Castro still a symbol

Friday, December 1, 2006
Castro still a symbol
Deseret Morning News editorial

No matter who runs the nations of Latin American, it seems irony always
rules. The latest issue involves the ailing, 80-year-old Fidel Castro of
Cuba. For almost 50 years he has worked to kindle Communist revolution
in Latin America. The ill-fated venture of Che Guevara in Bolivia in the
1960s and the hapless skirmishes between leftists and the government in
Guatemala, El Salvador and Peru come to mind.

Now, when Castro is too worn out to create mischief, Latin America is
tilting his way by itself. Ecuador and Nicaragua are the latest
countries to adopt a Socialist agenda. And leaders like Daniel Ortega of
Nicaragua, Evo Morales of Bolivia and Hugo Chavez of Venezuela are vying
to become the "new Fidel."

Meanwhile, since there is no Soviet Bloc behind such adventures, the
United States remains blissfully unconcerned. And the country may one
day have to pay for its nonchalance.

The problem isn't that half-a-dozen countries in Latin America are
tilting left, the problem is that in each case, the liberal leanings are
coupled with complete disdain for the United States and all it stands
for. That defiance, in some cases, may be justified, but it also makes
it more difficult for the people in impoverished nations to benefit from
the free-market ideas and capital generated by American businesses. And
that hampers progress and growth there and curtails the most effective
weapon the United States has in fighting flawed political systems — the
amazing American economic machine that creates goods, jobs and
prosperity better than any economic engine in history. Instead of
boarding that big locomotive, Latin American leaders are saying, "No
thanks, we'd rather walk." The history of Cuba teaches, however, that it
will be a stroll to nowhere. Today, Cuba has to import even tobacco for
its famous cigars.

For many in Latin America, Fidel Castro — in his beard and impeccably
tailored fatigues — remains a symbol of proletariat power. Meanwhile,
his nation remains a symbol of what happens when a failed ideology
doesn't adjust to economic realities.

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650211388,00.html