Posted on 06/26/2002 11:33:55 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
Fidel Castro is running scared.
His rubber-stamp National Assembly has convened a special two-day session to rewrite the Cuban constitution to make Castro's brand of socialism "untouchable." The assembly was to perform this chore at a regular session July 25, but the assembly president reckoned the rewrite was so pressingly urgent that he asked Castro for permission to hold the special session.
Castro graciously agreed, and, in a gesture that can't be good for the island's rickety economy, gave Cubans Monday and Tuesday off so they can follow the proceedings.
Why anybody would want to watch is doubtful because the outcome isn't in doubt. It's the anticlimax to a desperate charade to show widespread support for Castro and the bleak way of life he has imposed on his people.
The instant cause of Castro's discomfort seems to be the Varela Project, a courageous, grass-roots movement that collected 11,000 signatures on a petition, delivered to the assembly in May, asking for a national referendum on restoring freedom of speech and association and free enterprise.
Castro's response was, in essence, "You want a referendum. I'll show you a referendum.'' He would prove the people loved Castroism so much they wanted to live under it forever. A good turnout was guaranteed; after all, the party controls food rations, housing, jobs and schooling. The regime organized 800 marches, including one led by Castro himself through Havana, 2,230 rallies and a petition drive that collected over 8 million signatures. The official newspaper Granma did the math: "98.97 percent in favor of socialism.''
Who is Castro trying to fool? Even by the standards of the old Iron Curtain, this orchestrated and wholly insincere outpouring is hokey. It rises almost to North Korean levels of political surrealism.
What it does show is the Castro government's deep insecurity about its legitimacy and its fearfulness of the future.
reno/hillary in leather-whips and chains!
Wow, those numbers would make the major of Chicago drool.
"98.97 percent in favor of socialism.''Wow, those numbers would make the mayor of Chicago drool.
lol....wait a minute!!!.. the mayors of NY, Philidelphia, Chicago, St. Louis, South Florida's cities, Los Angeles, etc...have shown they can get greater than 100% of the vote.
But, no surprise, they weren't asked why they favor socialism. No sense trying to discern if they had a clue about what they were expressing an opinion on. Standard liberal method.
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