Peter RogersCuba's Communism & Rwandan Revenge
February 20th 2008 04:47
February 20, 2008.
* Fidel Castro calls it a day!
Fidel, the symbol of socialism and American resistance, has led his Cuban's for almost 5 decades. The land of free food, education, health and housing, which was initially modelled on the Soviet and East German system, has long been the thorn in America's thigh. Through the unsuccessful Bay of Pigs invasion, to the even more so unsuccessful blockade and assassination attempts, communism still lives and breathes in Havana.
America now, of cause, are hoping for a democratic transition, but with Fidel's brother, Raul (72) as official leader of the Communist Party, there won't be much chance of that occurring anytime soon.
Forget the rhetoric, there is constitutional civil rights in Cuba. Citizens have the constitutional right to employment, food, free education, free health care, housing, political participation, freedom of expression, personal property and freedom of religion. The Cuban state is constitutionally bound to guarantee these rights.
But it isn't all so wonderful either. As is the case in so many South American countries', there is a gigantic distinction between the top and the bottom. Forget the theories of socialist equality, the rich are rich, and the poor are poor. Poor, living in fear of the unknown. The unknown in this case, is living without a Castro as leader. This will continue for some time come. But, as 90 per cent of Cubans vote in elections, they are clearly quite contend with this situation.
* Meanwhile, a Rwandan former government minister, wanted for his alleged role in Rwanda's 1994 genocide, has been arrested in Tanzania. Surprising how long this has taken, as the civil war a long time ago now. Still, better late than never, I suppose.
The genocide was the systematic murder of members of Rwanda's Tutsi ethnic minority and moderate Hutu sympathizers; resulting in between 800,000 and 1,000,000 deaths.
* And finally, gangs of angry Serbs destroyed two checkpoints on the Kosovo-Serbia border in arson attacks overnight, prompting NATO peacekeepers to intervene for the first time since Kosovo's independence. Yes, a whole three days!
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