http://www.liberationnews.org/psls-birthday-greetings-to-fidel-castro/:
Dearest comrade Fidel:
On the happy occasion of your 88th birthday, we send our most heartfelt comradely greetings. We are among the millions on every continent who have been greatly inspired by your unflinching revolutionary leadership for almost seven decades. Under your leadership and that of the Communist Party of Cuba, Cuba has upheld the banner of socialism – the only real hope for humanity and the world — in the most difficult of times. We wish you much health and happiness, Fidel! We follow your example as we struggle in the United States. ¡Hasta la Victoria Siempre!
Brian Becker and Gloria La Riva
for the Central Committee of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (US)
They could join the party apparatchik class and become upwardly mobile, or marry into it.
Deran: “rights and social and economic mobility for women that did not previously exist in that state”
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How could their economic mobility rights exist when they were not even allowed to open a one-table cafe or single-chair beauty parlor?
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B. Tiernan
Well, we crtainly agree on the last part.
The way I see Castro is that like many dictators that come to power via an ideological force and not just a personal coup, is that they act as modernizers at first. They get land rights for farmers, rights and social and economic mobility for women that did not previously exist in that state. Health care and education for people who did not have access for these things. Problem is, once these modernizing dictators have made these sorts of accomplishments, people have the time, energy, education to want more personal control and dfreedom. But these sorts of governments existence is predicated on their dictatorial powers. And the people become discontent and either rebel (Syria) or end up apatrhetic (Cuba at this time). Because these revolutions aren’t set up to enchance freedom and democracy, and the initial social progress and stabilty collapses, and those dictatorships stop modernizing and hunker down to maintain control. I think this applies to Mussolini, USSR, post- Pofirio Diaz Mexico, Cuba, etc.
And then sadsacks like the narrow minded Marxists-Leninists (PSL) become obsessed with supporting these dictatorships because during the Cold War these dictators were opposed by the US.
Americans also suffer from shopper confusion with so many products to choose from in the stores (much like voter confusion which sets in when you have more than one party to vote for). Cubans have neither problem with the Castro brothers in power.
http://videos.nymag.com/video/The-Simpsons-The-Trouble-with-T#c=68P7YH1B6ZJHKCBK&t=%27The%20Simpsons%27:%20The%20Trouble%20with%20Trilions
Yep. Also gay rights, free speech, freedom of the press, and other woeful challenges.
Brian Becker and Gloria La Riva: “We follow your example as we struggle in the United States”
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Like struggling with, oh, having elections. And stuff like that.
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B. Tiernan
He’s 88.
Isn’t he about 103 now?
I wish it were satire. The only reason anybody should want to celebrate this tyrant’s birthday is because he’s a year older and thus a year closer to kicking the bucket and freeing the Cuban people from his tyranny.
Love it when satire like this is posted here!