Fidel Castro, a Case Study of Right, Wrong

There is more to the Cuban icon than standing up as an underdog

El Comandante, the people of Cuba called him, if not just Fidel, adoringly . But there was more to him than cigarchewing, Yankee-munching charisma. He was loved, deeply and mostly , but also despised as a tyrant by his countrymen and Cuban emigrès who understood the downsides of being hauled into jail, their freedoms curtailed, for simply being critics. But the fact remains that Fidel Castro is one of the most influentlial figures in world history . If all it takes to be a leader, an underdog, a David to take on Goliath, Castro would have deserved his halo. Unflinching courage nothwithstanding -and genuine passion, eloquence and leadership -Castro perfected the Potemkin Village, the charade that sells progress in the name of 'standing up to imperialism'.The Cuban revolution did not begin as a communist takeover. The dependence on Soviet subsidy and political support turned that initial narrative. Castro's party got people to inform on their neigh bours. They hauled people into prison. The spirit was kept ali ve despite the system, not be cause of it. Cubans danced through hardships and want.
They developed world-beating healthcare, mass schooling and sporting prowess. But, blood less as it was, Castro's Cuba was anti-humanist, freedom being traded for a 'higher cause' -that has hurt a people for two generations. The Soviet Union collapsed, people expected Cuba to crumble. David stayed proud and defiant, and survived, thumbing his nose at Goliath. And Castro's will and ringing passion egged a nation on, to endure and thus stand up against 'Yankee America'.
Expect the Cuban revolution to disintegrate, with the pace accelerating when Fidel's younger brother, Raul, steps down as president in 2018. Cuba, however, is better prepared than most nations for broadbased capitalist growth, in terms of education and healthcare, even if some fundamentals remain lacking.

Source: Economic Times, 28-11-2016