SAM DOLGOFF killed or dies of other causes. Matthews emphasises that if Fidel Castro should for any reason disappear, Raul would easily succeed him as ruler of Cuba because he would be in a position to rally ail the most formidable power blocs to support him. « ... Raul would have with him a powerful military and police force, a strong administration [the governmental bureaucracy) and the all-powerful Polit-Buro of the Communist Party ... > (43). Although Raul Castro eut the size of the Cuban army in half (from 300,000 to 150,000) it is stlll five times greater than Batista's 30,000men army, navy and air force. Better organized, better trained, and better equipped with the most advanced weapons; the numerically reduced army has been reorgan!zed into a far more formidable fighting force. So much so, that at this writing, the Cuban government has, in collusion with Russiâ, been able to send thousands of troops to fight in Angola without appreciately impaiting the combat power of the Cuban army. The hierarchical ranking system of the armed forces has been reorganized to conform with the prevailing traditional ranking systems of all military powers, «capitalist> or «socialist>. « ... Law 1257, leaves Fidel as Chief Minister of the Armed Forces; Raul Castro, as Minister of the Armed Forces (directly under Fidel) becomes the only Division Commander whose equivalent ln other countries is Lieutenant General (Raul is in tact, now called «Lieutenant Generab) in Cuba. Four Brigade Commanders were named who are the equivalent of Major Generals... a number of First Commanders, or Colonels were also appointed. Below the rank of Commander (Lieutenant Coronel) the titles of First Lieutenant and Sub-Lieutenant are used as in other armies. . . Similar changes are made for the Revolutionary Navy. (Ship Commander for Admiral, down to Corvette Captain, for the equivalent of Commander as in other na vies ... >) (44). In justifying counter-revolutionary militar!zation, Castro said that the armed forces «... had been distinguished in the past for their modesty of rank and uniform (plain, shabby olive green but that now that the] «... Revolution had become more mature and so had the armed forces ... > (45). Increasing m111tarization signifies revolutionary progress! This remark alone, signifies the degeneration of the Revolution -even without additional incontrovertible evidence. 62 (43) Matthews, ibid., p. 407. (44) Ma.tthews, ibid., p. 407. (45) Granma, April 22, 1973.
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