He's a vile asshole, but I won't mock him over the cancer, just wish him a very speedy passing.
ETA - his passing unfortunately won't do anything to fix Venezuela, the Populist 'Gimme' culture he pandered to, and which therefore kept him in power, has been fed to the point it is so strong it will probably render transition to a fiscally-sound stable democracy impossible, and the country will end up with just another repressive strongman.
Cuba an example of a circle jerk country.
I did not get this in school, I heard my parents talking at the time Batista was in power.
Cuba, a wonderful viberent port of call for the Navy, tourists up the ying yang, what people did not see was the horror Batista was causing inland.
Along comes Castro and outs Batista-------Now here is where actual history and public education in America collide.
I was taught by liberals in school that Castro made a plea to America for help rebuilding the country. America was more then willing to help------Until Someone began to put all kinds of restructions on Cuba in return for our money.
Castro who was now the country's Hero, full of himself and proud made his fatal mistake, HE was in charge, he was the Hero and no one was going to tell him how to run his country.
Russia now began to wine and dine him, what an opportunity to get a foot hold 90 miles from American Shores. Promiss Castro Anything, all the help and money he needs with no restrictions attached.
Idiot Castro fell for the lies and went with Russia. It didn't take long for Communist to move in, and before one knew it all the the country's private business went down, no more tourist money or port of call that all Navy's of the world looked forward to, Havana was quite quickly turned into a hell hole. Now not just the inland regions but the intire country were worse off then under Bastista. Communism caused the worse food shortages, professionals left the country in droves, all the business from afar grabbed their money and ran. Castro knew he could not fight the Russians, knew he had been duped but because of his EGO and politics could not now ask America for help, even if he had few in America wanted a war with Russia over this tiny island.
Then when the Russians decided to move in missals, we get the Bay of Pigs mess. I was taught it was Bobby Kenedy that screwed that up, said he FORGOT to order air cover or some such Marlakey. Really???? What was our Pentagon doing sitting on their hands, and now the brother of the President acting under any title is a war commander???
Back then we watched as thousands and thousands of humans jumped on any darn thing that could float to escape Cuba. People were willing to grab their infants and attempt to paddle just 90 miles to freedom with little food or water through shark infested seas.
Those that survived the trip were rounded up and sent back to a sure death. Those that did escape Cuba and the American authority's moved into what we now call Little Havana, worked their butts off and eventually were able to become American Citizens.
Meanwhile Castro refused to let go of his Hero Status and huffed and puffed about as if this was his idea. No one told him what to do, nope, I believe all this is what turned him into an insane dictator of sorts. His power was gone and the Communists allowed him to stay in power to avoid war over such small pickings that were usefull to them, a foot hold on America.
Things change through the years, today under Castros brother people are now recovering and running their own businesses, Havana has sprung to life again and the tourists and former citizens are headed back to visit long lost relatives.
Things are not all roses and sunshine however, any one remember the front page picture of a little boy in America whose mother escaped Cuba only to have his father in Cuba demand his return.?? His mothers relatives refused to return the boy to Cuba and after much court cases, an American Swat team showed up in full gear to find him hiding in a closet and the photo showed a Police member in full battle gear pointing a machine gun at the frightened child.
I wonder where the boy is today, he disappeared into Cuba, fate unknown. How old would he be today, is he still alive.??
AH Cuba, story's from my childhood up to today, lessons on how a small incident can lead to the unthinkable.
BTW, my brother in law came to America back then on a leakey old scow, full to the gunnel's with desperate people as a teenager. How he ever made his way to Mass. and met and married my husbands sister, worked 40+ years and retired would make a wonderful story for his family to read. -------But like the Holocaust survivors in most cases to recount his childhood is just to painful to think about much less remember and tell or write about.
