Following the visits of the Rolling Stones and President Obama it seems fitting that Fidel Castro should bow out. It is the end of an era.
Fidel was a benevolent dictator. There were lots of good things about him and some bad.
He ran a left-wing, one-party State that was opposed by the USA who tried everything in their power to bring him down. They applied a stringent (and illegal?) trade embargo and attempted to undermine and disrupt his administration in much the same way that they had done in Chile, Argentina and Brazil. Unlike with those countries they did not succeed. Castro survived invasion and 8 assassination attempts.
On the positive side, despite the isolation, he ran a successful economy. He did not flout his position and live in luxury like a billionaire creaming off all the wealth. He lived modestly. The country had a superb health and education system and practiced equality. There was none of this huge differences between the poor and wealthy that you get in capitalist countries.
On the negative side he was a dictator running a one-party State. It was a repressive regime that stifled debate, imprisoned and beat opponentsĀ and publically humiliated people. It’s record on human rights was not good.
One wonders what that society might have been like if it had not been so opposed and undermined by America? America’s paranoia of communism and its economic empiricism has created a huge amount of instability and war. South America has had to endure vicious dictatorships and military juntas, with millions killed, tortured and disappeared, as direct results of CIA action. Perhaps Cuba had to repress human rights in order to survive?
Fidel Castro is gone. The Stones played to rapturous crowds. Obama has opened up a new chapter and heralded a new relationship. The hope is that Cuba will prosper – all that is good will continue and all that was bad will change to create a prosperous, happy country.
The fear is that American capitalism will move in and Cuba become another branch of Disneyland.
Farewell Fidel!
It will be interesting to see what develops now.
I have this feeling it will become corporate!
Oh – that will be interesting !
It will be flooded with American tourists.
He outlived them all, despite all the assassination attempts on him. Cuba will probably return to some of the old ways. He defied America, this was one that the Kennedy’s could not get rid of.
Hi Anna – It will probably be a branch of Disneyland before too long!
No I don’t think that is going to happen Opher. Good to see you pointed out the good things he did, thought you might not, so pleased to read that. End of an era, our Generation don’t we always remember Cuba and Castro. When they talk about a murderer don’t we have our own political murderer here, our own War Criminal – Tony Blair the b…..d should be in prison. I can never think of Cuba and not Castro. Good Post.
Cheers Anna. It is the end of an era. We’ll see what happens with Cuba now he’s gone and the US move in. Will they go for the dollar?
Bridges are already being built with them. I know several folks who have gone down there for vacations… The world is changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air. Much that once was is lost; for none now live who remember it. š
I fear it is doomed!
So I must try and visit the island of Cuba before it is too late. At present I am impressed by their market gardens and very fruitful ways of growing their own and being sustainable. Alas Macdonalds is waiting.
And Walmarts.
Reblogged this on 61chrissterry and commented:
Why can not humans be content with their own life, why should they interfer with the lives of others, especially when there has been no request to do so.
This has been evident from the start of time, by wishing to have what is not theirs, the abuse of power, the need to seek adventure, the desire to control, to possess for should we not be content with what we have. Is it not better to give than take?
But then is giving always right for there is giving and there is giving.
When the Western World took on Christianity, did we not wish to give this to others, whether they wished to receive it or not. When we set forth to find and explore the New World, did we understand what we were doing or going to do. We went to explore, but in doing so did we not invade, decimate the native inhabitants and impose our will, culture and beliefs on them. Then where there was resistance we would kill, maim and suppress the will of the people and eventually enslave them and we called this progress, but for whom.
I think it is a distorted tribal value along with a grave human flaw. We believe, whether religious, political or ethical, that we are right. There is no room for doubt. And that we have the imperative to inflict our wisdom and beliefs on everyone else.
Why can we not let people alone?