Fidel
Speech of Senator John F. Kennedy, Cincinnati, Ohio, Democratic Dinner, October 6, 1960
Exploiting the twin themes of human misery and Yankee hatred, Castro’s campaign has met with success in almost every country – in Brazil, where both Presidential candidates found it politically expedient to appeal to pro-Castro and anti-American elements in the electorate – in Mexico, where anti-American riots followed pressure on a pro-Castro spokesman – in Guatemala, where Castro-equipped revolutionaries are a real menace – in Uruguay, where a general strike was threatened if Castro was not supported at the San Jose Conference. And – at the same foreign ministers’ conferenc – the United States suffered one of its few diplomatic defeats in the history of inter-American relations, when it was forced to withdraw its protest over Communist efforts in this hemisphere.
This is a critical situation – to find so dangerous an enemy on our very doorstep. The American people want to know how this was permitted to happen – how the Iron Curtain could have advanced almost to our front yard. They want to know the truth – and I believe that they are entitled to the truth. It is not enough to blame it on unknown State Department personnel. Major policy on issues such as Cuban security is made at the highest levels – in the National Security Council and elsewhere – and it is the party in power which must accept full responsibility for this disaster.
The story of the transformation of Cuba from a friendly ally to a Communist base is – in large measure – the story of a government in Washington which lacked the imagination and compassion to understand the needs of the Cuban people – which lacked the leadership and vigor to move forward to meet those needs – and which lacked the foresight and vision to see the inevitable results of its own failures.
Unrepentant hypocrite Colin Kaepernick defends Fidel Castro (Armando Salguero, Miami Herald, Thursday)
Cuba for more than five decades under the Castros has stifled practically any and all dissent. According to Human Rights Watch, “Cuban citizens have been systematically deprived of their fundamental rights to free expression, privacy, association, assembly, movement, and due process of law. Tactics for enforcing political conformity have included police warnings, surveillance, short-term detentions, house arrests, travel restrictions, criminal prosecutions, and politically motivated dismissals from employment.”
Now go to Google images of the Ladies In White protesting on Cuba’s streets. Kaepernick, the poster child for protest among NFL players, should do this. He would see images of women — white, black, mothers, daughters, sisters — systematically violated in one form or another by Castro’s thugs.
Dozens of protesters arrested before Obama’s arrival in Cuba
Hours before President Barack Obama landed in Cuba, Cuban officials arrested some 50 protesters of a key dissidents group, the Ladies in White.They are harassed, spat upon, pushed and even bloodied simply because they are fighting to do in Cuba what Kaepernick does on an NFL sideline without fear or physical repercussion — just before he wears that Castro shirt to his postgame presser.
Fidel Castro is dead!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 26, 2016
I guess he finally got another intelligence briefing. https://t.co/lyK8DI9Sb0
— Daniel W. Drezner (@dandrezner) November 26, 2016
Fidel Castro is dead (Miami Herald)
Castro bragged that he would free his island of economic dependence on the United States, and he did — but only by becoming even more dependent on another foreign power based nearly 6,000 miles away in Moscow. Cuba ran up billions of dollars in debt for weapons, oil, machinery, food and other supplies. And when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Cuba’s crippled economy imploded, bringing new hardships to a population that already had suffered decades under his mismanagement.
Hundreds of thousands fled the society Castro created. The exodus began early with the powerful and affluent and continued with former comrades who found themselves in opposition to his rule. Next to go were the middle class and professionals and, finally, just about anyone who had the courage to grab a boat or cobble together a raft for the perilous crossing of the Florida Straits.
Castro, although always controversial, once seemed to embody a fresh, youthful approach to his island’s conflicts. Few moments in Cuban history rival the euphoria of Jan. 8, 1959, when the black-bearded comandante rode a tank into Havana with his swaggering rebel fighters, making their way through streets filled with cheering throngs. President Fulgencio Batista had fled a week earlier.
The effect of the Castro regime on the Cuban economy (warning: actual empirical work). https://t.co/Pcxc8g9UDF pic.twitter.com/XlptAHeqXZ
— Josh Hendrickson (@RebelEconProf) November 26, 2016
Here is an online record of the deaths, disappearances and torture carried out under Castro's regime https://t.co/Q6F4UdQH14
— Anne Applebaum (@anneapplebaum) November 26, 2016
Message Conveying the Government’ s Official Condolences on the Death of Joseph Stalin (1953)
THE GOVERNMENT of the United States tenders its official condolences to the Government of the U.S.S.R. on the death of Generalissimo Joseph Stalin, Prime Minister of the Soviet Union.
Statement by the President on the Passing of Fidel Castro
At this time of Fidel Castro’s passing, we extend a hand of friendship to the Cuban people. We know that this moment fills Cubans – in Cuba and in the United States – with powerful emotions, recalling the countless ways in which Fidel Castro altered the course of individual lives, families, and of the Cuban nation. History will record and judge the enormous impact of this singular figure on the people and world around him.
For nearly six decades, the relationship between the United States and Cuba was marked by discord and profound political disagreements. During my presidency, we have worked hard to put the past behind us, pursuing a future in which the relationship between our two countries is defined not by our differences but by the many things that we share as neighbors and friends – bonds of family, culture, commerce, and common humanity. This engagement includes the contributions of Cuban Americans, who have done so much for our country and who care deeply about their loved ones in Cuba.
Today, we offer condolences to Fidel Castro’s family, and our thoughts and prayers are with the Cuban people. In the days ahead, they will recall the past and also look to the future. As they do, the Cuban people must know that they have a friend and partner in the United States of America.
Statement by the Prime Minister of Canada on the death of former Cuban President Fidel Castro
“It is with deep sorrow that I learned today of the death of Cuba’s longest serving President.
“Fidel Castro was a larger than life leader who served his people for almost half a century. A legendary revolutionary and orator, Mr. Castro made significant improvements to the education and healthcare of his island nation.
“While a controversial figure, both Mr. Castro’s supporters and detractors recognized his tremendous dedication and love for the Cuban people who had a deep and lasting affection for “el Comandante”.
“A huge figure of modern history and 20th century socialism” – Corbyn’s tribute to Fidel Castro
“Fidel Castro’s death marks the passing of a huge figure of modern history, national independence and 20th century socialism.
“From building a world class health and education system, to Cuba’s record of international solidarity abroad, Castro’s achievements were many.
“For all his flaws, Castro’s support for Angola played a crucial role in bringing an end to Apartheid in South Africa and he will be remembered both as an internationalist and a champion of social justice.”
Justin Trudeau's warm words for Castro/Cuba are part of Canada's long, key role in U.S./Cuba diplomacy.
Jeremy Corbyn is just terrible.
— Eric Kleefeld (@EricKleefeld) November 27, 2016
Statement by President Juncker on the passing away of Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro was one of the historic figures of the past century and the embodiment of the Cuban Revolution. With the death of Fidel Castro, the world has lost a man who was a hero for many. He changed the course of his country and his influence reached far beyond. Fidel Castro remains one of the revolutionary figures of the 20th century. His legacy will be judged by history.
I convey my condolences to the Cuban President Raúl Castro and his family and to the people of Cuba.
Fidel Castro was a dictator who oppressed his people for 50 years. Strange to hear all the tributes in the news today.
— Cecilia Malmström (@MalmstromEU) November 26, 2016
President-Elect (sic) Donald J Trump Statement
Today, the world marks the passing of a brutal dictator who oppressed his own people for nearly six decades. Fidel Castro’s legacy is one of firing squads, theft, unimaginable suffering, poverty and the denial of fundamental human rights.
While Cuba remains a totalitarian island, it is my hope that today marks a move away from the horrors endured for too long, and toward a future in which the wonderful Cuban people finally live in the freedom they so richly deserve.
Though the tragedies, deaths and pain caused by Fidel Castro cannot be erased, our administration will do all it can to ensure the Cuban people can finally begin their journey toward prosperity and liberty. I join the many Cuban Americans who supported me so greatly in the presidential campaign, including the Brigade 2506 Veterans Association that endorsed me, with the hope of one day soon seeing a free Cuba.
Jimmy Carter on the death of Fidel Castro: pic.twitter.com/JMV524xDO2
— Greg Bluestein (@bluestein) November 26, 2016
Fidel Castro was a symbol of the struggle for justice in the shadow of empire. Presente!
— Dr. Jill Stein (@DrJillStein) November 27, 2016
The @washingtonpost's first take on Castro's death: "spiritual beacon."
Headline has since been changed. pic.twitter.com/4Bw0ig4lzW— Chuck Thies (@ChuckThies) November 26, 2016
Compare the ledes for the NYTimes obits of Castro and Pinochet: pic.twitter.com/eUADJbYJnO — Jamie Weinstein (@Jamie_Weinstein) November 26, 2016
Former Chilean dictator Pinochet dies at age 91 (USA Today, 2006)
The White House on Sunday marked Pinochet’s death by calling his rule a “difficult period” and commending the country for establishing a free society.
“Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship in Chile represented one of the most difficult periods in that nation’s history,” said White House spokesman Tony Fratto. “Our thoughts today are with the victims of his reign and their families. We commend the people of Chile for building a society based on freedom, the rule of law and respect for human rights.”
Castro had a decent record with Native Americans. Extended recognition to the Miccosukee before the US in the 1950s pic.twitter.com/qMgqYkKfFD
— Jared L. Eberle (@jleberle) November 26, 2016
Note defenders of Cuba's (now) positions on LGBT rights: 20th-century Communist regimes condemned homosexuality as *capitalist* decadence.
— Eric Kleefeld (@EricKleefeld) November 26, 2016
Follow-up on this point: The stuff Communist regimes did to "treat" gay people would've even horrified Mike Pence. https://t.co/OjOg1IchLN
— Eric Kleefeld (@EricKleefeld) November 26, 2016
Castro asked me to speak at their university & I agreed. I asked him to go to church & he agreed & went to church for the 1sttime in 27yrs. pic.twitter.com/uhqzMOnYZd
— Rev Jesse Jackson Sr (@RevJJackson) November 27, 2016
#Castro came to #NY in '59 & stayed in #Harlem at the #HotelTheresa & the oppressed in Harlem thanked him for the gesture. pic.twitter.com/ANOTkKHMmL
— Rev Jesse Jackson Sr (@RevJJackson) November 26, 2016
#Castro helped to free #NelsonMandela in South Africa. Upon his release he went to #Cuba to say, 'Thank you'. pic.twitter.com/oRvmDxWPAy
— Rev Jesse Jackson Sr (@RevJJackson) November 26, 2016
Fidel Castro was an unwavering champion of racial equality (Ronald Howell, New York Daily News)
The most telling manifestation of Castro’s determination to stand against racism came in the 1980s. That was when Cuba sent 25,000 troops to fight in Angola alongside factions opposing the old apartheid government of South Africa. Keep in mind that the United States had been phony on the topic of racial justice. It took militant protests by American college students to get the United States to finally declare, through the 1986 Anti-Apartheid Act, that it was wrong to operate a country along racial lines, as South Africa was doing.
The South African racial justice hero Nelson Mandela, who was released from prison and went on to become the country’s first black leader, traveled to Cuba in 1991 to personally thank Fidel Castro and the Cuban people for their support in fighting apartheid and colonialism. Through the turning of the last century, Cuba remained a significant presence in Africa, providing medical assistance and trying to strengthen diplomatic bonds.
For Blacks in Cuba, the Revolution Hasn’t Begun (New York Times, 2013)
Racism in Cuba has been concealed and reinforced in part because it isn’t talked about. The government hasn’t allowed racial prejudice to be debated or confronted politically or culturally, often pretending instead as though it didn’t exist. Before 1990, black Cubans suffered a paralysis of economic mobility while, paradoxically, the government decreed the end of racism in speeches and publications. To question the extent of racial progress was tantamount to a counterrevolutionary act. This made it almost impossible to point out the obvious: racism is alive and well.
If the 1960s, the first decade after the revolution, signified opportunity for all, the decades that followed demonstrated that not everyone was able to have access to and benefit from those opportunities. It’s true that the 1980s produced a generation of black professionals, like doctors and teachers, but these gains were diminished in the 1990s as blacks were excluded from lucrative sectors like hospitality. Now in the 21st century, it has become all too apparent that the black population is underrepresented at universities and in spheres of economic and political power, and overrepresented in the underground economy, in the criminal sphere and in marginal neighborhoods.
In Havana, Castro’s Death Lays Bare a Generation Gap (New York Times)
With the departure of Cuba’s epic revolutionary in green fatigues, at the age of 90, the residents of Havana have not erupted so much as moved into their own emotional corners. All over this city on Saturday, indifference and relief stood side by side with sorrow and surprise as the conflicts that characterized Fidel Castro in life continued to reverberate after his death.
“He was the only leader I ever knew,” Graciela Martinez, 51, said as she mopped the floors of a cafe near the American Embassy on Saturday morning. She paused, then began to weep, thinking of her father, who fought for the revolution — and of her relatives who had fled to the United States.
“For those who loved him, he was the greatest,” she said of Mr. Castro. “For those who hated him, there was no one worse.”
Cuba, a verdant, struggling country of 11 million people that has been moving slowly toward free-market changes, finds itself again at an international crossroads. Mr. Castro died as Venezuela has pulled back financial support, facing its own political and economic crisis, and the détente engineered under President Obama threatens to be rolled back by President-elect Donald J. Trump.
We, too, have discontinued the Cuban.
Enjoy Arbys
— Nihilist Arby's (@nihilist_arbys) November 26, 2016
CIA finally kills Fidel Castro using innovative "old age" technique
— Almaqah (@_Almaqah) November 26, 2016
Fidel Castro survived:
?638 assassination attempts
?Cuban Missile Crisis
?1961-Bay of Pigs invasion…but even he couldn't survive:
?2016— Brenna Simon (@BrennaSimonSays) November 26, 2016
Reminder: There is still a Castro serving as dictator in Cuba.
— AgainstTrumpDude (@TheAmishDude) November 26, 2016
conservatives talking "I'm toasting Castro's death" like he was somehow beaten. He survived 600+ attempts on his life + died at 90. He won.
— T. (@RickyRawls) November 26, 2016
I may just be digging for a pony here, but I kind of liked Trump’s statement. I realize that greater moral clarity than Jimmy Carter isn’t a high bar, but I’m glad he cleared it. Also, just seeing Carter’s comment reminds me that the country has made irresponsible choices before, and they don’t necessarily represent a change in national character.Report
“I join the many Cuban Americans who supported me so greatly in the presidential campaign, including the Brigade 2506 Veterans Association that endorsed me, with the hope of one day soon seeing a free Cuba.”
The italicized parts rubbed me the wrong way. Is his hope only directed at those who supported him? Why the need to remind everyone of which Cubans supported him? Why does he have to make everything about him?
ETA: Imagine how much better that portion reads without the italicized sections.
“I join Cuban Americans with the hope of one day soon seeing a free Cuba.”
And, really, why not include actual Cubans?
He turned a death — a death which may provide an opportunity for freedom to spread — into a campaign speech… FOR A CAMPAIGN HE ALREADY WON!Report
And, really, why not include actual Cubans?
His emphasis, this entire election, has been on Americans. Not people in other countries.
He continues that here.Report
With emphasis on one American in particular.Report
If we’re going to call Trump out every time he makes something all about him, it’s going to be a long four years.Report
I’ve got news for you, @mike-schilling:
It’s going to be a long four years whether we do this or not.Report
Why start now? The left never seemed to mention how much Obama talked about himself in his speeches.Report
Upon taking office:
Obama: “I do solemnly swear…”
Conservative critic: “What a narcissist. All this guy does is talk about himself.”Report
By all means try to mock what you can’t rebut.Report
Here is one example.
http://www.theamericanmirror.com/video-obama-talks-137-times-speech-hillary/Report
Yes, he made it about himself. Less than Jackson did. A little more than President Obama did, although Will does point out that Obama’s was still self-centered. I liked that Trump was blunt about Castro.Report
He also made it abut the Bay of Pigs, which did as much as anything to solidify Castro’s rule. Real foreign policy chops there.Report
I refuse to ignore or to forgive neither Castro’s crimes nor his -probably even worse- economic mismanagement.
That doesn’t mean that there were no valid reasons for why he rose to power, for some of the policies he took, or for the approval for some (many) of his actions that you can see everywhere.
History is complicated. The worst thing we can do is see it in terms of white hats and black hats, where black hats are Morgoth worshipping evil doers that rejoice in their viciousness, and white hats are noble heroes fueled by their courage, wisdom and compassion.
Even the orcs have a viewpoint. Regretfully, Tolkien didn’t think it interesting to write about it.Report
No, the worst thing we can do with regard to history is to get it wrong. Castro was a man who rose to power in difficult conditions and became a villain by his own decisions. He was a black hat. It’s wrong to cast people into good and bad guys when they’re not, but it’s also wrong to fail to recognize good and bad.Report
Making moral judgments isn’t wrong, just unhelpful in making our own decisions.
Looking at Syria, Iran, Russia, China and our relationships with them; How would making moral judgments about their leaders help or guide our decisionmaking?
We are currently kinda-sorta- Frenemies with all these nations, where we alternately cooperate and compete with them, work in the same direction, and against them.
In between the moral masturbation of Wilsonian nation building and cynical realpolitik there exists a pretty big terrain of ambiguity and nuance.Report
@pinky
And the orcs decided to be evil. You should read The Last Ringbearer. Get a different perspective on white and black hats.
Nobody is excusing his crimes. Nobody is excusing Bush/Cheney’s crimes either. They also decided to became villains.Report
Nobody is excusing his crimes? Some are ignoring or trivializing them.Report
@pinky @j_a
I’m seeing a whole bunch of ignoring..both on Castro AND on Bush/Cheney AND Obama. O was the guy who decided NOT to investigate / prosecute acts of torture. Frankly, if I had my way, Trump would have them all investigated and prosecuted.Report
Agreed
I hated that decision. It was the wrong decision and we will regret it sooner rather than laterReport
Pinky’s comment above is an interesting contrast between the memes I am seeing on facebook where all my liberal friends call Obama’s statement diplomatic and graceful but state Trump failed his first major diplomatic test.
This is going to be a long and bitter four years.Report
I included the comment about Pinochet in part because I thought it got it right. I thought Obama’s was a bit too neutral, and a little self-centered, though I thought it was okay in the overall. I’m certainly glad he didn’t go the Carter route. Trump’s was self-aggrandizing and not my preferred route, but could have been way worse and the “He wasn’t sufficiently nice and deferential to the guy who wanted to annihilate us” line of criticism is not going to draw too much blood (nor, am I convinced, should it).Report
On LGM, Lee made this analogy:
Castro is to Liberals as Lee Kwan Yew is to conservatives. Others commented that maybe Pinochet was the better example but some agreed with Lee.
As I mentioned on Jaybird’s thread, there was a time not too long ago when you could criticize the Soviet Union but express sympathy for the Russian Revolution because of how horrible the tzars were.
Cuba before Castro was a corrupt Banana Republic run by United Fruit and various gangsters. Most of the Cubans that fled after the revolution took part to enrich themselves while their fellow country people performed back-breaking labor for little or no pay. So when the left is a little easier on Castro, I think it is because we perceive the right-wing and libertarian forces for only caring about Capitalism and corporate freedom over basic human rights and dignity. It seems clear to me that Capitalism and liberal democracy do not necessarily go hand in hand and many business people would rather not deal with the pesky nature of liberal democracy.
Lee Kwan Yew or Pinochet was the same for the right in presenting “Yeah he was bad and not-democratic but look at what he did to the economy and what came before him…..”Report
@saul-degraw I keep reminding you that United Fruit had some but very limited economic involvement in pre-Revolutionary Cuba, mainly some sugar plantations on the eastern part of Cuba. Their main area of activity was in Central America and not the Caribbean islands where they had banana plantations and did get too involved in local politics for their benefit.Report
Castro is to Liberals as Lee Kwan Yew is to conservatives.
Well, that was a pretty nice thing for him to have said about conservatives.Report
Castro is to Liberals as Lee Kwan Yew is to conservatives. Others commented that maybe Pinochet was the better example but some agreed with Lee.
I think that paints Liberals in a terrible light. I also don’t think it’s true. Replace it with Pinochet, though and I think it’s both more fair and more accurate.Report
Pinochet is a much better analogy.Report
UAnd yet conservatives still come out of that one looking better. Pinochet wasn’t a great guy, but Castro’s regime was more repressive, and ran the economy into the ground to boot.
Also, I’ve never really seen a full-throated defense of Pinochet. It’s always more along the lines of “He wasn’t as bad as Allende would have been.” But I see some lefties (not you guys) basically lining up to fellate Castro’s corpse, just like they did with Chavez. I think the primary reason for this is that those of us on the free market side have a lot of legitimate success stories, whereas full-on socialists (again, not you guys) are desperately scrounging around for someone they can pretend didn’t screw things up too badly. They need Cuba to have been a success, badly.Report
Here you go.”Report
I didn’t notice a lot of leftist defence of Chavez toward the end of his life and presidency. It took leftists a lot longer to notice that he was awful, but they noticed eventually.
And of course, they didn’t exactly cover themselves in ashes in the streets, mostly just stopped talking about him.Report
Yeah, it’s those damn LIBERTARIANS that have SO much influence on american foreign policy and influence in washington.
*rolls eyes*Report
Obama still has to be a grownup. Trump won’t ever have that handicap.Report
You wrote “long and bitter”, and it got me thinking. Do you think that your liberal friends responded more negatively to Trump’s statement because it came from Trump? I’m interested in the answer. Trump’s statement reflects a different point of view (ideology may be too big a word to describe it) than Obama’s, so some negative reaction to the statement is to be expected. Do you think their reaction goes beyond disagreement into bitterness?Report
Trump’s statement reflects a different point of view (ideology may be too big a word to describe it)
I think we’re clear to use big words, Trump probably isn’t reading this discussion anyway.Report
Castro is just going to be one of those polarizing figures that nobody is going to be able to agree upon. He has become a symbol rather than actual human being. People just project their cosmology and Castro and cast him as a saint or devil based on what they believe. Very few can judge with a clear eye and reflective mind.Report
Perhaps not, but the final chapter of George Orwell’s Animal Farm comes pretty close in my mind.Report
Or the last few lines of Sheep by –who else?– Pink Floyd:
Report
Luis Tiant:
After so many years and everything that has happened … I did not see my dad for 18 years, and I did not return to my homeland for 46 years, it’s just not that easy. I think it’s not time to celebrate, because the regime is still there. We don’t know what is going to happen and one does not know how Raúl [Castro] and all those who are still in power will react. Sometimes it’s better to remain silent and figure things out. Sometimes celebrations can be a little premature. Hopefully everything will be fixed soon, because it has been too much pain for too long; no one can withstand that.
Report
One dog that isn’t barking is the whole “Cuban Twitter” thing.
People are not tweeting from Cuba with their opinions on what happened.
Because they don’t have twitter.
Because they don’t have access to the internet.
Because the government forbade it and had the power to keep people off of it.Report
At least Castro was not running a private email server. Also, the very mention of Petraeus being considered for a cabinet post reinforces for Americans that the ultimate value of classified information is its suitability for political ammunition, the same as the rest of American culture.Report
Touché.
Castro might have beaten Trump in the Rust Belt states.Report
Well, he was pro torture and big on jailing his political enemies, so there’s always that appeal.Report
And he never tried to move prisoners from Cuba to the United States.Report
Except by in 1980 and 1994.
Or was I missing a layer of sarcasm?Report
He would have been the most qualified individual ever to throw the first pitch on openning day.
(And there wouldn’t have been an over 30 year gap of major league baseball in the capital)Report