Pubdate: Fri, 16 Jun 2000 Source: Times of India, The (India) Copyright: Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. 2000 Contact: http://www.timesofindia.com/ MARADONA'S FIDELITY In the game of one-upmanship, the communists seem to be gaining the upper hand over capitalist ideologues. In fact, if one were to go by recent news reports, even the `hand of God' has come to rest on a communist shoulder. No, this is not a joke, this is literally what has transpired over the past few weeks. The legendary Argentine football idol Maradona, known also as the `hand of God', and who is seen as a capitalist success story -- an impoverished footballer whose enterprise helped him become `fabulously' rich, thanks to some of the world's most influential entrepreneurs -- has sought refuge from the material world by landing in communist Cuba. He has asked Fidel Castro, the country's charismatic leader who he describes ``as a fellow rebel'', to save his life. Apparently, Maradona is addicted to cocaine (a particularly pernicious intoxicant) which he claims is killing him. Capitalists around the world are appalled at the turn of events. For not only has Maradona rebelled against private enterprise but even more worryingly he has chosen to denounce the very `lifestyle' that most people in capitalist societies work so hard to achieve. Having lost their prodigal son and one of their most celebrated mascots, the free world in a bid to save face, has chosen to underplay its disappointment. And even before the communists could capitalise on this unexpected development, most free-worlders have declared that Maradona was never a ``true capitalist'', let alone a successful one. For successful capitalists, they say, are shrewd and seldom make bad investments; and they would, most certainly, have shied away from investing in an obviously money draining habit, such as taking drugs. The inimitable Castro has, however, lost no time in welcoming Maradona to Cuba. Castro, who revels in theatrics and propaganda, has `generously' announced that the state will bear the cost of Maradona's drug treatment. Expectedly, his is not a philanthropic decision; nor has it been taken in the interests of the Cuban public. His decision is purely a strategic one. Castro it seems is keen that Maradona -- who is now his man in Havana -- is successfully rehabilitated. Because on the basis of this success he can hope to develop a `drying out service' that he could aggressively market to the international community. The service will cause the upwardly mobile junkies of the world to unite and fight - -- albeit at a phenomenal cost -- their consuming addiction. Though an obviously capitalist business enterprise, Castro expects to succeed in selling it to his people. His reasoning is that once half of Hollywood, and nearly all the Wall Street types who have glorified ``cocaine chic'', successfully kick the drug habit, they will return to the US and become propagandists to help Cuba earn some valuable brownie points. - --- MAP posted-by: greg