Our Comrade

Members of congress went on a visit to a neighboring head of state this week. As you might expect, for visiting dignitaries, they were treated well. And what did the congressmen/women have to say about their host? Here’s a sample of their high praise:

“It was almost like listening to an old friend.”
“In my household I told (him) he is known as the ultimate survivor.”

- Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Il)

So who is this wonderful man who so charmed our leaders? I’m not going to tell you. Instead, let’s play a game. I’ll give you some clues and you see how fast you can guess.

1. In New York on April 25 he said, “I don't agree with communism. We are democracy. We are against all kinds of dictators.... That is why we oppose communism.”

Got it yet? Here’s another clue:

2. On May 1, 1960, he declared his country a socialist state and officially abolished elections. Critics noted that he feared elections would eject him from power.

Okay, that was a give away. But here are some more fun facts:

3. He nationalized some $850 million worth of U.S. property and businesses.

4. He closed down all opposition newspapers and placed all radio and television stations under state control.

5. In any given year, he arranged for about 20,000 dissents to be held and tortured under inhuman prison conditions.

6. He locked homosexuals in concentration camps.

7. In a personal letter to Khrushchev dated October 27, 1962, he urged him to launch a nuclear first strike against the United States.

Yup, I’m talking about Fidel Castro. He sounds like a nice guy. I’m proud to have congressmen and women who are willing to go visit him, extol his virtues on television and then boldly declare as CBC Chairwoman Barbara Lee (D-Ca.) did that “The bottom line is that we believe its time to open dialogue with Cuba.”