Prominent Georgian Politicians React to the Death of Fidel Castro
By now, you’ve probably heard the news that Cuban dictator Fidel Castro passed away Friday night. He was 90 years old, and was Cuba’s ruler since 1959. Reaction to his passing has ranged from condemnation to admiration. For example compare the statements of two prominent Georgians, Speaker Newt Gingrich and Jimmy Carter.
Newt Gingrich:
The outpouring of praise for Fidel Castro is tragic. He was a relentless dictator who imprisoned thousands, killed and tortured many Cubans. Castro’s policies impoverished the Cuban people. Look at the cars in pictures. A dictatorship that drove out hundreds of thousands of Cubans.
Build a list of those praising Castro and you will have a list of leftists who reject reality for an ideological fantasy.
President Carter:
Rosalynn and I share our sympathies with the Castro family and the Cuban people on the death of Fidel Castro. We remember fondly our visits with him in Cuba and his love of his country. We wish the Cuban citizens peace and prosperity in the years ahead.
Also issuing a statement on Castro’s death was Georgia’s 6th District Congressman (and possible Donald Trump cabinet member Tom Price:
Fidel Castro was a dictator in every horrible sense of the word. His passing is an opportunity to turn the page on more than a half-century of repression of the Cuban people. But that will only occur if nations that support freedom of thought and expression stand united against tyranny; instead of attempting to appease and accommodate the Castro regime.
We checked around, and didn’t see any other press releases from Georgia elected officials, but if any show up, we’ll let you know.
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Jon Richards
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Cubans are a great people, unfortunately Batista and Castro were very poor leaders. Castro did create a paradise of vintage US cars and suck Russia, China and Venezula dry.
Obama wanted the US to be next in line.
Those in Miami are in all out celebration.
The usual loud mouths are squawking. The usual peacemakers are looking to the future. The US deals with much worse than Castro every single day; their goods flood our ports.
Time to move on.
Who’s writing Newt’s copy these days? “Look at the cars in pictures” must be the single most affected and irrelevant comment I’ve read about any world leader’s death.
I’m still Southern enough to not speak ill of the dead, well recently dead at least. Fidel hasn’t been running or ruining the country for quite a while but the noises coming from the newly infused far right is, well, almost quaint. Yes he was tyrannical and set his country and his people back, but we really don’t need to channel J. Edgar and McCarthy at this point. Our history in Latin America and the Caribbean is not without its own excesses going even further back than Castro. Do some reading on the Chiquita Corp. nee United Fruit Company and the reason the term “Banana Republic” was coined in the first place. Reversing the normalization of relations by the Obama administration would be a mistake. We need to get along with a country only 90 miles away from Key West and bury the hatchet. For the Hawks among us that does not imply Tomahawk missiles.
An irreverent note that is probably in line with those celebrating is that Fidel was my number 1 pick in the dead pool for a full 10 points so I’m now in first place with a month to go. 😉
Who else you got on your dead pool list?
Left on my list this year are Olivia de Havilland, Jake Lamotta, Stan Lee, Doc Severinsen, Tommy Lasorda, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Tommy Chong. I hit on Abe Vigoda early in the year for 7 points though that was almost cheating since most everyone thought he was already dead.
That’s a good list. I thought Doc was already gone! Politician-wise, I’ll ad Bob Dole, he looks bad lately.
Many Cubans in the US would disagree as the regime has run out of communist and socialist countries willing to fully support them. Normalizing trade keeps the government in place.
If we stand firm do you really think we will return to the Batista days ? Well, maybe it’s a dream of Goldman Sachs and Hillary.
But heck, what’s the problem with a beautiful county of poor people with no property rights for us tourists ?
I am just weary of the US favoring servile dictators usually for the benefit of an oligarch or two while warring against other ones in the name of democracy.
The children and/or grandchildren of Cuban expats will never see the return of their property. Opening up relations and communication will likely have a similar effect as it did in the Soviet satellites.
“We remember fondly our visits with him in Cuba and his love of his country.”
Yes dictators always “love” their country. I am sure the fat little dictator in N Korea loves his country. As for Castro, he never changed his views. He hated the U.S. and blamed us for all the problems in his country.
And who will Obama send to the funeral? Carter, Kerry or will he attend the funeral? We should send no one.
Agreed. However, I expect s simpering, slobbering delegation to attend complete with somber looks and crocodile tears. Sickening…
somber looks and crocodile tears seem appropriately diplomatic imo. you gotta remeber, the dude’s brother who still runs the country, has to have some personal feelings abt his bro’s passing.
Then let the Cubans mourn his death but not an official delegation from this country.
who sd anything abt mourning? mourning is about feeling grief. diplomacy is attending the funeral, somber face, somber reflective words. no one has to actually feel grief.
By sending an official delegation we legitimize him. And what kind of “somber reflective” words does one say about Castro? In life he made no attempt at reconciliation with this country nor did he grant significant freedom to his people. Let him die the way he lived; without the U.S.
Back when he kept having Soviet leaders die every year, Reagan sent Bush to their funerals–not to ‘legitimize him’ but because diplomacy means you send people to those things so you feel out the leadership and who else is there. Bush got a lot of crap as Veep for going to a bunch of funerals, but he thought they were great opportunities to build connections and relationships among decision makers.
The long term goal of US-Cuba policy is that by openness and not letting the US be the great 90 miles away bogeyman, the Cuban government has no excuses for how much they’re screwing their people. (And, by showing them the prosperity that they’re missing, raising expectations that the autocrats can’t meet–essentially what brought down dictators from Eastern Europe to South America). Getting into a pissing contest over ‘legitimacy’ plays right into the hands of their hard liners.
We were talking and negotiating arms treaties with the Soviets. In other words, both sides were willing to give up something to get something and the stakes were much higher with the Soviets.
In contrast, Castro offered nothing yet he wanted us to resume trade with his country to strengthen his communist regime. Obama’s deal with the current Cuban leader (Fidel’s brother) benefited Cuba yet we got little. We did not even get the US fugitives that Cuba harbors.
Changes need to start in Cuba, not here and with Raul in charge any change will be insignificant. Current Obama policy only perpetuates the communist state.
We get markets and investment opportunities and diplomatic engagement. Georgia farmers could sell a lot of chickens in Cuba if they were allowed. We’ve already lifted some restrictions on travel and banking. We’ve freed up insurance and credit companies.
Raul has liberalized laws regarding travel, investment, and private ownership. He could do more and move faster, of course.
Now that we’re finally acting as if we realize the cold war is over, you want to dig in. Treating Cuba as a pariah when they clearly aren’t is no longer productive.
He liberalized trade and tourism because he wants hard currency to prop up his failed economy and that’s exactly what he gets with current policy. I am not optimistic significant change will occur in that country in the near-term or long-term.
Fitting farewell story of Castro
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/farewell-to-cubas-brutal-big-brother/2016/11/26/d369affe-0eeb-11e6-bfa1-4efa856caf2a_story.html?utm_term=.d3b35171db67
re: Jimmy Carter
One of these Christians, is not like the others.