Fidel's Ghost, French Lunacy and Democrats
Latin Leftism
Your author apologizes for not fulfilling his promise with launching of a piece on the leftist shift currently impacting Central and South America. However with the pause came the breaking news of Fidel Castro, in ill health, temporarily bequeathing power over Cuba to his brother Raul. While Fidel has been a prominent favorite for the media in his over 40 year domination over the country, Raul has quietly worked behind the scenes ensuring the Castro duo’s control over the day to day life of the average citizen of Cuba. The Fidelista regime and Raul’s lesser known role in its security has enabled him to become known as the longest serving defense minister.
The media pundits are already asking the ‘what ifs’, while Cuban-American, particularly ones that lived a great deal of their life under Castro’s rule and immigrated late to the United States, believe that Castro is either dead or close to kicking the bucket. Their rationale is that the Cuban government would not have made such a drastic move nor announces it in such a public fashion unless it was critical.
By the mid 1990s Cuba had been outcastes in the arena of global economics. The powerful Soviet Union had been dismantled and the island nation lost major financial assistance. Raul Castro implemented a program to allow small, mom and pop type businesses to operate. The most notable of these were cafes. While this attempt flourished, the Euro currency, American and Canadian dollars rushed in. The Cuban peso was viewed so poorly that the American dollar began to show up more and more. In other words the home currency was deemed worthless. Economic freedom would naturally cause the citizenry to question Fidel Castro and his failed revolution. Your author describes it as a failure because time and time again the peasants of the country, ones that Fidel said he represented in his lofty and famous speeches, were willing to risk a 90 mile oceanic passage to Florida. Note: When people are stating they would rather die than live another day under a particular regime, the curtain is nearly set to close on that country’s infrastructure and their leader.
Embarrassed by the flood of US dollars Fidel shut down the experimental program. Now he is dying. Raul Castro, if his brother does indeed pass, will assume full control of the nation. The Cuban military, managed by Raul Castro, fuels over half of the country’s $2billion GDP. The infrastructure, like every other nation under the communist cloak, is in tatters and ruined.
Will Raul embrace capitalism? Within the Cuban American population centered in Broward (Ft. Lauderdale) and Dade (Miami) counties, it is thought that millions will pour back into Cuba. The only way to reasonably predict his move is to watch for one of these three scenarios to occur: A. He loses control over the military. If this is the case there is no guarantee gravitation to capitalism will materialize. B. He quickly pays Washington DC and the European Union a visit. It is almost certain where he is leaning. C. He strengthens ties with Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. If this plays out then all hope of Cuban Americans will be lost. Whatever scenario takes place, Latin America is still chugging along with a leftist tilt. This may in itself be the lasting testament to Fidel Castro.
One of the most controversial of the countries as it relates to the theme of leftism is Mexico. Your author has already penned an essay on the country that by all appearances suffers in dire straits. Following their July 2nd election the country has been absorbed in protests and demanding a vote recount. The current president Vicente Fox due to the country’s constitution is unable to seek another term. The challengers were Andres M. Lopez Obrador, formerly the mayor of Mexico City, candidate for the centre-left party Democratic Revolution and Felipe Calderon of the centre-right party National Action Party. Prior to Fox’s presidency the Revolution party had dominated Mexico politics for over 75 years. The Revolution party is socialist and for their domination, Mexico would make a slow grind to becoming one of the most impoverished nations in North America.
The election was close, the closest of any Mexico’s presidential run-offs. In a voter turnout considered historical, well over 75% registered voters participating and churning out 42million ballots, Calderon won by a mere 240,000. The opposition is alleging fraud and protesting continues. Obrador has since announced that he does not plan to vacate the Mayoral position. Scenario: If Obrador maintains his popularity and given the closeness in his defeat, the next election will surely grant the power back to the Revolution institution.
In a closely watched election Nicaragua is showing a signs that it will embrace another Sandinista government. Herty Lewites, a centre left candidate dropped dead of a heart attack recently. The centre right candidates-Eduardo Montealegre and Jose Rizo-are in back with former Sandinista Daniel Ortega gaining steam. Will the Sandinista gravitate towards modernizing Nicaragua, something the countries political elite has failed to do or will they fall inline with the leftist storm that is a brewing? Another question that faces the citizens of Costa Rica, Nicaragua’s southern neighbor, is how it will impact them and their tourist trade?
Coming down to South America lies the incarnation of Fidel Castro except he has oil on his side-Hugo Chavez. Your author has previously predicted many of his strategic moves-banishing Christian missionaries and practically nationalizing the oil industry. Due to an ever increasing global demand for oil, Venezuela has placed their small country in the forefront of global news. Chavez has been criticized for demanding oil production to be curbed, thereby increasing the price as it relates to steady demand.
Chavez is described as anti-global and a nationalist. He has criticized the international oil firms based in Venezuela-remind yourself they provide jobs and referred to the Catholic Church as ‘not walking in the path of Christ’. He has since taken control or extracted the most influence over oil firms Royal Dutch Shell, Chevron and Spain’s Respol.
Entering into an election year in 1998, Chavez experienced a landslide victory. In 2002 his popularity had dropped dramatically but ‘amazingly’ he won a second term. Much of the reason behind his reelection was brought about civil unrest and demonstrations. Critics have long alleged that Chavez second victory was based on voter fraud.
Another point that is worth reviewing is Chavez’s role as it relates to their neighbor Colombia. The country that is synonymous with cocaine cartels has enjoyed a strong presence of democracy- a testament owed primarily to US foreign aide and is now attempting to market their country as a tourist’s destination. Their president, Alvaro Uribe, is beginning to enjoy his second term. However the most serious threat to his presidency are leftist guerilla groups-Revolutionary Armed Forces and National Liberation Army. It is long thought that these groups are funded by drug lords. In what is becoming an increasingly cried allegation is that Chavez is sticking his wallet and rhetoric in the guerillas’ cache. If Chavez is marching to the beat of Fidel Castro this would fall inline with Cuba’s dictator previous attempts in what has become known as Bogotazo. It was April 9, 1948 and youthful Castro was in Bogota taking in Pan American Union conference. Castro picked up arms and became involved in a riot that resulted in the beginning of La Violencia (The Violence), which resulted in an estimated 200,000 murders.
When Evo Morales ascended to the chair of Bolivia’s president the international media heralded him as a native, not of Spanish extraction and somehow this was an important element. However the conventional big media machine failed to see the forthcoming prediction made by yours truly in a January 2006 blog entry. Bolivia, who was about to enjoy the riches from natural gas exportation, had experienced a long history of nothing but chaos. Morales owed his victory to the Central Obrara Boliviana (COB), Bolivia’s strongest union and one that incorporates workers in the natural gas industry. The COB had long dominated Bolivian politics. Within 24 hours the COB issued Morales an ultimatum-nationalize the industry or face massive rioting. By May he had fulfilled his promise, then became cozy with both Chavez and Castro. He currently faces a tense situation within in his country, pitting the capital La Paz against the eastern city of Santa Cruz. The gas industry lies in on the west coast but the wealth is found in the east.
In Ecuador, Occidental Petroleum derives an estimated 100,000 barrels of oil per day and over the past five years has invested $1 billion into the country. The country is run by a nominal head-Alfredo Palacio. Recently the parliament approved a 50% tax on foreign oil interests. The response from Occidental, the US government and others has been to cancel trade talks with the country. While Palacio is an underdog, America has enjoyed successful discussions with Peru and Colombia. If Palacio’s policies are fully implemented Occidental will in all likelihood pull out of the country and direct foreign investment will dry up. If he loses his reelection fails many of these firms will have been long gone. Either way Palacio’s attempts to mirror Chavez and Morales will leave his country in bleak conditions.
The bright spots in Latin America continue on-Argentina, Chile, Peru and Brazil. Both the governments Paraguay and Uruguay are active in market reform. As Cuban-American rally around the prospects of Castro dying and what if scenarios that could take place with his brother as the new leader, his ghost and legacy continues live on with the rest of Latin America. A legacy of failed economic reform built upon civil unrest, murder and paranoia felt by the citizenry.
Socialized Medicine: Bad for your body
In late July the Wall Street Journal reported that during the heat wave pounding on much of the world, France can out due any country when it comes to lunacy and laziness. Despite their pride with their socialized medicine, a trademark for all of Europe, the French government was dealt a blow as doctors and specialists tied to an estimated 600 private clinics decided to go on strike. French Health Minister Xavier Bertrand had to dip into the medical school students and retired doctors pool in order to combat as the French citizenry suffered from scorching temperature. Your author being from Florida has little sympathy.
While the doctors and others took a vacation in order to demand more pay, your author began to consider the ramifications of such an event if the United States implemented socialized medicine. How he recalls the days of Hillary-care, Senator Hillary R. Clinton a Demo-Wimp from New York during her attempts to initiate such proposal as First Lady. Somehow the idea of striking doctors and other medical staff members was not considered. Meanwhile the French are recalling the 2003 heat wave that took the lives of 15,000.
Democrats: More Chaos
We all remember the 2004 election where the Demo-Wimp party took a steep downturn and grabbed for anyone that would vote them. This was when Michael Moore was caught chumming it up with former Demo-Wimp (Grandpa Wimp) President Jimmy Carter at the Democrat National Convention. When moveon.org was considered something of importance and anyone but a conservative should be considered for office. In the end it ultimately failed.
Well we have seen signs of this coming again with the reelection campaign of Demo-Wants to be a Republican-Joe Lieberman of Connecticut. Lieberman was once described as what a Democrat or any other politician was once: respectable, rationale and diplomatic. Well he is down in the polls against Demo-Wimp rival Ned Lamont. However what the press isn’t reporting is the chaotic situation surrounding Connecticut’s senatorial campaign. As always your author will cut through to expose the hypocrisy and recall previous events that impact the bigger picture.
Ned Lamont is a millionaire, a cable company owner and this in itself speaks volumes about the Demo-Wimps tried and true hatred for anyone who is rich. Unlike the constituency he claims to represent-the poor, minorities, down on their luck and anti-war mongers, Lamont is an ivy-league graduate. He owns Lamont Digital Systems, a 35 employee firm specializes in the production and operator for advanced telecommunications that can found in universities and gated communities. His grandfather was a chairman for JP Morgan, which allowed Lamont’s family to inherit over $90 million. Just prior to his decision to run, Lamont resigned his membership from a racially restricted country club. In other words this is the exact opposite that Demo-Wimps claim to represent.
If the glaring hypocrisy in ideology as it relates to the actual candidate is bad enough, the Clintons have decided to play this one that leaves them on both sides. Former President Bill Clinton has openly supported Lieberman while Senator Hillary Clinton has said she will support whichever candidate wins the primary. Furthermore recall in 2000 when then Demo-Wimp Presidential nominee Al Gore, who at this moment trying to scare modern society with claims of global warming, desperately needed Lieberman as his vice presidential running mate. It pained many of us who support Lieberman to see him bow to his party’s wishes. Where is Al Gore in this quagmire? Silent! And even more recently supposed and alleged civil rights leader Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are endorsing Lamont. They both cite Lieberman’s loyalty to the Demo-Wimp party while they don’t seem to mind the prior country club affiliation and choice lifestyle enjoyed by Lamont. Lamont has big bucks, Jackson with his Rainbow PUSH Coalition and Sharpton’s National Action Network of Harlem, NY and I will let the reader for their own conclusion with that trio.
If Lieberman fails to cinch the nomination he has vowed to run as an Independent-more power to him. This is only furthering the notion that the Demo-Wimp party is in total meltdown.
The media pundits are already asking the ‘what ifs’, while Cuban-American, particularly ones that lived a great deal of their life under Castro’s rule and immigrated late to the United States, believe that Castro is either dead or close to kicking the bucket. Their rationale is that the Cuban government would not have made such a drastic move nor announces it in such a public fashion unless it was critical.
By the mid 1990s Cuba had been outcastes in the arena of global economics. The powerful Soviet Union had been dismantled and the island nation lost major financial assistance. Raul Castro implemented a program to allow small, mom and pop type businesses to operate. The most notable of these were cafes. While this attempt flourished, the Euro currency, American and Canadian dollars rushed in. The Cuban peso was viewed so poorly that the American dollar began to show up more and more. In other words the home currency was deemed worthless. Economic freedom would naturally cause the citizenry to question Fidel Castro and his failed revolution. Your author describes it as a failure because time and time again the peasants of the country, ones that Fidel said he represented in his lofty and famous speeches, were willing to risk a 90 mile oceanic passage to Florida. Note: When people are stating they would rather die than live another day under a particular regime, the curtain is nearly set to close on that country’s infrastructure and their leader.
Embarrassed by the flood of US dollars Fidel shut down the experimental program. Now he is dying. Raul Castro, if his brother does indeed pass, will assume full control of the nation. The Cuban military, managed by Raul Castro, fuels over half of the country’s $2billion GDP. The infrastructure, like every other nation under the communist cloak, is in tatters and ruined.
Will Raul embrace capitalism? Within the Cuban American population centered in Broward (Ft. Lauderdale) and Dade (Miami) counties, it is thought that millions will pour back into Cuba. The only way to reasonably predict his move is to watch for one of these three scenarios to occur: A. He loses control over the military. If this is the case there is no guarantee gravitation to capitalism will materialize. B. He quickly pays Washington DC and the European Union a visit. It is almost certain where he is leaning. C. He strengthens ties with Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. If this plays out then all hope of Cuban Americans will be lost. Whatever scenario takes place, Latin America is still chugging along with a leftist tilt. This may in itself be the lasting testament to Fidel Castro.
One of the most controversial of the countries as it relates to the theme of leftism is Mexico. Your author has already penned an essay on the country that by all appearances suffers in dire straits. Following their July 2nd election the country has been absorbed in protests and demanding a vote recount. The current president Vicente Fox due to the country’s constitution is unable to seek another term. The challengers were Andres M. Lopez Obrador, formerly the mayor of Mexico City, candidate for the centre-left party Democratic Revolution and Felipe Calderon of the centre-right party National Action Party. Prior to Fox’s presidency the Revolution party had dominated Mexico politics for over 75 years. The Revolution party is socialist and for their domination, Mexico would make a slow grind to becoming one of the most impoverished nations in North America.
The election was close, the closest of any Mexico’s presidential run-offs. In a voter turnout considered historical, well over 75% registered voters participating and churning out 42million ballots, Calderon won by a mere 240,000. The opposition is alleging fraud and protesting continues. Obrador has since announced that he does not plan to vacate the Mayoral position. Scenario: If Obrador maintains his popularity and given the closeness in his defeat, the next election will surely grant the power back to the Revolution institution.
In a closely watched election Nicaragua is showing a signs that it will embrace another Sandinista government. Herty Lewites, a centre left candidate dropped dead of a heart attack recently. The centre right candidates-Eduardo Montealegre and Jose Rizo-are in back with former Sandinista Daniel Ortega gaining steam. Will the Sandinista gravitate towards modernizing Nicaragua, something the countries political elite has failed to do or will they fall inline with the leftist storm that is a brewing? Another question that faces the citizens of Costa Rica, Nicaragua’s southern neighbor, is how it will impact them and their tourist trade?
Coming down to South America lies the incarnation of Fidel Castro except he has oil on his side-Hugo Chavez. Your author has previously predicted many of his strategic moves-banishing Christian missionaries and practically nationalizing the oil industry. Due to an ever increasing global demand for oil, Venezuela has placed their small country in the forefront of global news. Chavez has been criticized for demanding oil production to be curbed, thereby increasing the price as it relates to steady demand.
Chavez is described as anti-global and a nationalist. He has criticized the international oil firms based in Venezuela-remind yourself they provide jobs and referred to the Catholic Church as ‘not walking in the path of Christ’. He has since taken control or extracted the most influence over oil firms Royal Dutch Shell, Chevron and Spain’s Respol.
Entering into an election year in 1998, Chavez experienced a landslide victory. In 2002 his popularity had dropped dramatically but ‘amazingly’ he won a second term. Much of the reason behind his reelection was brought about civil unrest and demonstrations. Critics have long alleged that Chavez second victory was based on voter fraud.
Another point that is worth reviewing is Chavez’s role as it relates to their neighbor Colombia. The country that is synonymous with cocaine cartels has enjoyed a strong presence of democracy- a testament owed primarily to US foreign aide and is now attempting to market their country as a tourist’s destination. Their president, Alvaro Uribe, is beginning to enjoy his second term. However the most serious threat to his presidency are leftist guerilla groups-Revolutionary Armed Forces and National Liberation Army. It is long thought that these groups are funded by drug lords. In what is becoming an increasingly cried allegation is that Chavez is sticking his wallet and rhetoric in the guerillas’ cache. If Chavez is marching to the beat of Fidel Castro this would fall inline with Cuba’s dictator previous attempts in what has become known as Bogotazo. It was April 9, 1948 and youthful Castro was in Bogota taking in Pan American Union conference. Castro picked up arms and became involved in a riot that resulted in the beginning of La Violencia (The Violence), which resulted in an estimated 200,000 murders.
When Evo Morales ascended to the chair of Bolivia’s president the international media heralded him as a native, not of Spanish extraction and somehow this was an important element. However the conventional big media machine failed to see the forthcoming prediction made by yours truly in a January 2006 blog entry. Bolivia, who was about to enjoy the riches from natural gas exportation, had experienced a long history of nothing but chaos. Morales owed his victory to the Central Obrara Boliviana (COB), Bolivia’s strongest union and one that incorporates workers in the natural gas industry. The COB had long dominated Bolivian politics. Within 24 hours the COB issued Morales an ultimatum-nationalize the industry or face massive rioting. By May he had fulfilled his promise, then became cozy with both Chavez and Castro. He currently faces a tense situation within in his country, pitting the capital La Paz against the eastern city of Santa Cruz. The gas industry lies in on the west coast but the wealth is found in the east.
In Ecuador, Occidental Petroleum derives an estimated 100,000 barrels of oil per day and over the past five years has invested $1 billion into the country. The country is run by a nominal head-Alfredo Palacio. Recently the parliament approved a 50% tax on foreign oil interests. The response from Occidental, the US government and others has been to cancel trade talks with the country. While Palacio is an underdog, America has enjoyed successful discussions with Peru and Colombia. If Palacio’s policies are fully implemented Occidental will in all likelihood pull out of the country and direct foreign investment will dry up. If he loses his reelection fails many of these firms will have been long gone. Either way Palacio’s attempts to mirror Chavez and Morales will leave his country in bleak conditions.
The bright spots in Latin America continue on-Argentina, Chile, Peru and Brazil. Both the governments Paraguay and Uruguay are active in market reform. As Cuban-American rally around the prospects of Castro dying and what if scenarios that could take place with his brother as the new leader, his ghost and legacy continues live on with the rest of Latin America. A legacy of failed economic reform built upon civil unrest, murder and paranoia felt by the citizenry.
Socialized Medicine: Bad for your body
In late July the Wall Street Journal reported that during the heat wave pounding on much of the world, France can out due any country when it comes to lunacy and laziness. Despite their pride with their socialized medicine, a trademark for all of Europe, the French government was dealt a blow as doctors and specialists tied to an estimated 600 private clinics decided to go on strike. French Health Minister Xavier Bertrand had to dip into the medical school students and retired doctors pool in order to combat as the French citizenry suffered from scorching temperature. Your author being from Florida has little sympathy.
While the doctors and others took a vacation in order to demand more pay, your author began to consider the ramifications of such an event if the United States implemented socialized medicine. How he recalls the days of Hillary-care, Senator Hillary R. Clinton a Demo-Wimp from New York during her attempts to initiate such proposal as First Lady. Somehow the idea of striking doctors and other medical staff members was not considered. Meanwhile the French are recalling the 2003 heat wave that took the lives of 15,000.
Democrats: More Chaos
We all remember the 2004 election where the Demo-Wimp party took a steep downturn and grabbed for anyone that would vote them. This was when Michael Moore was caught chumming it up with former Demo-Wimp (Grandpa Wimp) President Jimmy Carter at the Democrat National Convention. When moveon.org was considered something of importance and anyone but a conservative should be considered for office. In the end it ultimately failed.
Well we have seen signs of this coming again with the reelection campaign of Demo-Wants to be a Republican-Joe Lieberman of Connecticut. Lieberman was once described as what a Democrat or any other politician was once: respectable, rationale and diplomatic. Well he is down in the polls against Demo-Wimp rival Ned Lamont. However what the press isn’t reporting is the chaotic situation surrounding Connecticut’s senatorial campaign. As always your author will cut through to expose the hypocrisy and recall previous events that impact the bigger picture.
Ned Lamont is a millionaire, a cable company owner and this in itself speaks volumes about the Demo-Wimps tried and true hatred for anyone who is rich. Unlike the constituency he claims to represent-the poor, minorities, down on their luck and anti-war mongers, Lamont is an ivy-league graduate. He owns Lamont Digital Systems, a 35 employee firm specializes in the production and operator for advanced telecommunications that can found in universities and gated communities. His grandfather was a chairman for JP Morgan, which allowed Lamont’s family to inherit over $90 million. Just prior to his decision to run, Lamont resigned his membership from a racially restricted country club. In other words this is the exact opposite that Demo-Wimps claim to represent.
If the glaring hypocrisy in ideology as it relates to the actual candidate is bad enough, the Clintons have decided to play this one that leaves them on both sides. Former President Bill Clinton has openly supported Lieberman while Senator Hillary Clinton has said she will support whichever candidate wins the primary. Furthermore recall in 2000 when then Demo-Wimp Presidential nominee Al Gore, who at this moment trying to scare modern society with claims of global warming, desperately needed Lieberman as his vice presidential running mate. It pained many of us who support Lieberman to see him bow to his party’s wishes. Where is Al Gore in this quagmire? Silent! And even more recently supposed and alleged civil rights leader Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are endorsing Lamont. They both cite Lieberman’s loyalty to the Demo-Wimp party while they don’t seem to mind the prior country club affiliation and choice lifestyle enjoyed by Lamont. Lamont has big bucks, Jackson with his Rainbow PUSH Coalition and Sharpton’s National Action Network of Harlem, NY and I will let the reader for their own conclusion with that trio.
If Lieberman fails to cinch the nomination he has vowed to run as an Independent-more power to him. This is only furthering the notion that the Demo-Wimp party is in total meltdown.
posted by The Infinite Speculator @ 8:05 PM
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