Puts Hugo in an awkward position.

Castro Blasts Ahmadinejad as Anti-Semitic

Wednesday, 08 Sep 2010 07:36 AM


Fidel Castro criticized Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for what he called his anti-Semitic attitudes and questioned his own actions during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 during interviews with an American journalist he summoned to Havana to discuss fears of global nuclear war.

Jeffrey Goldberg, a national correspondent for The Atlantic, blogged on the magazine's website Tuesday that he was on vacation last month when the head of the Cuban Interests Section in Washington — which Cuba maintains there instead of an embassy — called to say Castro had read his recent article about Israel and Iran and wanted him to come to Cuba.

Goldberg asked Julia Sweig, a Cuba-U.S. policy expert at the Council on Foreign Relations, to accompany him, and the pair spent portions of three days talking with Castro.

Cuba's state-controlled media reported Aug. 31 that Goldberg and Sweig met with Castro and attended the dolphin show at Havana's aquarium, but the blog was the first to reveal details of what they discussed.

Goldberg said their first meeting lasted five hours and featured appearances by Castro's wife, Dalia, his son Antonio, and several bodyguards, two of which held his elbow to steady Castro when he moved.

"His body may be frail, but his mind is acute, his energy level is high," wrote Goldberg, who also noted Castro's self-deprecating humor.

The 84-year-old ex-president wore full military fatigues and an olive-green cap while addressing university students last week, and had previously appeared in public in a military shirt. But Goldberg saw Castro in a red shirt, sweat pants, and black New Balance sneakers.

He said Castro, who himself has been a fierce critic of Israel, "repeatedly returned to his excoriation of anti-Semitism," chiding Ahmadinejad for denying the Holocaust. Castro said that Iran could further the cause of peace by "acknowledging the 'unique' history of anti-Semitism and trying to understand why Israelis fear for their existence."

The gray-bearded revolutionary related to Goldberg a story from his childhood that has been detailed by some biographers: that he overheard classmates saying Jews killed Jesus Christ.

"I didn't know what a Jew was. I knew of a bird that was a called a 'Jew,' and so for me the Jews were those birds," Goldberg quoted Castro as telling him. Castro later added, "This is how ignorant the entire population was."

According to Goldberg, Castro said, "I don't think anyone has been slandered more than the Jews. I would say much more than the Muslims."

Castro also said that the Iranian government should understand that the Jews "were expelled from their land, persecuted and mistreated all over the world, as the ones who killed God."

After undergoing emergency intestinal surgery in July 2006, giving up Cuba's presidency and dropping out of sight for four years, Castro has begun making near-daily public appearances to warn of a nuclear war pitting the U.S. and Israel against Iran and also featuring a Washington-led attack on North Korea.

"This problem is not going to get resolved, because the Iranians are not going to back down in the face of threats," Castro told Goldberg.

Goldberg also said he revisited the Cuban Missile Crisis with Castro, asking if once "it seemed logical for you to recommend that the Soviets bomb the U.S."

"Does what you recommended still seem logical now?"

Castro's answer surprised him: "After I've seen what I've seen, and knowing what I know now, it wasn't worth it all."



Copyright 2010 The Associated Press

interesting read

Wanna make Cuba Democratic? Stop the embargo.

(09-08-2010 09:41 AM)georgia_tech_swagger Wrote:  Wanna make Cuba Democratic? Stop the embargo.

Why? It's not like Cuba has money to go on a shopping spree.

(09-08-2010 09:41 AM)georgia_tech_swagger Wrote:  Wanna make Cuba Democratic? Stop the embargo.

There are plenty of shitholes in Africa that refute your theory.

Castro is setting the stage for a more "nuanced" reporting of his legacy in Cuba.

First he acknowledges his prosecution of homosexuals was wrong (gee sorry, all you Cuban gays murdered by the State)

And now his Just leave the Jews alone apology tour? I'm sure his SDE has provided him the intelligence that only 10% of the estimated 15,000 Jews living in Cuba in 1959 remain on his red island paradise.

That's only 1,500 more Jews than live in Saudi Arabia.

I like Goldberg, and I will read everything he writes about his visit with Castro, but make no mistake:

Castro was, is, and will continue to be, a murdering dictator made rich on political executions and the nationalization of the Cuban people. F*ck him and his regime. His family and other connected Cubans will live the good life for generations out of Swiss bank accounts while the rest of Cuba continues the "revolutionary struggle" on boats to Florida.

(09-08-2010 10:55 AM)Rebel Wrote:  

(09-08-2010 09:41 AM)georgia_tech_swagger Wrote:  Wanna make Cuba Democratic? Stop the embargo.

There are plenty of shitholes in Africa that refute your theory.

The free market is the only wealth creator the world has ever known, and it has done more humanitarian work lifting man from oppression and slime than any other thing known to man. The correlation between wealth and free markets is a strong one. The later breeds the former.

My first thought was that this is an attempt to drive a wedge in the Venezuela-Iran axis, but Lord Stanley's read makes more sense ... this is probably just an attempt to satisfy his own vanity in his declining days.

(09-08-2010 11:54 AM)georgia_tech_swagger Wrote:  

(09-08-2010 10:55 AM)Rebel Wrote:  

(09-08-2010 09:41 AM)georgia_tech_swagger Wrote:  Wanna make Cuba Democratic? Stop the embargo.

There are plenty of shitholes in Africa that refute your theory.

The free market is the only wealth creator the world has ever known, and it has done more humanitarian work lifting man from oppression and slime than any other thing known to man. The correlation between wealth and free markets is a strong one. The later breeds the former.

I don't see how stopping an embargo would automatically cause Castro to embrace a free market. We're about the only country that isn't trading with Cuba. How would adding one more, I.e. us, make their plight any different? They're under a totalitarian dictator. Their lot in life will remain the same until Castro and his brother are dead and they get free elections. Embargoes be damned.

...and for the record, I'm all for ending it. I just think it's a fallacious argument to say that once it's ended, Raul and Gloria will automatically be able to trade their '57 Chevy for a 2010 Escalade and move up into the 3 BR home they've always dreamed about.

(09-08-2010 11:54 AM)georgia_tech_swagger Wrote:  

(09-08-2010 10:55 AM)Rebel Wrote:  

(09-08-2010 09:41 AM)georgia_tech_swagger Wrote:  Wanna make Cuba Democratic? Stop the embargo.

There are plenty of shitholes in Africa that refute your theory.

The free market is the only wealth creator the world has ever known, and it has done more humanitarian work lifting man from oppression and slime than any other thing known to man.

You write this, and I'm largely in agreement with you. But what confuses me is your disdain for Christianity. Because Christianity was a necessary precursor to the free market. Check your history; it was the radical concepts within Christianity (equality of mankind) along with the property rights taught in Judaism, that led to free markets and subsequent human progress.

(09-08-2010 12:13 PM)Rebel Wrote:  I don't see how stopping an embargo would automatically cause Castro to embrace a free market. We're about the only country that isn't trading with Cuba. How would adding one more, I.e. us, make their plight any different? They're under a totalitarian dictator. Their lot in life will remain the same until Castro and his brother are dead and they get free elections. Embargoes be damned.

...and for the record, I'm all for ending it. I just think it's a fallacious argument to say that once it's ended, Raul and Gloria will automatically be able to trade their '57 Chevy for a 2010 Escalade and move up into the 3 BR home they've always dreamed about.

It would be gradual.... of course they wouldn't swap 50's era cars for new ones. But I think you underestimate how much free Cubans HERE would do to influence things. And they've been trying to do so for awhile ... it's just we keep stopping them via embargo and other ways. Lots of times the FCC has shut down rogue stations transmitting to Cuba from southern Florida.

(09-08-2010 12:20 PM)DrTorch Wrote:  You write this, and I'm largely in agreement with you. But what confuses me is your disdain for Christianity. Because Christianity was a necessary precursor to the free market. Check your history; it was the radical concepts within Christianity (equality of mankind) along with the property rights taught in Judaism, that led to free markets and subsequent human progress.

I find free markets to be an extension of social contract theory. Even godless primitive tribes in the Amazon have a concept of barter and trade and market and actively engage in them.

I agree with Lord Stanley. Whatever soft PR he's trying to project now hardly dismisses how freedom-squashing and authoritarian his regime was/is.

American media and politicians always project their 'hopes' in that once Castro dies, things will magically loosen up down there. But aside from a 1989 Soviet-type disintegration, I fail to see where this hope comes from. There's a long line of willing and coddled Communist party apparachiks waiting for the top spot that could go on for generations.

The embargo needs to go for several reasons:

1. It sure doesn't "teach Castro a lesson" as it's always trumpeted to be. In fact, how many times does he use the embargo as a scapegoat for his own failed policies?

2. Individuals should trade with who they want, and travel where they want. Treating all of Cuba as a one-body entity because the actions of the Castro regime is wrong, any way you look at it.

3. While I agree that democracy won't necessarily blossom as a result of lifting an embargo, the free flow of commercial exchange does well in easing political tensions between nations and may help increase a street-level desire for free market reforms whereas government may at least concede some of the stranglehold (see Vietnam). Especially one 90 miles off our coast.

On top of everything else, Cuba has the potential to produce enough sugar cane to replace up to 2 million barrels of gasoline a day with sugar cane ethanol. Fidel was publicly opposed to this, but Raul has expressed an interest in exploring it. As for the Cuban exiles, they could probably be the capitalists to get things going again with Cuba, in much the same way as Vietnamese expats are leading the way for development there, and I have to believe that would be something they would support.

I'd certainly explore taking advantage of his attempts to "clean up the mess".

Canadian vacationers go to Cuba all the time... No reason there wouldn't be even more investment if US tourists were going there... and much of it comes from Europe... For at least a while, it would be the new hot spot for US travelers. The myriad of old 50's cars plus the market for replacement auto parts could be an interesting business... maybe not huge, but not nothing... Cigar exports... Sugar ethanol... I think things could easily improve for them with little effort, and Obama would look like the "global uniter" he claims to be.

Coming back from Paris a couple of years ago, I couldn't help but note that at the same time as my flight to Houston was boarding, at the next gate a flight to Havana was boarding. That really brought home to me how silly this whole thing is.

(09-08-2010 01:39 PM)georgia_tech_swagger Wrote:  

(09-08-2010 12:20 PM)DrTorch Wrote:  You write this, and I'm largely in agreement with you. But what confuses me is your disdain for Christianity. Because Christianity was a necessary precursor to the free market. Check your history; it was the radical concepts within Christianity (equality of mankind) along with the property rights taught in Judaism, that led to free markets and subsequent human progress.

I find free markets to be an extension of social contract theory. Even godless primitive tribes in the Amazon have a concept of barter and trade and market and actively engage in them.

I'm partial to SCT too, moreso than libertarinism. However, barter and trade are not the same thing as a "free market".

Once again, history is a good teacher.

A friend of mine went to Cuba for a business school project a couple of years ago. He said visiting Cuba actually made him change his mind & support the embargo. He still doesn't think it's effective, but felt that any additional money brought in would just consolidate in the hands of the powerful elite with very little helping the general population. Since ending the embargo will also have little effect, he'd rather no more money went to support the political elite.

Interesting point JH... and I'd like to see more about that... but the fact remains that more money into the economy will ultimately trickle down... OR the "disenfranchised" will finally have enough and revolt. I wouldn't give them "aide", but I have no problem giving them $150/night for a hotel and tipping the bartender on the beach.

Quote:Jeffrey Goldberg, a national correspondent for The Atlantic magazine, asked if Cuba's economic system was still worth exporting to other countries, and Castro replied: "The Cuban model doesn't even work for us anymore" Goldberg wrote Wednesday in a post on his Atlantic blog.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/C...8-15-35-25

It seems like Castro has a lot that he wants to get off his chest.

And Hambone10, that's about all I have on his Cuba trip. We just discussed it in passing a couple of weeks ago. I was surprised by his attitude, particularly since he doesn't feel it's effective (and therefore wouldn't be terribly upset if it were lifted). Of course, if we lift the embargo, how would the politicians pander to the Cubans in Florida?

(09-08-2010 11:54 AM)georgia_tech_swagger Wrote:  

(09-08-2010 10:55 AM)Rebel Wrote:  

(09-08-2010 09:41 AM)georgia_tech_swagger Wrote:  Wanna make Cuba Democratic? Stop the embargo.

There are plenty of shitholes in Africa that refute your theory.

The free market is the only wealth creator the world has ever known, and it has done more humanitarian work lifting man from oppression and slime than any other thing known to man. The correlation between wealth and free markets is a strong one. The later breeds the former.

This.