Why does Fidel Castro scare America so much?

[Canadian]

I am just watching a show on National geographic Channel about Fidel and how he came to power.

I know he is no saint but he is not as bad as many other countries/leaders the US associates with. China is the largest communist country in the world and yet they basically 'own' the US, not to mention their less than stellar human rights record as well, Saudi Arabia has far worse human rights violations than Cuba yet they are buddies or even a US puppet state. Saddam was a US buddy until he invaded Kuwait. Nazi Scientists were the ones that built the US Rocket programme, yet Castro is looked upon as bad as Bin Laden? Fidel did not even make the top 15 dictator list that came out last week.

Yet we all know what the US does at Gitmo....torture people, like they do at Diego Garcia and do not forget Abu Gharib, the rapes of Iraqi civilians etc and I am sure other locales. Yet they have the nerve to criticize other countries. Sure Cuba has political prisoners but so does the US and China (The US largest trading partner as of last year)

Sure Cuba has poverty but have you been on a First Nation Reserve in Canada? Downtown east side of Vancouver and in areas of many other big US and Canadian cities.

Cuba has a 99.7% literacy rate according to the US CIA world fact book, he brought in medical, education for the people which they never had before. Hell Cuba even has a lower infant mortality rate than the US and seem to be ahead of Canada and the US in using Green Technology. Not to mention he sends his very well trained doctors to poor areas of the world to help.

When my grandma who is 86 fell out of bed at a resort outside of Havana, other than the wild ambulance ride to a hospital in Havana, she and my Aunt both said she got better care than she would of received here. The doctors were top notch, compassionate and the one doctor who was the one looking after her, even came to see her everyday until it was time to go home. When was the last time a doctor in Canada or even the US did a 'home' visit? The doctor would not even take money. She had an MRI on her brain. The Nurses and staff were excellent and the hospital would not even take a dime. The Ambulance even took her and my aunt back at no charge to the hotel they were at.

I remember in 2001 his plane stopped at Vancouver Airport and the local tv stations went live and he got a room at the hotel for 6 hours or so and there were mobs of people there to meet him. He is like a folk hero with a huge cult following. There were a few token protesters but they were few and far between.

They seem to make a big deal in the US about Evil Fidel and the 2 million that have come to the US since he took over. Yet there is 10 million or more people from Mexico coming into the US illegally and Mexico is not communist. The US media makes huge stink about this but yet treat refugees from Cuba like they are hero's...

Are they mad because Fidel booted out Batista the US puppet Dictator? Batista is the one that got rid of the democratic government in the first place. The corporations that stole at the time Cuba's largest industry Sugar? (Tourism is the largest industry now thanks mainly to Canadians) The Bay of Pigs failure? The nuclear crisis? The fact they have tried to kill him over 700 times and failed?

I am not saying Castro is not a dictator or I guess was as his brother is El Presidente as of today , but why is the US so scared of him? Are they scared of what he represents? Why is the US the only country with an embargo? The same can be said of Chavez except for the lack of embargo. Is it because the US can not 'control them'? Is it the fear of socialism? I know they like to equate socialism and communism as if they were one of the same.

Canada has always had a good relationship with Fidel , we used to send aid to Cuba, not sure if we still do. Trudeau and Fidel were great friends back in the day and Fidel was a honourary pallbearer at Trudeau's funeral. Hell people in the crowd were Chanting Viva Fidel! I had goose bumps. We can buy Cuban Cigars, Rhum and other products here.

I think he will be remembered as the one that kept US Imperialism out of Cuba no matter what his detractors say.

I am not saying Cuba is utopia or Fidel is the greatest leader but westernized countries have many of the same social issues and problems.

I honestly do not get this fear of Fidel and why Cuba is singled out and picked on by the US? It makes no sense to me since the US deals with worse people than Fidel on a regular basis.

I know the Cubans in Miami do not like Castro but these are descendants of people who benefited from corruption in the Batista regime.

[Shlomart Ben Yisrael]

I appreciate your enthusiasm, Canadian.

Say, what do you know about communism, old buddy?
If you have any questions, Phibes and myself can help you out...'cause that's what comrades do. Help each other.

[Cuda]

Cuba has a 99.7% literacy rate according to the US CIA world fact book,

The Cubans had that before Castro became dictator, you fucking dolt.

he brought in medical, education for the people which they never had before. Hell Cuba even has a lower infant mortality rate than the US and seem to be ahead of Canada and the US in using Green Technology. Not to mention he sends his very well trained doctors to poor areas of the world to help.

When my grandma who is 86 fell out of bed at a resort outside of Havana, other than the wild ambulance ride to a hospital in Havana, she and my Aunt both said she got better care than she would of received here.

In other words, Canada has even less to brag about than Cuba when it comes to health care.

[Wolfman]

"Afraid of Castro" ?? What a laugh. If we put the Marines weekly beer supply on the other side of the island--they would be there in 24 hours. My take is that after the "missile crisis" we made an agreement with the then USSR (now Russia) to keep a hands off policy regarding Cuba. I still also think that Castro was behind the murder of JFK. The details of it all are sealed for 75 years from the date of the murder. Some of you younger folks may live long enough to read the truth.

[Diogenes]

I feel for Otis.

[SunCoastSooner]

The question to this thread can be answered in 3 letters... JFK. I know it is utterly inconceivable that such a saint should be mentioned this way as well *gasp*.

Fact is that Fidel was neither a true socialist or Commie until American interests pushed him into a corner. Fidel was just a patriot that wanted Cuba for Cubans and an extremist. Our own country pushed him into the Guevera (sic?) corner with our policies.

[Tom In VA]

We're not afraid of Castro.


Sincerely,

[Cuda]

Fact is that Fidel was neither a true socialist or Commie until American interests pushed him into a corner. Fidel was just a patriot that wanted Cuba for Cubans and an extremist. Our own country pushed him into the Guevera (sic?) corner with our policies.

Fact is you're dumber than a box of rocks if you believe that load of bullshit.

[SunCoastSooner]

Fact is that Fidel was neither a true socialist or Commie until American interests pushed him into a corner. Fidel was just a patriot that wanted Cuba for Cubans and an extremist. Our own country pushed him into the Guevera (sic?) corner with our policies.

Fact is you're dumber than a box of rocks if you believe that load of bullshit.

Look into it. He wasn't. American Big Business was pissed that he was screwing with their interests. At that time in the world you were on one of two sides; America or Russia. He couldn't garner support from the Western Block so he did the survivalist thing and made himself appeasible to Russia. Fidel is a survivor.

[Cuda]

Would you like to know where all that happy horseshit about Castro not being a commie until he was driven to it came from?

It came from Castro himself.

Too bad he had already been on record as a self-proclaimed marxist long before then

[SunCoastSooner]

Would you like to know where all that happy horseshit about Castro not being a commie until he was driven to it came from?

It came from Castro himself.

Too bad he had already been on record as a self-proclaimed marxist long before then

Actually it was from Che...

[Cuda]

Che? Oh, please... what, are you & Goober having a "Quote the Least Credible Source" contest?

[SunCoastSooner]

Che? Oh, please... what, are you & Goober having a "Quote the Least Credible Source" contest?

No it was Che that said Fidel was not a real socialist or commie until America got really involved. Fidel was using it as a way to take controll. Kind of like Bush hijacking the word conservative despite being anything but such.

[Cuda]

I'll just have to restate my previous reply: If you believe that load of bullshit, you're dumber than a fucking box of rocks

[SunCoastSooner]

At that time in the world you were on one of two sides; America or Russia. He couldn't garner support from the Western Block so he did the survivalist thing and made himself appeasible to Russia. Fidel is a survivor.

Total nonsense. He was intensely anti-American from the get go. He was involved in a number of nationalist parties that deeply resented government corruption and American complicty in that corruption.

He really wasn't much of socialist or commie though until he hooked up with Guevarra in Mexico after he got out of jail. Guevarra had a big influence on his political development and his embrace of communism.

At no point did Castro ever consider garnering support from the US.

Didn't say he did try and garner American support mv. You actually just completly backed the entire jest of my post. Thank You!

You're absolutly correct that he wanted American businesses out on their ass and for Cubans to be in controll of the business on the island. Fidel was complete fuck stick and a dictator but history has been warped to the degree of his socialism or communism tendancies.

He was as I said a "patriot" for his own country (and yes I am using the term patriot in very loose terms here). He wanted Cuba for Cubans. Socialism provided a means to the ends for him.

[Tom In VA]

Socialism provided a means to the ends for him.

And that "ends" was "Cuba for Castro".

[SunCoastSooner]

Socialism provided a means to the ends for him.

And that "ends" was "Cuba for Castro".

That I can't argue with cause I agree.

[Shlomart Ben Yisrael]

At that time in the world you were on one of two sides; America or Russia. He couldn't garner support from the Western Block so he did the survivalist thing and made himself appeasible to Russia. Fidel is a survivor.

Total nonsense. He was intensely anti-American from the get go. He was involved in a number of nationalist parties that deeply resented government corruption and American complicty in that corruption.

He really wasn't much of socialist or commie though until he hooked up with Guevarra in Mexico after he got out of jail. Guevarra had a big influence on his political development and his embrace of communism.

At no point did Castro ever consider garnering support from the US.

Pretty much the same story for Ho Chi Minh.

He practically begged America not to shit on his country.
Not that that I'm all tore up about the way it turned out.

[Cuda]

He really wasn't much of socialist or commie though until he hooked up with Guevarra in Mexico after he got out of jail. Guevarra had a big influence on his political development and his embrace of communism.

I think SunCoastShitfacedbeforenoon was referring to Castro's "coming out" after taking power

At no point did Castro ever consider garnering support from the US.

You mean Castro lied when he said he decided to become a communist when he came to Washington DC unannounced and Eisenhower wouldn't see him and sent out Nixon instead?

I'm shocked!

[SunCoastSooner]

You mean Castro lied when he said he decided to become a communist when he came to Washington DC unannounced and Eisenhower wouldn't see him and sent out Nixon instead?

I'm shocked!

Almost as shocking as the fact that he went to Washington only after the KGB failed to come through for him with weapons and money.

So what you're trying to say is that Castor was for himself controlling Cuba any way he knew how?

What a novel concept

Sin,

the First two times it was said.

[SunCoastSooner]

I think SunCoastShitfacedbeforenoon

You moron there are at least 3 people on this board who know how much I drink. If you can catch me slurp more than 2 beers in a 24 hour period take a picture and mark the date.

[Cuda]

You were either drunk or stoned yesterday morning- and you're clearly snockered now.

[SunCoastSooner]

You were either drunk or stoned yesterday morning- and you're clearly snockered now.

Considering the source...

[Cuda]

Have another bong hit & go back to bed

[SunCoastSooner]

Have another bong hit & go back to bed

Sorry some of us have jobs to perform. I don't have the same luxery of sitting on my ass all day waiting for someone to reply to my posts as you do...