Cheat Sheet

In some of his weekly "Reflections" for the official Cuban media, Fidel Castro, who passed the presidency over to his brother Raul earlier this year, had recently expressed his preference for Barack Obama over John McCain. He had even expressed sympathy for his daughters before the elections. Yesterday, however, El Comandante was more skeptical about the new administration. "Many seem to dream that after a simple change of leadership in the empire, [the United States] would be more tolerant and less hostile. Apparently, contempt for the incumbent ruler makes some entertain illusions about a probable change in the system," he writes. Castro adds, "It would be extremely naïve to believe that the good will of a smart person could change what is the result of centuries of selfishness and vested interests."