The other night PBS ran the American Experience show titled "Fidel Castro". And, it was very educational. Castro took over Cuba in the late 1950s, and most of us alive today were either not born, too young, or don't remember those days.
In the mid 1950s Batista's government in Cuba was corrupt and weak - ripe for the taking by an ambitious rebel. Fidel Castro at the time was the leader of a gang of rebels, and launching the legend of Fidel Castro was none other than the New York Times. It was a series of three articles beginning with one on February 24, 1957, by Herbert L. Matthews, which produced an adequate physical description but missed the idealogy by a mile:
"Here is quite a man. A powerful six footer, olive skin, with a scraggly beard. He has strong ideas of liberty, democracy and social justice."
Helping to build Castro's reputation in the U.S., CBS followed suit with a documentary titled Rebels of the Sierra Maestra.
After Castro's rebels took over Cuba he was interviewed by an American TV crew. He was asked if he will return to civilian life. His response:
"My obligation with the people, what I have to do now and in the future, is what be good for the country. And if for my country is necessary, I renounce to any position I have. I would gladly renounce my position. Because, sincerely, I don't ambition power, money, nothing. Only to serve my country." [applause follows]
Well, we know how that turned out. He was getting pressure from Americans, in particular, Vice President Nixon, to hold elections. Castro reportedly told Nixon: "The people do not want elections. They produce bad government."
Castro proceeded to nationalize the land in Cuba, ousting the owners and issuing land titles to 200,000 peasants who had worked on the land. In an outdoor address with a million people in attendance he compared his new government with ancient Athens. Except his was better because Cuba's revolutionary government was not for the privileged classes or the oligarchy, "this is true democracy."
Cuba became a text book example of how to ruin a country with socialism. But, that didn't stop Castro from trying to export his revolution all over the globe. It didn't take long to get crosswise with the U.S., and the Soviet Union became an eager ally. But, then came the Cuban missile crisis, and Castro brought the U.S. and the Soviet Union frighteningly close to a nuclear war. Kruschev, according to the programs narrator, became convinced that Castro was a dangerous nutcase and was more than willing to withdraw the missiles from Cuba.
By March 1987, the human rights abuses within Cuba had become so well known that the U.S. sought to have the U.N. Human Rights Commission condemn Cuba. Castro invited the Commission to visit to see for itself. The resulting report and the reaction thereto was not what Castro had expected.
Jorge Dominguez, author and professor of international affairs, said this about it:
"It is at that moment when even activists from the political left, when left-wing democratic politicians begin to say to the Cuban government, your violation of the human rights of ordinary Cubans is wrong and unacceptable even by the standards of the international left, that the Cuban government finds itself cornered, humiliated, and for the first time understands that it is losing allies everywhere."
The Soviet Union was collapsing, and Gorbachev encouraged Castro to embrace perestroika and glasnost. But, Castro responded, "openness and reform are dangerous and represent a threat to fundamental socialist principles."
So, here we are. Castro is still in charge, and he's still a ruthless dictator. The lesson is that without fair elections a rebellion can produce a result every bit as bad as the regime it replaced. And what is Castro's legacy? It's longevity. By killing and imprisoning anyone who dares oppose him he has been able to hold on for a long time. Not particularly original, but that's his legacy. His only accomplishment was his ability to remain in charge for so long. But, while his co-rebel Che Guevara's legacy still lives on to a small degree in the form of T-shirt images, Castro's demise will be celebrated much the way Saddam's was. And, five years after he's dead a new Cuba will scarcely remember him.
[Here's the show's transcript.]
I think they'll remember him. 20 - 50 will want him back, like some in Russia want Stalin back.
The rest will remember him and be glad they've moved on. 40 years too late, though.
Posted by: GruntDoc | February 02, 2005 at 05:58 PM
I can't wait to smoke a Cuban cigar!
Posted by: Bert9785 | February 02, 2005 at 07:37 PM
i am doing a report on this guy, and i need some help. fedel castro isnt exactly the easiest person to do a research paper on. please help if you do that kind of stuff, but if not, then sorry for wasting your time
~~Mark Kirk~~
Posted by: Mark Kirk | April 13, 2005 at 08:44 AM
oh.
Posted by: random someone | April 27, 2005 at 08:52 AM
long live to saddam, castro& ossama supporters and short live to bush addministration,as is being seen.
Posted by: mohe of abbisinia | February 22, 2007 at 02:02 AM
Mohe of Abbisinia, you are practicing what we in the U.S. call "freedom of speech."
The people who you wish long lives have gone to great lengths to eliminate freedom of speech wherever they can. Be careful what you wish for.
Posted by: Geo | February 23, 2007 at 06:40 PM
long live our glorious leader Dr. Fidel!!! I hope to emigrate to Cuba very soon in order to fulfill the desire of Dr. Castro in his desire to create a socialist and egalitarian paradise. Long live the revolution!!!!
Sean Birmingham
Posted by: sean birmingham | January 07, 2008 at 09:25 AM
My best wishes for a speedy recovery!! From a member of the CPUSA---may Lenin be with you! yOU ARE A HERO TO US!
Posted by: sean birmingham | January 07, 2008 at 09:30 AM
He is a brillant man but did bad things to get there. But to make progress something bad has to happen for good to come out of it. Long live Fidel and his form of government.
I will remember him until the day i die.
Long live Castro, Very short live to Bush.
Posted by: Fidel Fan | October 16, 2008 at 04:18 AM
P.S Bloke who write article very biased.
Posted by: Fidel Fan | October 16, 2008 at 04:20 AM
Fidel Castro was a ruthless dictator, and his only accomplishment was taking over a country. If he had allowed a democracy to flourish and a free market to develop then Cuba could have been a great country. Instead he ruined Cuba's economy and imprisoned many innocent people.
Some people seem to think he's a hero, so maybe those people need a ruthless dictator regardless of the harm he does. The rest of us enjoy living in a free country where we can do and say what we want without fear of running afoul of a ruler's whim.
Posted by: Geo | October 16, 2008 at 01:32 PM