Castro's Reading List

As Fidel Castro turns power over to his younger brother Raul (the Ozzie Canseco of totalitarianism), questions abound: Did Castro resign to have more time with his families? So he could travel outside his open-air island prison a bit more easily? So he could have more time to catch up on his reading?

The Competitive Enterprise Institute's Ivan Osorio presents this picture and asks: "For nearly all of the Castro era, analyzing Cuban politics has involved Kremlinology-style reading of tea leaves. So I wonder what seasoned Cuba watchers will make of this photo?"

If his Greenspan jones keeps going, who knows, maybe next on his nightstand is Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal?

More here.

reason on Castro and Cuba here.

Comments

Abdul | February 20, 2008, 8:37am | #

Whoever gave the book to him didn't even peel off the "30% off" sticker. I thought that when Castro stamped out class in Cuba, he was only talking about economic class.

Taktix® | February 20, 2008, 9:02am | #

People's discount?

jmr | February 20, 2008, 9:07am | #

The interesting thing to me was reading that Fidel was an avid reader of the Miami Herald during the period when I was the Chairman of the Dade County LP. In that era, I wrote an article for the Miami Herald which was mainly about US ballot access laws, but which mentioned Cuba.

In the article, I publicly suggested to Fidel that he split Cuba's communist party in halves. A "tax & spend welfare-state" half and a "borrow & spend warfare-state" half could effectively fill all roles currently filled in Cuba by the Communist Party. Then Fidel could enact an exact Spanish translation of Florida's ballot laws and say "trade with us!" while claiming to have enacted "democracy" when all he'd have done is trade a monopoly he controlled for a duopoly he controlled. Needless to say, the Democrat and Republican friends I caricatured weren't pleased with my words, but aside from their displeasure I saw few arguments...And sadly, Fidel wasn't enough of a humorist to enact my idea and REALLY skewer the hypocrites.
JMR

LarryA | February 20, 2008, 10:00am | #

What is so startling about Castro reading Greenspan? They were both old men with unlimited power.

R C Dean | February 20, 2008, 10:24am | #

The question is "what's he saying about the book."?

That he knows all about free market/"disaster capitalism" and will never allow it in Cuba?

Colin | February 20, 2008, 11:04am | #

Someone should send him the Road to Serfdom, but I guess it's a little too late.

Cesar | February 20, 2008, 11:31am | #

At least hes not reading Naomi Klein.

Gahan | February 20, 2008, 11:36am | #

The bonfire is just outside the frame.

R C Dean | February 20, 2008, 12:04pm | #

Someone should send him the Road to Serfdom, but I guess it's a little too late.

In some ways, Castro wrote the book on "the road to serfdom."

tk | February 20, 2008, 1:04pm | #

That looks like a pretty heavy, big hardcover book.
Maybe he was just going to use it to squash some dissident's balls.

Paul | February 20, 2008, 2:59pm | #

Gahan beat me to it.

He found that book on one of his staff members who's out of frame but being shot by firing squad.

Graphite | February 20, 2008, 8:08pm | #

Greenspan's career had a lot more in common with Cuba-style central planning than the laissez-faire capitalism he used to praise before selling his soul for tickets to Washington DC cocktail parties.