The Realities of Cuba Today

Senator Bob (D-NJ) Menendez on ‘The Realities of Cuba Today.

My Take on Castro’s Resignation

It may, initially, appear to be nothing; however, totalitarian regimes (which Cuba certainly is), have a terrible tendency of running into severe leadership and state issues when power changes hands from the original charismatic founder of the movement. 

As we saw with Russia after Stalin, and China after Mao, reformers within the single party begin to advocate ‘reforms’. From these reforms, dissident movements are empowered, and trouble arises from within the party structure. These were different pathways that took those two totalitarian regimes to where they are now (with capitalism injected within the veins of modern Russia and China, and their peoples continued cultivation of the democratic ideas of liberties and rights).

It may, initially, be nothing. Heck, we’re not going to see anything change tomorrow. However, the removal of his rule, with the obvious charisma his brother lacked, and his brothers ambitions to initiate reforms, can be interpreted as a sign that change, however gradual, will come. Change in these totalitarian systems are dangerous for the totalitarian entity. Their top-down power structure is forced to carry much weight, and continuous cracks in their system leads to their eventual toppling. The first stage is the removal of that first leader.