Before 25 November 2016, Fidel Castro was probably the very last man on earth who rose to become a national leader through hard fought revolution. He belonged to a breed of politicians or more appropriately revolutionaries who through sheer personal conviction and skillful mobilization of the masses to change the history and destiny of Cuba. People of the likes, Stalin, Mao Zedong, Ho Chi Minh and even Nelson Mandela are all gone. The very last of such breed would likely be Xanana Gusmao of East Timor.
Almost all revolutionaries are controversial people and Fidel Castro was no exception. They are both loved and equally hated. It all depends on which side you belong. The bourgeoisie, many of whom were stripped of their wealth and power left Cuba for Miami in US celebrated his death. But the working class majority who were liberated and given the opportunity to share the nation's wealth wept for his passing.
Almost all revolutionaries are controversial people and Fidel Castro was no exception. They are both loved and equally hated. It all depends on which side you belong. The bourgeoisie, many of whom were stripped of their wealth and power left Cuba for Miami in US celebrated his death. But the working class majority who were liberated and given the opportunity to share the nation's wealth wept for his passing.
Fidel Castro was an avowed adversary of US which to him is the embodiment of ultimate capitalism. He once said, "I find capitalism repugnant. It is filthy, it is gross, it is alienating, because it causes war, hypocrisy and competition". He claimed to have survived 634 assassination attempts and plots on his life, mainly from CIA and US-based Cuban exiles. He stayed in power for 49 years from 1959 until he ceded power to his brother Raul in 2008. He outlasted nine US presidents starting from Dwight Eisenhower to George W Bush.
He had hoped that the capitalist system in US would disappear one day but that did not happen in his life time. Instead he saw the virtual demise of communism in Soviet Union and Communist China. In the end he had to let his brother do the mending of tie with the US and he did live to see the re-establishment of diplomatic relation between his country and foe, the US.
Will there be another Castro is the future, probably not. Gone were the days when men were driven by political ideology to become revolutionaries. Today, we see many "war lords" fighting for economic gains and vengeful sectarian pursuits rather than grand scheme that aim to liberate the oppressed, the marginalized or the disadvantaged. The term, "a parliament of baboons" aptly describes the kind of politicians we have today!
Fidel Castro will be remembered as the little "David" who dared to stand up against the mighty neighbor "Goliah", the United State of America and survived. History will remember him both as a hero just as much as a villain!
