Right now is a really interesting time in politics. We have a woman and a black guy as potential presidents, the war on freedom, rather terrorism is going well and Cuba's prezzo is stepping down. Whether you love him or hate him, you have to respect what Fiddy's done in his 50 year career. Who else could run up in someone's house, mess up some stuff, get a slap on the wrist AND get kicked out only to come back and take it over? Not many get that second chance, and those that do usually learn their lessons. Not Fiddy! He is a determined cat, to be sure and one that will go down in the history books long after he passes. 50, you watching? Leave that Scarface movie alone and get on Castro's level patna!
Are We in the Pigpen... Again?!?
Castro first made an impression with his nationalist observations on the negative influences from the then president, Fulgencio Batista, and the United States on the liberties of Cuba. This garnered for him a small following, enough that he would try to assault the barracks located in Santiago de Cuba on July 26, 1953 in order to make it his base for spreading propaganda to the people. Although he failed, many (himself included) saw this as the beginning of his revolutionary movement.
After his capture, he was sentenced to death, but as he was a lawyer by trade, he defended himself well enough to garner a sympathetic vote from the Roman Catholic priests and spare his life. Instead he was sentenced to 15 years in prison and in 1955, a group of the prisoner's mothers campaigned for their son's release, and with the help of a signed decree from some of Cuba's top people, they were freed and given full amnesty.
Castro then left Cuba for Mexico in order to train both himself and his troops for the oncoming battle. While in Mexico, Castro met Ernesto "Che" Guevara who felt that violence was the only way to topple oppression. Guevara was essential to the molding of Castro's political views and helped put in motion much of what current day Communistic Cuba is about. Castro's group trained under Alberto Bayo, a Spanish civil war veteran and gained the support of the former president of Cuba, Carlos Prio Socarras, who lived in exile in the United States. Armed with a working knowledge of guerilla tactics, they headed back to Cuba to try their hand once more at a revolution.
Back in Cuba on December 2, 1856, Castro's men met fierce opposition and of the 81 men, 20 survived and regrouped. They began skirmishes in villages and town with Batista's men, and eventually won over enough people that resistance groups sprung up to aid their cause. He would become somewhat of an international celebrity as American journalist came to interview him, his charms won over many in the United States, which bolstered the Cubans love for him.
In 1957 he signed the "Manifesto of the Sierra Maestra," calling for elections once he came to power and reinstated the Constitution of 1940. In retaliation, Batista sent men out to crush Castro's movement once and for all, but it failed miserably due to many of Batista's army weren't up for the fight, often defecting to Fidel's side. The guerilla tactics used, played a large role too. Never before had such unconventional means been used in Cuban warfare and it took so many by surprise that whole battalions fell before Castro. Soon afterwards, Batista and his closest relatives quietly left the office and the country. Cuba was Castro's to command.
As the new Commander In Chief of the armed forces and the Prime Minister of Cuba, Castro saw it fit to strengthen ties with the communist USSR, a move that caused friction with the United States. When the deal for Russian oil was completed, the US broke political dealings with the country altogether. On April 17, 1961, the US sent over operatives to try and remove Castro from power. It didn't work and it blew up in President Kennedy's face.
About a year later, it was discovered that nuclear missiles were in the works to be shipped over to Cuba to counteract the US missiles in Turkey that were aimed at the USSR. This is what started the Cuban Missile Crisis and led to quarantine around Cuba. Any ship coming to Cuba was to be searched. Seeing how bad this could be for everyone, an agreement was made between the USSR and the US to remove all nuclear components from each side. A promise that still hasn't been completely kept.
Castro's reign continued from there all the way up until February 18, 2008 when he retired permanently due to illness. Some say that he has a terminal condition while others say he is totally in the clear. I came across some theories that Castro, in fact, is dead and has been dead for some time. I don't really think he's dead yet though, it just seems a little convenient to me.
Maybe he's facing his own mortality and just trying to decide the best way to keep his ideals in power. To me Fidel reeks of someone who let power corrupt him. Before he came to power, he talked of a democratic state and civil liberty being an absolute and even denied that he was a communist. Once he had it, all that went down the drain, much like it usually does.
I imagine that it must be tempting beyond anything one could experience to be in the position to hold an entire country in your hands. Who knows, maybe he was like that from the get go and just wanted to get in without too much opposition. Revolutionary is right, the government went a full 360 degrees... right back to what it was before -- dictatorships and giant boots to step on the common people's hopes and dreams for a fair government.
It reminds me of the saying, "violence begets more violence," but in this case it's "coups beget more coups." Who is the next one to come in and overthrow the government and implement a fantastic "new" one that smacks of the one before? We'll all know soon enough when we return to the world's favorite game show "Totalitarianism Musical Chairs!" I'm in no position to say that Castro was right or wrong, but I'll tell you what, it makes for damn fine television.
Hit me up at themondaypolly@gmail.com or leave it below... let's keep the cipher movin' like an Amtrak! Back at y'all next week, ghostin'!
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