Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Fidel Castro has died

bbc.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

101–110 of 842 posts

Re: Fidel Castro has died

#101

Post by lanna »

edblarney wrote: post #54
chirau wrote: post #24

As an African, I'd say the world has lost one of the most influential leaders of the past century. To pretend here, for me, as if he was cruel to our continent would be both ungrateful and untrue. The man offered free training and medical school for most of our African doctors, he harbored, trained and armed many a guerilla group in our pursuit of independence from colonization. Up until today, Cuba still sends signi…

This is a disturbing position. I don't doubt that his doctors may have helped you. However, the man has committed grievous crimes, keeps 'his people' in abject poverty, on an 'island prison'. More than 85% of the economy is in the control of the military - his private Army. "Up until today, Cuba still sends significant numbers of doctors to remote African areas and provide expensive medical procedures for free." This…

thanks for exposing the truth

Re: Fidel Castro has died

#102

Post by mememachine »

redial wrote: post #68
mememachine wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because of the incredible harm to humanity done at the hands of communists over just the past 100 years alone

Every time I read a comment like that, I remember that history is written by the winners.

platitudes < arguments

Re: Fidel Castro has died

#103

Post by coldtea »

gragas wrote: post #69
jknoepfler wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That he was a dictator is uncontroversial. The word 'evil' in this context is probably meaningless. Cuba's trajectory through world history under Castro is in turns tragic, heroic, idealistic, and cynical. The comment you are replying to is embracing that complexity. Paving over it with simplistic thinking "Castro was evil and wrong" does a great deal of violence to the truth. I am no fan of the shape Fidel Castro's…

>Paving over it with simplistic thinking "Castro was evil and wrong" does a great deal of violence to the truth. I honestly agree. I just think it is ridiculous to claim that Castro was "a great leader" when Cuba has fared very poorly under Castro in almost every respect. I felt obliged to point this out.

>I just think it is ridiculous to claim that Castro was "a great leader" when Cuba has fared very poorly under Castro in almost every respect. I felt obliged to point this out.

Were they given the chance (cold war, embargo, et al)?

I feel obliged to point this out too.

Re: Fidel Castro has died

#104

Post by gragas »

coldtea wrote: post #82
gragas wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree. It's absolutely insane to side with Castro. Even if you agree with his political philosophy, there is overwhelming objective evidence of how awful it is: - Cuban economy - Cuban quality of life - basic Cuban freedoms (like supporting parties other than the one in power)

> - Cuban economy, Cuban quality of life Both are way better than most Latin American countries that US has meddled with and have friendly terms with. And they would be even better if it wasn't for the embargo and the whole cold war play against Cuba. > - basic Cuban freedoms (like supporting parties other than the one in power) Like being able to support two parties that alternate in power, like you are free to do i…

>Like being able to support two parties that alternate in power, like you are free to do in the US?

My point is that Castro kills people who support opposition parties. You aren't free to support parties other than the one in power if you are in Cuba.

Re: Fidel Castro has died

#105

Post by FullMtlAlcoholc »

miiiiiike wrote: post #70

Growing up in a northern US state Cuba and the US policies affecting it always seemed remote. Besides studying the facts in school I never gave the Cuban Revolution, Cuba, or Castor much thought until I played "Cuba Libre: Castro's Insurgency (1957-1958)" this summer. Reading the historical/design notes in the player's guide and watching events unfold while playing as M26 brought history to life in a very visceral wa…

Yes! There is nothing like a video game ability to spark interest in history, at least for me. I experienced the same thing after playing "Empire: Total War. Napoleon."

Afterwards, I inhaled biographies on him. My favorite was the Felix Markham book: https://www.amazon.com/Napoleon-Signet-Classics-Felix-Markha...

Re: Fidel Castro has died

#106

Post by hal9000xp »

As a Russian, who was born in USSR, I regret that CIA has failed to assassinate him 50 years ago. May be Cuba would be liberated from communist/socialist disease.

Look at countries who declared a war against free markets - Cuba, Venezuela, North Korea. They are absolutely pathetic.

Re: Fidel Castro has died

#107

Post by ekianjo »

djsumdog wrote: post #46
gragas wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He was also an evil dictator who silenced any and all opposition. And you can't argue that his political philosophy works either---just look at Cuba today.

Cuba has been under embargos for decades. You can't blame the current situation on Castro alone. That's like saying the reason your pizza shop was burned to the ground was because you paid protection money to the wrong mafia, and it was the other one that really controlled your neighbourhood.

> Cuba has been under embargos for decades.

An embargo sparked by Castro. Just saying.

Re: Fidel Castro has died

#109

Post by edblarney »

liquidise wrote: post #87
edblarney wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a disturbing position. I don't doubt that his doctors may have helped you. However, the man has committed grievous crimes, keeps 'his people' in abject poverty, on an 'island prison'. More than 85% of the economy is in the control of the military - his private Army. "Up until today, Cuba still sends significant numbers of doctors to remote African areas and provide expensive medical procedures for free." This…

> It's sad that people should hold such a tyrant in such esteem What is sad is how quickly people reach for a wide, monotone brush they like to paint things with lately. As an american, i have heard roughly your description of castro my entire life. To hear another version, from someone living a life in a continent i have never visited is both refreshing and educational.

" To hear another version, from someone living a life in a continent i have never visited is both refreshing and educational."

I guess it's fair that many Americans don't know a lot about him and don't know about the details of his activities in Africa with doctors (and military, by the way). But that's kind of an American thing ... not enough 'world events' in the American press :), no offense.

Re: Fidel Castro has died

#110

Post by bbcbasic »

djsumdog wrote: post #52
mememachine wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because of the incredible harm to humanity done at the hands of communists over just the past 100 years alone

When you buy a beer for your friends at a bar and maybe next week they buy a round, that's communism. Communism is a central part of western society. China, the USSA and Cuba were never communism. They varied between heavy socialism (also a pinical of all high income countries: roads, trains, parks, police, fire, airports) and fascism. A lot of people who just go on about communists, today, in 2016, seemed to have no…

That sounds more like socialism from what I understand. Communism is more like you and your friends work on a farm, live off what you produce, all do some work, but you are not paid different or receive more or less food/accommodation/luxuries than each other. You are all equal.

Now if one of you gets ill, or decides to slack off then that person will still be supported. If everyone slacks off then the society is f'd.

Post reply on HN