>>Fidel Castro just had complicated surgery - has temporarly (for the 1st time ever) relenquished power.
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>>No public statements from Raul Castro as of yet (he's the next in line)...
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>My remaining respect for Fidel in for his ability to persevere as an outcast. Most agitators of his type don't, they are simply exterminated. As a young man he toppled a fascist regime in Cuba and since then he has been a hair across the butt of the colossus 90 miles from his shores. He has somehow lived to tell the tale. As misguided as his mission may have turned out to be, I give the man credit for that. For better or worse he has left footprints in the sand. Very few of us do that.

True. It's amazing he's managed to pull it off. I remember a few years ago when he went to the Vatican. People were all thinking 'ooooh hes got religion now...ooohhh aaaahhh'. He didn't go there to talk to the pope about god, duhh, he went there to see how you pull off running a regieme that's gonna last for 2000+ years. I remember seeing pictures of the expressions on his face as he was looking at all the gold and art there - he was completely blown away...