Fidel is getting a Russian Orthodox Church built

[Dust Bunnies]

I am very disappoint in Fidel, he calls his country Socialist but he is giving money to a planned Russian Orthodox Church that would strength ties between Moscow and Havana.

http://www.slate.com/id/2204820/

[BobKKKindle$]

You've answered your own question - Fidel has not suddenly become a supporter of the Orthodox Church, instead he is allowing this church to be built because he wants to cultivate closer economic ties with the Russian Federation, which is still of Cuba's most important trading partners, despite the collapse of the USSR. For an isolated country such as Cuba, fighting to defend socialism against the threat of imperialist intervention and a crushing embargo which has forced Cuba to produce goods which it would otherwise be able to import at a lower price, it is sometimes necessary to make concessions which may not be seen as consistent with socialism. Only someone with no understanding of the position of Cuba in the world economy and the difficulties of the "special period" would have strong objections to this decision.

[PRC-UTE]

that article's a bit odd. I think it takes a valid criticism but exagerates it. some of it is just inaccurate. consider this:


Fidel Castro has devoted the last 50 years to two causes: first, his own enshrinement as an immortal icon, and second, the unbending allegiance of Cuba to the Moscow line.

whereas any serious historian would note that Fidel and his comrades were constantly seeking ways of implementing thieir own political line independent of Moscow. their policy towards national liberation and third world revolutions put them at odds with Moscow at times, and they often dragged the SU into conflicts they would have preferred to avoid.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

Yep.. you can watch "Cuba: An African Odyssey" or read "Conflicting Missions" by Piero Gleijeses for documentary evidence of that.

[spartan]

Again?

Jesus Christ it seems that Putin has shown Fidel the light and converted him!

[ashaman1324]

i would be disappointed in fidel. but he's no longer in power.
im disappointed in raul. he could have made a smarter move, making some sort of show of good faith to the russian government, not the church.

[Schrödinger's Cat]

I don't really care if churches are being built. :confused:

[PRC-UTE]

Yep.. you can watch "Cuba: An African Odyssey" or read "Conflicting Missions" by Piero Gleijeses for documentary evidence of that.

I just watched that African Odyssey documentary recently which was intersting but depressing.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

In what way? You mean because as you were watching you thought about the complete sell-out's/about-faces to come by people like Amilcar Cabral's brother Luis and the new leaders of the MPLA?

[Guerrilla22]

There are actually many different churches and religious sects operating in Cuba. Cubans have the freedom to go to church if they choose, the government doesn't outlaw religion, it's actually very tolerant of religious practices. If people want to go to church, they can go to church, the government has no reason to prevent them from doing so.

[Magdalen]

Don't forget that Cuba still has a community of several thousand Russians, consisting of those workers and members of the armed forces that elected to remain in socialist Cuba instead of returning to the new, capitalist Russia. The Russian community have as much right to a place of worship as anyone else. I'm sure the new Cathedral will also serve as a focal point for Cuba's Russian community, as well as symbolising continued co-operation between the Cuban and Russian peoples.

[ernie]

With regard to religion, Fidel has been slipping for a while now (http://www.socialistviewpoint.org/apr_05/apr_05_21.html). :( I really, really want to believe it's senility...

[PRC-UTE]

In what way? You mean because as you were watching you thought about the complete sell-out's/about-faces to come by people like Amilcar Cabral's brother Luis and the new leaders of the MPLA?

I didn't get through it all the way, so what I saw was just on the defeats up to that point.

I can't find the disc now my brother must've eaten it.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

Ah yeah, but there were many victories (Ethiopia--which was barely mentioned unfortunately, Angola, etc.). They come later on.

[Wanted Man]

I do think the Russian orthodox should be free to worship, but I don't think the state should pay for the pleasure.

And what does Fidel have to do with anything? Oh, right, he still has one-man dictatorial totalitarian control over the country, those perfidious Cuban communists lied to us. Comrade Christopher Hitchens wrote this piece, so it must be reliable. :rolleyes:

[PRC-UTE]

I do think the Russian orthodox should be free to worship, but I don't think the state should pay for the pleasure.

And what does Fidel have to do with anything? Oh, right, he still has one-man dictatorial totalitarian control over the country, those perfidious Cuban communists lied to us. Comrade Christopher Hitchens wrote this piece, so it must be reliable. :rolleyes:

Fidel's behind every move Cuba makes, no matter how small. I'm glad you finally get it. :thumbup1:

[ev]

These are just idiot reporters exaggerating story's for money, they write about things and events they do not understand and by doing so mislead the general public. If they went to the effort of researching the topic thoroughly before publishing this they would understand that Fidel is allowing this church to be built because he wants to cultivate closer economic ties with the Russian Federation.

Fidel is one of my favorite politicians to date, due the the fact that he has survived so many CIA operations to assassinate him - he is 82yo now, furthermore the dove that landed on him made him look like Jesus Revolutionary Christ. :lol:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/spanish/images/seriemilenio04foto2g.jpg
http://www.revleft.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=1386&d=1075914189:lol:

[Wanted Man]

It's pure ignorance. People are "disappointed in Fidel" while they uncritically believe a piece written by Christopher Hitchens. Fuck them.