Nail on Head: Bill Maher on Ozzie Guillen, Fidel Castro and hipocrisy

[flamingdem]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/14/bill-maher-defends-i-love-castro-comments-ozzie-guillen_n_1425597.html

Bill Maher took to his "Real Time" pulpit on Friday to make a bold defense against those who condemned Miami Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen for saying "I love Fidel Castro" in an interview. Maher encouraged his viewers to take a harder look at whether Guillen was truly out of line for proclaiming admiration for the longtime Communist dictator of Cuba, who handed power to his brother in 2008 but remains a powerful figure in Cuban and international politics.

Guillen made the comments to TIME Magazine last week, but later claimed that they were mistranslated and apologized profusely after he was suspended for five games. But Maher felt that the apology and suspension were completely unnecessary. "If you say something Communists don't like, they take away your job and send you to a re-education camp until you come out with the one approved opinion," Maher said sarcastically. "We wouldn't want that here in America."

He pointed out that Castro's longevity in the face of over five decades of attempts on his life make him a "badass."

"Despite all odds and all logic, Castro still draws breath. He's the political equivalent of Keith Richards," Maher said to applause. MORE

[Cleita]

1. That was a pretty good monologue.

Also, people don't remember the time when Americans loved Castro. Many went to Cuba to fight with his guerillas in order to overthrow a very corrupt dictator. It's when Castro embraced communism instead of democracy that our country soured on him.

[ag_dude]

2. That was a big part but you oversimply it.

We're buddy buddy with the current center of communism.

[Cleita]

4. Currently is not 1959 when Castro achieved power.

Back then anti-communism was a religion. However, that being said, I agree we are not treating Cuba and China equally.

[flamingdem]

3. Do you mean the Venceremos Brigade?

I wonder if there were many individuals going to fight with Castro, that would be interesting to read up on.

[Cleita]

6. Partly, but there were many other individuals, who went there, the

most famous being Errol Flynn, the movie star. He even made a couple of documentary movies about it:

http://www.1worldfilms.com/Cuba/cubanstory.htm

[flamingdem]

8. Thanks for that link, here's something about Saul Landau in the early days

I wonder what other celebrities kept going to Cuba in the 1960s, there were so many
working there at the nightclubs, Eartha Kitt, etc.

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/the_forever_fidel_obsession_20100919/

[iemitsu]

9. nixon met with castro for 4 minutes while eisenhower played golf and refused to meet with him.

after the brief meeting nixon proclaimed castro a communist (remember that nixon was joseph mccarthy's right hand man and could spot a commie a mile away).
castro was a nationalist.
after the US rejected castro in this fashion he had to find someone to support his revolution.
in the bi-polar world we created that meant the soviets were his only option.
we have a tendency to turn nationalists into communists if they won't tow our line.

[Cleita]

10. Same happened with Allende in Chile, but he did not survive like Castro did. n/t

[got root]

5. excellent analogy at the begining

in "Communist" countries when you say the wrong thing you can lose your job, and get sent to a reeducation camp until you come out with the ONE proper opinion.

good thing we don't have that here in 'freedom' land.

zactly.

thanks for sharing

[flamingdem]

7. I'm very glad that the Cuban Americans

also known as the Miami Mafia, are being called out on this one.

They can't get away with firing Guillen but he will feel uncomfortable in Miami for a looong time.
He lives there and will receive comments on the street over this, for sure, no more hanging out
at Versailles on Calle Ocho for sure!

[DutchLiberal]

11. It's so hypocritical of Obama to oppose the dictatorship in Cuba, yet support he one in Honduras.

Of course, the fascist coup-regime in Honduras came into power in 2009 by deposing a *left-wing* president, so then it's all okay...

[Cleita]

12. It's the effect of the Monroe Doctrine.

It's much easier to corrupt fascist dictators with money to go along with USA agenda than those messy left wing democracies that aren't that easily bought.

[flamingdem]

13. Good point

The exchange they offer to Cuba is to get on their knees, in the historical context, for relief of the embargo.

However, I believe Obama wants to alleviate the situation and it's Hillary who has blocked any forward
thinking. That's one of the reasons I'd like to see her move on. Her brother is married to a right wing
Cuban American lawyer so I doubt anything will change while she's in power.