How Castro Held the World Hostage

[Demeter]

THIS IS AN AMAZINGLY BIASED SLANT ON HISTORICAL EVENTS--

I'D CALL IT: THE MOUSE THAT ROARED --DEMETER

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/26/opinion/how-castro-held-the-world-hostage.html?_r=0

ON Oct. 26-27, 1962, human civilization came close to being destroyed. Schoolchildren were ordered into shelters; supermarket shelves were emptied of soup cans and bottled water. It was the most perilous moment of the Cuban missile crisis, and of the cold war. But the danger of Armageddon did not begin, as legend has it, when the United States learned that Soviet missiles had reached Cuba’s shores earlier that month.

Rather, it was driven by Fidel Castro’s fears and insecurities after the botched Bay of Pigs invasion and by the failures of President John F. Kennedy and Premier Nikita S. Khrushchev to take him seriously. With Soviet missiles stationed on the island and America poised to attack, Cuba 50 years ago was far more dangerous than Iran or North Korea is today. But the 1962 crisis shows that a small, determined revolutionary state, backed into a corner and convinced of its inevitable demise, can bring the world to the brink of catastrophe...

OF COURSE, PICKING ON A TINY, DEFENSELESS ISLAND SIMPLY BECAUSE IT THREW OUT YOUR OCCUPATION IS NOT BRINGING THE WORLD TO THE BRINK OF CATASTROPHE...

I'M NOT SAYING CASTRO IS A SAINT, BUT I AM DISAPPOINTED IN THE USA'S CONTINUAL MISTREATMENT OF OUR NEIGHBOR

[Zorro]

1. Where's the bias?

[bemildred]

2. OK, I read it all.

They appear to be arguing for sanity WRT Iran. I think that does much to explain the "crazy Castro" theory, which sort of fits, see below. And they do argue that the big powers need to take the small powers seriously, a signal and ubiquitous failing of the US' foreign policy elites.

I think they were all crazy as shithouse rats, I remember hiding under my desk, "bend over, cover your head, and kiss your ass goodbye", but of the three, Castro had the most realistic view of his situation, he knew what was at stake, unlike the two big shots, who thought they were playing big power poker by themselves.

We have not forgiven Cuba yet for kicking Batista out, and he WAS a vicious tyrant.

It's not often the little guys can use the "crazy guy" strategy and get away with it.

Reminds a bit of the "missile defense" crap in Europe now too.

There is a story today in the LAT that discusses a massive $180 million exercise in which three defense systems attempted to stop three attacks, MRBM, SRBM, and cruise, one on one. Guess which one failed?

http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-missile-defense-test-20121025,0,3560891.story

[Demeter]

3. R-E-S-P-E-C-T

That is something this country doesn't do well, for anyone without massive funds, whether inside the borders or out.

And yet respect for all is the foundation of democracy, not to mention christianity.