Dr. Kwame Nantambu
January 08, 2009
On 1st January 1959, a successful armed revolution took place in the Caribbean. This revolution destroyed Euro-Spanish-American colonial oppression in Cuba. It was led by Fidel Castro, Raul Castro and Ernesto “Che” Guevara. The Euro-Spanish-American dictatorship regime was led by Fulgencio Batista.
Fidel Castro, Raul Castro and “Che” Guevara held their ground in the Sierra Maestra mountains accompanied by a mere hundred fellow revolutionaries. What is vital, however, is that the “26th of July movement” had the ultimate support of the oppressed Cuban peasants.
Fidel Castro’s victory march into Havana forced Batista to flee to Miami, United States with his family–never to return.
As a revolutionary master-mind, the first two things Fidel Castro did to lay the pillars/foundation of the Cuban revolution were to expel all the Roman Catholic priests and to burn/destroy books written about Cuba by non-Cubans.
In other words, Fidel Castro sought to destroy the two most potent weapons Europeans have used since the 15th century to colonize and enslave the colonized, namely, religion and Euro-centric education.
In this specific regard, Fide Castro has been nothing but a colossal genius.
Fidel Castro then sought to eradicate Cuba from a value system of gambling, prostitution and licentious living.
Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDRs) were established as the watch-dog of the revolution.
It was at this crucial juncture that Fidel Castro was able to introduce the ideology of communism to the now mentally free Cuban people. He embarked on a programme to focus on education for liberation as opposed to education for development.
Indeed, one of the hidden and unspoken elements of the Cuban revolution is that Fidel Castro not only outmaneuvered the US State Department by pretending and promising to hold “free and fair elections” but he also totally refused any quid pro quo economic assistance from the United States. This was Fidel Castro’s finest revolutionary hour.
When US economic assistance was not forthcoming, Fidel Castro turned to America’s staunch Cold War adversary, the Soviet Union.
President Dwight Eisenhower’s immediate response was to sever all diplomatic ties with Cuba on 3 January 1961.
This new Cuban-Soviet Union relationship ignited retaliation from the United States that resulted in America’s unsuccessful and embarrassing Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba on 17 April 1961.
Fidel Castro’s response to the United States came on 1 May 1961 when Fidel Castro declared Cuba a “Socialist State.”
As Cuban-American tensions escalated, the United States imposed a trade embargo against Cuba on 7 February 1962. However, American hostility toward the Cuban revolution did not stop there. On 22 October 1962, President John F. Kennedy imposed a unilateral “quarantine” and “blockade” against Cuba.
The fact of the matter is that these afore-mentioned American actions did not and still have not yet, destroyed the Cuban revolution.
As the 1970s were ushered in, Fidel Castro then proceeded to spread his geo-political amoebic tentacles.
He embarked on a policy titled “Proletarian Internationalism” whereby he not only stationed over 75,000 military personnel in southern Africa to assist revolutionary movements who were fighting against European colonialism but Fidel Castro also assisted fellow socialist/Marxist regimes in this hemisphere, including Michael Manley’s Democratic Socialism in Jamaica, Maurice Bishop’s Marxist revolution in Grenada, Daniel Ortega’s Sandinistas in Nicaragua, etc.
It was Fidel Castro’s Isms Triangle that he established in this region that confronted in-coming President Ronald Reagan in 1981.
Indeed, the record shows that it was under Fidel Castro’s policy of “Proletarian Internationalism” that Africans in Angola were able to successfully defeat and expel the Euro-Portuguese from Angola in September 1975.
The fact of the matter is that the United States will have a new president on 20 January 2009. President-elect Barack Obama has stated that he “will be willing to engage in direct talks with Cuba” and as “a show of good faith”, he “would loosen restrictions on remittances from Cubans living in the United States to relatives on the island and on their travel between the United States and Cuba.”
It is to be hoped that during his second term in office, President Obama will not only restore full diplomatic ties with Cuba but will also lift the trade/economic embargo.
In this instance, it should be noted that on 21 June 2008, the European Union (EU) agreed “to lift its diplomatic sanctions against Cuba.”
Truth Be Told: The Cuban government has constantly reiterated that for the next fifty years, its policy will be “Socialismo o Muerte.”
In this specific regard, history will absolve Fidel Castro.
Dr. Kwame Nantambu is a part-time lecturer at Cipriani College of Labour and Co-operative Studies and University of the West Indies.
Nantambu you have exposed yourself.
“Euro-Spanish-American colonial oppression in Cuba”? It may just be me, but I was under the impression that all Spanish are European. Who said that Obama will get a second term?
Say what you mean or you will never mean what you say. I’m not English although it is my first language. Just because someone is speaks Spanish as their first language doesn’t make them Spanish. Spain being a European countryhas inhabitants that are Spanish. Those of whom whose ancestors come from what is now known as Spain are considered Spanish. Your statement,”This revolution destroyed Euro-Spanish-American colonial oppression in Cuba” didn’t make much sense because the oppressors in Cuba weren’t Spanish. Some of them were not even European. The rest is opinionated, and skewed. There are hints of the truth. Cuba, Fidel, Che were all real.
What load of Toro caca ! (Bullshit) Castro’s revolution is nothing more than a facist white regime running a country filled with dark skinned ppl,(blacks unable to vote) complete with a son of a Spanish immigrant with his brother in charge. a Euro Dynasty in charge 500 yrs after the Euro trash killed off the locals they enslaved then turn on the afros to replace them.
Fidel Castro is not European (White). Anyone can see that. There may be darker skinned people than he on the island, but that does not make him Spanish. Until you can prove through complete genetic testing of every Cuban citizen that none the original inhabitants are genetically present, you should stop making erroneous claims that there was a genocide beyond cultural in Cuba perpetuated by the Spanish. It is a mistake to think that there weren’t any Africans sailing for Spain. After all, the Moors who were African muslims had conqoured most of Europe including Spain for hundreds of years. There are books that you could use as sources of documented information rather than relying on your own xenophobic opinions.
Thats a nappy beard for a European(White) man.
I see in this day and age some Trinis still day dreaming about “revo”, this mentality is just under the surface in T&T not to mention in that brain damaging wasteland called UWI!
No wonder father Abu could tap into this back in the 80’s to stage his coup with the help of mainstream politicians, who now run around T&T demanding power or if they don’t get it they will cuss fret and plant bombs to blow off grandmothers legs write false “articles” about mass rapes stage fake kidnappings, and now make bogus reports of missing girls of a certain ethnic background.
Its time Trinis stop studying about other ppl’s countries and their problems and focus on their own, Cuba’s problem is that its undemocratic despot and his brother rule millions of brain washed fools who’s grandparents willingly invited these Cuban Hamas style gunmen to decide their future and I doubt very much the ppl in Cuba back then fully realised what the Castro brothers had in store for them which was a bankrupt economy for most of the last 50 yrs, food shortages in spite of “mega farms” from one end of that Island to the other!
(Trinis note this Cuba is the largest country in the W.I but STILL CANNOT feed itself even with a cheap surplus labour force)
The Castro brothers seem to be larger than life for some ppl in the region this myth of Fidel the saviour of Cuba is promoted far and wide by smart ppl who would quickly denounce ppl’s belief in Santa claus, Trinis listen to this Castro’s style of public speaking is not from Plato but copied from Italian facist dictator Benito Mussolini many Cubans who came from post war Italy have long since verified this.
Castro’s so called Internationalism only brought Cuba HIV from Angola when his troops came back from that hell hole.
Without Soviet money Cuba could’nt send its military NOWHERE to “help” the other moraly bankrupt dictators.
Cuban forces actually fought in the 1973 Arab Israeli war on the side of the Syrian Arab Army and was soundly trashed.(much like Adolf Hitler sending a German military group to fight in Spain’s civil war back in the 1930’s in order to gain war fighting experience)
Yes Fidel believes and has said it himself that he has Arab blood in his veins from when they ruled Spain hence he likes Arabs and thinks of them as his brothers, but don’t let that fool you into thinking he loves black ppl in Cuba or elsewhere. Most trinis don’t know that Cuba is a deeply racist society (Slavery only ended in 1880’s)and No white Cuban male who shares Castro’s belief system wants his family tained with African blood, in their backward mind murdering and conquering Arab blood is better.(just ask the victims of Darfur)
Give Castro worshiping a break!
Any real anthropologist, historian, or scholar will agree that the moors were not Arab but in fact Negro Muslim Africans. It’s obvious where your hate speech is coming from. You’ve been measured and weighed. I’ll help you out since you have obviously been misled. The Moore takeover in Europe produced many paintings that are of Africans and not Arabs.
Fidel should be commended for resisting the exploitation of Cuba by big businesses that were backed by the U.S. and European Allies. The U.S. was the same government that demonstrated it’s style of democracy by hypocrisy when it fought on the side of the French colonialist rather than the Vietnamese who were only trying to accomplish the same freedom that had been earned by the U.S. in 1776.
Judging by your response, it would appear that you would rather see a Cuba that is for foreigners rather than for the people. Some call that selling out. You take a firm stance against Fidel’s Cuba, and Angola when it is the United States and all of its colonial friends that should be reprimanded for their offences toward humanity. It vexes me to this day why the Caribbean won’t unite to ensure their survival as they are culturally without pressure from oppressors who only want to defecate somewhere far from where they sleep.
I will agree that it is time that TNT stop studying about other countries problems and focus on their own. However, if they continue to align themselves with the United States and Canada among others they will continue to be the same tomorrow as they were yesterday and that’s the place that they are wanted in.
In the year 2009 it should be obvious to all that Haiti, and Cuba are suffering because they defied the concepts of the world created in one nation by one group about how the world should operate. Not every country is going to adopt Jamaica’s plan to sell their country for scraps. Look where selling out got them MON!
TNT cannot live for the expectations of any other nation if it wants to control its destiny. Fidel knew that about Cuba and that’s why he stayed in power for so many years.
If the “democracies” of the world weren’t ethnocentric and xenophobic hypocrites then Haiti and Cuba amongst others would be much better places to live.
That’s the truth without an agenda!
These are excellent commentaries on an interesting topic one must say. Let me put a different spin on the ‘mother of all ironies’ when it comes to Caribbean Latinos/ Hispanic – the descendants of savage Southern European Conquistadors primarily from Spain , Portugal and we will throw in the several Italians with the penchant for the priesthood and other predilictions with all its dysfunctions, for good measure .
Let me begin by saying that I dare any citizen from one of these three mentioned states to stand next to a member of the Aryan, Scandinavian more pristine /pure northern state such as Germany, Norway etc and claim that they are white Europeans.
A word of caution ,they may not enjoy the reactions to such folly. The biggest fear of these three countries is that their bloods are diluted with Africans and Arabs hence the reason for much of their racist behaviors in Europe today to the decendants of both groups. As for their actions in the Caribbean, many had little problem in intermingling with the women of indigenous Indians, and African slaves through the centuries, creating frequently a fleet of elite bastard mistizos and mullatos in the process. It is from this stock that conniving military opportunist such as Castro, Chavez , Peron , Pinochet and others of similar ilk emanated.
They in turn have raped, abused, and exploit indigenous people as well as sucked the blood and culture of African at every opportunity. Today Chile and Argentina can boast of eliminating almost all indigenous Indians from their country to ensure that borderline Nazis and other European criminals can find safe havens and still pretend to be Europeans.
In like manner ,the Portuguese have created havoc amongst Africans within the country of Brazil for centuries with their bastardization policies under the guise of inclusion. It is wonderful to see the pride that many have developed for Samba and other Afro centric tradition, but unfortunately, Brazilian Africans have chiefly been relegated to ‘lower cast citizens’ like the majority of other Latin American countries – like much admired Cuba. Talk about a travesty and or Paradox, but again one could be wrong -for in the words of a former teacher of mine , “there are no truth, only perspective”
According to Wikipedia, meanings for the word truth extend from honesty, good faith, and sincerity in general, to agreement with fact or reality in particular.
I agree with you Neal that if there were a discussion on Eurocentric purity amongst Europeans (people primarily of European origin through biological evolution) there is no question that those originating from countries that resisted the moor take over of most of Europe and those that were conquered, that there would be disparities made that would Eliminate persons like Fidel from claiming solely European ancestry. After all Hitler already tried that and Europeans of all hues were able to get past that in order to (while perhaps not collectively orchestrated) continue to inflict terrible crimes against humanity without being held accountable. Perhaps in their minds people without that shared background were and are less than human. Since we are in agreement, that means that it is true rather than just a sole perspective. Your teacher is right, but so am I.
The strange thing about South America is that the majority of the indigenous population biologically doesn’t even want anything to do with their true culture settling for the culture of those who conquered their ancestors. Its laughable how someone who adopts a Spanish name and has more outwardly appearing genes that are indigenous to what is classified as the Americas in a anthropological sense considers themselves white. Then again it says that white is right and a person because of the European abuses inflicted toward indigenous populations stemming from the colonial heyday systematically erased self pride, worth, purpose which pretty much equals at least cultural genocide.
There in no way today is a way nor desire of a proud individual to place the Spanish side of a person and what constitutes Spanish back in Spain and dispersing the other parts to where they originated. The “new” biological combinations of people living in the Western Hemisphere under united banners of the many individual nations must share a common purpose to best ensure their survival. We know now that in many of these countries (if not all) that assimilation to a European construct of reality has been the demise of the indigenous population and to the population of any other ethnic minority not of European heritage residing in these “new” nations.
Recognizing all of that as a given, the best thing that Fidel could have done was what he did in coming to power at that time in the History of the world. The realization of ones place and status in a society that was to be exploited and manipulated by the ultimate Eurocentric power of the world (especially in the west)was coming to exploit the “fake” version of European rule in that country must have been very disturbing. To put it short, if they were going to make a N word out of him, imagine the state of the rest of Cuba’s inhabitants. As usual, those that (according to the rules of social distance theories of both societies) were more “white” were the first to flee and be accepted in the company that segregated society.
It was clear that the Europeans and the Eurocentric establishment of the United States at the time didn’t recognize Cuba or Castro as a Eurocentric country. The Soviets were entertained by his resilience only to spite the U.S., but like Vietnam, those rules of freedom, liberty and justice for all didn’t apply to people who weren’t regarded as “White” by the world powers at that time. Perhaps that is only perspective.
The point is, Fidel didn’t buckle and stood tall against the corruption other imperfect nations including those in his backyard that would side with western economic dictators who would see people starve and struggle because they resisted being manipulated into subscribing to a reality that would see them as less than in the eyes of a superpower. Cuba, Vietnam, Haiti, and now Zimbabwe amongst other are being punished for refusing to adopt that new world order perspective. That’s the truth because according to Wikipedia many are in agreement with the facts of disparity and economic oppression applied systematically in their common but separate realities.
“TNT cannot live for the expectations of any other nation if it wants to control its destiny. Fidel knew that about Cuba and that’s why he stayed in power for so many years.”
I agree with your first statement wholeheartedly re: T&T. But disagree with the second – Fidel stayed in power because he headed a systen of governance which did not give the populace the option for change. Sure, someone else from within the Communist Party could theoretically have become President within that system, and that did happen…due to his ill health. When I think Castro, there are many positive qualities and legacies that he has brought to Cuba and the Cuban people, but I also think “iron fisted” as opposed to “popular”.
He stayed in power for almost 50 years not because of the romantic notion of his patriotism, rejection of imperialism, euro-centricity and commitment to nation building, but simply because he promoted a style of governance which allowed no to challenge his leadership or authority. Hmmm…does that sound familiar T&T?
Since according to the reasoning of our dear friend Kerry Trinidad is a replica of Cuba in that we despise capitalist imperialism but adored Soviet Socialism – until of course they had no more uses for us, I have a question. Which of the two self serving national political leaders are more inclined to play the neoptistic game and hand over power to a relative when he becomes incapacitated in similar fashion to Castro , Panday to his daughter or brother , or Manning to his wife and or son if the latter shows some interest in something of significance?
Thats a fair perspective. If it is true that Fidel stayed in power because he headed a system of governance which did not give the populace the option for change would anything say that that was “bad” for Cuba considering the limited type of change that they were facing? Ask yourself how many Jamaicas does the carribean need? How many can survive there? As a matter of fact, it was indirectly Fidel who was partially responsible for the Jamaica we know today. Cuba was the place that was to have the huge luxury hotels, casino’s, and other tropical connotations of paradise. The failure of the powers that wanted island vegas decided Jamaica was a good enough substitute. I can’t speak for the Cuban people, but I don’t see why they would want to be exploited by foreigners for a small amount of money and a large amount of capitalist based corruption.
My prediction is that eventually Cuba will be exploited and during that time many will wish that they had a Fidel in power to restrict the ideas from one imperfect nation from creeping in on their own. What will happen when the time comes to change U.S. immigration policy toward Cuba and many Cuban criminals find themselves being deported to Cuba for example? Will Cuban concearns of crime mirror that of TNT and Jamaica?
Can you imagine if the U.S. had TNT in mind for torrism what the country would be like? Tell me does McDonalds sell Doubles yet in TNT?
I think Fidel (indirectly) proves that there needs to be balance and at times an iron fist is needed to protect the masses. It wasn’t Fidel who placed the embargo on the U.S. and their allies but the other way around. Fidel didn’t make the country worse off. It was the trade embargo because one country wanted to starve another into submission. What kind of a world is it that we live in that turns it’s back on you because you don’t want to decorate your house and lawn according to their preference? No culture or country should have to sell their values and way of life in order to eat, build and survive.
I may have been off base as to why he stayed in power, but the benefit of his reign is something that many countries desire and thats the preservation of culture. I for one listening to to older Trinibagonians living in the U.S. over the years describing their homeland was shock to arrive in TNT and hear of all things U.S. rapper 50cent being played loudly from a truck shortley after kiddie carnival. I was asked if I thought TNT was much different than the U.S? I didn’t know how to answer that. Other than the obvious factors such as climate and natural environment.
It’s almost as if Trini’s spend more time in Trinidad trying to mirror the lifetyle of what they believe to be American rather than promoting their own from within. For better or worse, I don’t believ that is true with Cuba because of Fidel, but then again I have never been there. I cant tell you if McDonalds in Trinidad should offer Doubles or not. For some reason, Ithink if they did many of us who have had them home made would be truely dissapointed and perhaps offended.
I know I know. Empty vessels make the most noise.
As usual very astute observations Curtis. Your Mc Donald / doubles comment is on point. it is time for us to take the lead on something of importance as we certainly aren’t doing enough with respect to our carnival .I try to be consistent in my arguments via this blog, so let me make this point. No one can dispute the historically important role that Castro played in the world over the past decades both for his country and aboard. I am however disgusted by the reprehensible nepotistic stunt that the 82 year old Castro entered in the end by putting his 77 year old senile military brother in office .No one over 75 in my opinion should be in active political office . His behavior appears to be self serving especially when other more competent folks were available. In addition it betrayed the principles of his so call great socialist ideology what ever it meant, as even Karl Marx , Mao, Putin and many others had different views on the subject.
His people and numerous butt kissing followers should have followed the lead by our local Rastas that cut their hair s and started consuming meat- as can be attested by the long lines outside every KFC and Royal Castle outlet s by Rastafarian families throughout the country- once they heard that the much beloved Jamaican weed smoking music icon Bob Marley was a closet meat eater .Time to dump the stupid ideology , and foolish political obsession with Yankees that have ‘ordinary Cubans ‘ ( note my emphasis) living on the brink of the stone age.
Do something tangible to get the millionaire bourgeois Republican Cubans living in Florida to show real patriotism in similar fashion to Jews vis- a – vis Israel , and Cuba would be fine. If Libya’s Quadaffi can come around to his senses and still work with the west while maintaining an independent part, so can Cuba. The Malaysia Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad’s model is the partway that I find most commendable in terms of visionary/ independent development for a country.
The biggest problem for Cuba is that with the exception of Venezuela’s bombastic, military bufoon , political neotype and Castro’s wannabe clone Chavez ,they are surrounded by a bunch of coward, imbecilic leaders throughout the English and Hispanic Caribbean willing to come together and stand up to be counted where it matters against the regional hegemonic power / world policeman prepared to follow the Monroe Doctrine until the phony political saviour two daughters develop grandchildren .
Please no, going occasionally for medical treatment to a Cuban hospital for treatment to an infected big toe does not cut it as solidarity Mr. PM . Curtis, don’t get me started on the boobolies that we are unfortunately saddled with that some of our more educated political scientist such as Dr. Ryan and Hamid Ghany might feel inclined to call political leaders. What a travesty!. Don’t pay me any mind however my friend , continue to give props where you believe it’s due. I instead prefer to abide by two rules learned at the feet of one of my ‘Socrates’ like teachers’ when it comes to politics , and social life especially as it relates to development. It is , that “something is good if it works , and “politics is the art of compromise.” In closing tell me Curtis, if you have a heart attack and went to the hospital , would you want a mechanic operating on you? The answer is obvious.
If you were on that plane that recently went down into the Hudson river in NY City would you be happy to know that the person in control of the plane was not a pilot but an excellent 5 star Chef ? Obviously not. Then tell me why the hell we and other countries seem prepared to hand over political power to some fool that did some military idiot that happened to do some 101 entry level crash course in political science , yet seem surprise like Venezuela, Cuba, Iraq, Chile, Pakistan, Nigeria, Israel , at the confusing results?
Keep making noise my friend and stay patriotic . There is hope for even us in sweet T& T that one day we can manufacture a drug to put in lets say our much beloved doubles ,that will make our citizens develope a love for our own country -beyond carnival , parang and Hosay- as they do in Cuba, Canada , USA. I stand corrected. Regards.
Neal, I would like say that you made many good points. Everything in society is about compromise. I praise Castro for what he wasn’t willing to compromise and his resistance to be compromised. Credentials can be good, but they don’t mean much without the positive substance that shows through once the person behind the credentials is called upon. Obama doesn’t really have Traditional credentials, but his heart so far has made up for that. His intent of unifying a nation by examples of excellence and perseverance through times when even he may have had the audacity to hope speaks volumes about his resilience. What is his compromise? We will see.
The cold war has ended and the threat from Cuba gone, but no one is willing to compromise their lazy boy to help their neighbors in need. How can so many countries who claim to be inspired by God in a Christian sense allow their brothers to die over the wickedness of ill intent through the manipulation of power in currency? I ask what the purpose of CARICOM is if it is not helping one another in the Caribbean? Caribbean leaders have to stand up and define the Caribbean in accordance with what all of the Caribbean people want. Leaders in the Caribbean should want more productive, safe, humane nations! They need to say to our people that they deserve to be and will be safe from corporate and political manipulation. The Caribbean people have to stop letting their representatives get away with existing in sick fantasies where the people pay everyday in the misery of a false identity. It vexes me how so many put up the front to the reality of the situation in their nations without placing blame on who is responsible. The people have to say enough and I believe that perhaps if people weren’t allowed to flee their home nations then perhaps they would stand and compromise by any means necessary to ensure that their elected officials are representing them in a manner that they deserve and can be proud of. During this time of global economic lows perhaps that’s exactly what will happen. The United States can’t and shouldn’t fix everything, nor should England and Canada.
Where is the pride from the leadership? I wonder if they believe that because they are in positions of power that they are somehow different than their constituency. I would argue that they are their constituency. I fault the leadership for failing to inspire the people to be proud of more than booty shorts gyrating sexually to the word wind repeated numerous times in one song. Trinidad and Tobago is much better and I refuse to believe that I come from anything less than excellence.
Caribbean people are running out of places to go to sustain decent lives. Soon they will have to compromise with their leaders to give them what they deserve or it will be the leaders who get what they deserve.
If the doctor doesn’t care atall about me or their job then I would give the mechanic a shot. She may be my mother doing her best to help me see another day while the doctor day dreaming his way through surgery about his timeshare in Miami. Never the less, If government is doing what it’s supposed to do then I wouldn’t be having a stroke.
I give praise to Fidel, and think Chavez had good intentions. However, part of being a good leader is knowing when to implement the next steps toward building a solid future for their people. It doesn’t take a highly credentialed military leader, sociologist, or political scientist to know how to be a leader. Partially what defines good leaders is the ability to do what’s best for the people even if that means eventually having to give up power.
I don’t claim to have all of the answers, but I am frustrated and I do care about TNT. Do the elected officials of TNT feel the same? If so what are they doing to make it better?
Rest assured knowing that Cuba will be taken care of because there is and has been great interest in that nation. Who cares about Trinidad and Tobago other than Trinibagonians?
nicely said Curtis . I too share many of your concerns though not as much confidence in the octogenerian Castro , his brother Raul or Venezuelian sidekick Chaves.Ifeel the same negative attitude to Sndhurst, Westpoint and School of the Americas coup obsessed military idiots that attempted to controle the political agendas in most of Latin America, Nigeria ,Rawling’s and most of Africa, Pakistan,
My fervent point is that globally the military plays an important role in any society , and one such is the defense of the country from external aggression , and perhaps jumping into the fray in times of national crisis such as disasters when the local security and other governmental emergencies agencies are incapable. Politics is a place that all should shy away from as many lack the temperaments that is necessary to be balance leaders of politics. The history books would back me up on that. Pay attention to recent crisis in Burma , Pakistan and Nigeria where these clowns dominate. Pay attention to how power elites from the US military industrial complex have messed up her foreign policies , economies with wasteful gadget spending incapable of bring victory where needed and helping to lower the stature of this great nation from global superpower to something akin to a toothless tiger in the Middle East and real areas that count.
Cuba today would be much further up the road to sustainable development had Castro pack his bags years ago . It is the people’s lost to have this fool still around stinking up the joint . I am most certain that Marx and Mao must be turning over in their graves as they see the result of this useless ,or more appropriately rather misunderstood ideology. To each according to his needs ….. Blah, blah blah!
I wonder if Cuba would resemble Jamaica if Castro would have given up power 20 years ago? Would Cuba as a country not seperate from it’s people be better than what it is now?
I guess the thing to watch is what the United States will do now that Fidel is not in power. Meanwhile, I can assure you that nothing will change in Haiti and how long have they been without a,”Dictator” who by the way came into power with U.S. support.
Very good rejoiner Curtis , and I can certainly see the logic . I do not think that Cuba would however degenerate into the gabage heap that evolved in Haiti. I would hope that the dedication, pride and descipline that the people possess would tide them through in much similar fashion as China .
It is why I feel repulse at the fact that Castro did not see it fit to make provision for an amicable hand over of power to a young vibrant leader that cared , in similar fashion to what the drunken clown Yelsen did with regard to Putin.
Raul’s selection was a backward step, and this foolish ideological struggle and obsession with the USA is an act in frutility.It is time to end it now ,as his legacy will still remain intact.
As I said if Gadaffi can come around to his senses in the interest of his people so can Castro now. In similar fashion, people are nations would be lining up to invest and ensure that Cuba develops and reach its real potential. Haiti would remain a backward downheap- like most of Bantu Africa – all the way into the 25 th century , and you I am sure know the reason why.
I believe (until further convincing) that Haiti was targeted for destruction macro systematically because of their rebellion. Recognizing that was then this is now I also believe that without the proper infrastructure to sustain a voice of and for the people (government) that Haiti will ultimately fail if it can’t get the long needed aid from it’s neighbors. They need law, law enforcement, education, domestic agriculture and industry along with trade. That actually sounds much like what Cuba needs for its survival. Cuba has only been semi isolated for 50 or so years. It is questionable if placed under the same unspoken embargo that Haiti has suffered as the first Black Republic in the west at the cost of defying colonial powers that had an openly racist agenda if Cuba would have been a fraction of what it is today. Hopefully we won’t be talking about this in four years. The Fidel Castro version should be over. That’s not to say that the American version of Cuba should be created.
China had something that nothing but war, disease or genocide could take away from them and that would be one third of the world’s populace being Chinese and one and every five residing in China. That’s right, they have power by numbers. In the Caribbean however, we keep being manipulated because we have never had a common goal other to make ourselves more acceptable to master. That very idea weakens us beyond anything more than a bad joke at a party given by us (Caribbean people).
To get past that there needs to be a real union of leaders from various Caribbean countries who can pull their resources together and implement a strategy that strengthens it’s people and attracts the proper corporate investments that’s would help sustain a community. In Europe it’s called the EU. North America has NAFTA. None of them think about us.
Kaddafi is another story, but I don’t believe he is done yet and will probably show his hand within the next eight years.
On the subject of Cuba we could go on and on, but the answer too many of our questions of what now for Cuba lay within the minds, hearts, souls of the Cuban people and how much capitalism they can digest or by what means.
Hello Dr.Nantambu. I see you have continued to provoke thought and discussion. You probably do not remember me. We met at the African American Museum in Cleveland. You wrote an article for my magazine “Black Culture International” Anyway I was looking for a more erudite perspective on Obama’s election as president and as fate would have it I was going through an old address book and found your name and decided to look you up on the internet. Fortunately I found you. Even though you gave me permission to use your article years ago,I feel obliged to ask your permission again to use the Obama article. Keep up the good work. guinepe@juno.com best of everything.
If you travel in Cuba, as I have, you will not encounter a “triumph”, or any “victory”. You will encounter misery, shortage, education with no practical outlet, oppressive “leadership” that strikes fear in its people to even discuss the government or any established leaders, a “watchdog” atmosphere in which the people are afraid all the time, empty shelves, and the innate sense and talents of good people squandered.
Viva la revolucion!
Thanks for bringing us up to speed on what many suspected took place all along during the past 6 decades.
I’ll take your unbiased words as the truth, as it might be difficult for objectivity from certain political heads that had the honor of utilizing Castro and Raul’s private jet and presidential hospital with its obvious subsequent ,future inevitable , political/ economic blowbacks- in terms of lowered reserves of our oil , gas and other natural resources as payments. As for the many intellectually corrupted both in the media ,and segments of academia, a few came very close in 1989 to committing suicide once the visionary Gobachev decided to end the ideological Cold- War, at the prodding of radical Muslims working in solidarity with Afghan Mujahadeens warriors.
Enough with revolution , I say . Time for a purge in the vain of Stalin’s, Yes?