RIP Fidel Castro

bop1977

He's gone.

Kermit.de.frog

Western propaganda. No he isn't.

Atoms for Peace

A true legend and icon of history, RIP.

Away From Home

Sad news Fidel Castro has passed away.



I think that a man should not live beyond the age when he begins to deteriorate, when the flame that lighted the brightest moment of his life has weakened.
Fidel Castro

sparrowcar

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-38114953

Kermit.de.frog

Atoms for Peace wrote: »

A true legend and icon of history, RIP.

Correction. A communist that saw Cubans live in poverty in to the 21st century.

nullzero

Exploding cigar?

Outlaw Pete

Somebody hit the beard?

Odyssey 2005

Cigars finally caught up with him ?

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

RayM

Oh, 2016.

At this rate, there'll be nobody left.

Atoms for Peace

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Correction. A communist that saw Cubans live in poverty in to the 21st century.

"Condemn me, it does not matter: history will absolve me"
- Fidel Castro

spurious

Certainly the end of an era. The thought of Trump probably finished him off.

Felix Jones is God

Ah, he was a loveable auld lunatic all the same

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Felix Jones is God

In that case can we not let 2016 take Tom Cruise, you know , just to try and restore a little balance to the universe

Realt Dearg Sec

Why are the good ones always taken from us so young?

DEFTLEFTHAND

God rest him, a Catholic man. Baptised, took Communion and was Confirmed.

I would have been on the opposite side of his political views but I respect him for sticking to his cause and taking over an entire country and enforcing his ideology on them.

He fully believed in what he said, he was a doer not a thinker.

Wanderer78

Now that the ould man is outta the way, the Washington consensus can truly get to work ravaging the country

Richard Hillman

A wonderful leader. The type of leader who would make people want to chance their arm on an inflatable dingy over shark infested waters just to get away from.

A Little Pony

All sorts of nonsense will be spoken now even though communism is evil garbage.

Atoms for Peace

Leader of the first latin American country to eliminate illiteracy and malnutrition.

Lucy8080

HEAR ME! I AM YOUR NEW PRESIDENT!

- From this day on,the official language of San Marcos will be Swedish!

SILENCE!

-In addition to that,all citizens will be required to change their underwear every half-hour!

- Underwear will be worn on the outside, So We Can Check!

- Furthermore, all children under 16 years old, are now,16 YEARS OLD!

Bananas (1971).

NIMAN

McDonalds and Burger King can finally get into Cuba.

tomwaterford

RIP

Skyfarm

viva la fidel.... what time is rugby match?

Felix Jones is God

Skyfarm wrote: »

viva la fidel.... what time is rugby match?

Cuba aren't playing today as a mark of respect

horgan_p

2916 is being one seriously weird pox of a yoke.
Can't help but wonder what it'll do for a finale

Jamiekelly

The poster boy for anti capitalism dies on black friday.


2016 y u so ironic?

whoopsadoodles

Jamiekelly wrote: »

The poster boy for anti capitalism dies on black friday.


2016 y u so ironic?

Probably trying to find a hatchimal in time for christmas that did it.

smurfjed

Went to visit Cuba last month, it was like stepping back into a 1950's time warp, RIP Fidel, but now I hope that your people can get the investment that they deserve and your country can start catching up with the rest of the world.

hannible the cannible

smurfjed wrote: »

Went to visit Cuba last month, it was like stepping back into a 1950's time warp, RIP Fidel, but now I hope that your people can get the investment that they deserve and your country can start catching up with the rest of the world.

By that I take it you mean westernised with their Starbucks and McDonald's and obesity , for anyone wondering when would be a good time to visit Cuba it would be in the next 5 years before Washington get their claws in and turn Cuba with its old world ways and living heritage and history into a satellite state with a burger king and dominoes on every street

Badly Drunk Boy

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Western propaganda. No he isn't.

Western propaganda. He died 6 years ago.

I've always liked Fidel...

05eaftqbrs9jlh

Double thread pitfall. Maybe let's redeem the shorter, punnier one with personal snaps of cigar extravagance

To this day, I keep emergency cigars stashed. Needless to say, they've been on the go all morning.

I know he was more than that. I know he wasn't perfect. I just think it's a befitting metaphor, encompassing the trade embargo and incorporating how cool and carcinogenic the whole movement seems to teenagers.

Edit: killing this thread is my civic duty

Jawgap

Gerry must be a shoe-in now for "Best Beard in Politics" award now?

Fleawuss

Now if I had a bit of money to invest ....

smurfjed

I never said Westernised, but I felt sorry for the people when I walked into a supermarket and found the shelves half empty and discovered that the people are living on ration cards. I would like to see investment coming into the country which would allow the people to improve their standard of living.

Alf Stewart.

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Correction. A communist that saw Cubans live in poverty in to the 21st century.

D'ye think the trade embargoes from the yanks contributed in any way to that?

Permabear

Permabear wrote: »

This post had been deleted.

That is if they're not kidnapping Cuban children from their fathers, holding them against their will, using corrupt Cuban-American judges to support their political games and generally being viewed as world-class dickheads by the rest of humanity.

Red Kev

Atoms for Peace wrote: »

"Condemn me, it does not matter: history will absolve me"
- Fidel Castro

" Amigos and Comrades of Free Cuba! Does anybody have a lighter? A match? Ah, for fcuks sakes Amigos, one of ye must have a light? Jesus fcuking Maria, I left me lighter in my other combat trousers. Que? What smoking ban? Ahh FFS!"
-Fidel Castro (drunken ramble in pub, 2005)

Wanderer78

smurfjed wrote:

I never said Westernised, but I felt sorry for the people when I walked into a supermarket and found the shelves half empty and discovered that the people are living on ration cards. I would like to see investment coming into the country which would allow the people to improve their standard of living.

Understandable opinion but unfortunately western investment has a tendency to become malignant and predatory over time

The_Valeyard

Interesting figure. Certainly left his mark on the 20th century.

Red Kev

https://twitter.com/LibyaLiberty/status/545272158843195392

Jawgap

Alf Stewart. wrote: »

D'ye think the trade embargoes from the yanks contributed in any way to that?

Should it have mattered....

......after all they had the support of the glorious Union of Soviet Socialist Republics backing them up?

I'm guessing spending 7% of your GDP on defence didn't help either

Chuchote

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Correction. A communist that saw Cubans live in poverty in to the 21st century.

Universal free healthcare, universal high-level education, and while people are poor because of the trade embargo, they are equally poor, nobody lives on the streets and nobody's super-rich.

Look at the neighbours: Jamaica with its blistering drugs problem and terrifying murder rate.

Cuba's poverty is as much to be sneered at as Ireland's poverty during the trade war when Britain (then our only real export market) withdrew from trade after De Valera ended payment of enormous compensation to British landlords for land that had originally been stolen in the 1600s to the 1800s.

smurfjed

They really do need some paint....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZUOjBWiuuc

retalivity

I too was in cuba last month, was great to see it before it turns into a disneyland. A man with some great ideas and rigidly stuck to them, took on the us for 40 years and did not lose, although it could also be argued he won

AndyBoBandy

Coming to CBS soon,

Castro: The funeral, sponsored by Budweiser: This Bud's for you.

Special Circumstances

Chuchote wrote: »

Universal free healthcare, universal high-level education, and while people are poor because of the trade embargo, they are equally poor, nobody lives on the streets and nobody's super-rich.

Look at the neighbours: Jamaica with its blistering drugs problem and terrifying murder rate.

Cuba's poverty is as much to be sneered at as Ireland's poverty during the trade war when Britain (then our only real export market) withdrew from trade after De Valera ended payment of enormous compensation to British landlords for land that had originally been stolen in the 1600s to the 1800s.

Health system is better than our own.
Really ireland should be able to look down on cuba but in lots of ways I don't think we can.

Was never there. Would like to have made it before things changed.

Alf Stewart.

Jawgap wrote: »

Should it have mattered....

Its pretty relevant alright.

......after all they had the support of the glorious Union of Soviet Socialist Republics backing them up?

All obviously correct too, however in comparison to many of its neighbouring countries(Haiti, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Mexico, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua are much poorer than the poorest 5-10% Cubans) many of whom receive support from wealthy western countries such USA/Spain/Netherlands/UK etc.

How many of the above mentioned provide:

1. A basic rationing system that provides every single citizen with enough food to survive on (but admittedly not enough to feast or get fat on).

2. Heavily subsidized basic living expenses such as cheap (to almost free): Housing, electricity, water.

3. Free health care and free education.?

So, whilst Cubans may be living in relatively poor conditions, even after said cost of education, housing, health etc, all provided for by the government.

Do you think the trade embargoes imposed by the USA is contributing to the poverty line?

I'm guessing spending 7% of your GDP on defence didn't help either

If you have a larger, threatening neighbour, repeatedly trying to overthrow your govts, thats a harsh inevitably.

Jawgap

Jawgap wrote: »

Should it have mattered....

......after all they had the support of the glorious Union of Soviet Socialist Republics backing them up?

I'm guessing spending 7% of your GDP on defence didn't help either

Maybe if your neighbouring country didn't try to invade you and reinstall their preferred puppet dictator in the name of US democracy you wouldn't have to spend so much?

Or did the Bay of Pigs, Batista and all the rest of the glory from Uncle Sam not get a telling in your history book?