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Fidel Castro has died

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Re: Fidel Castro has died

#412

I would encourage the commenters in this thread who see Fidel's legacy as a black-and-white matter of an "evil dictator who did bad things and was wrong about economics" to step back, bear witness to the objective facts about Fidel Castro's life ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fidel_Castro ), think sincerely about what could lead a highly intelligent and charismatic person to become or follow Fidel Castro (as many ha…

simply replying to save this well phrased comment

Re: Fidel Castro has died

#413

Most Cubans do not support the Castro dictators. Only party members do, and they have a lot of privileges compared to the general population. People live in very basic conditions under constant surveillance. Phone lines, Internet connections, etc. are monitored. Most cars and electronics are still from the 50s, from the Batista era, and are repaired with homemade parts. People can study for free, but there are no job…

This was my experience also. Do you think things will change now or stay more or less the same?

It will take time to erode years of brainwashing. The regime was not only authoritarian / militaristic, but also ideological... starting from an early age in schools. The ruling caste is completely brainwashed and will not let go.

Re: Fidel Castro has died

#414
post #403

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because they are descendants of the middle and upper classes who benefited from the previous regime and lost everything when Castro came to power.

So his exiling of over a million cubans is acceptable, then?

Yes.

Re: Fidel Castro has died

#415

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why are cubans in miami celebrating his death? Are they misguided minorities that should follow the example of armchair politicians in privledged countries?

>> "Why are cubans in miami celebrating his death?" Because they didn't like him and got out. There were people who celebrated Margaret Thatcher's death. There would be people who would celebrate the death of some current world leaders. On the other hand there would be people who would mourn those deaths.

Did Magret Thatcher execute people? Did she create an air of fear and enforce isolationism at the expense of a country they ruled?

These are apples and oranges

Re: Fidel Castro has died

#417

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So his exiling of over a million cubans is acceptable, then?

Yes.

I hope people like you move to countries under dictatorships.

Edit : not you, the person you were pretending to be. I hope for you and everyone the very best

Re: Fidel Castro has died

#418
post #324

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> He believed in freedom > I detest the hypocrisy I see in many (not all) western commentators. A counterexample: this photo was taken in NYC after the most recent US presidential election: http://i.imgur.com/DcVbqAm.jpg It's a picture of someone standing in front of Trump Tower holding a sign that says "You're not my president. Fuck you." Can you imagine someone getting away with that in Castro's Cuba?

Do you have palpable proof that holding such a sign in Cuba will lead you to trouble? I'm genuinely asking. Not from the US and just today found out (by curiosity) where Cuba is.

There's the old parable

>"In the USA, you can stand in front of the White House in Washington, DC, and yell, "Down with Reagan!", and you will not be punished. Equally, you can also stand in Red Square in Moscow and yell, "Down with Reagan!", and you will not be punished.

Re: Fidel Castro has died

#419

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Best case where Godwin becomes a non-antiargument because you are talking about a socialist totalitarian in both cases right?

"First they came for the Socialists..." Hitler was right-wing.

Hitler was NOT right-wing, please! His party was national socialist workers party. He learned from the best, his friend Stalin. Then they do what communists do best betray themselves and kill adversaries. Nobody, nobody come even close to kill even a fraction of the number of communists killed by other communists http://louderwithcrowder.com/myth-busted-actually-yes-hitler...

So no, nobody is coming for you in a free society that is not marxist

Re: Fidel Castro has died

#420

After reading some of the comments here, my fath in the human race is not enhanced. Castro was a genuine hero and a great man; indeed among the top 10 greatest individuals of the 20th century. He believed in freedom and dignity. He saw the US government as the enemy of progress everywhere in the world; he wanted people to be free and he devoted his life to that ideal. How many people can you say that of? > He was als…

Its too late to edit my prior post so I'll just stick these Castro quotes in here: " They talk about the failure of socialism, but where is the success of capitalism in Africa, Asia and Latin America?" " ...I began a revolution with 82 men. If I had to do it again, I do it with 10 or 15 and absolute faith. It does not matter how small you are if you have faith and a plan of action." Fidel Castro 1926 - 2016

Where is the success of capitalism? It's in the rapidly falling global extreme poverty rate, soon to be below 10% for the first time in human history. It's in the cell phone networks blanketing Africa and Asia, giving people access to easy communication and banking. It's in the rapidly rising standards of living throughout Asia and Africa and parts of Latin America not under the communist thumb. Capitalism is the greatest force for improving people's lives that has ever been, and likely to be the greatest that ever will be.
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