Raul Castro: Cuba won't undo communist system

AP on Yahoo ^ | 8/1/09 | Will Weissert - ap

[NormsRevenge]

HAVANA – Raul Castro announced Saturday that Cuba will cut spending on education and health care, potentially weakening the building blocks of its communist system in a bid to revive a floundering economy.

The former defense minister who took over the presidency last year called state spending "simply unsustainable" and said the cash-strapped government would reorganize rural schools and scrutinize its free health care system in search of ways to save money.

But he vowed that the island will not see fundamental change even after he and his older brother and predecessor Fidel Castro are gone.

"I wasn't elected president to return capitalism to Cuba," Castro said, "or to surrender the revolution" — the armed uprising that toppled dictator Fulgencio Batista a half-century ago.

[NormsRevenge]

slight edit.. it fits too.

"I wasn't elected president to return capitalism to Cuba," Castro Obama said, "or to surrender the revolution"

[NormsRevenge]

Hey Wait! Schwarzenkennedy just did this too..

Californiauba will cut spending on education and health care, potentially weakening the building blocks of its communsocialist system in a bid to revive a floundering economy.

[NormsRevenge]

Members of Cuba's National Assembly attend a meeting of the National Assembly in Havana August 1, 2009. REUTERS/Desmond Boylan (CUBA POLITICS)

[NormsRevenge]

Cuba's Vice President and Commander of the Revolution Juan Almeida (C) attends a meeting of the National Assembly next to Cuba's President Raul Castro (L) and Cuba's first Vice-President Jose Ramon Machado Ventura in Havana August 1, 2009. REUTERS/Enrique De La Osa (CUBA POLITICS)

[guitarplayer1953]

I wasn't elected president? Was he elected or selected by his brother?

[NormsRevenge]

More like by Default, I'd say, he was next in line after Fidel... who knows, Fidel's son may move in after Raul.

I see a few hefties in the front , lots of skinny ones and a few empty seats.. NKoreans take better group gubamint pics. jmo.

Members of Cuba's National Assembly attend a meeting in Havana August 1, 2009. REUTERS/Desmond Boylan (CUBA POLITICS)

[uncbob]

Shows what psycho cases commies are

Raul has to know how much better the economy was under Batista and capitalism but still clings to communism

Pure insanity

[John123]

Cuba will cut spending on education and health care

I've seen pics of Cuba's hospitals on Freeper threads in the past... they don't look good. And now this...

[Bean Counter]

[bill1952]

Castro moves to the right of Hussein...

And he does it without lying about it. how about that?

[John123]

I see a few hefties in the front , lots of skinny ones and a few empty seats..

Che shot 'em...

[NormsRevenge]

pretty much anything that ends in -ist , communist, socialist leninist, marxist is to be avoided.. yet here we find our country infiltrated thoroughly by the -ists? what’s up with that?

[Jabba the Nutt]

The Libs have been telling us for decades that it’s spending on health and education that grows economies. And the Libs are never wrong.

[Texas Eagle]

"I wasn't elected president to return capitalism to Cuba," Castro said,

Is Castro plagiarizing Ubama or vice-versa?

[NormsRevenge]

I'm not sure, it's the chicken and the egg thing, I botched the above line. Redo follows

"I wasn't elected president to return capitalism to Cuba the US," CastroObama said,

and he did stand for election not so long ago, if that is what you would call it..

[NormsRevenge]

This title or one close to it is floating around on a couple news sites.

Raul Castro announces spending cuts, but vows Cuba to be communist after he and Fidel are gone
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/090801/world/cb_cuba_economy_1

Is he somehow implying Fidel is actually kaputt?

Glory Alleluia!

[AmericanVictory]

Yes, but communism has undone Cuba. Miami now has a larger GDP.

[guitarplayer1953]

But he said I was not elected to do this or that if he was selected by default then he was not elected.

[NormsRevenge]

I hear ya, but he did actually stand for election, Saddam/Hitler style-like albeit, the fact no one else was able to run,, minor detail, at least to the old media and Jimmy Carter.. :-)

[Moonman62]

Raul Castro announced Saturday that Cuba will cut spending on education and health care, potentially weakening the building blocks of its communist system in a bid to revive a floundering economy.

If by health care and education, they mean indoctrination. And I bet the political leaders get much better health care than the commoners, just as they will here.