Castro Steps Down After Forever

Fidel Castro announced that he would step down as ruler of Cuba today. The aging communist seized power before I was born (I'm 48). So he has been in charge of Cuba forever as far as I'm concerned. I was reading an AP news piece and this tidbit stuck out:

Castro's supporters admired his ability to provide a high level of health care and education for citizens while remaining fully independent of the United States.

Well we can't have a dictator step down without some digs at the good ole U.S.A. I mean after all we need universal healthcare just like Cuba's. Nevermind that a U.S. system would have to cover 27 times the number of people Cuba's does. Cuba is a happy helthcare haven and model for the rest of the world to emmulate.

Doesn't it bother anybody that part of the price Cubans paid for their "high level of health care" is their freedom? Is living under the boot of a dictator a good trade off? Can anyone raised in this country answer authoritatively? (No I don't mean the poor liberals who equate Bush to Hitler or are deluded by some other moral equivalence).

Despite this end of an era moment, things are not likely to change. 81 year-old Fidel has groomed his kid brother, 76 year-old Raul to take his place. While he has hinted at reform, no one is holding their breath. And let's not forget The U.S. election. Clinton, Obama and McCain (whom AP has delcared the GOP nominee-in-waiting) have already called for release of political prisoners and are touting a possibly new Cuba to deal with. They feel the U.S. should srive to normalize relations. My man Huckabee had the best quote which also reflects my sentiment exactly:

Until Fidel Castro is dead, there can be no significant movement towards reform in Cuba," Huckabee said in a statement. "Raul Castro has proven that he's as much a tyrant and dictator as his brother Fidel. Simply providing more power to another dictator does nothing to promote freedom and democracy to the Cuban people."

Amen brother.