked all other Latin American countries except four: Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Tellingly, in 1958, the island nation's per person wealth was higher than any East Asian country or colony, save Japan, which barely beat Cuba at only $3,290. Hong Kong had a per capita GDP of $2,924, Singapore's was $2,294, the Philippines' was $1,447, Taiwan's per person GDP stood at $1,387 and South Korea's was $1,112.

Thus in 1958, Cuba was almost as rich as Japan, one and half times as wealthy as Singapore, richer than Hong Kong, and three times as prosperous as South Korea.

Fifty years later, Cuba is one of the poorest countries in Latin America.

Read on . . .

Posted in Cuba | Fidel Castro | Foreign Affairs | Incompetent Leadership — Comments (13)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 1:25am on Feb. 26, 2008 Meet The New Boss

By Pejman Yousefzadeh

So, with the resignation of Fidel Castro from the Presidency, it was conventional wisdom that the ascension of Raul Castro would signal some form of political change and liberalization in Cuba.

So much for that. Not only does Raul Castro announce that there will be no change whatsoever in policy, he picks an old, hard-line figure for the number two spot just to stick it to those who hoped for a greater amount of political freedom in Cuba.

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose. But let's look at the upside: At least, Chris Bertram will be happy. To be sure, Bertram may want to read this to find out just how well--or how badly, depending on one's sensibilities--the Revolution is going 90 miles south of the Floridian coast. And he might want to read this as well:

Young Cubans frustrated by a regimented and austere life under socialism see little hope of change under the team of old guard revolutionaries who have taken over following Fidel Castro's retirement as president.

Seventy percent of Cuba's 11 million people were born after Castro's 1959 revolution. The younger ones dream of traveling abroad and want access to the Internet, iPods, trendy clothes, music and films.

Many were disappointed when Raul Castro, a 76-year-old army general, succeeded his ailing brother on Sunday as Cuba's first new leader in almost half a century, and other elderly communists were appointed top key posts.

"This is a dynastic succession. Everyone is so disappointed," said Virginia, a teacher who quit her state job earning $19 a month to work as a nanny.

There is a lot more like that--just waiting to disillusion the likes of Chris Bertram--assuming that he bothers to read writings chock full of uncomfortable facts.

Posted in Continuing Nightmares | Cuba | Foreign Affairs | The Castros — Comments (0)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 8:41am on Feb. 25, 2008 MI Morning Update: Ralph Nader for President - Getting Ready for the Big Show

By saul anuzis

254 Days until Election Day

MORNING UPDATE:

Ralph Nader for President…again…go to votenader.org .

Thursday, I will be “guest hosting” the Big Show, as Michael Patrick Shiels is gone on his honeymoon! My invited guest will include Newt Gingrich, Karl Rove and others.

Please tune in for the show and more information throughout the week as to where you can hear the show live. We’ll also post it on our web page for your review as we do with all the shows we do.

Posted in Big Show | Cuba | Lithuania | Michigan Republican Party | Ralph Nader | Republicans | Saul Anuzis — Comments (0) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 2:18pm on Feb. 24, 2008 People Don't Improve What They Don't Own

The New York Times worries about change in cuba

By blackhedd

A New York Times reporter with pre-Castro family ties to Cuba tells us that the country is facing change (big surprise) and that it's not necessarily a good thing.

I know what you're thinking: "Of course a Times reporter is afraid of what will come after Castro." Most of the story is a melange of boring personal reminiscences, thankfully free of paeans to what we're all supposed to think is the best healthcare and education on earth.

The message we're probably supposed to get is that ordinary Cubans like the life they have now, even as they express this sentiment in furtive tones accompanied by fearful looks over their shoulders. (As in any non-free society, Cubans will rat their friends, neighbors, even their parents and children out to the secret police. I'll never know why people engage in this disgusting behavior. Maybe they want to make sure the goons will go easier on them when their time comes.)

But one intrepid Cuban interviewee does spill a few beans at one point. The feared enemy bearing change is... America.

Read on...

Posted in Cuba | Economy — Comments (5)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 1:38am on Feb. 20, 2008 The Long Goodbye

Fidel Castro Thinks He'll Go For A Walk. He Feels Happy! He Feels Happy!

By Pejman Yousefzadeh

It may have just gotten a little shorter:

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."

My RedState colleague, Erick Erickson, believes that Fidel Castro will not survive the Bush Administration. I can only hope that Castro lives long enough to see Cuba regain its freedom at long last. Given the state of his health, that would not take long and beyond that, I couldn't possibly care less what happens to the despicable, destructive tyrant. Cuba cannot be rid of him too soon.

Posted in Contra Tyrannum | Cuba | Cuba Libre | Dictatorship | Fidel Castro | Totalitarianism | Tyranny — Comments (1)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 4:14pm on Dec. 26, 2007 Comical Quote Of The Day

By Pejman Yousefzadeh

We could say in Cuba we have two parties: one led by Fidel and one led by Raul, what would be the difference?" he asked. "That's the same thing that happens in the United States ... both are the same. Fidel is a little taller than me, he has a beard and I don't.

--Raul Castro, claiming that Democrats and Republicans are as difficult to tell apart as he and his brother Fidel are.

The mind reels.

Posted in Cuba | Department Of Bad Analogies | Fidel Castro | Foreign Affairs | Raul Castro — Comments (19)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 1:58pm on Dec. 11, 2007 Huckabee Kerries Cuba

By California Yankee

Huckabee Was For Trade With Cuba Before He Was Against It.

Now that he is running for president and is no longer governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee has decided to change his mind about the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba:

As governor of Arkansas five years ago, Mike Huckabee joined a bipartisan chorus of politicians who concluded that the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba was bad for businesses. Now that he's a top-tier candidate for president, Huckabee has decided he favors the embargo -- so much so that he vowed Monday to outdo even President Bush in strangling the regime of Cuban President Fidel Castro and punishing those who do business there.

Huckabee admits his Kerry -like flip-flop on Cuba is all about political expediency:

Posted in 2008 | 2008 Presidential Campaign | Cuba | Immigration | Mike Huckabee — Comments (6) / Email this page » / Read More »