Castro supports capitalism

[punisa]

ADIDAS - As with the majority of prolific brand-based transnationals, Adidas' business practises/ethics and commitment to worker welfare have been scrutinised and often criticised

So what's the deal with Fidel Castro? He gave up his daily job and became an Adidas official spokesman? :laugh:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Zelaya_Raul_Fidel_Castro.jpg

http://blixity.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/castro.png?w=447&h=339

http://manolomen.com/images/castro-in-track-suit.jpg

http://evilsushi.com/archive/Fidel_Castro.jpg

http://www.elargentino.com/Download.aspx?Id=22632.jpg&Width=480

http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/0bBIcEubxxdFI/610x.jpg

http://images.usatoday.com/news/_photos/2006/08/13/castro-large.jpg

http://blogs.sohh.com/latino/Castro_Garcia_Marquez%5B1%5D.jpg

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20090123/cb-cuba-fidel-castro/images/8b903497-e747-4331-a4f6-2c3174bbcfaa.jpg

These are just a few I found, but 99% of the time in recent years, Castro wears Adidas.
Is the old man Fidel gettin' any money from it ? :lol:

Viva revolcuion !

[Kukulofori]

Woah, what the hell? I never noticed this at all. xD

[ArrowLance]

LIES! Also, wtf and who cares came to my mind.

[h0m0revolutionary]

Of all the things that point towards state capitalism, this is the least noteworthy.

[LeninKobaMao]

You got it wrong his clothes are clothes from Cuban sports teams no wonder they have Adidas on them.

[punisa]

It's just a fun observation, but I'd like to learn why and when this started.
I gotta hand in to Adidas, they really got themselves a good mascot :lol:

New slogan for Adidas "No matter if your game is soccer, baseball, revolutionary guerilla, tennis - wear Adidas siempre !" :laugh:

[RHIZOMES]

Working class people wear Adidas where I live

[Jimmie Higgins]

Working class people wear Adidas where I live

That's funny because working class people wear green military outfits with little Castro-style hats where I live:lol:.

[Led Zeppelin]

Moved to Chit-Chat.

[An archist]

Working class people wear Adidas where I live
And of course, Castor is a prime example of a working-class person.

[Revy]

The leadership of Cuba never wanted socialism. At best it is a bureaucratized social democracy. That is always what arises when Stalinist claws get hold of a revolution. Once the fraudulent state collapses the same people in power will then start to glorify capitalism. It is the structure and lack of respect for participatory democracy and workers' control inherent in Stalinism (here describing a tendency or a set of actions, not a coherent ideology) which creates that environment. Idealism triumphs over materialism, reformism over revolution, bureaucrats over workers, and all around some leader to hold it together.

No doubt there are progressive aspects to the regime but from our position it is nothing to be impressed by when ascertaining a socialist character or direction. In Cuba, the establishment's idea of revolutionary rhetoric is patriotic slogans, like the Cuban state motto: Patria o muerte. Which means, homeland or death. What's more nationalist than that?

[More Fire for the People]

Sorry. Next time there's a revolution, we should expect our leaders to wear bespoke Brooks Brothers.

[Raúl Duke]

Perhaps those specific Adidas are locally made following whatever guideline the Cuban government sets towards labor conditions?

Perhaps he just likes that...maybe it's his guilty pleasure.

[More Fire for the People]

After the revolution we will abolish diverse apparel and force everybody to wear raver outfits.

[punisa]

Castro is one slick commie.
My theory: He sent his dark green military uniform for mending back to the USSR, unlucky for him - Soviet Union collapsed before his uniform was done. Thus now he turned to Adidas.

[mykittyhasaboner]

Those red and black ones are really sick.

[Dr Mindbender]

all he needs now is a burberry cap and huge fake gold rings.

[Angry Young Man]

While we're talking about Castro toasting with the capitalists, the guy on his left on the first photo looks like JR from Dallas

[punisa]

While we're talking about Castro toasting with the capitalists, the guy on his left on the first photo looks like JR from Dallas

Don't know who JR is :laugh:
But the guy on his left is Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya. The one that recently got expelled from nation by a military coup.

Speaking of first photo, take a look at Raul. Now that's *classy* my comrades :laugh:

[punisa]

Another very funny detail - take a closer look at the notebook that is holding one of those two business-looking guys sitting with Castro on 6th photo.
Can't go around without hammer and the sickle :laugh:

Just funny how they take it for granted as the most usual thing in the world.
I might get me one, so I can take it job interviews :lol:

[Bright Banana Beard]

In short word, Fidel is a slick guy.

[scarletghoul]

Yeah, the CPC get the coolest accessories

[Angry Young Man]

Do you think that if I became a president I'd get a free ps3?

[RHIZOMES]

And of course, Castor is a prime example of a working-class person.

I'm just saying that implying Castro is participating in product placement and/or supporting capitalism is completely idiotic. Oh no, wearing Adidas clothing?!

[Blackscare]

Maybe he's just an old man that wants to wear something comfortable instead of fucking military fatigues?

I'm a revolutionary communist/anarchist, I want to change the underlying social/economic structure that production exists within now, so that it can be carried out in a fair, equal, and equitable way.

I don't want to destroy everything that exists currently within capitalism just for shits and giggles, so I don't find wearing/enjoying certain brands at all bad. Adidas has a certain look and feel that is well known and liked by many people. Can they help that it's a big nasty corporation? No (at least until revolution). There's no reason that certain brands wouldn't, for the sake of people's personal preferences, be preserved after a major change to organization.


Liberals (at least american liberals) love to aimlessly complain about big evil corporations (in favor of what, really? Mild wage reforms in Asia? Small business that will never again dominate production?). It's characteristic of their tendency to misidentify problems and blame individual entities for the consequences of the capitalist system.

Socialists/Communists typically see the infrastructure put in place by these corporations and want to make use of it while transcending capitalist relations. We don't want to just destroy/boycott/oppose random brands because they somehow represent something more evil than the norm of capitalist production.


So I don't see how, with the latter mindset, one could really give a fuck about Castro wearing Adidas. Sure, it's a brand. A big brand. It will probably be there post-revolution (if that comes), though. It means nothing. He enjoys wearing Adidas and I think his old ass deserves something better than fatigues.

[An archist]

I'm just saying that implying Castro is participating in product placement and/or supporting capitalism is completely idiotic. Oh no, wearing Adidas clothing?!
True, I was just making fun of Fidel.;)