Of exploding cigars...

Fidel Castro resigned as the head of state of Cuba today. He is succeeded by his brother, Raúl. Castro had led Cuba since the 1959 revolution. I'm going to be very honest here: somehow, I subconsciously believed that he would be in charge of Cuba forever. I knew, of course, that such a thing wasn't possible, but change just seemed so unlikely. My parents can barely remember the idea of Cuba before Castro; they were six years old at the time of the revolution. Residents of Washington, DC, still had not ever been eligible to vote in a presidential election. For God's sakes, Eisenhower was president. And now he has resigned. This opens up a world of possibilities.

American politicians could, at this point, end the embargo without losing face. Or, the next president could do so when he or she gets into office next year. 'Socialism' is gone, except in North Korea, where life REALLY sucks. (China totally doesn't count. They are a capitalist dictatorship with an extremely powerful and corrupt government. C'mon now.)

I have had a lifelong desire to see Cuba, perhaps because it was the only place, to my knowledge, to which I was always completely forbidden to go. I want to go before it is overrun with American tourists and transnational corporations. Many Americans probably want to go. I wonder how that would change both Cuba and the Americans.

I also wonder, if we lift the embargo, will Americans feel differently about Guantánamo? Will being able to go so close to it make us feel more responsible? Will it make us wonder what on earth we need a military base there for anymore anyway?