Day By Day© by Chris Muir.

February 19, 2008

Fidel Castro "Retires," Hollywood In Mourning?

An era has ended:

An ailing Fidel Castro stepped aside as Cuba's leader Tuesday, ending nearly a half-century of rule that saw him become an arch-enemy of 10 U.S. presidents as head of one of the world's last communist nations.

One of the last communist nations...really makes you feel nostaligic, doesn't it? Like when either Paul McCartney or Ringo Starr dies, the other will be "the last remaining Beatle." Anyone have a hankie?

In his letter to his prisoners...I mean "compatriots," the 81-year-old former El Presidente said, "I will not aspire to nor accept — I repeat, I will not aspire to nor accept — the post of President of the Council of State and Commander in Chief." Please, please, do not press him to accept any more honors than you have already bestowed upon him over the last 49 years. He wants to bow out gracefully, so that your memories of him will forever remain sweet and poignant.

The letter in full can be read here, in both English and Spanish.

Anyway, I guess Raul, a young whippersnapper at the age of 76, will continue on as the day-to-day ruler. Will he last 49 years? I'm sure those happy Cubans hope so. They love living like it's 1959.

But my real concern is how Hollywood luminaries like Robert Redford, Steven Spielberg and Leonardo DiCaprio -- and other enlightened, likeminded fellows -- will take the news that the man who has inspired them all these years will no longer be sitting on his pedestal to be worshiped. Could it be that death is not far off for their compatriota?

My advice to them is not to worry. They still have Hugo Chavez.

UPDATE (Feb. 21, 1:30 PM): Here's a comment by one of my readers...for some reason, the comments section would not let him post it:

"I was scanning the FM dial on the way to work this morning and came across a fund raising drive for WBAI Pacifica Radio (99.5FM in NYC). For a $100 pledge you received a DVD titled Fidel: The Untold Truth. The host described it as the real story of Fidel's coups that toppled American Neo-colonialism and aggression. The excitement in her voice as she described the "hero" of Cuba and oppressed people everywhere and the failed CIA war against him was almost unbelievable. Then I heard her say "We have 7 callers and phone lines are open..." 7 out of a city of 8,000,000 - Come on New York - Where's the love?"

NewtownMark

h/t: Hot Air