Is Fidel on the roof?
There's a very old joke that just may apply to the current situation in Cuba.
A man goes on vacation and asks a friend to take care of his cat. The man calls a few days later to ask about he cat and the friend blurts out, "the cat is dead." The man is shocked and after composing himself, tells his friend that he could have handled the situation a little more tactfully.
"How should I have handled it?" asks the friend. "Well," the man says, "the first time I called, you could have said that the cat's on the roof and we're trying to get him down. At the next call, you could have said that we got the cat down, but he has a cold. Then tell me that the cold is worse, but the vet is working on him. Then finally tell me that they did everything they could, but the cat has died."
"Oh, I see," the friend says. "Sorry I didn't handle the situation very well."
"That's OK," says the man. "You're a good friend for volunteering to take care of the cat for me while I'm out of town. By the way, have you heard from my mother?"
"Well," the friend says after a pause, "your mother's on the roof and we're trying to get her down."
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How might this oldie-but-goodie apply to the ailing Fidel and the workers' paradise 90 miles to our south? Other than a flotilla of US Navy transports landing on their beaches, nothing would throw a scare into the ruling junta more than Fidel's sudden death. The reaction of Cuba's prisoners...er, populace would be difficult to predict. Far better to break it to them slowly, letting them absorb the reality of what they've been dreaming of for 47 years - life without their beloved dictator.
Instead, Raul and his fellow thugs are likely rounding up the generals and consolidating their control to make sure that there are no surprises when the news breaks. The planning has probably gone on for years amid hopes that el jefe doesn't simply crap out at the podium during a five hour stem-winder and has the good grace to die in private where the process can be controlled.
I'll bet you a milkshake Castro's never seen alive again.
A man goes on vacation and asks a friend to take care of his cat. The man calls a few days later to ask about he cat and the friend blurts out, "the cat is dead." The man is shocked and after composing himself, tells his friend that he could have handled the situation a little more tactfully.
"How should I have handled it?" asks the friend. "Well," the man says, "the first time I called, you could have said that the cat's on the roof and we're trying to get him down. At the next call, you could have said that we got the cat down, but he has a cold. Then tell me that the cold is worse, but the vet is working on him. Then finally tell me that they did everything they could, but the cat has died."
"Oh, I see," the friend says. "Sorry I didn't handle the situation very well."
"That's OK," says the man. "You're a good friend for volunteering to take care of the cat for me while I'm out of town. By the way, have you heard from my mother?"
"Well," the friend says after a pause, "your mother's on the roof and we're trying to get her down."
How might this oldie-but-goodie apply to the ailing Fidel and the workers' paradise 90 miles to our south? Other than a flotilla of US Navy transports landing on their beaches, nothing would throw a scare into the ruling junta more than Fidel's sudden death. The reaction of Cuba's prisoners...er, populace would be difficult to predict. Far better to break it to them slowly, letting them absorb the reality of what they've been dreaming of for 47 years - life without their beloved dictator.
Instead, Raul and his fellow thugs are likely rounding up the generals and consolidating their control to make sure that there are no surprises when the news breaks. The planning has probably gone on for years amid hopes that el jefe doesn't simply crap out at the podium during a five hour stem-winder and has the good grace to die in private where the process can be controlled.
I'll bet you a milkshake Castro's never seen alive again.
posted by 3yellowdogs @ 8/03/2006 12:50:00 PM
2 Comments:
At 1:19 PM,
Peter Brown said…
I'm not sure it will make much difference. The trouble is the people. They don't seem to have to resolve to do anything about their situation.
Even the Chinese had to squash a rebelion, but I can't recall any uprising in Cuba. Just the ocassional fleeing, and we ship them back! Who knows.
Either way I'd always vote for "Fidel on the roof."
At 3:24 PM,
3yellowdogs said…
You may be right. But don't underestimate the psychological effect of finally being freed from the individual around whom the whole cult of personality has been built.
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