It has taken nearly 52 years but everything does come with time after all.
In a recent interview, Fidel Castro admitted the Cuban "model" does not work.
When asked about it, he went so far as to say the Cuban "model" does not even work for Cuba.

Wow.
Go figure.
Oppression and persecution for differing beliefs.
Lack of freedoms.
Lack of religion.
Lack of right to own property.
Lack of free and open competition.
Lack of ability for your people to travel abroad freely.
Lack of electricity.
Lack of food.
Lack of gas to fuel cars.
Lack of modern equipment to cultivate the land.

Who would have thought any of those wonderful things would not work.
Hey, they do have free health care, although they we can add to the above list: Lack of medication.:-)
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The old man must be seriously ill. Guess he figures it ain't his problem any more.
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He needs to start smoking again!
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Who would have thought. Thats hilarious.
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Hopefully it'll all crumble beneath him soon enough...

Now, what I think would be a great thing is once it is open to US tourism, and some semblance of free trade/ownership is established is if some US hotels went in and restored some of the truly classic places in Havana. THAT would be a beautiful sight! And I would do what I can to get down there to see it.
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Fidel and Raul keep saying these things, but also saying that, while they intend to implement extensive "reforms", they refuse to move from the basis of the system. So... you're well aware that the system doesn't work for you, but you're going to keep it, anyway? How is this the way forward?! :-)
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Link to the story?
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"Restored" them to foreign investors having their way with the island's resources? Castro blew it big time, but he had a point about that, IMO.
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The system works for Fidel and Raul.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYqF_BtIwAU
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Ok, but it still leaves the question why they would publicly announce that it "doesn't work" and yet also remain determined not to change it. If they don't want to change it because they're benefiting from it, why announce that it's busted?
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http://usat.me?111634
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It’s going to take some doing to allow changes and reforms yet ensuring the regime can stay in power. Staying in power is what it is all about. Castro’s would allow anarchy if they could guarantee the same hierarchy of power. Like them or not, very few leaders in the 20th century have been as successful in maintaining power. Power always comes at price.

I think we’ll see reforms, but the right to own land won’t be one of them.
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Well, they just flat out need serious foreign investment right now, and to get it, they've got to make some big concessions (in multiple senses of the word, perhaps). How they can pull this off while maintaining control and effective governmental status quo will be an interesting magic trick/flaming trainwreck to witness.
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Carlos, you mean that the Disney Animatronic puppet, courtesy of the Imagineers, as a present to Cuba, was programmed to say that.

He has been dead for years.


You think that the Disney "cruise ships" are a completely above board endeavor? You think that their itineraries happen to be just south of Miami on "coincidence"?
Frog teams, minisubs, supercomputers, alien programming languages, Aliens, Bilderberg!


Perhaps I have said too much, I must take my leave now.
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You're either onto something, or on something...:-)
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I've met Pete, and I KNOW he's on something...I just can't figure out what. :-):-):-)
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:-)

Thanks to Pete, I have now met yet one more saint.
(my wife and his).
:-)
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