Tribute to Fidel Castro, a true revolutionary icon
Castro was an influential leader, he will go down in history as a man who defied the world's most powerful nation for all 49 years of his record breaking rule, surviving over 600 assassination attempts in the process. He should not be remembered solely as a Communist revolutionary, or as an oppressor, but as a man who refused to allow anyone tell him who he was, or what he could believe.
In my opinion, the Socialism he proclaimed has disappeared into what Reagan called “the trashheap of history”. Cuba might have been freer and more prosperous had it been a liberal democracy. But Castro gave the country self-respect. He was far more of a Nationalist than a simple Marxist, using the ideology as a means to gain support from the USSR to aid his struggle against the United States. His refusal to accept the status as a mere puppet of the US resonated far beyond the shores of Cuba, and continues to echo even now. Pre-Fidel Cuba had been little more than an impoverished banana plantation, plagued by corruption and organised crime. Despite an illegal blockade by the United State, whose shadow presides over the small nation, castro provided universal healthcare, and a literacy rate of 99.8%.
Cuban troops have fought wars on multiple continents; from Central Africa to the Middle East to Bolivia, Cuban forces have intervened to uphold Castro’s ideology. It is estimated 14,000 soldiers died on overseas campaigns. Few countries, surely, has ever punched above their weight for so long. And none have been so dominated by a single human being.
 |
| Graffiti in Santiago reads: 'Long live Fidel' |
Comments
Post a Comment