George Rebane

Socialists and communists the world over are overjoyed with America taking a major step in their direction, and away from individual liberty and free markets.   Our ‘Shining City on a Hill’ has been the perennial burr under the blanket for collectivist states ranging over the entire authoritarian spectrum from the EU to North Korea.  Their citizens always compared their own countries to America and, of course, found them wanting.  This requires their dear leaders and ruling elites to keep up a constant propaganda barrage that says ‘no no, they’re a lot worse off than they look from a distance’ to defend their failures at governance.  Meanwhile, their populations keep agitating for a better life, and many risk their all in their attempts to copy or come.

Yesterday, communist Cuba’s iconic revolutionary and founder, Fidel Castro, was able to slip a congratulatory message to Obama and the Democrats into his usual harangue against the US.  At bedtime last night AP reported – 

“We consider health reform to have been an important battle and a success of his [Obama’s] government,” Castro wrote in an essay published in state media, adding that it would strengthen the president’s hand against lobbyists and “mercenaries.”

Of course, our local socialists have been pointing to Cuba’s nationalized healthcare for years as part of their message that communism isn’t all that bad, and we should at least start putting our toe into the water.  So you can imagine the joy worldwide, now that we too have jumped ass deep into this collectivist swamp.  ‘They’re starting to turn out the lights in the Shining City, and soon they’ll be like us.’