What is Fidel Castro's legacy?

[RSS News]

The Cuban president is stepping down after leading the island since a revolution almost 50 years ago. How should the world remember him?

(Feed provided by BBC News | Have your Say (http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/2/hi/talking_point/default.stm))

[Bandito]

As a symbol.

[Dros]

As a revisionist.

:castro: :glare:

[OrientalHado]

Defender of 3rd World rights. Bringing Social justice, both to the Cuban portal and the international portal. Inspired millions to do the right thing...God damn if anyone establishs a snippet of his great social achievements, it will be a proud moment.

Long live Fidel.
Long Live the Revolution.
May you enjoy your retirement, because you damn deserve it after years of hard work

[jake williams]

Defender of 3rd World rights. Bringing Social justice, both to the Cuban portal and the international portal. Inspired millions to do the right thing...God damn if anyone establishs a snippet of his great social achievements, it will be a proud moment.

Long live Fidel.
Long Live the Revolution.
May you enjoy your retirement, because you damn deserve it after years of hard work
Whoo. I'm really sick of all this Castro-bashing. Hardly perfect, hardly managed his "revolution" as any one of us would, but, I don't know, it's hard to phrase. You all know what I mean though.

[Bright Banana Beard]

The World shall remember him as a servant to the humanity than exploiting the world.

and the bureacrat media letter style http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/02/19/castro.letter/index.html

[Ismail]

Even though he was a revisionist, revisionists are better than nothing. Cuba is much better than it was in 1959, and many of its current programs (health care, etc) are good. His legacy is modernizing a colony and standing up to US imperialism while at its front door. (Albeit seeking refuge in Soviet social-imperialism and neo-colonialism instead)

[BIG BROTHER]

I'll regard him as a revolutionary, pionier of socialism in Latin-America and oposer of US imperialism.

[Die Neue Zeit]

Out of curiosity: why hasn't a party congress been convened since 1997 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Cuba#Structure)? :confused:

[This is not the sign of someone who is committed to intra-party democracy.]

[Black Cross]

Even though he was a revisionist, revisionists are better than nothing. Cuba is much better than it was in 1959, and many of its current programs (health care, etc) are good. His legacy is modernizing a colony and standing up to US imperialism while at its front door. (Albeit seeking refuge in Soviet social-imperialism and neo-colonialism instead)
I agree. He was a revisionist, but I believe he had the interests of his people in mind for the most part. I think he did as best he could given the circumstances.

[Dros]

Even though he was a revisionist, revisionists are better than nothing. Cuba is much better than it was in 1959, and many of its current programs (health care, etc) are good. His legacy is modernizing a colony and standing up to US imperialism while at its front door. (Albeit seeking refuge in Soviet social-imperialism and neo-colonialism instead)

Of course that is true. He is a social democrat who developed Cuba and improved conditions for the masses within the framework of capitalism. I think his greatest achievement is the liberation of Cuba from Imperialist domination.

[manic expression]

As one of the most prolific revolutionary leaders of his time. He has done an extraordinary amount to further the cause of socialism and of the working class in Cuba, Latin America and around the world.

What is his legacy? A socialist Cuba and a stronger communist movement, for starters.

[bobroberts]

Under Fidel's leadership Cuba survived having something like 75% of their trade cut off overnight, and despite this they still assured everybody access medical care, education, food, and housing, while living ninety miles from a hostile superpower that's overthrown nearly every other revolution in the area and made countless attempts at overthrowing the Cuban revolution. In contrast, the US refuses to provide all of it's population with food, housing, medical care, or education despite being richest country in the world. If 75% of our trade was cut off overnight, millions would die in the following years, millions more would suffer horribly, and the ruling classes would pretend those people deserved it.

Fuck capitalism! Viva Fidel!

[BIG BROTHER]

Of course that is true. He is a social democrat who developed Cuba and improved conditions for the masses within the framework of capitalism. I think his greatest achievement is the liberation of Cuba from Imperialist domination.

Yes I think he's the living example, that a revolution is indeed posible, and that it is possible to liberate from the grip of the US. To bad my home country Mexico doesn't follow cuba's example.

[RNK]

A congress is really only an institution where a party or group gathers to discuss matters of internal interest; they are not national democratic functions. The cuban people's assemblies have always met at their regular intervals, for instance at this very moment they are gathering to conclude who should replace Fidel until the next general elections.

[Gitfiddle Jim]

Under Fidel's leadership Cuba survived having something like 75% of their trade cut off overnight, and despite this they still assured everybody access medical care, education, food, and housing, while living ninety miles from a hostile superpower that's overthrown nearly every other revolution in the area and made countless attempts at overthrowing the Cuban revolution. In contrast, the US refuses to provide all of it's population with food, housing, medical care, or education despite being richest country in the world. If 75% of our trade was cut off overnight, millions would die in the following years, millions more would suffer horribly, and the ruling classes would pretend those people deserved it.

Fuck capitalism! Viva Fidel!

Amen to that!