Reply #134: No one expects you to love Castro.

[ronnie624]

But you should at least try to view Cuba from a rational perspective, and refrain from perpetuating misinformation. Castro did not appear out of thin air and take the people of Cuba prisoner. The revolution was supported by the Cuban people or it would not have been successful. It was a direct result of the Batista dictatorship that was fully supported by the U.S. government and the corporate culture of the day.

Opposition to the government was brutally suppressed. U.S. industry controlled virtually all of Cuba's resources and profited from them at the expense of the people there. The conditions under which many Cubans lived was abysmal; inadequate health care, education, housing and a high infant mortality. Not to mention existing under governance that was answerable to foreigners. This is what triggered the revolution to begin with.

When Castro came to the United States, asking for recognition and assistance, he was rebuffed, and received and embargo instead because he refused to continue in the same manner as Batista. In other words, the U.S. had no intention of recognizing Cuban sovereignty, something that all independent nations have a right to.

For decades, Cuba has been subjected to a war by the U.S. government that has included the sponsoring of an invasion, terrorist attacks and assassination attempts. Whatever oppression exists in Cuba is a direct result of this. What government wouldn't impose repressive measures against its citizens, when it is under constant threat from an almost overwhelming power?

You would be far better served by attempting to understanding the underlying dynamic that has resulted in the conditions that exist in Cuba today. It requires time and effort, but in the end, you'll be better off for it, even if you are called a communist, or told to go live there by certain dumb asses here who prefer to parrot propaganda-for-simpletons as opposed to understanding the world in which we live.