Murder Mayhem or Madness?

Six months ago the aging Castro finally handed the reins of the Presidential control over to his 76 year old brother, Raul Castro, after a 49 year rule which deprived the nation of democratic elections. Raul has 77 year old Jose Ramon as his Deputy and 72 year old Gen. Julio Casas as his Defense Minister.

Steven Levitt said “In democratic countries Presidents don’t matter. Dictators, with their insatiable appetite for glory, on the other hand appear to exert substantial influence on the economic fortunes of their countries. There are after all, so few checks on the power of an autocrat.”

Dictators are authoritarian rulers, who assume sole power over the state. Julius Caesar was dictator of Rome for life.  Modern day dictators include Franco of Spain, Pilsudski of Poland, Salazar of Portugal, Mussolini of Italy, Hitler of Germany, Stalin of USSR, Peron of Argentina, and Trajillo of the Dominican Republic, Diaz of Mexico, Noriega of Panama and Castro of Cuba.

In the late 1950s, most Cubans thought Cuba needed a change and everyone thought they were right. When a young charismatic leader came along, every Cuban was receptive in spite of the fact it took a revolution to put him in power.

The press fell in love with the young man who eloquently and passionately denounced the old system. No one asked who his friends were, or what he really believed in. Impoverished farmers believed it when the new leader said he would help them and give them free medical care and education for all.

People cheered when he said he would bring justice and equality. When the new leader spouted "I am for change and I'll bring you change," everyone yelled, "Viva Fidel." A new Messiah had come.

By the time the executioner's guns were finally silent, the people's guns had been taken away. By the time everyone was equal, they were equally poor, hungry, and oppressed. By the time everyone received their free education it was worth nothing. By the time the press noticed, it was too late, because they were now working for the new leader. By the time change was finally implemented Cuba had been knocked down to a Third-World status. By the time change was over, more than a million people had taken to boats, rafts and tyre tubes. Perhaps those who made it ashore in other countries were the fortunate Cubans. Castro’s illegitimate daughter is one of the Cuban escapees and has been a strong critic of her father’s hard-fisted policies.

While claiming to be a communist regime, it is said the working class in Cuba who were paralyzed after Castro formed a new bureaucracy, need to unite and fight the ruling class, who reap the rewards from their island.

Cubans are now asking, will there be a new round of changes, or is the aged leadership merely going to follow in Fidel's footsteps? Many Cubans feel they should have the right to come and go from their nation as they please, meet whom they please and have freedom of speech. Instead they are indigent captives, whose liberty has been crushed, as if it were of no account.