President Obama is all class, all the time. Even when certain folks may not deserve it. The debacle of the aftermath of former Cuban leader/dictator Fidel Castro's death showed that more than ever. Our President-Elect, not so much. Deets inside...
President Barack Obama, seen above making Thanksgiving Day phone calls Thursday from the Oval Office to the U.S. troops stationed around the world, has spoken up about the death of Fidel Castro. The former Cuban dictator passed away late last night at the age of 90.
POTUS issued the following statement:
At this time of Fidel Castro’s passing, we extend a hand of friendship to the Cuban people. We know that this moment fills Cubans - in Cuba and in the United States - with powerful emotions, recalling the countless ways in which Fidel Castro altered the course of individual lives, families, and of the Cuban nation. History will record and judge the enormous impact of this singular figure on the people and world around him.
For nearly six decades, the relationship between the United States and Cuba was marked by discord and profound political disagreements. During my presidency, we have worked hard to put the past behind us, pursuing a future in which the relationship between our two countries is defined not by our differences but by the many things that we share as neighbors and friends - bonds of family, culture, commerce, and common humanity. This engagement includes the contributions of Cuban Americans, who have done so much for our country and who care deeply about their loved ones in Cuba.
Today, we offer condolences to Fidel Castro's family, and our thoughts and prayers are with the Cuban people. In the days ahead, they will recall the past and also look to the future. As they do, the Cuban people must know that they have a friend and partner in the United States of America.
Our President elect:
Fidel Castro is dead!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 26, 2016
And his VP-Elect:
The tyrant #Castro is dead. New hope dawns. We will stand with the oppressed Cuban people for a free and democratic Cuba. Viva Cuba Libre!
— Mike Pence (@mike_pence) November 26, 2016
Hmph.
To be fair, the reaction to Castro's death varies across the world. Cubans in Miami are rejoicing as if Bin Laden was killed again while many blacks in America are saluting the works that he did (giving Assata Shakur asylum & helping South Africa to free itself from apartheid) when no one else -- including America -- would. Mainstream America is going so hard tearing him apart for being a dictator and hurting his own citizens that it's almost as if they forget horrific oppression is happening right here in their own country as well. Simultaneously, many South Africans are putting him on the most epic pf pedestals, similar to how they poured their eyes and hearts out after Nelson Mandela died.
It's a mixed legacy indeed. Still, we expect a leader of the free world to...be a leader. So much for that.
BONUS:
Yesterday FLOTUS was spotted receiving the official White House Christmas tree for the last time. She brought along her nephews Austin and Aaron Robinson.
Photos: FameFlynet/Splash