http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2...7/122323.shtml
London Mayor to Celebrate Castro

London's mayor Ken Livingstone, who calls President George W. Bush "the greatest threat to life on this planet,? wants to celebrate Cuba's communist revolution by inviting Cuban dictator Fidel Castro to visit his city.



The visit would take place on the 50th anniversary of Castro?s return to Cuba to launch the guerrilla war that led to his communist takeover in 1959.

http://hurryupharry.bloghouse.net/ar...red_guests.php

March 02, 2005


Livingstone's honored guests



Mayor Ken Livingstone writes to The Guardian:

In order for me to perform a U-turn on inviting Fidel Castro to London (Diary, March 1), I would first have had to invite him. Of course, if Castro came to London he would be an honoured guest.

Regular readers of Harry's Place will recall Livingstone's "honoured guest" of last summer. Would it disturb Castro to be placed in the same category as a homophobic, anti-Jewish, misogynistic defender of suicide murderers? Given Sheikh Qaradawi's anti-American credentials, my guess is that it wouldn't.

Does Livingstone ever welcome democrats as honored guests to London? If he does, I would be pleased to hear about it, and to acknowledge it.

http://www.london.gov.uk/view_press_...?releaseid=127

Ken welcomes Mayor of Havana
16-3-2001 105


Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, met his Cuban counterpart Conrado Martinez Corono, Mayor of Havana this week.

Mayor Martinez Corono dropped into see Mr Livingstone as part of a visit to the UK during which he will formalise Havana's relationship with the city of Glasgow.

During the meeting, Mr Livingstone told Mayor Corono: 'I want to make it clear that I fully support the UN call for the United States' illegal blockade of Cuba to be lifted. I am concerned that the election of a new President will mean a hardening of the US position on Cuba and I will do everything I can to oppose the blockade.'

Mr Oscar de los Reyes, representative of the Cuban embassy in London, invited Mr Livingstone to visit Cuba and the mayor responded positively, indicating that he would like to visit Havana during his mayoral term.

Ends

nop its clear you have never been to Cuba.
Maybe they are not as much developed country but 99% of Cubans love their life style.They are naturaly fucking lazy people + they drink pretty much.

Thats typical US way of thinking - you are different so you must be some kind of shit.
Iraq is 1 example
those people are different and beleive in different faith.Who you think gives a fuck about your Mcdonalds ,sundays bbq , propaganda , fake freedom and low educated nation?90% of population in US are idiots unable to think and decide themselfs.Wake up man - the rest of the planet feels no respect for the quality of US nation.Its just you and only you who think that US are the # 1 :pimp

http://www.poptel.org.uk/scgn/articles/0411/p6a.htm

New alliances to create a better world
By Ken Livingstone
The European Social Forum has provided an opportunity for over 20,000 people to exchange ideas and views, to learn and to discuss how to campaign for global social justice. We must debate how to democratise the world, so that we can tackle the obscene and growing concentration of power and wealth.

This struggle has taken longer than I thought when I became politically active in 1968. Every day my generation felt the world was on the point of transformation as we marched and saw the prospect of ending the war in Vietnam, the struggle to create socialism with a human face in Czechoslovakia and the challenge to de Gaulle?s regime in France. Since then, the situation has been rolled back. We did not understand what a long haul will be required to transform society and the world.

The European and World Social Forums arose in a difficult world situation. The collapse of the Soviet Union, whatever disagreements people may have had about its structure, represented a defeat for the vast majority of people across the world. It allowed capitalism to advance dramatically. It allowed a gross and excessive increase in the inequalities of wealth. In London inequality in wealth has doubled in the last 20 years. We have seen the erosion of pensions and other fundamentals of the welfare state. Yet people are increasingly fighting back ? the tide is beginning to turn.

There are a number of reasons that the US launched war against Iraq ? not only that US corporations wanted control of Iraq?s oil. Saddam Huss-ein?s government took a decision shortly before the war that the sale of Iraqi oil would no longer be in dollars, but would switch to euros. The determination to keep the dollar as the predominant global currency, in order to gain huge advantage for US capitalism is an issue that drives all US administrations. Britain played exactly the same game in its century of global domination, forcing all transactions to be through the pound, with every transaction helping to sustain and reinforce its global dominance. That was a further reason why the US was so determined to remove Saddam.

Every previous attempt to challenge the dominance of the dollar has failed.
However, within decades, there will be a decisive challenge to the dollar. This will be when the Chinese economy, already the second largest in the world, emerges as the largest economy, and questions why it should trade in dollars and prop up the current structure to the benefit of the United States. That will be a most dangerous time for the world. And the majority of the world?s population will have an interest in defeating a financial system that enslaves hundreds of millions of people.
Alliances needed
New alliances are needed at this time. When US imperialism moved against President Chavez?s government in Venezuela, it was important to support Chavez. A similar response will be necessary if the US tries to challenge Lula?s administration in Brazil. Wherever there is such a challenge by the United States, whether we have disagreements on the exact nature of the regime, we have to stand together. That is what the European and World Social Forums can represent at their best ? mobilising pressure to defend those threatened by US imperialism, the World Bank and the IMF.

I was very proud to welcome Aleida Guevara, the daughter of Che to London from Cuba during the ESF. There is no greater example in the world than Cuba of what can be done in the most difficult circumstances to create an alternative society on the very doorstep of the United States. Cuba has successfully resisted the pressure of the US for almost 50 years. It could not have done that without the support and mobilisation of its people. The Cuban revolution has meant that in a far poorer country there is a higher level of literacy and better healthcare in Cuba than there is in the US. It is an example of all that is possible as an alternative way of organising society.

Debate change
For all the talk of creating new structures and the ?third way?, every human society in history has had the same fault line running through it. In every society, there has been the struggle of those that do not have wealth and power against those that do.

It is important to consider whether each stand we take, as politicians, trade unionists or activists, moves us closer to challenging inequalities or pushes us back. I am proud that I can be both Mayor of London and on the side of the people who fight for change.

Thanks for posting that. So I know Livingstone is fucking idiot now.

no - you are - and typical.

This is socialism not communism.

Another dipshit, I see.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...442419,00.html

The Sunday Times - Britain



January 16, 2005

Ken asks Castro to visit London



KEN LIVINGSTONE, the mayor of London, is planning to celebrate the Cuban revolution by inviting Fidel Castro to the capital, writes Andrew Porter.
Livingstone is a great admirer of Cuba and has written in praise of its health and education systems, which he compares favourably to those of the United States.



He outlined his plans to celebrate the Cuban revolution to union officials last week. An aide of Livingstone?s then revealed that the mayor intends to invite the 78-year-old Cuban leader. Next year is the 50th anniversary of Castro?s return to Cuba to begin the long guerrilla war that led to the 1959 revolution.

An invitation could create another headache for Tony Blair, who is expected to call a general election in May. It will also open Livingstone, who was readmitted to the Labour party last January, to criticism that he is returning to his ?loony left? days as leader of the Greater London Council as ?Red Ken?.

One source who attended the meeting at which Castro was discussed said: ?It was like being back in the 1980s. I?m sure the London taxpayer is not going to be too happy about funding this sort of pathetic jamboree.?

Castro has been in poor health after a televised fall in October that shattered his kneecap. But just before Christmas he made his first public appearance dressed in his customary green suit.

He has been a thorn in the side of the Americans, something that pleases Livingstone, who describes President George W Bush as ?the greatest threat to life on this planet?.

Good to see democracy in action. If you do not agree with this person then your a dipshit.

Have you noticed that you've been saying that you want to go to Cuba to take advantage of all the free education and health care? I don't see you saying that you want to go there to work for improving the country, it sounds to me like you just want all the free stuff you can get.

and since when does someone have to work long hours in a coal mine in order to be meritocratic? You seem to have a slim view of what meritocracy is.

and when did I ever say that people in Cuba "do not earn it"? I suggested that YOU wouldn't earn it because all you talk about is the free stuff you can get. Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!

If you had made threads stating that you wanted to go to Cuba to contribute to the country, you might get respect. Instead, you made threads where you've said you want to go to Cuba because you can get a home, education, and health care provided for you.

hard to face the truth right :pimp
don't think twice - its ok and you will never need to change your way of life and thinking.You will die absolutely clueless .....happy you

he/she just confirmed what I said - exactly what said :1orglaugh
I love those US people

So what you're saying is you'd rather give up on life and not have to try to get ahead. Not have to work to get more for yourself and your family.

What you're saying is that you, like every other communist in the world, are a bum.

look I also prefer capitalism but I think he is trying to say that those people are ok with their lives.
I think eskymos are also happy to sleep on the snow - and I am sure they would never change it for living in the desert.

Did I say that?

I thought I said I wanted better health and education. I thought I say I wanted to improve by getting a phd in a subject.

What an odd thing to say!!!

In fact, I find Cuba has more to offer me - to live.

I live in the UK, I see heath care getting worse. I see the police do nothing but arrest old ladies for feeding birds and do not come out if children are setting fire to cars.

I will not comment on the USA as I do not live there, so its not fair for me to do so.

But I went to university to improve myself. But now I find that people are no happier working if they earn min wage or earning big money in a big firm.

Yes you are right, many Cubans are having fun all day on the beach. So what?

On one argument you say Cubans are living in misery, then you say they are having too much fun. Make up your minds.

For those who think Cuba is wrong, answer me these questions:

1. Do you believe Cuba has a poor health system (even thought the UN and others say its one of the best) and its free?

2. Do you not think that Cubans have great education?

3. Do you believe Castro does not love his people. Do you believe that everything he has done has not been to improve there lives?

Does it not scare you in fact to think that for years you have been fed the bull shit crap that the Cuban system does not work? In fact if you even thought that the Cuban system could work (and clearly it does), does that mean you have lived a lie. Its a scary thought.

Nope, I never said that. That was someone else.

Cuba is a prison country. It`s cool when you are tourist but very uncool when you are citizen

Ive been to Cuba. Its fucking great for a holliday. Ive also been to the states, also great for a holliday.

When we was in the states we left where the tourist areas were and it was still great, infact better out of the tourist areas.

When we was in Cuba we decided to get out of the tourist area and do some traveling. Two things to mention. 1. The Cubans are great people. But 2nd, while we was traveling outside the Cuban tourist areas it was like being in a third world country. We went into a shop to try and get some food as finding any sort of places to eat in small villages is actually very hard. I went into this one shop, they had one shoe on the shelf. Thats all they had, one shoe not even a pair on sale.

The moral is, I'll take paying for health care and having two shoes any day over Cuba.... But like I say great for a holliday

It was probably a healthy and educated shoe though. :winkwink:

Never heard of a film being banned here. Are you sure you got your facts straight?

Poor Cuba, trains US Doctors.

June 2000, when a group from the Congressional Black Caucus visited Cuban president Fidel Castro. Representative Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) described huge areas in his district where there were no doctors, and Castro responded with an offer of full scholarships for U.S. citizens to study at ELAM. Later that year, Castro spoke at the Riverside Church in New York, reiterating the offer and committing 500 slots to U.S. students who would pledge to practice in poor U.S. communities.

http://academic.udayton.edu/health/0...roviders01.htm

I don't know who I would kill first........Castro or Oliver Stone.

1. Do you believe Cuba has a poor health system (even thought the UN and others say its one of the best) and its free?

I would say that Cuba's health care system sucks since they cannot even obtain modern medical equipment.

I haven't seen the documentary yet but I'm hoping to see it soon...

Project_Naugty - Have you attempted to make a single valid point in this thread, or do you think being childish and calling people names makes you look intelligent?

Cuba is a beautiful country, the people are some of the friendliest there are, tourists are welcomed and treated like kings (and queens). Castro has in his hands a shining example of a communist country that truely lives up to the communist ideals. Not only do the people of Cuba think Castro is a great man, they seem to be a very happy people, as well.

Er, now call me a dipshit, Project_Naughty, because I clearly have no idea what I'm talking about. Right?

You're a fucking idiot.

Not only that but you're an ignorant fucking idiot.

:1orglaugh

That's a load of shit. The ones who float to FLA every year are the greedy ones or the ones (anti-Castro) who the Cuban gov't are after.

I spend a lot of time in Cuba and can tell you first hand that most Cubans LOVE CUBA and would not leave if given the chance. They are proud of their country and realize they are in a tough spot, but they love Cuba just the same.

Go there and see for yourself. Poverty? yes. Misery? some of them. But would they ALL pack up and leave if given the chance... no way. They just want a little better life and access to the same things and comfort we have.

Cuba is not North Korea where they all live in slave labor camps.

Say what you will about Castro. That man is a genius. A stubborn fucker, but a genius. Do your homework on him and find out why the US really put an embargo against Cuba. The US feared him and his gaining popularity among Latin America. He became a threat to our national security (so they say) so they shut him out and tried to assassinate him several times.

I have studied Fidel Castro (and Che Guevara) in great detail and find him an amazing person. If given the dream chance to meet one person.... it would be him. While I do not agree with everything he does, his ideas are indeed revolutionary.

I'm European actually, and it's dipshits like you and AllanUK who give Europeans a bad name.
Dumb fucking 17 year olds. Go get an education.

Amen to that!!

as a side note, cuba is damn good at sports!!!

never even heard of this before, will definately check it out now!

How do you know

Americans are prohibited from travelling to Cuba. You went? You are a terrorist then :1orglaugh :1orglaugh

True. They host Gantanamo ...

Oh shit, American runned!

one word .... scarface

http://www.resistance.org.au/resrev/people01/che15.jpg
Viva la Revolucion !!!!

http://web.amnesty.org/report2005/cub-summary-eng

Aside from that, communism equals slavery.

sounds like a interesting film to see