Ask anyone who attended college in Cuba about preparacion militar (military readiness) They will tell you a lot about the militarization of society. Curiously enough, this is just another trait shared with Nazi Germany....

A cuban friend told me that they taught him how to shoot and keep working an AK-47 in school, when he was only 8 years old, so those pictures must be the normal thing, the strange would be if they were not taught how to shoot.

Not at such an early age K-2, it starts from the last year of high school on (not all high schools), unless you go to the Camilitos, a military high school. Kids are taught the classical duck and cover of the Cold War and how to take leadership in situation of chaos. My prediction is, all those skills are going to be used to fight against cagastro, that militarization of society will bite him so badly on his hairy sagging ass that his screams are going to be heard on the Moon.
Military preparation at college level equals to the basic training of the American GIs and then it become much more specialized after that, when you graduate from college you are a lieutenant or a first lieutenant, depending on your evaluations.
There are the MTT (milicias de tropas territoriales) which are paramilitary units in wich people have to sign on from 14 years and on MANDATORILY. Then military service, etc.... Also, the Armed Forces are very well structured. I think that there are many officers and soldiers that are basically waiting for the right conditions to act. Not as easy as it seems, though...

And you can visit them and they'll be friendly and warm and hospitable and listen to all your tales of freedom and liberty, but when you leave, they have to stay, and they have to survive, and the only way to survive in Cuba if you're Cuban, is to follow the bearded shepherd.

You're right. But on the other hand, if one isolates completely the island, isn't one also isolating the dissidence? The embargo policy tries to starve the beast, but overlloks that more fregile and vulnerable than the communist State is the people who also get isolated by the embargo.

Years ago I visited Cuba for the first time to meet my grandmother and other relatives that were dying to meet me since I had left Cuba at the age of 2. One of my uncles who now lives here in the US was driving us on a tour to Vinyalles and Pinar del Rio to visit some relatives. While we were driving towards Vinyalles, I saw a group of people running with fake weapons as if they were in the military. They were camouflaged with tree branches and leaves. I thought they were joking around at first because they were all young and older adults. I asked my other uncle who still lives there what they were doing and his response was "getting ready for the attacks against the emperialist yankees" than he laughed and said "you". I was like "are you kidding me"? But he wasn't. He explained that the government brainwashes people into thinking the USA is going to be attacking Cuba one day and they should be ready and prepared. He said that mostly country humble folks actually believe the US is going to attack and that the US Givernment and people here are the reason for their misery. They are basically brainwashed into hating the USA and considering us their potential enemies. Of course, they are very friendly people and will offer you a cuban coffee (even though most of them are very poor) especially if your a relative stopping by for a visit but they do believe what they see on the only two channels they have access to be somewhat possibly true. My uncle said that in the city you are less likely to see the displays like the one I saw but in the country - its seen more often and are more gullible to Fidel's lies.

Look at those godawful shacks and that lumpy wilderness meadow that leads up to the picture of the Pinar del Rio woman with a gun. Those people live in Haiti-style shantytowns.

Potential NRA members, all, in a free Cuba? Because I am convinced one thing which would ensure a future free Cuba remaining free would be ensuring there is a "2nd Amendment" to the Cuban Constitution, reading, very simply:

"The right of the people to keep and bear arms for lawful purposes, including their personal defense, and the defense of the nation, shall not be restricted or infringed in any way. This shall be an INDIVIDUAL and not a COLLECTIVE right."

Just an idle question that popped into my head - were US troops to go in, how many would fight back, how many would stand back and watch, how many would point to castro's palace and say "he's that way"?

I imagine most of the populace would be in the watch category, I'm mostly thinking about those in uniform.

That's under the assumption we did it right, that we sent a serious enough force that the Cuban people knew without a doubt we meant business.

DAMN, DAMN, DAMN

First, I tried to register and write a comment to Jake's BS at Slate, but after filling out forms, and then having to read and initial reams of crap, it wasn't worth going forward with any longer. Jeeeezzzz. And here I registered "screwcastro@passport.com" and wanted to use it!

Then I write one here, and after I finish and begin to preview it, it vanishes. It just "ain't" my night I guess.
I suggest that Jake buy a condo in one of those lovely decaying buildings from Castro. He can retire there, the ass.
The solution to the hunger problem in right there in Cuba, nationalize all those Canadian-built hotels and allow Cubans to move into the rooms, where everything works. Move the tourists, such as Jake, into the lovely decaying old buildings. Then, Castro should decree that the Cuban pesos are equal to a dollar, personally use his own fortune to back the peso, and let the Cubans shop in the Tourist Zone, peso/dollar stores. In one day Cubans can have sufficient food and living to have a Paradise on earth.
Let the Black-bearded pirate of the Caribbean return to the people what he stole from them. Better yet, when those big public marches take place, let them march into the Tourist Zone and take it! Once started, nothing will stop them!

There's an interesting idea, sell tour packages to the hollyweird crowd promoting genuine Cuban living. They live in a regular Cuban home, locally buy and cook their own food, use regular Cuban medical care if needed - and the best part is you could charge them for a two week non-refundable package and they'd all quit and leave within 24 hours.

I do believe that is a pellet gun.