FIDEL CASTRO DIES, NOTHING CHANGES

The blood-soaked Communist tyrant who took over Cuba in 1959 and ruled it with an iron hand for more than 50 years finally went to meet his Maker (and explain why he didn't believe He existed, among other things they had to discuss, we are sure) sometime yesterday. 

This announcement was met with joyous celebration from America's ex-pat Cuban community. Why this is, we understand; these people fled that beautiful island because Castro had turned it into a place where it was and is impossible to get ahead in life. Castro believed in the Marxist/Alinskyite false dichotomy between the "haves" and the "have nots". 

The Communist way of resolving this has always been a quest for "social equality".  Unfortunately, the result of such a quest has always been the making of everyone equally miserable. Everyone except the leadership, of course. 

To speak one's mind in disagreement with any aspect of Castro's regime - to say nothing of outright opposition, even if only by speech or writing - was to risk imprisonment or worse, with sanctions upon one's innocent family as well. 

(Once a few years ago - during the Administration of George W. Bush - we met a young man from Sweden who called the United States a "proto-fascist regime". In response, we asked him to accompany me to the White House. There, we walked up to a Secret Service policeman and told him to observe carefully what we were about to do. Then we faced the White House and flipped it the bird, Italian style (forearm slammed into the crook of the arm for emphasis). Then we asked the SS guy if he was going to arrest me. He shrugged and said: "Why? That's your right."  Then we asked the young Swede if he could do what we had just done in his country. He was stunned. But we digress...)

The cheering and the celebration among the ex-pat Cubans is therefore understandable. But the situation in North Korea remains just as miserable as it was under Kim Il-Sung, and arguably became worse under his son Kim Jong-Il, and is no better under Kim Whatzizname, the present leader. 

Similarly, Cuba remains a Communist dictatorship under the rule of Fidel Castro's brother Raul. It's the same old dynasty of despots as North Korea. 

Kim, Kim, Kim; Castro, Castro, Castro.

Same-o same-o same-o.