2008 Woodie Awards
Adios, tirano
Feature Editorial
Issue date: 2/25/08 Section: Opinions
Last week, Fidel Castro officially stepped down as "president" of Cuba, handing over complete control of the state to his brother, Raul. With Fidel's retirement closes a sad chapter in the long struggle for human rights and freedom.
Unfortunately, Fidel has for far too long enjoyed credibility among political groups and ideologues who harbor personal grudges against the United States. As Fidel was able to cling to power despite an embargo and several CIA assassination attempts, he became an instant hero, notably among extreme left-wing members of the media and academia.
His iconic status is misplaced for three main reasons:
Firstly, embargoes and/or sanctions seldom dislodge dictators who hold no qualms about letting their people suffer (i.e. Saddam Hussein, Kim Jong Il, etc.).
Secondly, the CIA failed to foresee the Berlin Wall come down, the 9/11 attacks, or the accuracy of their assessments on Iraq's pre-war weapons stockpiles, just to list a few blunders. In other words, the CIA is extremely inept in carrying out the one mission it was specifically designed to perform. Surviving assassination attempts from this gaggle of Keystone Cops is really nothing to brag about.
Finally, regardless of your views on the United States, the cold fact remains that Fidel Castro was a brutal dictator who tyrannized the Cuban people for almost half a century.
In 1959, after promising to bring democracy to Cuba, Fidel seized power for
himself and installed a one-party Communist state. A grassroots rebellion, called the Escambray Rebellion, quickly erupted against Fidel's rule, led by Cuban peasants and former Castro supporters. The rebellion lasted six years and recruited over 10 times as many fighters as Castro used against Batista. With the massive aid of Soviet helicopters, flamethrowers and terror tactics, the Castro regime gradually starved, tortured and summarily executed the rebellion away.
Since then, Fidel has presided over the only totalitarian state in the Western hemisphere, complete with gulags, political prisoners and the repression of basic freedoms such as speech, peaceful assembly, property rights, etc., not to mention the complete lack of any form of electoral, democratic system of government.
Fidel's successor Raul has proven to be just as brutal, but also more pragmatic. He has recently hinted that he'd be willing to gradually open up to the West, while simultaneously bringing modest reforms to Cuba's degenerate economic infrastructure. Whether Raul's actions match his words remains to be seen. But Cubans should be cautiously hopeful. Without Fidel, their fortunes can only improve.
Unfortunately, Fidel has for far too long enjoyed credibility among political groups and ideologues who harbor personal grudges against the United States. As Fidel was able to cling to power despite an embargo and several CIA assassination attempts, he became an instant hero, notably among extreme left-wing members of the media and academia.
His iconic status is misplaced for three main reasons:
Firstly, embargoes and/or sanctions seldom dislodge dictators who hold no qualms about letting their people suffer (i.e. Saddam Hussein, Kim Jong Il, etc.).
Secondly, the CIA failed to foresee the Berlin Wall come down, the 9/11 attacks, or the accuracy of their assessments on Iraq's pre-war weapons stockpiles, just to list a few blunders. In other words, the CIA is extremely inept in carrying out the one mission it was specifically designed to perform. Surviving assassination attempts from this gaggle of Keystone Cops is really nothing to brag about.
Finally, regardless of your views on the United States, the cold fact remains that Fidel Castro was a brutal dictator who tyrannized the Cuban people for almost half a century.
In 1959, after promising to bring democracy to Cuba, Fidel seized power for
himself and installed a one-party Communist state. A grassroots rebellion, called the Escambray Rebellion, quickly erupted against Fidel's rule, led by Cuban peasants and former Castro supporters. The rebellion lasted six years and recruited over 10 times as many fighters as Castro used against Batista. With the massive aid of Soviet helicopters, flamethrowers and terror tactics, the Castro regime gradually starved, tortured and summarily executed the rebellion away.
Since then, Fidel has presided over the only totalitarian state in the Western hemisphere, complete with gulags, political prisoners and the repression of basic freedoms such as speech, peaceful assembly, property rights, etc., not to mention the complete lack of any form of electoral, democratic system of government.
Fidel's successor Raul has proven to be just as brutal, but also more pragmatic. He has recently hinted that he'd be willing to gradually open up to the West, while simultaneously bringing modest reforms to Cuba's degenerate economic infrastructure. Whether Raul's actions match his words remains to be seen. But Cubans should be cautiously hopeful. Without Fidel, their fortunes can only improve.
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