Fidel Castro

[Cheech06]

Is Cuba what Fidel planned it to be? Can someone please tell me where Fidel went wrong?

[Fidelbrand]

I think he initially planned it as a takeover of Bastista's whorehousing of Cuba. This was their 1st job.

He declared that Cuba will run "socialist" not very long after the revolution. Some said this outcome is dominated by the course that the Soviets are offering some long-term ally-relationsip with Cuba.

Personally, i think the only thing that ran wrong with Cuba is until recently it is making itself a "mixed-economy" which rids itself of a chance to show the world that it can bestrong itself with socialism, yes..... you might say that with tourism helped Cuba to develop in one sense, but the moral depravity that comes along with it is what i m concerned.

[Wiesty]

cuban missly crisis

even though it was a great standoff of a major authority, he lost a lot of respect and cuba went on a downhill slope from there

[Pawn Power]

he dident go wrong, it is the U$ embargos that are hurting them!!!

[Louis Pio]

I think were he went wrong was that from the outset his revolution was merely a bourgios one to get rid of Batista.
He ended up in the soviet camp because he was forced to and that's not the best start in building socialism.

[bunk]

Originally posted by [email protected] 7 2004, 10:51 PM
cuban missly crisis

even though it was a great standoff of a major authority, he lost a lot of respect and cuba went on a downhill slope from there
not really Khruschev lost a lot of respect but Castro didn't even have any say in it. After initially objecting to deployment of the missiles he was angry when they were withdrawn.

[YKTMX]

He didn't connect with the Cuban working class during or immediately after the revolution. Therefore his entire goverment has a "top-down" approach to things. This leads to corruption, lack of democracy, apathy in the country and eventually, repression and tyranny.

[Rebeldia]

Originally posted by [email protected] 8 2004, 12:41 AM
he dident go wrong, it is the U$ embargos that are hurting them!!!
Yes, it is hurting Cuba's economics, but it's helping Castro stay on top. If the US would open up to Cuba, they actually could win over the people and overthrow him. But by closing out Cuba they're being hated more and more by the Cubans and Castro is taking this to his advantage (with his lovely letters to Bush and speaches about USA he's appealing to the public. I still laugh when I think of his last speech :D ).

[Knowledge 6 6 6]

Originally posted by [email protected] 8 2004, 12:41 AM
he dident go wrong, it is the U$ embargos that are hurting them!!!
Let's see...

Fidel opposed american imperialism
Despised America's diplomacy

...yet, ppl want American corp's to actually go into Cuba? LOL!

Smart...(sarcasm)

Fidel was a macchiovellian leader...do whatever one must to get into power. Since then, if you've studied Fidel you'd know he's killed many ppl close to him who helped him into power.

Is Cuba what he wanted? Probably. He lives like a king, while the people he supposedly spent his life fighting for, live in very bad conditions.

Again, if you've studied Fidel, you'd know this.

[Subversive Pessimist]

He lives like a king


Do you have proof?

Where does he live? How many cars does he have? Does he have a boat or an airplane? Tell me something, how does he live like a king? Do you know this as a fact or are you just saying what the US authorities want you to say?

[Hiero]

King or tyrant, which one is it people.

The citics are always calling him one or the other so which is it a lazy fat man who does nothing all day but endulge in his luxuries or his a blood thirsty tyrant.

He is neither he is a man who works hard with a alot of wieght on his soldier and has strong and needed policiy agaisnt US imperilism. What more do you people expect of Fidel. The people who criticise him on the left are the same people who citicise US imperialism yet when Fidel portects the revolution against this they critise him.

So contradictory indeed

[fuerzasocialista]

Is Cuba what he wanted? Probably. He lives like a king, while the people he supposedly spent his life fighting for, live in very bad conditions.


You have to show proof of this.


Has Fidel made mistakes? Yes. But Cuba remains to be an example to us of what can be accomplished if a revolution is carried out with the support of the people. All those pieces of crap in Miami that imbue Cuba's image with lies and treachery instead of as a country where a revolution was successful are none other than the benefactors off the Batista regime and would like nothing more than to see Cuba go back to the way it was. These are the people that refer to Cuba as being a "free country" pre-Revolution. And thats the propaganda that many get caught up in.

[Knowledge 6 6 6]

You want proof of Fidel's living conditions?

Let's see...I can't count the amount of books that I've read explaining the kind of lifestyle he has, but...

Watch Oliver Stone's Commandante. This is a very well-done movie and shows both sides of the story. Castro's cruising through the streets in the back of a Mercedes Benz. Castro's house is very lavish, and has a very big and wonderful garden.

Oh, and then there's the ppl of Cuba who do not even live close to such conditions. In Cuba, the locals can't even go to hotels if they have sufficient funds. Why? Oh because it'll make them realize that tourists of all ppl, are living better than they are.

Again, if you've studied Castro, you'd know this. And, if you refuse this information, your view becomes just as useless as many American media propoganda.

[Fidel Castro]

Where did Fidel go wrong?

I'm sure he's made as many mistakes as the leader of any nation, he is after all just a man.

Becoming too tied economically to the Soviet block was perhaps too easy a mistake to make, after all did the Soviet Union not seem indestructable?

Also the Cuban reaction to the activities of the US Interest section in encouraging illegal immigration and civil unrest hasn't often helped the Cuban cause in World oppinion, such as the execution of those men who hijacked a passenger ferry some time ago.

Looking beyond the mistakes, Fidel has been a success in the fact that only the Cuba of today can claim to be truely free from US control. Also, his success in the area of public services cannot be refuted. Of course I will always be impressed by Cuba's internationalist works, in the true spirit of socialism, such as the action in Angola, the sharing of Cuba's services such as education and healthcare with the Third World and the lack of fear in voicing outrage at injustices being committed in the developing world, which can be seen through the work of OSPAAAL for example.

Above all Fidel has been one of the few Cuban leaders who holds popular support amoungst the Cuban people, and commands respect from the rest of the World.

As for Fidel's living conditions, firstly compare them to those of other world leaders, such as the Queen (spit) in the UK, or the US president. Secondly remember that most of the world looks upon their leaders with the same attitude, that the importance of their position to the nation requires that they have

a) security (especially important in the case of Fidel)
b) respectable surroundings with which to carry out their duties (i.e meet with diplomats, members of government etc)
c) dwellings that will not endanger the health or add to the stresses of leadership.

Fidel is not very flashy, his home may be nice but it it hardly comparable to the White House or Buckingham Palace, in fact the presidents before Castro lived a much finer life in what is now the Museo de la Revolucion. Also, notice the small things, like Fidel does not get driven around in a huge limo (US pres) or a golden horse-drawn cart (Royals in UK), instead he is usually escorted around in a small army jeep or occassionally a black merc. He also likes wearing his simple olive army kit (which if you notice is not lavished with medals like that of Prince Philip, who's only military claim to fame is to have grounded a ship during WW2) over flashy suits.

Fidel is certainly no champaigne socialist.