Cuba next?

[L'Etranger]

Ms Rice said all Cubans who "desire peaceful democratic change" could count on US support ...!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5247776.stm

See the signs?

The Bushoviks rush in to present their warped version of democracy as the alternative!
Not only that, these premature "assurances" only serve to escalate the situation: the Cubans are calling up army reserves now and hand out the ammunition to their revolutionary guards who'll prepare to shoot up those who feel emboldened by the insinuation that the US would help them.
They should perhaps quickly ask the South Iraqi Shiites how much help they really got when Bush the Elder emboldened them to rebel against Saddam Hussein after Gulf War I. They'll get scr**ed, just you wait and see, from either side.

Who's interested in Democracy anyway? It brings no profit, just critical citizens ...
But wait, is there any oil in Cuba? Just to be sure ...

[Mespheber]

At last, Bacardi will have revenge!

[Doc]

The recent announcement of an oil reserve in Cuba certainly perked up Bush's ears.

I think the administration wants to get involved with Cuba so the Cuban vote in Florida will become solidly Republican. That way, the Supreme Court doesn't have to get involved with Florida's election results.

Seriously, though, I don't think for a moment that this adminstration wants the figurative road back to Cuba built too quickly. There are two problems: 1) There is a generation of people who have been indoctrinated under the Revolution, and actually think of Castro's Cuba as their own. 2) The people who went into exile in Florida might try to re-claim lost property, or buy it back, but it simply won't be available to them.

These issues combine to form a big headache. When old Cuba and new Cuba collide, conflict is certain to arise. Despite all of the strong family ties between Cuban Americans and Cubans, socioeconomic interests are often more important...

The U.S. would be forced to be a power broker, helping decide who the new Cuba belongs to, which is an issue sure to demonstrate this administration's haplessness.

Or if W. stays true to form, helping his pals with no respect for the good of the nation, he could try to annex it as a protectorate like Puerto Rico. He knows that Cuba has great baseball players, so he could create a special status for Cuba and its baseball players (I mean people) to help out his buddies in Major League baseball.

[Miqque]

Americans want Cuba to have democracy. Cubans want Cubans to have Democracy. Fidel Castro remains in charge, and like a hearty weed we can't kill him no matter how many times we beat him with a stick.

Lots to be said for a limited lifespan.

[Mespheber]

I don't know if cubans want democracy, at least they want freedom.

[Mikey_C]

Funny thought is that if all the Cuban exiles went back, the Republicans would lose Miami. What would Jeb Bush do then?

However, this isn't the first time they've got their bags all packed. When the Soviet Union collapsed, Cuba lost over 70% of its foreign trade, and all the pundits were saying the obvious. But the obvious didn't happen.

Now, that was a crisis, but Cuba pulled through. Can you imagine what would happen in most other countries if that happened? Added to which, most Cubans are organised into Home Guard type groups and have access to weapons.

If they are so oppressed by the evil communists, why didn't the change happen then? Possibly because poor people rather value things like free education and health care?

Perhaps I'm being stupid here, but I can't see a 79 year old gent's bowel problems as being a problem of such magnitude for Cuba. To my mind, Fidel should have retired ages ago. But the reality is that he is a figurehead. There are a great many younger people in the Cuban administration.

I have no doubt that Cuba will carry on changing, but I don't see any major jolts on the horizon. Bacardi will just have to carry on waiting.