Friday, February 22, 2008

In the news

After almost 50 years in power, Fidel Castro, 81, has stepped down as President of Cuba. Commenting on this news, US President George W. Bush expressed his hopes that Cuba will make a transition towards democracy.

"Eventually, this transition ought to lead to free and fair elections -- and I mean free, and I mean fair -- not these kind of staged elections that the Castro brothers try to foist off as true democracy," Bush said.

Given the controversial circumstances in which George W. Bush was first elected in 2000, with allegations of electoral fraud and irregularities in the state of Florida, where a handful of disputed votes determined the outcome of the election and gave Bush the Presidency, I couldn't help but note the irony in this statement.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Aren't pots and kettles wonderful? Fancy Bush having the hide to lecture on free and fair elections after what happened in Florida in 2000 and for what happened in 2004 go here: http://www.safecom.org.au/us2004election.htm

I don't think the USA knows how to run elections. And I hope Australia never throws away the pen and paper approach except for the visually impaired.

Blessings and bliss

Ross said...

I didn't know that Kerry got dudded as well as Gore. That report was disturbing reading.

For what it's worth, if Cuba becomes a democracy, I hope it does so on its own terms, free of outside influence, if you know what I mean.

Glen O'Brien said...

There is a very interesting look at Castro's Cuba in Michale Moore's doco Sicko. Make sure you check out the delewted scene n "Freedom of Religion."

Glen O'Brien said...

Hey I just invented a new word "delewted." It's like "deleted" but with a funny accent.

Ross said...

Michael Moore isn't known for his impartiality, but I'll have to check Sicko out. I'm not a big fan of medically-themed TV or cinema, but will make an exception in this case.