Castro

Fidel Castro is ill and has stepped down, temporarily, to have surgery for intestinal bleeding. The worlds media is jumping at the chance to get a headline that doesn't mention the Middle East. To be honest, apart from a group of people living in Miami and a bunch of old CIA people with long memories in Washington does anyone really, genuinely care what happens to Castro?

This is basically just an old family feud with one set of cousins not talking to another set because of some argument they had 40 years ago and which is now of no relevance. Vladimir Putin isn't going to suddenly decide it would be a great idea to put some nuclear missiles on Cuba and even Bush isn't going to decide that it would be a good idea to invade Cuba. The island is a hang over from another era, like an old cassette tape player in your wardrobe, or beta-max video player in your attic. Gathering dust but not getting in your way. Sure the Cuban regime has been accused of human rights abuses and Cuba is not a democratic country, but there is a long list of countries that the same could be said about and who have a bigger influence on world affairs (most of the Middle East for starters).

So Fidel goes to hospital, maybe he dies this year, maybe he dies next year, maybe he dies in 10 years. Really it will have no impact on the world stage, except maybe allow to Americans to buy some cigars at lower prices.