It's still baffling that from childhood, we were taught to see this man as evil.
No matter what he's said or done, or what happened in Cuba under his leadership, there is nothing about him that ever seemed deliberately malicious or hateful. Every single interview, speech, witness account, document, or literature about him I've seen - western or otherwise - clearly shows his warmth, compassion, and genuine desire to help those in need. Try as they might, even the most critical accounts I've seen of him can't hide that. He was clearly just as concerned as his comrades and Cuban citizens by the problems they faced, and felt honest regret and frustration knowing his ability to solve them was limited. But he spent most of his life doing whatever he could to address those issues, no matter how exhausting or demoralizing it became. Even so, he held onto hope for a better world until the very end. He had an undeniable love for humanity, and his anger only manifested when that love was challenged.
Fidel was one man out of millions in a constant struggle, but did as much as one man could, and for that I admire him. I think he's earned his recognition as a role model for communists everywhere, and for anyone looking to fight injustice or simply help others. As someone else here put it, he was a "lightning rod" for the energy of a greater movement. The fact that despite all this, he and his country have been villainized and attacked at every opportunity by capitalists and the people they indoctrinate, breaks my heart. The cruelty that's been shown towards them - by selfish, hateful, and abusive people who insist they know better and want what's best for us - is absolutely criminal. When I see how regular people have been taught to describe Cuba, I want to scream. Hearing platitudes about "freedom, opportunity, and democracy" with no actions or improvements seen in anyone's lives to justify them, from the same "leaders" who try to suffocate real change, fills me with indescribable rage. I want to lash out, grab them by the throats, and force them to look at what they've done until the same tears stream from their eyes. No one should accept this. None of this is fair or even acceptable. Fidel didn't accept it either, and proved that millions of people see the injustice I'm seeing. He showed me that I'm not alone, and that there will always be a way forward, even in the face of so much casual greed and abuse. And for that, I thank him. There are countless others like him, and I think we should all aspire towards that with every act of kindness and resistance.
If you're still reading, do something for someone in need today that exemplifies your revolutionary spirit. Anytime you feel hesitant, remember that in 90 years of life, Fidel never backed down, only changed his approach and kept moving forward.
It's still baffling that from childhood, we were taught to see this man as evil.
No matter what he's said or done, or what happened in Cuba under his leadership, there is nothing about him that ever seemed deliberately malicious or hateful. Every single interview, speech, witness account, document, or literature about him I've seen - western or otherwise - clearly shows his warmth, compassion, and genuine desire to help those in need. Try as they might, even the most critical accounts I've seen of him can't hide that. He was clearly just as concerned as his comrades and Cuban citizens by the problems they faced, and felt honest regret and frustration knowing his ability to solve them was limited. But he spent most of his life doing whatever he could to address those issues, no matter how exhausting or demoralizing it became. Even so, he held onto hope for a better world until the very end. He had an undeniable love for humanity, and his anger only manifested when that love was challenged.
Fidel was one man out of millions in a constant struggle, but did as much as one man could, and for that I admire him. I think he's earned his recognition as a role model for communists everywhere, and for anyone looking to fight injustice or simply help others. As someone else here put it, he was a "lightning rod" for the energy of a greater movement. The fact that despite all this, he and his country have been villainized and attacked at every opportunity by capitalists and the people they indoctrinate, breaks my heart. The cruelty that's been shown towards them - by selfish, hateful, and abusive people who insist they know better and want what's best for us - is absolutely criminal. When I see how regular people have been taught to describe Cuba, I want to scream. Hearing platitudes about "freedom, opportunity, and democracy" with no actions or improvements seen in anyone's lives to justify them, from the same "leaders" who try to suffocate real change, fills me with indescribable rage. I want to lash out, grab them by the throats, and force them to look at what they've done until the same tears stream from their eyes. No one should accept this. None of this is fair or even acceptable. Fidel didn't accept it either, and proved that millions of people see the injustice I'm seeing. He showed me that I'm not alone, and that there will always be a way forward, even in the face of so much casual greed and abuse. And for that, I thank him. There are countless others like him, and I think we should all aspire towards that with every act of kindness and resistance.
If you're still reading, do something for someone in need today that exemplifies your revolutionary spirit. Anytime you feel hesitant, remember that in 90 years of life, Fidel never backed down, only changed his approach and kept moving forward.
:red-fist: :hammer-sickle: :PCC: :juche-WPK: :ancom-heart:
End the blockade against Cuba, and end capitalism in all its forms. This is not the end of history.
Beautiful write-up :ussr-cry: