Castro’s False Claims of Success

Let's see, the CIA Factbook, that liberal hotbed, shows Cuban infant mortality at 5.93/k (USA is 6.3/k - Mexico 19.01/k), life expectancy is 77.27 (USA is 78.14 - Mexico 75.84) and literacy at 99.8% (USA is 99% - Mexico at 91%). It appears that the health and education metrics are equal to the USA and certainly better than the democratic third world norm with Mexico as the example.

If you want to talk about squandered life of youth look no further than the waste of life in Vietnam and Iraq supporting failed political hubris.

Certainly there is less economic opportunity in Cuba than say NYC or LA, but there is certainly more geographic area in the USA lacking in economic opportunity than all of the Cuban land mass.

Oh and don't forget the fact that people were lynched and murdered in the USA for using their right of free speech well after the Cuban revolution.

Is Cuba ideal, no, do I want to live there as it is currently, no, is it better off than if it had remained a US "protectorate" , Yes!

I heard the Father of Trickle Down economics, Arthur Laffer gleefully claim he couldn't wait until Castro was gone because Cuba's economy would take off after communism. He told of all the trained engineers, technicians, teachers and doctors who would help pave the way. My wife looked over at me and said, "It's ironic that we can't say the same thing about our allies in that region."

Imagine if our borders weren't as porous as they are. Castaneda's Mexico would be a more of basket case than it is. If we weren???t Mexico???s social safety valve taking on the millions of desperate campaseno???s to work here in the United States than Mexico might very well be looking at a full fledged revolution of their own. With millions more unemployed in a nation that does less than a stellar job of providing for it???s citizens I???d have to consider hard if I???d rather be in Mexico where I???m not given two cents worth of dignity or Cuba where at least I???m able to acquire more education and have a longer life expectancy and more dignaity.

Mexico has lousy social indicators in spite of all the economic opportunity America has tried to give them. What ever small success Cuba has achieved has been in spite of us. So what???s Mexico???s excurse?

I did not need to read the name of the author of this piece to know he is a Cuban exile or a child of same. I could tell by the level of vitriol. Mr. Castaneda wants us to forget that many Americans fought with the Cubans during their revolution, and that our countries were friendly until land reform began. That was when our government pushed Cuba into the arms of the USSR, not their first choice of partner. Many of the ensuing problems, which he exaggerates, have come about as a result of our government's choice to court the votes of Cuban exiles by continuing sanctions far longer than even countries with whom we have gone to war. We even went to the length of trying to bully other countries into obeying our orders not to trade with Cuba. What's up with all that? It's time for it to be over.

These criticisms reflect the depth of feeling among those who see Castro as a hero and a model for aq future latin america free of US interference. the debate needs to continue, but to criticize an analyst because he or she is not on the ground is pointless. Was Marx in the center of violent conflict? How about Engels,Lenin, fourrier and all the great thinkers to whom the left looks as ancesors? An intellectual's role is rarely thatplayed by Guevara, so let intellectuals do what they need to do, namely analyze complex issues and stimulate thought and debate, hioe raising awareness of critical social and cultural issues. These criticisms attack the man, not his arguments. How about refuting what you believe to be false and providing alternative explanations? if everyone who comments and expresses points of view about these subjects must be a gun carrying revolutionary actively fighting for his beliefs then most of usshould not be writing these comments.

Sounds like Mr. Castañeda is one of those Latin American intellectuals brainwashed by US universities and foundation money. Perhaps Cuba does give itself more credit than it is due, but that is what has kept it going for so long under such harsh US repressive tactics. lets not forget these tactics have included the decades long embargo, fierce political opposition and explicit support of anti-revolution Cubans in Miami that have blown up planes and invaded the island several times.

It is not surprising that Mr. Castañeda, financed by US institutions, does not mention that the number one reason why other Latin American revolutions did not succeed was due to extreme opposition from US-backed dictatorships. He merely states "additional reasons" in the case of Chile. The young people's blood was not spilled in vain. They were killed by US manufactured weapons, carried by US-trained military death squads.

If we are discussing the true causes of failure of the revolutions of Latin America, one cannot not mention US imperialism and military power as the central cause. Whatever left movements are growing now may be weak as of yet, but they have a lot of reconstruction to do from the destruction caused by the US.

Yes Jorge, the well dressed, borgiouse tenured professor is the SORRY one, not Castro. Condemn him it doesn't not matter, history will absolve him...

Easy for Jorge to judge from his comfy well furnished glass tower, sure we all know the problems in Cuba, but to call the Revolution "sorry" is sorry on Jorge's part. Castro will go down in history as a great man, history will absolve him.

Oh Jorge it seems you are on the side of the yankees. You call people fighting this imperialist filthy yankee regime people who wasted their life? You sound like a little coward sitting in your living room throwing paper airplane bombs. Who's side are you on anyways the imperialist yankees and those who do nothing or those who have fought this filthy country that should be wiped off the map? I find your article to be nothing but domestic propaganda for the American audience. You sir are an absolute failure in advancing the freedom of the world from this imperialist country that refuses to stop occupying Cuba with its military base. You dont even meet the level of "fair and balanced" FOX news. Same on you for writing such narrow baseless propaganda.

Oh Jorge it seems you are on the side of the yankees. You call people fighting this imperialist filthy yankee regime people who wasted their life? You sound like a little coward sittying in your living room throwing shells. Who's side are you on anyways the imperialist yankees and those who do nothing or those who have fought this filthy country that should be wiped off the map? I find your article to be nothing but domestic propaganda for the American audience. You sir are an absolute failure in advancing the freedom of the world from this imperialist country that refuses to lstop occupying cuba with its military base. You dont even meet the level of "fair and balanced" FOX news. Shame on you for writing such narrow baseless propaganda.