Revolutionary Madness
February 24, 2008
Today in Cuba a new dictator emerged: Fidel Castro retired and his brother Raul became the new supremo. In spite of the deep misery and poverty experienced by Cubans since the 1959 communist revolution that established Fidel’s dictatorship, this change of power caused no street celebrations because no one expects a return to democracy. Historians have well documented the tragedies caused by communist revolutionaries (Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, etc) which caused millions of deaths rivaling the Holocaust but the milder Fidel and especially Che Guevara, a dead comrade rebel, still seem to enjoy cult status especially among the young anti-globalization crowd. This is unfortunate because Guevara like Fidel was a ruthless marxist, who stood for tiranny not for liberation. He was happy to execute anyone suspected of being “counter-revolutionary” and advocated expropriation down to the last farm and shop. His exhortation to guerrilla war lured thousands of Latin Americans to their deaths, helped to create brutal dictatorships and delayed the achievement of democracy which has penalized millions of lives. The day when people around the world will cease to celebrate these mad revolutionaries will be a day to truly celebrate.
