This may be a derp post, but why no strong "Castroist" tendency?

[CynicalIdealist]

(Yes, I know that it's one of the listed tendencies here on revleft.)

I'm just curious, because it seems that between the Russian, Chinese and Cuban revolutions, the Cuban one lasted the longest and attained the highest standard of living in spite of a U.S. economic embargo and being a small third-world country. It also continued to raise its standards of living after the fall of the USSR. Not to mention his spread of revolution to Angola, Latin America and elsewhere.

I suppose he was just applying Marxist-Leninist theory to Cuba, and it managed to work out better in Cuba than in Russia due to material conditions or some such thing?

[synthesis]

I guarantee you that "Castroists" will pop up as soon as Cuba follows the path of China and Russia, meaning overt capitalism.

[graymouser]

Well, what exactly do you mean by "Castroist"? There have been a number of socialist movements relatively receptive toward Cuba, including ones like the Sandinistas who took power and the Chavista movement in Venezuela today. Back during the '60s and '70s there were a number of attempts to form guerrilla focos out in the jungles in Latin America - this was actually a major debate in the Fourth International as the majority was ultraleft and favored such a policy but only for Latin America - but most weren't successful.

In the US, the Socialist Workers Party oriented toward Cuba after 1959, but held on to its basic Trotskyist framework and a criticism of the state of workers' democracy there. Then in 1983 it turned further toward Cuba, abandoned its adherence to Trotsky's theory of Permanent Revolution, and basically has been an uncritical pro-Castro group. (And shrunk quite a bit.) You've also got Socialist Action, which follows the SWP's pre-1983 line, as well as Workers World Party and the Party for Socialism and Liberation, both of which are heavily pro-Cuba.

But, I'd argue, there isn't really a thing you can point to and say, "that's Castroism" - aside from the method of the Cuban revolution, which has mostly been reproduced by Guevarist groups, it's pretty much a straightforward bit of Marxism and Leninism. As far as a "Castroism" appearing in the even of Cuba taking the "Chinese road," I doubt it. Cuba never really wanted that kind of international following. International Maoism had been built during Mao's life.

[Sixiang]

Most people who support Castro also happen to be ML. And it seems to me that they would rather identify more with ML than with just Castro, per say. I for one do support Castro, but I identify with the overall tendency of Marxist-Leninist-Maoist. Actually, I would honestly just say communist, but that's an issue for another day.

[Kamil]

Castro really didn't develop any new theories for so-called "Castroists" to talk about, the way Maoists have new democracy ect. So there really isnt a distinguishing Castroist identity aside from his influence and inspiration to the rest of Latin America. But I for one LOVE the old guy!

[William Howe]

I don't even know how to set a tendency, so I can't exactly answer this.

[NoOneIsIllegal]

I don't even know how to set a tendency, so I can't exactly answer this.
Go to your specified group, and above the threads, on the top right, click "Group Tools" and choose "Set as Primary Tendency"

As for "Castroism" and "Castroists" it would be an odd term to use, because whereas other ideologies actually put forth new ideas and theories (see: Leninism, Maoism) Castro did not. You may admire the guy and what has been achieved, but as for being a groundbreaking ideology, it simply is not. Cuba's economy or society doesn't really radically differ from others. The term(s) more or less shows who you support rather what strategy and tactics you believe.

[Frosty Weasel]

I guarantee you that "Castroists" will pop up as soon as Cuba follows the path of China and Russia, meaning overt capitalism.

Marxist-Leninist-Trotskyist-Stalinist-Maoist-Cheist-Castroist?

I can't wait.

[PhoenixAsh]

For what I know about Castro he and his 26th of july movement were pretty opportunistic and anti-communist. IMO he used communism as a vehicle to crystalize and legitimize his power and giving it a political infrastructure as well as international eco&political support and back-up. He may have flirted with ML and later ascribed to it...but...hmm...yeah...I pretty much wonder at his genuinity. Seeing as how he later had some disagreements with Che.

That doesn't mean he hasn't done admirable things to improve his country towards socialism and furthered the advance of world socialism.

But he really didn't contribute anything in the form of new phylosophical ideas.

Now as for practical applicability and real world policy it is very interesting to study his methods and we can learn a lot...

[Frosty Weasel]

For what I know about Castro he and his 26th of july movement were pretty opportunistic and anti-communist. IMO he used communism as a vehicle to crystalize and legitimize his power and giving it a political infrastructure as well as international eco&political support and back-up. He may have flirted with ML and later ascribed to it...but...hmm...yeah...I pretty much wonder at his genuinity. Seeing as how he later had some disagreements with Che.It's not just your opinion. It's pretty widely accepted that he embraced Marxism to garner Soviet support in the face of American opposition to revolution against their puppet.

I suppose that he completely embraced Communism once he found out it actually worked.

[Sixiang]

Yeah, the revolution definitely wasn't fought with the intention of setting up any sort of socialist state, it was just to get Batista and US imperialism out of Cuba. Castro himself admits that. A good read by Castro is "My Early Years" which accounts his young life before the revolution. In that book he talks about how he wasn't a communist until a little after the revolution. However, he did say that he read lots of Marx's works while in college and when he was in prison (the time when he said he did most of his reading). He was also heavily influenced by latin american revolutionaries and anti-US imperialism thinkers mostly. He is particularly fond of Jose Marti.