Castro's Crackdown (gag alert)

Time ^ | 4/21/2003 | Tim Padgett

[Utah Girl]

Did America's continuing tough line on Cuba prompt Fidel to lash out?

After sentencing 78 dissidents and independent journalists to terms of up to 27 years in prison, President Fidel Castro raised the stakes in his most severe crackdown in decades. Last week, three unidentified men who tried to hijack a ferry to Florida earlier this month were summarily executed — jolting human rights groups who had just begun to condemn the imprisonment of the dissidents, whom Castro accused of being in the service of the U.S. What's behind the clampdown? Those close to Castro's inner circle say he feels insulted — and unusually nervous. With his economy in endless decline, he hoped the U.S. was set to relax its 40-year-old economic embargo against his communist regime. But the Bush Administration has managed to delay the U.S Congress' anti-embargo indefinitely - while at the same time, a bona fide dissident movement has grown steadily on the island. Executions for noncapital crimes aren't unusual in Cuba; but Castro's current fury has rights advocates worried that more may be in the offing.

[Utah Girl]

Oh yes, once again it is America's fault for what despotic evil dictators do.

[Starrgaizr]

This is too funny. On the local NPR (sheepish admission) station today in Chicago, a lefty Brit was saying how Assad was trying so hard to liberalize his country, but external pressure made it simply too hard for him to do. What blithering, immoral idiots.

[Support Free Republic]

LOOK! Another Freeper Just Gave To The Cause! WAY TO GO!
	We Salute Free Republic's Donors! Be one! Donate Here By Secure Server Or mail checks to FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794 or you can use PayPal at Jimrob@psnw.com
STOP BY AND BUMP THE FUNDRAISER THREAD- It is in the breaking news sidebar!

[litany_of_lies]

It's too funny, but for the fact that these people really believe it, or at least want us to believe it, is sad.

Don't forget that Time is a sister company of CNN, the Compromised News Network. So what deals have all of these AOL companies made with Fidel so they can have their precious "access"?

[abclily]

Sounds like he thinks it's the Bush Administration's fault. How stupid are these liberal reporters?

[Utah Girl]

Oh yeah, I forgot about the links of CNN and Time. And AOL. I wonder how many minders reporters have in Cuba. I remember when I went to the USSR, our time was scheduled down to the minute. My friend and I skipped out on most of the tours that we could, and went exploring on our own. While the rest of the group was hearing about the wonderful agriculture success of the USSR, we saw a vegetable store first-hand, it sold potatoes, apples, and cabbage.

[Utah Girl]

Of course, everything bad in the world is America's fault, as long as we have a Republican president. If we'd just let up on the embargo against Cuba, why old Castro would start being nice.

[Paulus Invictus]

NPR is nothing but a commie source of constant leftist blather. I hate 'em and hate having to help support them through taxes. Do us a big favor, George and Congress, defund and sink NPR! Do the same for CSPAN!

[schmelvin]

Hmmm... I wonder if all the news footage of a previously cowed Iraqi people beating the fallen statue of their former "beloved" dictator with shoes may have enervated Castro a bit. It doesn't take long for people to turn on someone they despise, given the opportunity.

A dictator's response to his own fears tends to be a tightening of his grip. I doubt the Cuban people got to see the historic footage of the liberated Iraqis, but they must have heard about it through "Voice of America" or some other means. I'm sure Castro saw every last bit of it though, and very likely had nightmares of his own subjects "removing their shoes".

I'm not saying that Castro necessarily fears that America will liberate Cuba, but just that he has good reason to fear his own people.