What's The Matter With Willie?

Why is Matt Drudge headlining this photo of Willie Nelson and calling it "The End"?

Oh, wait...

Well, here is more Willie, and a mystery - has anyone ever seen this two together?

We are breaking the big ones here.

CAN'T LET GO:  Timesman James C. McKinley also has some fun with the news of Fidel's resignation:

[Fidel Castro's] record has been a mix of great social achievements, but a dismal economic performance that has mired most Cubans in poverty. He succeeded in establishing universal health care, providing free education through college and largely rooting out racism.

Kidding?  How, exactly did he "largely" root out racism - declare it to be illegal?  Geez, maybe Hillarity could mandate an end to racism in this country while mandating universal health care - there's a twofer!

And I adore the "free" college education - does this education just fall out of the sky like rain?  I'm just guessing that even in a poor country, someone pays for it somehow, through taxes on something.  As to the notion that the Times might recognize this, or somehow associate high taxes with poor economic performance - what am I saying?

Comments

[Other Tom]

Keep in mind, no one has ever seen Barbra Streisand and Harpo Marx together either. There's a very large conspiracy out there.

[Appalled Moderate]

I hear that there is a Harpo Marx LP out there somewhere with no harp music. ("The Hills are Alive With The Sound of Harpo" -- a very rare release on MGM Records)

How is that possible, unless...

[bgates]

Castro doesn't need to levy taxes on people to provide education. At this point, he probably doesn't even need to make the threat of violence explicit. There's no need for taxes to get anyone to follow the will of such a beloved and thoroughly progressive leader.

Which is just as well, since no one in Cuba has any money anyway.

[kim]

Willie would not be the first, rather the second plus, to tell you that nothing is inevitable but death and taxes.
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[Sue]

does this education just fall out of the sky like rain?

Duh...like yeah, as my friend from NZ continually tells me. His healthcare is free. He works. They tax him. But it is free.

[PeterUK]

From the day Fidel sang them,"You Are Always On My Mind" his people loved him.

[Cecil Turner]

"Castro! You bearded fag! I'd like to chase you down the streets of Havana in my F-4!!"

More seriously, perhaps Fidel ought to get credit for instituting a system that, though low-tech, is every bit as effective as Orwell's "Big Brother":

This organization allows the government to spy on every household in the entire country. There is one CDR in every single block of every city.

Perhaps that's one of the great "social achievements" Mr McKinley is so enamored with.

[MayBee]

And I adore the "free" college education - does this education just fall out of the sky like rain?

If everyone in Cuba is as devoted to paying taxes as Willie Nelson is, then yeah.

[Patrick R. Sullivan]

When Castro took over in 1959 Cuba was the richest country in the Caribbean and probably the 4th richest in all Latin America. Now it's one of the poorest.

[capitano]

Hmmm -- I thought maybe Robert Bork....on casual Friday.

[hit and run]

I grew up on Whiskey River and Shotgun Willie.

But you simply cannot beat the verse,

The yellow haired lady
Was buried at sunset
The stranger went free of course
You can't hang a man
For killin a woman
Who's tryin to steal your horse

[glasater]

I really love "Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground". It's the best.

[Dan]

I believe it was Thomas Sowell who noted after the Grenada operation, that the MSM, so attuned to spotting racism in the US, didn't notice that all the Cuban oficers were white, all the non-coms of mixed race and all the privates black.

[Walter]

If I understand the educational system in Cuba, it's not so much that that the costs of education are borne by taxpayers as a whole rather than students.

The evil managers have simply cut costs to the bone--meager salaries below the cost of living, outdated and inferior supplies and textbooks.

I recommend a revolution to force society to value the contributions of every member--not just those who cater to the tourist trade.

Oh, wait... that sounds awfully familiar.

Let me look up how that worked out the last time before anyone acts precipitously on my somewhat rash recomendation.

Oh, and I thought I'd be back around 3/15. Whoops! I've been drafted for the Individual season as well. Freedom rises on 4/15, or will the ordeal last through Aug 15? Only time will tell.

HnR, where are you? ! ? The more returns I do, the more I need death-defying boulder dodging in the wilds.

[hit and run]

Right here comrade!

Did you get my email?

--------------------------
From: [hit and run]
To: [Walter]
Sent: Saturday, February 2, 2008 8:13:53 PM
Subject: There you are!!!
--------------------------

The more returns I do, the more I need death-defying boulder dodging in the wilds.

Well, you better hurry up and get here if you ever hope to do my returns -- and really place yourself in need of death-defying boulder dodging.

[Walter]

Found it!

I'll send some links.

Miss y'all. But at least I'm getting quality time with LACERTE. Either way, I get to spend (too much? not enough?) of my rapidly depreciating youth in front of a computer screen.