What makes Fidel Castro a bad guy?
 

Here's my limited understanding of the man and his legacy:

Cuba before Castro:

1) Cuba was under control of a corrupt Government headed by Batista (and supported by the US).
2) Cuba was a playground for American mobs. Prostitution, and all things seedy that we wouldn't want in our neighborhoods were everywhere in Cuba.

Castro's Rise:

1) In the 1950's Castro organizes a small force and fights off Batista's Government and kicks out the mob, the prostitution, the gambling that is rampant in Cuba
2) Finding no funds to re-build Cuba, Castro befriends the USSR because he cannot get support by the US
3) The US imposes an economic blockade on Cuba that is still in place today

Cuba After Castro:

1) Cuba has one of the highest literacy rates on the globe
2) The mob, prostitution, and other activities are either gone or under control like here in the US
3) Cuban researches may have a cure or vaccine for Cancer but the US government won't allow it into their borders because they don't want to pay Castro for it. In other words they're on the cutting edge of science.
4) The US has never let up the sanctions on Cuba even though Castro has never posed a threat to the US and has never shown that he is opposed to US trade.

Notes about Castro:
He earned a law degree. In 1940, as a student activist he joined a political party which had a mandate to bring about peaceful revolutionary change through constitutional means.

In short, the guy wanted his country to be prosperous and not the hole that it was treated as by foreigners. He couldn't get it done through peace so he started a revolution. Now things in Cuba are better than they were before Castro came along. Unlike Haiti, we don't see people on boats fleeing from Cuba to go to the US.

So why are we still treating this man like a Devil? Wouldn't we do the same thing in his position?

Ummm, you sure about that?

Basically Castro is bed because Communism is bad. Better dead than red, remember? :helpme

Didn't Cuba do some crazy shit with Russia during the Cold War?

we were hours away from being nuked at one time with that cocksucker.

I'm sure.

And I know you're being sarcastic. It's just troubling how many people will say he's bad because he's a communist without knowing any of the history.

I ask those that don't like him to explain why. Because your President says so and because it's been 'the policy' for 60 years? Isn't it time to move on. The wealthiest nation on earth santions poor little Cuba. It's almost pathetic.

Appearantly 51% of America doesn't believe that

I'm pretty sure lots of people come to the United States on boats from Cuba. There's even immigration laws specifically for them.

The man wanted to re-build his country. He couldn't get help from the wealthiest nation on earth having just kicked out their mob and their puppet Government under Batista.

So Castro accepted aid from Russa. Russia decided to place missiles in Cuba. It's caused a scare. Would something have ever happened? I don't know but WW3 would have been brutal and probably none of us would be here today if WW3 had happened. Was it all political manoevering? Probably.

Anyway, considering that was in the 60's and Cuba couldn't rebuild on it's own, what would you have done?

You're telling me Elian wasn't Cuban? Noooo!

Tony Montana was Cuban!

They don't come by the boat loads. You'll see news about people from Haiti comng over in rafts to seek refugee status. you don't see that happening from Cubans. Do Cubans come to the States? Sure, just as some US citizens go to Cuba. Heck, I think Cuba has nice weather, I'd like to vacation there.

The United States has always proped up dictators to suit their needs. They are only "evil" when they don't do what teh US wants. Saddam is an exmaple. Reagan and Rumsfeld had ZERO problem with him aquiring WMDs and killing his own people as long he was on our side against Iran.

I really hope your whole argument isn't based on "not seeing Cubans". There are tons of things we don't see.

What would you have done? Also since 60 years have passed don't you think it's time for us to ya know, let it go. As far as I know communist Russia fell quite some time ago.

yo FIDEL CASTRO IS SICKKK!!!!! :thumbsup

Well I guess if there are rules saying we won't allow you into our country because you're Cuban, you'll try to find ways to go undetected. Wouldn't you?

I ask you again, what has Castro done that you wouldn't as a patriot of your country?

Let it go? What for? Maybe if there was a really good reason. Just because time has passed? No, not really. But then again, I don't really care either way.

I can tell from your posts that the only thing you know about Cuba
is from some web site somewhere. Now lets suppose that the government just took everything one day and gave things to people they thought should have it and it did not matter who's
stuff it was to begin with. How would you feel about the government.

Maybe? Maybe? I hope your argument isn't based on maybe. There are facts available.

I ask you again, what has Castro done that you wouldn't as a patriot of your country?

You don't care that their might be a vaccine for cancer in Cuba that can save millions of US lives?

Dude you started the thread out by saying Cubans don't really come here to the states. Throughout the thread your story begins to change. What the hell are you talking about? Any information you posted above I'm now second guessing.

What exactly are Cuban Boat People?

Why don't we stay on topic.

I ask you again, what has Castro done that you wouldn't as a patriot of your country?

Do people go to other countries? Sure, what's wrong with that? Have you ever gone to Canada or Europe?

Might? If they have such great evidence of cancer cures why haven't they taken it to any of the other first world countries? You're using this argument as if the United States is the ONLY country that could possibly help them. Get real. If they had a potential cure, some country or better yet, some private Pharmaceutical Company would pick it up.

The United States is not the determining factor in them finding a cure.

I started a thread saying I had limited knowledge. I'm asking for answers as to why we don't like Castro. From the points above, can any of you explain why he's a bad guy?

http://members.lycos.nl/bos332/hpbimg/s02.jpg "I kill a communist for fun. For a green card, I'm gonna carve him up real nice."

I'm staying on topic just fine. Yet you keep changing your story. I'm simply arguing the original points you made.

What has Castro done that I haven't? Don't know. Don't really know much about the guy nor have I ever claimed to. Like I said, I really don't care either way.

I would not take everything and say it was mine now and you own nothing.

I'm asking for answers as to why we don't like Castro. From the points above, can any of you explain why he's a bad guy? If you can't answer and don't care, I don't know why you're posting in this thread.

As I said, I don't know why we don't like him. I want to learn, that's all.

What do you mean? Are you saying Castro is a dictator?

Castro is bad because if you have a beautiful tropical island it should be full of casinos and brothels for horny American men to spend their money on.

you are joking right?

:thumbsup

Looks like the US is importing the cancer treatment. Just googled:
http://www.americas.org/item_16251

No I'm not. I haven't heard about massacres or such things going on in Cuba.

Castro isnt a bad guy
:2 cents:

he done what he thinked was best for his country

Nice... loved that movie. But mobsters are hardly communists. They're rogue capitalists.

No he just took everyone's money that pissed them off more than
killing them. And as far as doing what he had too that is not true there are always more than one way to do things.

It's the Cuban Invasion of the early 80's

It seems like you're informed about this. I'd like to ask

1) Why aren't their revolts or revolution in Cuba

2) What are the other ways to rebuild your country from scratch if you don't have money to do it with

From what I've seen on the news, he seems to be loved by his people and people like the father of Elian Gonzalez prefer to live in Cuba rather than the US.

I'm amazed that he is able to be a dictator without slaughtering civilians like Saddam and every other dictator appears to have.

1, Cubans don't fight they talk you to death, there were no be battles for Cuba, two building and a few blown up ships in the harbor were all it took, later is when he then declared that he was a communist.

2 like everyone else taxes, he could have done it that way and he would have been loved .