Sorrowful day for peace largely ignored thruout America

 Sorrowful day for peace largely ignored thruout America

The New Start Treaty between Russia and US expires today and America largely yawned. Big story on mainstream news? Faggedaboudit. Ask the person on the street about New Start and he might mutter something about giving disadvantaged kids free comprehensive early childhood education. Wait, wait…that’s Head Start.

Nope, New Start is the 16 year old treaty Obama signed with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on February 8, 2010. It caps the number of nuclear warheads each side can deploy at 1,550 and limits the number of deployed and non-deployed strategic launchers to 800. Still enough for either side to incinerate us all, but prevents a senseless arms race and symbolic of the critical need to reduce nuclear tensions.

But limited US Russian nuclear arsenals go back 54 years as 2010 Russian New Start signer Medvedev reminded us yesterday. “That’s it. For the first time since 1972, Russia (the former USSR) and the US have no treaty limiting strategic nuclear forces. SALT 1, SALT 2, START I, START II, SORT, New START – All in the past, winter is coming.”

President Trump rebuffed Russian President Putin’s offer to extend the limits for another year for sensible diplomacy to negotiate a new treaty.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio used the lame excuse that any new treaty must include China. But with a nuclear arsenal a pittance of the two nuclear giants, China demurred saying any treaty involving China must include US Russian nuclear stockpiles reduced to China’s level. Rubio knew his requirement was a poison pill deal breaker for any new extension of New Start.

Dumping nuclear agreements is nothing new for Trump. He left office in January 20, 2021 ignoring New Start’s eminent expiration. Successor Biden promptly renewed New Start for 5 years, exactly 5 years ago today. This time Trump has succeeded in letting it expire on his watch.

This gives Trump a trifecta in dumping critically needed nuclear agreements. In August 2019 Trump withdrew from the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty that banned all land-based missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 km. . In November 2020, just before leaving office, Trump withdrew from the 2002 Open Skies Treaty which allowed the US and Russia to conduct short-notice, unarmed reconnaissance flights over each other's territory to monitor military activities.

The only positive glimmer to put on Trump’s refusal to extend New Start, even for a measly year to negotiate a long term agreement? Trump has no more nuclear agreements to withdraw from in the last sorrowful 3 years of his second term.

This January the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists moved the Doomsday Clock, symbolic of approaching global catastrophe, to 85 seconds to Midnight, the closest in its 79 year history. With Trump president, the Bulletin might want to quickly reconvene for another gander at our march toward world annihilation. Next January, none of us might around to hear the 2027 announcement.

Walt Zlotow West Suburban Peace Coalition Glen Ellyn IL

DePetris views America’s 66 years of degrading Cuban people largely from America’s perspective, not American imposed Cuban suffering

DePetris views America’s 66 years of degrading Cuban people largely from America’s perspective, not American imposed Cuban suffering

 

The Chicago Tribune’s foreign affairs columnist Daniel DePetris continues to do a disservice educating Tribune readers on America’s illegal, immoral and criminal foreign policies degrading, destroying numerous countries.

 

Case in point is his commentary ‘What kind of deal is the US looking for in Cuba?’

 

For DePetris, it’s all about US foreign policy interests without any mention of their illegality, immorality and criminality.

 

He begins by referencing how America’s murderous Venezuelan policy, killing over 200 in the boat bombings and capture of sitting Venezuelan President Maduro, is a “a force-multiplier for the administration’s Cuba policy, which centers on increasing economic pressure on the island until its aging rulers either wither away or negotiate their own demise. 

 

It may be a “force multiplier”, but it’s in service of another notch on America’s murderous, criminal regime change belt that toppled Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Venezuela regimes and hopefully soon Cuba and Iran regimes. DePetris writes in such neutral, clinical terms that the uneducated have nary a clue of how degrading, indeed murderous, US policy truly is on hundreds of millions worldwide.

Only at the end does DePetris point out “normalizing the U.S.-Cuba relationship would be the most effective and least costly policy proposal on the table.” Most effective and least costly for whom? The United States of course, not the Cuban people who may suffer anther 66 years unless sensible commentators push back. That certainly does not include Daniel DePetris.

 

DePetris inadvertently refutes 66 years of America’s shameful Cuban policy degrading life for its 11 million people by stating the obvious that applies to all aforementioned 5 states regimes America deposed: “Cuba isn’t a real national security threat to the United States anyway, (and)  can’t possibly compete with U.S. primacy”.

 

Sadly, the Chicago Tribune has long ceased editorializing on US foreign policy, the most critical existential issue facing Americans. Instead, the Trib has outsourced foreign affairs to Daniel DePetris, a proponent of US exceptionalism, who will never challenge America’s annual trillion dollar war machine wreaking havoc worldwide.

 

Walt Zlotow  West Suburban Peace Coalition  Glen Ellyn IL 

Trump to Congress: ’I don’t need your stinkin’ approval to fund Israeli genocide in Gaza’

 Trump to Congress: ’I don’t need your stinkin’ approval to fund Israeli genocide in Gaza’

Trump is so anxious to continue funding Israel’s genocide of Palestinians Gaza that he won’t wait for customary congressional approval.
 
He authorized a mammoth weapons tranche of $6.5 billion to Israel which includes:
·          AH-64E Apache Helicopters and related equipment costing $3.8 billion
·         Joint Light Tactical Vehicle and related equipment costing $1.98 billion
·         Armored Personnel Carrier equipment and related logistics support costing $740 million
·         AW119Kx Light Utility Helicopters and related equipment costing $150 million
 
Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), the ranking member of the House oversight committee, blasted Trump’s action.
 “Just one hour ago, the Trump administration informed me it would disregard congressional oversight and years of standing practice, and immediately notify over $6 billion in arms sales to Israel. Shamefully, this is now the second time the Trump administration has blatantly ignored long-standing Congressional prerogatives while also refusing to engage Congress on critical questions about the next steps in Gaza and broader US policy,”
 
Trump has no interest in using our tax dollars to fund decent health care, education, affordable housing, green energy, infrastructure; indeed everything needed to uplift the commons. But like predecessor Biden did when Israeli Prime Minister calls for more genocide weapons, Trump listens…then stands and delivers. 

Walt Zlotow West Suburban Peace Coalition Glen Ellyn IL

Upcoming Trump attack on Iran likely to kill thousands of Americans and Israelis

 Upcoming Trump attack on Iran likely to kill thousands of Americans and Israelis

 

In word and deed President Trump appears on the cusp of attacking Iran to decapitate its regime and destabilize the entire country of 93 million.

 

Trump threatens war and moves massive military might into the region near Iran. Trump did the same thing to Venezuela last September. On January 3, he pulled the trigger, attacking Venezuela, killing a hundred Venezuelans and kidnapping its president to stand trial in the US.  

 

The criminal Venezuelan campaign would be small potatoes should Trump pull the trigger to utterly destroy the Iranian regime, consigning Iran to failed state status.

 

The US and Israel tried and failed to do that during the June Twelve Day War. Trump suckered Iran into complacency by scheduling negotiations, allowing Israel to launch a sneak attack June 13. Tho suffering massive destruction, Iran struck back, firing over 1,500 missiles and drones into Israel. It caused enough damage and chaos that Israel begged Trump to negotiate a ceasefire.

 

Israel and the US tried again last December by using provocateurs to support domestic Iranian government protests. Trump threatened military intervention based on protecting the protesters from death. But when Iran crushed the protests Trump backed down once again.

 

This time it appears Trump may go for broke with all out war. Big mistake. Iran understands, ‘Fool me once shame on Iran.’ This time they’re ready with tens of thousands of missiles and drones widely dispersed and impossible to neutralize.

 

Iran realizes America and Israel’s existential threat to Iran cannot be negotiated away. Any attack will likely inflict thousands of casualties in Israel and to US forces in the region. The US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln may end up in Davy Jones Locker. Iran could shut down the Strait of Hormuz, sending oil prices into the stratosphere and US economy into the dumpster.

 

War with Iran has nothing to do with America’s national security interests. It has to do with Israel’s determination to destroy its last hegemonic rival in the Middle East. For America, it has to do with acquiescing in whatever madness Israel demands of both parties under near total control by the Israeli government and its American lobby.

 

Even in his degraded mental state, Trump may comprehend the catastrophe he’s contemplating unleashing and stand down. But it’s tough to pull back when you rattle sabers and put an armada on your imagined enemy’s doorstep.

 

While spending a trillion dollars on war this year, Trump might set aside a few bucks for body bags. He may need thousands of them.

 

No wonder the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moved the Doomsday Clock to 87 seconds to Midnight, the closest to world annihilation in its 79 years. In Trump’s America the Clock only moves forward, never backward.  

Walt Zlotow  West Suburban Peace Coalition  Glen Ellyn IL 

Doomsday Clock setting feels more like 8 or 7 seconds to midnight than 87 seconds

  

Doomsday Clock setting feels more like 8 or 7 seconds to midnight than 87 seconds

 

Lived all but the first 4 months of my 81 years under the threat of nuclear annihilation. So every January, I take seriously the annual Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Doomsday Clock announcement of our countdown to global catastrophe.

 

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists was founded in 1945 by Albert Einstein, J. Robert Oppenheimer, and University of Chicago atomic bomb scientists. They created the Doomsday Clock in 1947 to dramatize peoplekind’s threats to existence. Originally focused on nuclear annihilation, the Clock’s setting now includes climate crisis, biological threats, and disruptive AI technologies.

 

Tuesday’s announcement was disturbing. The Bulletin moved the Clock at 87 seconds to midnight, the closest it’s been in its 79 year countdown. Tho just two seconds closer than its previous worst of 89 seconds last year, the Bulletin sees nary of sign of progress in halting the proliferation of nuclear weapons, unstoppable wars, hostel military entanglements and refusal to address the escalating climate crisis.

 

The return of President Trump casts gloom over reducing nuclear tensions. In his first term he exited both the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) and the Open Skies Treaty with Russia. He also failed to renew the New Start Treaty which thankfully was extended for 5 years by successor Biden within 2 weeks of taking office. Set to expire again in 7 days, Trump’s refusal to renew it marks the end of all US Russian nuclear agreements. It will quickly accelerate US and Russian development of their nuclear arsenals limited under New Start.

 

Trump has bombed 7 countries this past year, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Venezuela, Somalia, Nigeria and Yemen. His bombing of Iran’s imagined nuclear program could have triggered a massive Middle East war with the potential of going nuclear. It also likely increases Iran's perceived need to go nuclear. 

 

 Daniel Holz, chair of the group’s science and security board give this stark assessment. “Hard-won global understandings are collapsing, accelerating a winner take all great power competition undermining international cooperation needed to reduce existential risks. If the world splinters into an us v. them, zero-sum approach, it increases the likelihood we all lose,”

 

The furthest from midnight the Doomsday Clock ticked was 17 minutes (1,020 seconds) in 1991 when the US and Soviet Union signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START). Followed by the demise of the Soviet Union, further progress on nuclear disarmament should have a snap. Instead, the US foreign policy elite snapped, ramping up a new Cold War against a weakened Russia. This culminated in the 2022 US proxy war on Russia destroying Ukraine, putting the world at risk of it going nuclear every day it continues.

 

No wonder the current 87 seconds, for those of us seeking an end to the specter of nuclear annihilation, feels more like 8 or 7 seconds to midnight.

 

Walt Zlotow, West Suburban Peace Coalition, Glen Ellyn IL

Floyd George murder investigation should be template for Minnesota ICE killings investigation

 George Floyd murder investigation should be template for Minnesota ICE killings investigation

On May 25, 2020, Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd in the process of arresting him. Three other officers under Chauvin’s direction either assisted in the murder or did nothing to prevent it.

Were the officers exonerated on the spot by their superiors who then told vicious lies about the now dead Floyd to support their exoneration? No. They were immediately suspended. After a thorough, impartial investigation, the 4 were charged with a variety of crimes related to the murder. Leader Chauvin pled guilty and received a 20 year sentence. Officers Tou Thao, Ale Kueng and Tom Lane received sentences of 42 months, 36 months and 30 months respectively. The George family received a civil settlement of $27 million.

Contrast that to the abomination of justice following the apparent senseless deaths of Renee Good on January 7 and Alex Pretti 17 days later in the same city of Minneapolis. They were killed by ICE agents sent into Minneapolis to essentially inflame the immigration issue politically exploited by President Trump and his immigration underlings.

Seeking justice for the victims, like Minneapolis did for George Floyd, was anathema to Trump. So he personally, and thru his immigration officials, slandered the victims as domestic terrorists bent on killing ICE officers. In their view Wood and Pretty were solely responsible for their deaths. The ICE officers in both killings were exonerated on the spot. They are still employed with ICE and likely still on duty, tho the Pretty officers have been moved out of Minneapolis ‘for their own safety.’

When a Chicago police officer fires their gun, the officer is immediately suspended pending a thorough investigation to determine if the firing and any ensuing force used was necessary to prevent imminent death or serious injury. That is representative of law enforcement procedure nationwide at the state and local level.

Only at the federal level does law enforcement disintegrate into a travesty of justice for citizens killed by federal law officers. Knowing Trump has quashed any federal investigation, Minnesota justice officials seek a local investigation of the killings as fair and thorough as that when Floyd George was murdered.

Renee Good and Alex Pretti deserve nothing less.

Walt Zlotow West Suburban Peace Coalition Glen Ellyn IL

Trump’s October 10 ceasefire, Board of Peace, simply continues Israeli Palestinian genocide in slow motion

 Trump’s October 10 ceasefire, Board of Peace, simply continues Israeli Palestinian genocide in slow motion

That was some ceasefire Trump negotiated with Israel October 10. Since then Israel has killed nearly 500 Palestinians with bullets and bombs. Many more are likely dead from starvation and disease as Israel lets in less than 170 trucks of food daily instead of the required and promised 600. ‘Ha ha…little nourishment for you starving Palestinians.’

Water, medicine, everything needed to sustain life is restricted to drive out the beleaguered living in makeshift tents. Why tents? Israel, with over 50,000 tons of Biden, Trump bombs, pulverized over 80% of all Gaza buildings, including over 90 % of all housing. Likely over 10,000 Gaza corpses are rotting under the 60 million tons of rubble including over 9 million tons of hazardous material. Ceasefire notwithstanding, Israel has knocked down or damaged over 2,500 post ceasefire buildings.

In order to force Palestinians from Gaza, Israel has reopened the Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt. But it’s Israel’s version of a reverse Roach Motel. Palestinians can check out…but they can never check back into their rightful homeland. Every Palestinian that leaves, along with every Palestinian shot, bombed or starved to death, is one less pesky Palestinian to get rid of in absorbing Gaza into Greater Israel.

Israel has exploited the ceasefire to occupy over 50% of Gaza territory, shooting any Palestinian who strays over or close to Israel’s yellow boundary lines.

Astonishingly, the UN Security Council’s November 17 Resolution 2803 (2025) certified Trump’s Board of Peace which effectively makes Trump Gaza’s ruler, totally excluding Palestinian involvement. In doing so it upends over 70 years of UN resolutions and requirements that Palestinians in Gaza have the right to live and govern their homeland free from subjugation; indeed annihilation.

Why did this Security Council resolution pass? Simple, Trump essentially blackmailed Council members that it was either Trump’s ceasefire and Board of Peace, excluding Palestinians, or he would greenlight continuing the horrific 2 year bombing obliteration of Gaza and its citizens till they were all dead and gone. .

Israel, with US support, will never allow a Palestinian state in Gaza the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The horrific daily slaughter may be reduced to a trickle, but it will continue indefinitely till every Palestinian in Gaza is gone.

Trump’s ceasefire and Board of peace has the additional benefit to both Israel and Trump administration of removing the daily ethnic cleansing of Gaza from mainstream media coverage. They have moved on to more dramatic foreign hotspots in Venezuela, Iran and Greenland as well as Trump’s ICE thugs murdering fellow citizens in Minneapolis

Israel and the Trump administration’s slow motion genocide of Palestinians in Gaza should be opposed by all decent, moral nations and persons as fervently as their opposition to the preceding two yearlong all out genocide. Trump’s ceasefire and Board of Peace has simply put lipstick on the pig of Israeli genocide destroying Palestinians in Gaza.

Is Zelensky still the most reckless, dangerous leader in the world

  

Is Zelensky still the most reckless, dangerous leader in the world? 

Every day Ukraine sinks deeper into shattered rump state status. Every day brings more death, lost territory and degraded living conditions with no hope of prevailing against Russia.

Yet, instead of settling on Russia’s terms to end the war, end more casualties, end more lost land, Ukraine President Zelensky keeps shuttling between Europe and the US begging for weaponry to take the war deep into Russia.

The US has already bailed on investing in Ukraine’s lost cause. Europe is edging closer to bailing as well even as they continue the lie that a Ukraine victory is critical to keeping Russia from marching westward into NATO countries. They know the war is lost but cannot publicly admit that truth. In addition, without the US, they don’t have sufficient military resources to have any meaningful impact on the outcome.   

Near four years into Ukraine’s demise, Zelensky may simply be delusional that Ukraine can prevail in expelling Russia from lost territories. It’s more likely he’s simply taking orders from his ultra-nationalist Kyiv handlers to keep demanding weaponry to continue Ukraine’s lost cause.

Zelensky’s recklessness was epitomized by his refusal to conclude the Istanbul Agreement with Russia in April 2022 that would have ended the 2 month conflict with a minimum of casualties, no lost territory and economy intact. All Zelensky had to do was give up NATO membership, guarantee Ukraine neutrality between Europe and Russia, and grant regional autonomy to the Russian cultured Ukrainians in Donbas being brutalized by Kyiv for 8 long years.

But instead of statesmanship, Zelensky chose recklessness, acquiescing in US, UK demands to keep the war going till Russia was defeated with US, NATO weaponry. But even with over $200 billion in such aid, Ukraine is nearing collapse, running out of soldiers that its western backers will never replace. $200 billion yes, but not one drop of western blood.

Zelensky’s recklessness in destroying Ukraine is exceeded by his dangerousness, putting the world at risk of nuclear war every day now for nearly 4 years. Every NATO bomb, tank, missile, gun given to Zelensky to attack Russia continues the threat of nuclear war between Russia and NATO. This was most irresponsibly demonstrated in 2022 when an errant Ukraine missile landed in Poland killing two Polish citizens. Zelensky immediately claimed it was a Russian missile which could have triggered a direct Article 5 NATO response against Russia. Tho the US quickly refuted Zelensky’s false claim, Zelensky has never wavered from demanding long range NATO weapons to attack deep into Russia, a prescription for all out NATO, Russia war that could go nuclear.  

Continuing Ukraine’s inevitable collapse while keeping the whole world hostage to the possibility of nuclear war makes Volodymyr Zelensky the most reckless and dangerous leader in the world.

Walt Zlotow  West Suburban Peace Coalition  Glen Ellyn IL 

It wasn’t Trump’s mind or morality that stopped his Iran attack.

 It wasn’t Trump’s mind or morality that stopped his Iran attack.

A week ago President Trump was posturing about an imminent attack to overthrow the Iranian regime embroiled in massive protests. His declared motive was to save the Iranian protesters seeking internal regime change who were being slaughtered by the regime.

Then Trump pivoted, declaring since the regime was no longer planning to execute protesters, he wouldn’t attack.

But it wasn’t Iranian government benevolence that persuaded Trump to stand down. The two reasons Trump’s explanation was covering up were reality on the ground and a phone call.

The massive but failed protests were not solely a spontaneous internal revolt. They were fomented and supported by both the US and Israel to complete their long sought dream of regime change to destabilize Iran, Israel’s last hegemonic rival in the region. Israel’s Mossad was definitely on the ground and likely the CIA as well. Trump was cheering on the protests from the sidelines.

Trump was poised to attack to complete the regime change operation when protest success appeared imminent. But Iran’s government quickly and decisively snuffed out the protests, ending Trump’s dream of adding more thousands to his massive, murderous death toll bombing 7 countries in his first year of term two.

Trump also got a call from the real boss of US Middle East policy….Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu. He told Trump that with the regime intact, Israel would be decimated by thousands of Iranian missiles once Trump attacked.

Iran’s government may be secure for now but Israeli, US dream of Iranian regime change will never cease.

Trump lied to the New York Times when he said the only thing that can stop him from foreign intervention is “my own mind, my own morality.” What stopped Trump from attacking Iran again, as he did in June, is what stopped him then… failure on the ground and a call from the guy giving Trump his orders on Middle East foreign policy.

Walt Zlotow West Suburban Peace Coalition

Biden knew Ukraine would lose proxy war with Russia….provoked it anyway

 

Biden knew Ukraine would lose proxy war with Russia….provoked it anyway

 

The US proxy war against Russia destroying Ukraine has largely disappeared from mainstream news. US warfare with Venezuela, possible renewed war with Iran, seizing Greenland from Denmark have put a virtual blackout on Ukraine war reporting.

 

But a bigger reason is the war is lost with no chance of reversing the destruction of Ukraine short of nuclear war with Russia. If that happens we’re all destroyed.

 

So Trump, his advisors, the national security state (A.K.A. war party) and the aforementioned mainstream news have moved on. They realize the war has become a spectacular defeat for America’s goal of bringing Ukraine into NATO to further weaken Russia and isolate it from the European political economy. Publically admitting defeat and failure is something none of them will dare not speak its name.

 

Trump, to his credit, is trying to get both Ukraine and NATO to give up and settle on Russia’ sensible terms: no NATO for Ukraine, Ukraine to be forever neutral between Europe and Russia, no return of land containing mainly Russian leaning Ukrainians brutalized by Kyiv for 8 years before Russia intervened.

 

How badly has Ukraine lost? Over a million and a half dead, wounded or MIA, a quarter million soldiers deserted and over 9 million fled to safer climes. The economy down by a third surviving on European life support. Reconstruction costs once war ends at a half trillion dollars and rising.

 

Russia meanwhile is thriving, economy up by pivoting away from trade with Europe to the Global South and others only too happy to degrade both US and European hegemony. Result is a tripling of NATO energy costs, collapse of leaders support with nationalist, antiwar opposition poised to take over next election.

 

Could it get any worse for Ukraine and NATO?  

 

Yet..and yet, President Zelensky is refusing to accept the reality of Ukraine’s defeat, even demanding return of territory lost forever. NATO countries led by delusional leaders Starmer in UK, Merz in Germany and Macron in France, claiming they’re Russia’s next target, are still pledging war resources they don’t have and never will

 

The only logical explanation is that they know the inevitable defeat facing Ukraine and NATO but are terrified to admit it and do the right thing. Trump, while sensibly pushing Ukraine and NATO, refuses to pull all US support for the lost war. He’s cynically telling NATO to keep the weapons flowing…just as long as they buy them from America. For Trump, lost war can still be a profitable business deal. He’s also refuses to pull the plug on massive weapons Biden foolishly authorized in his last days knowing Trump had no stomach to continue the war.

 

Speaking of Biden, he knew Ukraine could not prevail when he provoked the Russian Special Military Operation in February, 2022. But he viewed Ukraine’s destruction as collateral damage to so degrading Russia in the process that they would be forever weakened and out of the European political economy. Biden likely viewed US/NATO Ukraine support as a repeat of US meddling that defeated Russia in Afghanistan in 1989. Big mistake as history didn’t repeat.

 

Biden’s Mother of all Sanctions and $150 billion in weapons backfired spectacularly. So not only did Biden destroy Ukraine by provoking war, he’s likely destroyed America’s dominance leading NATO in Europe. In fact he may have put NATO on the path to history with their impending defeat flailing away at a lost cause.

 

The only question, besides how badly the rump state of Ukraine will end up at war’s end, is whether Ukraine and NATO’s futile perseverance will end up in nuclear war with Russia still possible every day this nightmare continues.

 

However it ends, Joe Biden’s legacy will be making the greatest foreign policy mistake so far in America’s 250 years.

 

Say it wasn’t so, Joe.

 

Walt Zlotow  West Suburban Peace Coalition  Glen Ellyn IL

Errol Flynn and the Cuban Rebel Girls

 Errol Flynn’s 58^th and last film Cuban Rebel Girls was universally panned upon its 1960 release shortly after his death at 50 in 1959. The LA Times review was typical: “The storyline is weak and poor direction and editing merely add to the confusion. The remainder of the cast is inconsequential and their acting, if it can be called that, is on a par with the over-all production, which is uniformly bad. It is a sad ending to one of the most flamboyant actors of our times.” FilmInk agazine went further saying “the film compels interest mostly by virtue of showing Flynn on death’s door, and the weirdness of such a pro-Castro film (even though he wasn’t a confirmed commie then) coming from a Hollywood movie star.”^[

But the film is a must see for Flynn fans like myself who has seen all but a couple of Flynn’s flicks, and anyone interested in US Cuban relations.

It might be the most interesting of all Flynn’s films for several reasons. First, it’s a most unique film of art imitating life showing Flynn as himself in his last great real life adventure covering Castro’s revolution as a Hearst correspondent. When the victorious rebels entered Havana on Jan 2, 1959, Flynn was the only US correspondent on the ground with them. Quite a late in life scoop for the adventurous Errol Flynn. It’s fascinating because Flynn is clearly in support of Castro seeking to overthrow the brutal quarter century US supported Batista regime. Not a hint of Castro communism or anti-Americanism in his telling.

Secondly, Flynn wove in a fictional story of American girl Beverly Woods who travels to Cuba with her girlfriend Jacqueline to hook up with Jacqueline’s brother fighting wth Castro who is Beverly’s boyfriend. And playing Beverly Woods is Flynn’s 16 year old real life gal pal Beverly Aadland. Flynn and Aadland have 2 touching scenes together that show more chemistry between them than that between Aadland and her much younger fictional boyfriend.

Third, tho Flynn was on death’s door from lifelong carousing, he doesn’t show it in his few scenes as he chooses to showcase his last love Aadland. And his voice is still terrific in his movie long narration. He pops up in the end to give a shout out to the Cuban rebels, Cuban people and peoples resisting brutal repression worldwide. The film should make us all ponder America’s stupidity to embark on a now 66 yearlong failed campaign to overturn the Cuban revolution.

Cuban Rebel Girls…not a bad way for Flynn to exit stage left