Raul Castro becomes Cuba's leader

AP on Yahoo ^ | 2/24/08 | AP

[NormsRevenge]

HAVANA — Nearly 50 years of rule by Fidel Castro ended in Cuba on Sunday as parliament chose his brother Raul to replace him — a transition that leaves the island's communist system unshaken.

The new president proposed consulting with the ailing 81-year-old Fidel on all major decisions of state, and parliament approved the proposal.

The vote came five days after Fidel said he was retiring, capping a career in which he frustrated efforts by 10 U.S. presidents to oust him.

The transition was not likely to bring a major shift in policies of the communist government that have put it at odds with the United States. But many Cubans were hoping it would open the door to modest economic reforms and improvement in their daily lives

[NormsRevenge]

Cuba's acting President Raul Castro holds his vote before casting it, to elect the president of Cuba's National Assembly in Havana, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2008. Incumbent Ricardo Alarcon is the only candidate. (AP Photo/Ismael Francisco,Prensa Latina)

[Vince Ferrer]

So what is Cuba now, a parlamentary monarchy?

[John123]

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss...

[Erik Latranyi]

Over 20 years ago, my business spanish professor (who esacped from Cuba), predicted Raul would take over for his brother.

[trumandogz]

Cuba and the U.S. need Term Limits.

[NormsRevenge]

a kinder gentler disctatorship.

a nice gesture, already seen to a small degree recently, would be to release all the political prisoners.

[NormsRevenge]

dictatorship

[NormsRevenge]

Raul Castro (L) bows his head, as it is being announced that he has been elected president of Cuba, during a meeting of the National Assembly in Havana February 24, 2008, as elected vice-president Juan Almeida sits beside him. Raul Castro has been running Cuba since his brother Fidel was sidelined by illness 19 months ago. REUTERS/Claudia Daut (CUBA)

[gondramB]

That's not the real Raul Castro - the real one was already on Jay Leno...

[fweingart]

At last! Things will be different now!

(Why in hell did we put up with this abortion of a nation 90 miles off our coast for 50 years?)

[mtbopfuyn]

Wanna bet Fidel really will be on his death bed in a few days?

[Shadow44]

Can we overthrow Cuba now? It would be nice to see the media to talk about success for us overseas, since they censor it in Iraq and Afghanistan.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

I saw that. He said to bring his country into the twenty first century he’s going to start a website. It’s going to be called “ eBay of Pigs”.

[samiam1972]

I’m shocked. SHOCKED, I tell ya!

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Wanna bet Fidel really will be on his death bed in a few days?

Or a few days or weeks ago and they've just been delaying the news to make for a smooth transition.

[gondramB]

>>I saw that. He said to bring his country into the twenty first century he’s going to start a website. It’s going to be called “ eBay of Pigs”.<<

I missed that part - that’s funny as heck.

[rockabyebaby]

I’m SHOCKED, SHOCKED I tell ya.......

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

Finally, a freeper has posted a thread on this.

ping for future.

What are the odds that Cubans will uprise based on charismatic Fidel being replaced by his uncharismatic brother? Or, as suspect, are they so beaten that they'll take the brother so long as things do not get extraordinarily (for them) oppressive?

[Bushbacker1]

Dictators in Cuba come from the same gene pool.

[Rb ver. 2.0]

I’m brain fried from work today. First glance at the title read “Ron Paul becomes Cuba’s leader”

[null and void]

That was a surprise.

[Argus]

I’m concerned. This kid brother of Fidel’s is a mere stripling, a virtual Latin Obama. He’s an impetuous youth, capable of any frivolity. Hold onto your hats folks - junior’s taking the wheel.

[Waco]

A lot of the retirement boom of the 60’s would have gone to Cuba if it had been free. Fla. benefited greatly from Cuba going Commie. Almost as if it was planned that way?

[null and void]

(Why in hell did we put up with this abortion of a nation 90 miles off our coast for 50 years?)

Put up with? The Kennedy brothers did try to have Fidel assassinated.

Payback's a bitch, ain't it?

[null and void]

*GROAN*

[Non-Sequitur]

Can we overthrow Cuba now? It would be nice to see the media to talk about success for us overseas, since they censor it in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The army and the marines are a bit busy at the moment.

[Non-Sequitur]

What are the odds that Cubans will uprise based on charismatic Fidel being replaced by his uncharismatic brother?

Zero.

[Charles Bronson Forever]

Raul Julia would make a better leader-and he’s dead!

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

For those who didn’t see it, the Tonight Show’s Jay Leno did one of his “via satellite” interview bits with Gilbert Gottfried ( you were expecting Fred Willard? ) playing the part of Raul Castro. It was hilarious.

[Yardstick]

I’m brain fried from work today. First glance at the title read “Ron Paul becomes Cuba’s leader”

Boy wouldn't that be something. Overnight transformation from commie dump to Galt's Gulch.

[MinuteGal]

Will someone in Cuba hold a "Steal the Humidors Ball" after Fidel leaves the White House.....oops, the Presidential Palacio?

If so, I wanna go.

Leni

[fweingart]

Then, the Brothers Kennedy watered down the invasion of Cuber by the exiled Cubans to the point that it was doomed to failure by the time it got off the ground!

We can thank these two for much; including, offing Marilyn Monroe because the jiggling dummy believed that Bobby would divorce his wife and make her the first lady.

(All Bobby wanted to do was to make Marilyn.)

Well, at any rate, the Kennedys' brothers-in-law were there to clean up the mess and the entire episode goes down as another unsolved mystery. But what a cock-up they made of our nation under the Soviet silos installed just 90 miles off our coast.

[Digital Sniper]

The vote came five days after Fidel said he was retiring, capping a career in which he frustrated efforts by 10 eight U.S. presidents to oust him.

There. Fixed it. (You can't tell me that Carter or Clinton did squat to get Castro ousted.)

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

AP: Raul Castro’s first act as the new Cuban president was to endorse Obama.

[RichInOC]

I’m looking forward to Fidel meeting Gulbuth the Rampant very soon...and Raul meeting Gulbuth very soon after that.

[tophat9000]

Ah!!! It’s good to be the king / tyrant /absolute dictator

[RichInOC]

Good grief! Jay got Jerry Maren to play Raul, didn’t he? I love it!

[MinuteGal]

Correction to my post above:.....will someone in Cuba throw a "Count the Humidors Ball" after Fidel leaves the White House.....oops, the Palacio Presidente?

Sorry, Hillary

[goldstategop]

Cuban democracy means you get to vote for one man, one time. Isn't that great? No need to ask the consent of the governed to exercise power.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[gondramB]

>>Good grief! Jay got Jerry Maren to play Raul, didn’t he? I love it<<

Jay also said this makes Raul the most powerful Socialist in the world.... outside of California.

[skr]

May the Cuban people know freedom and soon.

[NormsRevenge]

uncharismatic.. lol

looks like a young al pacino or donald sutherland behind fidel. ;-)

Raul Castro, left, stands next to his brother and then rebel leader Fidel Castro, bottom, and an unidentified fighter, as they operate against dictator Fulgencio Batista from Cuba's eastern mountains in this March 14, 1957 file photo. Fidel officially designated Raul as his successor at a Communist Party congress in October 1997. On Tuesday Feb. 19, Fidel Castro said he will not accept a new term when the newly elected parliament meets on Sunday. (AP Photo/Andrew St. George, File)

[NormsRevenge]

Time to get Cuba out of the 50s? we'll see.

A taxi driver picks up passengers in his classic antique car in Havana, Thursday, Feb. 21, 2008. Cuba's communist government controls well over 90 percent of the island's economy, but acting President Raul Castro has raised expectations for tiny pockets of private initiative. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

[Truth29]

"Good grief! Jay got Jerry Maren to play Raul, didn't he? I love it<<

Jay also said this makes Raul the most powerful Socialist in the world.... outside of California."

Chavez is in the running, as well.

[G8 Diplomat]

The Castro dynasty in Cuba, the Bhutto dynasty in Pakistan, the Saud dynasty in Saudi Arabia, and the Bush, Clinton, and Kennedy dynasties in the US...

[gondramB]

>>Jay also said this makes Raul the most powerful Socialist in the world.... outside of California.”

Chavez is in the running, as well.<<

Unfortunately Chavez is strong and getting worse... but why mess up a good joke?

[toddlintown]

Wow! I never saw that coming.

[2ndClassCitizen]

Death to Raoul-The-Red.

May he suffer for a lengthy period.

And the same to all his supporters at home and abroad.

[Nextrush]

Is he giving up military uniforms now.

We’ve gone from tweedledum to tweedledede.