the best survivor of them all, still in the backyard of the usa

A true revolutionary who was a nationalist at heart, Fidel Castro Ruz was born on August 13, 1926 in Oriente Province in eastern Cuba, the son of a middle-class plantation owner and his wife. He was an exceptional student and is an intellectual with a ruthless streak who has never allowed anyone or anything to dictate to him how he should live his life. (Are we listening here, all you jingoistic Yanquis?) This is a complex, contradictory man who violates all American sense of what is "right" and "wrong" and instead dispenses consequences based upon the Latin tradition of physical and military strength (as shown by the Spanish conquistadores and the caste system imposed by the peninsulares) and cunning, intertwined with a Cuban's sense of injustice (witness historical Spanish, British, and American brutality towards the Cuban people) and independent spirit. Perhaps that is why the Spanish held on to Cuba for so long because the Cuban people are so proud to be Cuban and proud of their heritage, and because the Spanish (and Americans and Soviets) could not, and can not, dictate their brand of rule upon Castro and his people. To jaded hard-liners in the West, especially in America, Castro is a relic of a system that has failed to meet the needs of the Cuban people. But to most Cubanos, Castro represents stability on an island that had never known economic and military stability since the Spanish first arrived on this beautiful island over six centuries ago. Democracy, as Americans know it, was never a priority in Cuba because the average Cuban was desparately poor and was trying to feed their family, while the few wealthy and their colonial overlords---Spain and America---profited handsomely from Cuban rum, sugar, and the slave trade. Old Cubans prior to 1959 revere Castro because he cast out Fulgencio Batista, a Cuban puppet propped up by the U.S. and its corporations that were used to operating in a society where there were so many wretchedly poor people. Under Castro, literacy and health care rapidly improved until it was (and still is) one of the best in Latin America. Castro increased the size of the military and put all Cuban men and women to work regardless of income or profession to give average Cubans a sense of hope and control over their destiny. Cubans were taught to work collectively for the greater good of Cuba's prosperity and were given ration cards so that no one would be entitled to receive more than anyone else. Young Cubans have grown up knowing only Castro and, while no one is getting rich and civil liberties are curtailed, they are certainly better off than they would have been had they still been living under Fulgencio Batista. Castro has doone many positive things for his people and for Cuba. Cuba's standard of living may not be like the U.S., but capitalism's drawbacks such as socioeconomic inequality, racialtensions exacerbated by capitalism, high crime, joblessness and resulting anxiety of wondering where the next meal will come from have not permeated Cuba, which is good for the people. You gotta give up something to get something, and for me, having a job with a guaranteed income would not be so bad. On the other hand, as an American, would I want to compromise my civil rights and freedoms I take for granted? Castro is a fascinating figure and will be someone to remember as one of the 20th century's greatest leaders and statesmen.

Let's face it - like the man or not, he has outlived 8 US Presidents and still seems to control every aspect of that nations' livelihood

All my life (well, it SEEMS like all my life) I've heard terrible things about this man; but I get the impression his people love him. I don't agree with his politics but I don't doubt his love for his country and though I believe in America with all my heart; our policy of bankrupting a foreign country that is no danger to us was wrong on South Africa and it's wrong with Cuba. Castro may not be perfect but his behavior on the world stage is certainly no worse than ours. Like other old soldiers, I find myself liking and respecting my old enemy more than many of my current allies.

I am a 1st generation Cuban-American whose parents left Cuba to escape tyranny. Castro is a totalitarian dictator. He does what is in the best interest of himself and his petty feud with the US. I believe that we should trade with Cuba and drop this embargo. The quickest way for him to get out of power is if the people realize that Castro has left them worst off than they were before. Communism breaks down peoples spirits. All of this talk about Cuba having better health care than Sweden is baloney. Cubans are not free to decide what they want to do with their lives, they cannot worship freely fully as of yet, and they still have their lives controlled 24/7 by "big brother" Castro and his cronies, whom by the way live nice lives while his people are malnutritoned. Freedom will go a long way in Cuba because we are the entrepreneurial people in the world. Bastista was a dictator, Castro has been a RUTHLESS dictator. Democracy needs to be given a chance in Cuba.

I think the Cuban people have become too complacent under his rule, and are waiting for him to die. Who supports the embargo?...Would you turn down a Cuban cigar if someone offered you one?

I am completely troubled by the comments pro-Castro. For godsake, read the Human Rights Watch and State Department reports--political prisoners are jailed and tortured. Those with AIDS are also thrown in jail. If things are so wonderful, why is it that he has to keep his people locked onto the island, drowning those who try to flee (see State Dept. report for details)?

He is a murderous dictator. What else can be said?

Communist, socialist, fascist, capitalist, or whatever the ideology -no free elections = dictator = terrible!

Kicks Ass!

He freed his country from the Batista regime...and that included our big business and the mob. They may not have our glitzy, useless products, but they do have superior education and medicine. Our embargo is a national shame, supported by only one other small country (can't remember it's name right now). It seems like a national temper tantrum. The Miami Cubans are those who lost their corrupt power and millions...they don't represent the Cuban people. These are our neighbors! We should treat them as such. None of this would have happened if we had responded to Castro when he appealed to us for help right after the successful revolution. It wasn't a Communist revolution, but he had no choice but to go to the USSR for help when we refused. We forget that we had our own revolution. and there is often no other way for the people to gain their rights. It's time we repaid our debt. Our mob and big business ripped off that small country for generations. Let's admit the facts and go about doing the right thing at long last!

Hi, I'm Fidel Castro -- I've taken one of the richest islands in the world and made it one of the poorest! What an imbecile. His sole use to the world is providing a living reminder of the bankrupcy of communism.

I think it's time for him to retire and give another communist a chance.

One of the richest men in the world. What would Marx think?

Communism is the best thing that happened to Cuba.

How old is he?