Cuba, Hugo and "Fidel-ity?"
 

Do you think before Fidel bites the big cigar that he and Raul will try and form an alliance with Hugo Chavez and Spain possibly with alittle help from Russia?

Raul will practice in-fidel-ity to his brother's dictatorial dream. Cuba needs energy more than anything else right now (which could change if Cuba allows offshore drilling). That need for energy will drive politics in Cuba just as it does in every energy net-importing country. So Cuba will continue to march with Chavez.

But Cuba will definitely not maintain the hard line with the USA. Cuba wants to export sugar to the USA and wants tourist-dollars from American vacationers (and ex-pats). So Cuba will drop it's 'communist' (in reality, authoritarian dictatorship) form of government and embrace superficial democratization. But the people themselves wont want to fully democratize, at least the current 3 generations of Cubans.

B

Do you think Russia will get involved?

Chica, te gusta revolver la cazuela, no?

B is probably closest to the correct analysis. Cuba will become a China-like dictatorial capitalist state.

There is a new generation of goverment apparatchick who see how well off other similar countries are, while Cuba remains a destitute, Third-World country. They want to get a piece of the action and will reject kastro's hoary oligarchy.

Cuba will remain communist (such as the term is used in Cuba) but will move in a different direction.

Thee is a palm tree in Varadero beach with my name on it. When the time is right I plan to camp under it, with a pitcher of mojitos and another pitcher of Cuba-libres and never move again....:D

Oye El Jefe- Los mea culpalo culpan de hombre que lo tenia un conversation con esta manana.

...Except when you need to go down to the Mercedes dealer in Habana to pick up some NGK plugs, Mann Filters, Bosch H4 Euro lights and a Remus box for your mint '95 Signal Rot 300CE Sportline.......:D

The Persian welcome mat may most likely be on the ground at the airport
for Ahmadinejad if he decides to drop over to pick up a few packages of Montecristo #1's.

From your mouth to God's ears.

Jim, by e-mail I am sending you the two "recent" articles from Mercedes Enthusiast that I had mentioned to you.

Enjoy!

I think something more like this

http://imagehost.vendio.com/preview/.../69280se10.JPG

would be more appropriate for trips to and from that beach.

It's already covered.
 

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

Check the BENZ-LGB avatar.

Oh, I've seen that little beauty he's got in the avatar. But Ernesto's got a few kids, if memory serves me right. That means a bit of sacrifice, I'm afraid ;)

Holy Mother of God....my keyboard just short circuited(sp).

I'll give my brother in law(Felipe Pazos) a call to get the skinny on whats going on down there...His grandfather was Falipe Pazos...Cuba's economist for some time...

http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y01/mar01/09e7.htm

If Cuba has enough sugar to warrant exporting it, then why don't they do like Brazil, and make ethanol?
(I watched Modern Marvels show on sugar yesterday)