Castro vs. Gravity

HAVANA - President Fidel Castro (news - web sites) tripped and fell after leaving the stage at a graduation ceremony, but later returned to say that he was "all in one piece."

Castro's off-camera tumble after the Wednesday night speech in the central city of Santa Clara was certain to launch a new round of speculation about the 78-year-old communist leader's health after 45 years of rule.

There was no official word from the government on Castro's condition after he left Santa Clara, about a three-hour drive east of Havana, in his regular black Mercedes Benz.

Speaking live on state television less than a minute after his fall, Castro told television viewers across the island of 11.2 million people that he thought he had broken his knee "and maybe an arm ... but I am all in one piece."

"I will do what is possible to recover as fast as possible, but as you can see I can still talk," he said, sweating profusely into his olive green uniform as he sat in a folding chair. "Even if they put me in a cast, I can continue in my work."

An Associated Press photographer at the scene said Castro tripped on a concrete step after he finished walking down the stairs from the stage, then fell onto the ground on his right side, first hitting his knee and hip, and then his elbow and arm.

He was immediately surrounded by scores of security agents and others who rushed to help him up.

Television viewers could not see what happened after Castro wrapped up the speech at a graduation ceremony for arts instructors. Television viewers only saw several of his security men running off to the side, evidently to assist him.

As he has grown older, Castro's knees have seemed more wobbly, his step less steady. Nevertheless, he maintains a busy schedule that frequently includes all-night meetings with aides and visitors.

Castro's health has long been closely watched — particularly by his political enemies in Miami, home to a large Cuban exile community.

Such speculation was particularly fierce three years ago when he apparently fainted during a speech under a scorching Caribbean summer sun before a crowd of thousands.

Many people burst into tears after watching Cuba's commander in chief start to collapse behind the podium several hours into that speech on June 23, 2001.

Castro returned minutes later to assure people in the audience — and millions more watching it live on television — that he was fine.

But the incident prompted many average Cubans to reflect for the first time on their leader's mortality and the future of their country after he dies.

The Wednesday night incident seemed far less serious.

Castro on Wednesday asked Cubans to forgive him for "any suffering this may have caused."

Castro noted the presence of international photographers and television camera crews at the event.

"The international press has captured it and surely tomorrow it will be on the front pages of the newspapers," said Castro.

He then encouraged those at the event to continue with their televised musical program, which they did.

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Ya gotta love that wacky Cuban.

Yahoo (http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041021/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cuba_castro_041021060055)

I once saw a video of George Bush Jr. falling off of a Segeway. Funny shit

What are you, some sort of 12 year old punk? You aren't one of those jerks who goes around hitting kids and then laughing like a moron because "Haha, they can't do a thing about it!" are you?

????

:dunno:

I have to kind of agree... how is this funny? It's just an old man tripping over a step...

Okay, humans have a tendency to laugh at other people's pain. It's a fact. But still... this doesn't to me seem like something that would evoke such a reaction. That is, unless you are a anti-Castro person who takes it as a sign of his growing age and weakness and, you hope, death sometime in the not too far future...

I am an anti-Castro person who takes this as a sign of his growing age and weakness, and I do hope he dies real soon.

I wonder what will happen when he does, though... you almost get the impression that things will magically get better over there when he does die, from our media and politicians on both sides. I wonder if we do have a plan to make things go our way when the old banana peel finally slips his last.

What will happen when he dies... it is a good question, and given that he's in his lat 70s one that should be asked. His successor is his brother, but he's only a little younger than he is... honesly, I don't think that it will lead to as much change as conservatives hope. Now, Cuba has lots of problems, and it would definitely be better if it was democratic and had civil liberties, but we won't solve those problems with sanctions. That's been proven over the last fourty years. Anyway, I don't think that his death will just have the country collapse... it could, but I'd be somewhat surprised.

I agree. In principle, I really dislike the government of Cuba, but at the same time, the practical side of me knows there is no legitimate threat from Cuba. It's like defending your home against an 80 year old paraplegic that used to be a terrible cat burglar. Also, we trade openly with China... no better than Cuba on any issue really. I'd agree with sanctions if they precipitated some sort of reform, but they're really just a waste of resources. I think it would be better to open up to them, and hope that has an effect on the transition of power that is sure to come.

Gorons don't like Castro.

I have to kind of agree... how is this funny? It's just an old man tripping over a step...

Okay, humans have a tendency to laugh at other people's pain. It's a fact. But still... this doesn't to me seem like something that would evoke such a reaction. That is, unless you are a anti-Castro person who takes it as a sign of his growing age and weakness and, you hope, death sometime in the not too far future...


Why in the world would anyone want to be pro-Castro? He's one of the few true dicators left in the world, even if he's at the bottom of the threat meter, and we better laugh at his misfortunes now before there aren't anymore dictators left.

Castro: *dies*

Me: POWER VACUUM! *immediate coup*

GR: Um, what about the brother?

Me: What brother?

Castro's Brother: *at South Pole* Dangit, this note said there'd be a Dance Dance party here!

I agree. In principle, I really dislike the government of Cuba, but at the same time, the practical side of me knows there is no legitimate threat from Cuba. It's like defending your home against an 80 year old paraplegic that used to be a terrible cat burglar. Also, we trade openly with China... no better than Cuba on any issue really. I'd agree with sanctions if they precipitated some sort of reform, but they're really just a waste of resources. I think it would be better to open up to them, and hope that has an effect on the transition of power that is sure to come.

Insulting castro wont do much to make Cuba a democracy , They wont see it as castro getting smacked they will see the U.S smacking the hole of Cuba. Castro isnt a whack job like Kimmy from north Korea, To the contriary Castro is the white sheep of a herd of black ones atleast when it comes to communist, He never commited or acted in Stalinist like atroscities which the chinese do even to this day (tiamen sqaure) ,I am not saying he didnt do some not so nice things but as a Dictator he isnt diabolic and barbaric like Saddam Hussein,Kim,China previous leadership ,Saudi arabia and those other shady jihadist head chopers and women beaters "islamic republics" which I dont have to say how twisted they are.

I think not having anykind of power or muscle and having the U.S parsecs away is what forced him to be humble and focus on all those socialist help the needy things rather then be completely corrupted like all the rest,Truth is regular cubans for years have had problems and just headed to Castro and he personally fixed and resolved it for them you will be surprise how many cubans sincerely love Castro , Cuba has a decent education systems medical schools and despite the countries shortages he keeps those nice social programs going being funded with Cuban cigar profits, He had them beefed to try to poke the U.S in the eye because quite a number of americans schools suck , Still conditions in cuba are crap but mainly due to those saunctions ,I think many cubans escape to florida due to living conditions and the fact they dont want to be stuck in cuba for the rest of their lives not because Castros regime wants to cut off their noses and ears and eat their children like other crackpots.

There was a issue recently with american men in devources and marital legal disputes who were denied custody went and kidnaped their own children tried to hide in cuba through the black market , Castro cracked down and arrested them and had the children returned back to the states to be sent to their rightful gaurdian even despite insults tossed at him personally by americans he is honnorable enough to do that sort of thing when really he could have just allowed it as a revenge payback but he didnt. Castro is the kind of guy who can be reasoned with their is somthing redeemable about him, He allowed the Pope to visit cuba when other communist states in the past killed or supress all religion and all ideology outside of the communism, Then you got Jimmy carter who visited not so long ago and personally met with Fidel Castro , One of your own presidents seems to agree that we can make peace with Castro now and work to a new better relationship and hopefully freindship and a new future afterall Castro wont be around for long but doesnt mean we cant start now it would be a good show of kindness forgiveness , You should try now win his side and maybe who knows he might be willing to put Cuba on better grounds toward democracy if not atleast the cuban people will no longer see the americans as bullies maybe you can win their hearts in the future and convince the people to later form a democracy and fellowship.

I dont think it will collaspe apart what will happen is that Castro will appoint his new heir to the throne and god knows how he will be he could a total power hungry despot who hates the U.S. if you can get on better terms with castro will prevent that from happening, Castro is aging rapidly he still pulls some weight but I figure he doesnt run the joint as much as he used too.

Maybe my country waisnt threatend with nukes in the 1960's from a close neighbor but so many developed countries dont have saunctions on cuba and nothing bad has happend because of it, Fidel isnt going to fuck you again because he cant and today Fidel and yourself have more to gain by forgiving each other, I am certain forgiving cuba will improve the U.S image abroad especially here in canada because Pierre Trudeau's history with him were Piere had convinced Castro to respect human rights and not to be so anti the entire developed world like he was before and proved to him that we are not all crackpots like Karl marx would have you believe,He is hostile at the U.S.A because the U.S is hostile at him you never hear him go on rediculing the rest of the developed world like he used too after Trudeau clocked him. Castro personally draged his ass to canada to attend his funeral even despite the fact our relationship had gone cold with him earlier he didnt care about that and we didnt either we knew he just wanted to respect Pierre and consul his greiving family.Which proves to me Castro has a heart that is reachable.

I just waisnt impressed by how Bush is handeling it now acting like a dick continuing the arcaic flame war if you want North Korea to behave hugging cuba might help towards getting them to settle down showing the U.S isnt out to frag them and maybe we can gear them to follow in china's example were they can gain much more by befreinding the U.S rather then opposing it.

I agree. In principle, I really dislike the government of Cuba, but at the same time, the practical side of me knows there is no legitimate threat from Cuba. It's like defending your home against an 80 year old paraplegic that used to be a terrible cat burglar. Also, we trade openly with China... no better than Cuba on any issue really. I'd agree with sanctions if they precipitated some sort of reform, but they're really just a waste of resources. I think it would be better to open up to them, and hope that has an effect on the transition of power that is sure to come.

If only Ryan could be president , I am glad to see someone for the logic and facts of the situation and not just blind anger.To get Cubans off the communism is for the cubans to decide , But what you could do is end saunctions forgive and forget and unlike what alot of you might think I dont think Castro would get in the way of a better relationship with the U.S, No matter how Cuba goes atleast they wont be aligned agiast you and having the U.S being good to them will encourage that democracy,Cuba would be mini Hispanic China and I dont think it would be as bad and nasty like china is right now.

The way Bush spoke last time in regards to this, Its as if their planning as soon as castro is gone the U.S is gonna go in as if its iraq.Now I dont if thats what Bush meant since he gets confused alot in his own speeches about whatever the hell he is trying to say ,But his tone of voice didnt sound nice and sympathetic.

The greatest evil sitting in cuba isnt Catro, Its the mafia the drug trade that ilegal black market which always seems to exists in just about any communist country in history, In Cuba its there because cuba has the saunctions choking it they need funding for their programs and many of Castro underlings except bribes and do favors for the crime syndicates and since alot of money is being pumped into cuba's coffers and alot of Castro's cabinet look the other way,With Castro's growing frail state thats just gonna get worse.Cuba is bassically a monarchy with its corrupt nobles, Castro doesnt have any children therefore one of those crazy Nobles is gonna get the throne even his brother.Will those nobles turn on each other in a civil war? I doubt it they know the U.S would take advantage of that opportunity and Castro has already picked out his brother as the favored next leader and he is involed with crminal smuggelings.

By lifting the saunctions ,Those valueble Cigars and all those exotic cuban goods wont be ilegal anymore, With that Castro would see the U.S as a valueble trading partner,He would be inclined to listen to our complaints and even believe us.

Castro did likely get involved with goods smuggelings into the U.S for cash in the past, I suspect since his men definently got involved with the criminal underworld doing this thats were all hell broke loose.Then if you want to help you crack down on the underground organize crime lifting saunctions now and forigiving castro is the only way , This power vaccum coup isnt gonna happen pulling a move after Castro dies would lead to bloodshed and refugees the U.S would have to deploy troops the usual shit! If that happens your gonna see more cuban refugees running too the U.S.

If he could welcome Jimmy Carter to Cuba that says alot, Make Jimmy Carter cuba's official Embassador he would be the man for that job, The Cubans because of that trip or more warm towards Carter.

I agree. In principle, I really dislike the government of Cuba, but at the same time, the practical side of me knows there is no legitimate threat from Cuba. It's like defending your home against an 80 year old paraplegic that used to be a terrible cat burglar. Also, we trade openly with China... no better than Cuba on any issue really. I'd agree with sanctions if they precipitated some sort of reform, but they're really just a waste of resources. I think it would be better to open up to them, and hope that has an effect on the transition of power that is sure to come.

China... no better than Cuba on any issue and worse on plenty -- yes, Cuba blocks freedom of the press, etc, but China has widespread opression of minorities, forced work camps for jails, other things that help make it very bad on human rights, even more lack of press freedom than Cuba (where it is quite limited), etc... China is worse than Cuba. They just make junk we buy, so they are okay while Cuba makes very little so they are embargoed. Stupid. Now, as I said, if the sanctions would actually change things, go ahead. If sanctions work they should definitely be used. But in this case it is SO obvious that they have totally failed that I see absolutely no use in continuing sanctions. It just hurts the Cuban people and serves no useful purpose.


Insulting castro wont do much to make Cuba a democracy , They wont see it as castro getting smacked they will see the U.S smacking the hole of Cuba. Castro isnt a whack job like Kimmy from north Korea, To the contriary Castro is the white sheep of a herd of black ones atleast when it comes to communist, He never commited or acted in Stalinist like atroscities which the chinese do even to this day (tiamen sqaure) ,I am not saying he didnt do some not so nice things but as a Dictator he isnt diabolic and barbaric like Saddam Hussein,Kim,China previous leadership ,Saudi arabia and those other shady jihadist head chopers and women beaters "islamic republics" which I dont have to say how twisted they are.

As far as I know, that's mostly true... and certainly true for most of his rule. He's no Kim Il Sung, that's for sure... he certainly opresses his people, greatly limits freedoms, jails people who try to excercise rights like freedom of the press, limits religion, etc, but compared to China, North Korea, or Burma, he's nothing... not to mention Saudi Arabia, that's a pretty good point... that is the most conservative regime in the world! I'm not saying Cuba is good, but that in comparison to other nondemocratic regimes it's one of the most harmless ones.

Wow, we have a debate going on, but it looks like everyone's pretty much agreeing.

Therefore, I know without even checking that OB1 isn't a part of it :D

Castro and Jimmy Carter sat together at Truedau's funeral, and on the other side of Carer was Clinton, this was while he was president. Their were pictures in the Canadian pictures at the time of Castro and Clinton shaking hands and joking together, I'm suprised their wasn't an uproar in the US over that.
I respect Castro more than other dictators. I think his core ideals are still their, but he has been corrupted by power.

If you got Cubans to play on your baseball teams they might win more often!Lifting saunctions on cuba might help national baseball league to get better players and more public interest.Red Sox's with Cubans the horror!

Them Cubes totaly smacked the crap out of the hole world U.S included in the world junior baseball championship in moncton news brunswick in the late 90's. Whats wierder is the final match was China vs cuba and the chinese are wimps compared to the cubans.The cubans were midgets but damn how many parked cars got smashed by those homers some canons!

I met a cuban national who basically fled to canada many years and got aslylum , But he was in the stands ready to cheer the crap off his pants for his country men and more impressive he beged me for my red hockey horn was desperate for it he was gonna give 20 bucks not to keep it but borrow ( more then I paid for the thing!)
I accepted and he even returned it after the game but I let him keep it since all that huffing and blowing he did earlier ........... Left some nasties!

Cubans rock! Its the only communist country I tried to beg my dad to visit,But we went to mexico instead which was ok. I wanted to go egypt but I love my neck and head so much more! So them mayans pyramids were the best alternative!Thats another story.

Seriously write fox news and cnn ect..

I am shocked everyone does agree , I was expected some of you to get enraged and call me a communist dick sucker.

I guess no U.S politican will run a election campaign saying they want to lift saunctions on Castro because everyone is too afriad that would be political suicide. The only way is if everyone said why not starting with republicans if it was democrates it would be dismissed as liberal anti american treason.

Fixing cuba now will save yourselves from whatever other ugly face pops up after Castro dies,Get rid of those images I am telling you my mindset was to send Castro a get well soon card.

If this was anybody else who was a dictator id be laughing and even mutilating papper cut outs but I am gonna print and frame of castro in my room and make papper cut outs of bush to sodomize.

Ah, disagreement. I very much dislike Castro. His heavyhanded rule is wrong, but his core ideals are also totally wrong, and the sorry state of his nation reflects that. I'll cheer when the old fuck dies. I think most Cubans would like to see him gone too, so showing him a kind side is probably not a good idea.

I'm interested in saving his nation from disaster, but Fidel can rot in hell for all I care.

Whole = describing an ENTIRE something, as in, "the whole nation", or "the whole pizza"

hole = big arse part of something where there isn't something... I'm bad at this, as in "there is a hole in my pocket" or "cover the hole with leaves so they fall in, oh no, we fell in! Nerherher!"

My dad's been to Cuba on buisness a few times. Cuba doesn't stamp peoples passports because if they did then the US might not let those people visit the US.

I can't see that happening, but I CAN see Cuba saying that to give the US a bad image.

Wow, we have a debate going on, but it looks like everyone's pretty much agreeing.

Therefore, I know without even checking that OB1 isn't a part of it

There is some disagreement, as you said later, but yeah, it is less than I might have expected... no OB1 as a reason? I won't argue too much with that one. :)

I can't see that happening, but I CAN see Cuba saying that to give the US a bad image.

You can't? Why not? It is illegal in most circumstances for Americans to go to Cuba, after all, so why not just extend it to disallow foreigners who have been there... the name of the game is pandering to South Florida conservative anti-castro exiles, after all!

Ah, disagreement. I very much dislike Castro. His heavyhanded rule is wrong, but his core ideals are also totally wrong, and the sorry state of his nation reflects that. I'll cheer when the old fuck dies. I think most Cubans would like to see him gone too, so showing him a kind side is probably not a good idea.

I'm interested in saving his nation from disaster, but Fidel can rot in hell for all I care.

I am not going to fight over weither Castro is really good or not, I am not saying he is a saint but I dont think he desserves to be humiliated at for one he is a old man and there is alot of people sitting in your penitentiaries who desserve much harder scorn.

Like ABF said alot of the folks you call freinds now are worse then Castro and nothing is being done to them.

You wont have a guilty concious like you did with "Saddam", The Shah,"Saudi royal despots". If you are forigiving with Castro he will drop the anti americanism and he would call the U.S no longer a foe and yet to be proven freind the saunctions being lifted would be proof to the cubans for themselves, You cannot lift saunctions if your still at odds with Castro, So when Castro dies which is soon the cubans will say the americans are not bad people with only their own self interest in mind and were generous. Also Castro replacement is gonna be in the seat faster harder and stronger and maybe badder then Castro, if in that senario and the saunctions are still there nothing has changed to improve anything just prolong a problem maybe even make it worse,I dont believe Communism in Cuba is gonna crumble with Castro gone, But decency and the opportunity for change and improvement might vannish.

You even said now yourself maybe lifting saunctions now would not be a bad idea, But You cant do that if your still at odds with Castro.

Castro's borther is his most likely succesor, and I doubt that he will be much better, or worse than Fidel.

Castro's borther is his most likely succesor, and I doubt that he will be much better, or worse than Fidel.

Anyone in cuba regardless of their level of sadism cannot make moves with America peering over so close with such striking distance.