...Che Guevara: The Man and The Myth Many will call me an adventurer- and that I am, only one of a different sort; one of those who risks his skin to prove his platitudes. ---Che Guevara. Who was Ernesto “Che” Guevara and why did he chose to live the life of a revolutionary when he could have been an affluent doctor in Buenos Aires? Why was he to always be a “foreigner” when he loved his Argentina? What motivated him to leave his opportune life in an aristocratic family to attempt to achieve a better world for others? Che was a man with a lust for battle. No matter what he attempted, he went for it with everything he could possible give. But, what did he accomplish in that life? When his life is examined and his endeavors looked at closely, did he really make a difference in helping others to have a better life? Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara de la Serna was born in Rosario, Argentina on June 14, 1928. His father, Ernesto Guevara Lynch and his mother Celia de la Serna y Llosa were both blue-blooded aristocrats. His father’s family had lived in Argentina for over twelve generations and his mother’s family had land, both signs of money in this land of immigrants. Che’s father was “a cultivated man, very intelligent, he was active in the ranks of the Radical Party” (page 4, Compañero). Che’s mother who with her sister’s influence, would become a”socialist, anticlerical feminist” (page 4, Compañero). This heritage, especially his mother’s influence, was Ernesto’s foundation to his revolutionary...
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...revolutionaries inevitably dishonour.”1 By examining the Cuban and Russian Revolutions, this can be seen to be too general a statement. Under Lenin, the Russian Revolution instituted one of the most progressive constitutions yet seen,2 while Cuba, with its unique role in relations between two Cold War superpowers, stayed mostly true to its primary goals of attaining social justice and equality. The objective that tends to be the most fraught by revolutions is liberty, because in order to completely reshape a society, power must be, at least for a time, concentrated in the hands of few. Thus, the Russian Revolution, particularly under Stalin, can be said to have dishonoured the goals of the original revolution, while the Cuban Revolution under Castro, for the most part, did not. The aim of eliminating inequality was central to both the Russian and Cuban Revolutions. Since before its independence, Cuba had been subjected to nepotistic governments that gave preference to Spanish immigrants; there was a distinct hierarchy in Cuban society that affected social and economic standing.3 Following independence from Spain, however, Cuba traded one dependence for another as it became heavily dependent economically on the United States, with a great deal of political interference from it...
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...all of us, on Americans, on mankind, and that the bridges to escape were crumbling.”1 In Moscow, the tension was “phenomenal.” On Sunday morning, General Secretary Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev and his advisors worried “that Kennedy intended to declare war, to launch an attack” against the Soviet Union.2 That same day, the two leaders reached an accommodation that, in retrospect, turned out to be one of the key turning points of the Cold War. 1 OVERVIEW The “Caribbean crisis,” as it was known in the former Soviet Union, was attributed to the Kennedy administration’s unwillingness to accept the status quo in Cuba. Unalterably opposed to Fidel Castro, the administration organized an ill-fated invasion of Cuba by anti-Castro refugees in April 1961. After the “Bay of Pigs” fiasco, the Central Intelligence Agency tried to assassinate Castro and sponsored covert operations against Cuba, the Department of State organized an economic and political boycott of the country, and the Pentagon prepared and rehearsed a full-scale...
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...Fidel Castro’s Influence on the Cuban Revolution, 1953-1959 The year was 1953 and Fidel Castro was a dashing and daring reformer that was determined to make a impact in a country that was ruled by an unjust president. With the Movement strong and confident, Castro delivered these strong words to his group of men: “In a few hours you will be victorious or defeated, but regardless of the outcome – listen well, friends – this Movement will triumph. If you win tomorrow, the aspirations of Martí will be fulfilled sooner. If we fail, our action will nevertheless set an example for the Cuban people, and from the people will arise fresh new men willing to die for Cuba. They will pick up our banner and move forward... The people will back us in Oriente and in the whole island. As in '68 and '92, here in Oriente we will give the first cry of Liberty or Death!” These words by Castro illustrates what type of leader he was and still is to this day. Castro is one of the most polarizing figures in Cuban history, with many natives of Cuba arguing that he was the central cause of the destruction of Cuba, while others consider him to be the visionary that saved Cuba from the destruction that would have come about if a capitalist system had been instituted instead of a communist one. Actions taken by Fidel Castro during the Cuban Revolution shaped Cuba politically and socially to what we know it to be today. Fidel Castro was born in southeast Cuba, in the Oriente Province on August 13, 1926...
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...Castro and his 26th of July Movement took over Cuba’s streets in January 1959. Though Castro’s charismatic and vibrant personality quickly won him astonishing support, he knew that he had to consolidate his political power by ensuring the trust of the population. The consolidation of Fidel Castro’s power between 1959 and1961 was more of a result of domestic issues rather than United States economic policies. In order, to consolidate power, it was known that the reminder of the revolutionary groups that were involved in the fight against Batista had to be quickly eliminated, so as not to challenge his political ambitions. The revolutionaries brought many of Batista’s prominent military and civilian leaders before trial which were extremely quick and defied any sense of justice and resulted in the summary execution of hundreds of persons. The regime ended the trials only in response to international criticism. Hence through this action, along with Raul using the military and large civilian militia to rid the country of the batistianos and the confiscation of their properties, Castro ensured that there was no opposition to his position and actions. In fact Louis Perez Jr. recalls, “Property owned by batistianos was confiscated, their safe deposit boxes seized, and their bank accounts frozen”. Castro appeared a saviour as he was exacting justice for the violated rights of the Cuban people. Another factor that consolidated Castro’s power was that of propaganda. In January 1959...
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...Che Guevara Ernesto Guevara de la Serna was born in Rosario, Argentina, but the exact date of his birth is unknown. He was the eldest of five children in a family of mixed Spanish and Irish descent; both his father and mother were of Basque ancestry. Guevara's family was an upper-class family with some leftist views. He became known for his dynamic personality and radical perspective even as a boy. While a student, Guevara spent long periods traveling around Latin America. Through his first-hand observations of poverty, oppression, and powerlessness of the masses, Guevara soon became highly influenced by his informal Marxist studies. He concluded that the only solution for Latin America's economic and social inequities lay in revolution. His travels also inspired him to look upon Latin America not as a collection of separate nations but as a single entity, the liberation of which would require a continent-wide strategy; he began to imagine the possibility of a united Ibero-America without borders, bound together by a common 'mestizo' culture, an idea that would figure prominently in his later revolutionary activities. After completion of his formal studies, Guevara traveled to Guatemala. Guatemalan President Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán headed a populist government that through various programs, particularly land reform, would attempt to bring about a social revolution. Explaining his motive for settling down for a time in Guatemala, Guevara wrote, "In Guatemala I will perfect...
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...Wiz Kid on a mission Your comment has been queued for moderation by site administrators and will be published after approval. * October 18, 2011 * DC * a * a * a * Share * email * print While other kids his age are hanging out at coffee bars and Facebooking, this boy from HPS is planning a waste management system for his school. Horlicks Wiz Kid Prateek Shankar oozes confidence. Winning the contest was quite a feat as students from the best schools in Hyderabad competed for the title. Quizzing, debate, talent, personality and versatility are just some of the few factors on the basis of which the kids are tested. In the talent round, he even gave an impromptu speech as Fidel Castro. He says, “All you need to win is the right personality and confidence. He adds, “You got to be present in the moment. There was a judge who I knew had an Army background, which is mine as well. When they asked me a question, I acted like I could win from the start” he says. Now, he will be representing Hyderabad in the South East Asian finals. He has to prepare a project and present it to the jury there. He had to pick a topic from education, corruption and environment and he chose the last. He, along with his mother, also a faculty at HPS, brainstormed and decided to re-work the waste management system of his school. The initiative called SCRAP (Segregation, Conversion and Recycling Awareness Project) is aimed at building an effective and environment-friendly...
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...Imagine Peace and revolution are two ideas with different meanings and actions, but they often fight for the same result. Peace is harmony between people, groups, or nations. On the other hand revolution is a fight of beliefs of a better future. We can see these two ideas together everywhere. Many songs are written with peaceful meanings; some people decide to make peaceful strikes, and some believe in their hearts for a better future. We can also see how peace can come from revolutions: in Greece people are striking against their government because Greece is now bankrupt; in Libya, the rebels killed the dictator Qaddafi; the Syrian revolution; the Cuban revolution, where Fidel Castro with Che Guevara’s help overthrew Batista’s dictatorship; and many other revolutions. All these revolutions happened, some are happening, and some are going to happen for a better and peaceful future. We can also see those two ideas together in the picture above. In this picture, on the left is John Lennon and on the right is Ernesto Che Guevara, both playing guitar. Music in this picture also plays a big role. In the background of the picture seems to be a container on the left. The background of the picture was taken in Chicago on August 11th 1966 when John Lennon was there. This picture is fake, because Che Guevara on August 11th 1966 was travelling to Bolivia. However, the meaning of this picture is huge and that’s why I chose this picture to write about. John Lennon...
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...The Social Concept of Self-Awareness as Relate to Ana Menendez’s Traveling Madness Ana Menendez is a journalist and an ardent scholar. She was born in 1970 and grew up in Florida after her parents had fled from Cuba in 1964 during the Cuban Revolution. Her family having first settled in Los Angeles, California, Menendez could not speak any other language apart from Spanish until she enrolled in Kindergarten. However, she later moved with her family to Florida where she attended high school and thereafter joined Florida International University from where she graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Arts in 1992. Her story Traveling Madness basically involves four main characters who are all “dreamers”. The story is based on and highlights the plight and disillusionment visited on the Cuban population by the communist party and the ways in which different people dealt with the economic and social adversities that typified the era of communism in Cuba. Self-aware of the dangers that confronted them, some wished to fly away to the moon; others desired to set sail and vanish; and others actually thought they could drill a hole from Havana to Miami (Delbanco and Cheuse) From the foregoing, while self-awareness is a critical aspect of personal development and self-exploration, it does not always bear positive fruits – sometimes it acts as a source of frustration, conflict and stress. In spite of her age, Menendez has proven herself to be a prolific fiction writer; a fact attested to...
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...REVIEW MATERIALS: Conceptual considerations: Discuss paradoxes and four orientations with which John Chasteen characterizes the changing foci of U.S. thinking on Latin America from the early 20th century to the present. •Racial/Cultural and Environmental Determinism: An image by Americans which suggested that Latin Americans are “Hot-Blooded Latins” with too much “non-white” blood, and do not have the self discipline needed in order to make a more democratic, stable society. There were Catholics, lacking a protestant work ethic. Americans also pictured Latin Americans to be lazy individuals. •Modernization Theory: Once the previous idea was settled, it came to the reality that the Latin American countries had to go through modernization, such as the United States, and their feeble network on which their society rested upon was that being criticized. •Dependency Theory: Students were sure that these two previous explanations were merely methods to blame the victims of abuse. They believed that Latin American economies stood in a dependent position relative to the world’s industrial powers. Therefore other nations took their overpowering stand, and forestalled Latin America’s industrialization. “Economic dependency” is why the nation did not follow the path it was supposed to follow. •Social Constructionism: The way race, gender, class, and national identities are “constructed” in people’s minds. Discuss Michel Rolph Trouillot’s theory of historical narratives ...
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...is the largest island in the Caribbean. The capital of Cuba is Havana, and its population is 10.8 million. The main language used by most cubans is spanish and the currency used there is a Cuban Peso, which is equal to one U.S. Dollar. Cuba is a communist state and its president, since December 1976, is Fidel Castro Ruz. The main objective of this paper is to talk about the economic and political side of Cuba during the reign of Fidel Castro. Fidel Castro was born on August 13, 1926 in Oriente. The schools that he attended were Catholic and located in Havana. He entered the University of Havana in 1945 and graduated with a law degree in 1950. In 1948 he married Mirta Diaz Balart but they were soon divorced in 1954. His son Fidel Castro Diaz Balart became the head of Cuba's atomic energy commision. Castro was a very good vocalist and he brought himself national prominence by leading an attack on Moncada army barracks. Due to this attack he was sentenced to 15 years in prison, which only lasted for 2 years. After being in exhile in Mexico, Castro returned with 81 others, including Che Guevera, to Cuba and launched a successful guerrilla war. Castro became a strong leader and many other countries begun to fear him. In Cuba the state is the head of the economy and controls almost all trade between foreign countries. Many reforms have been undertaken by the government so that the labor incentives would increase and so that there would be no shortages of...
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...of using this referent power is that it goes hand in hand with increased and unquestioning follower loyalty 3) Reward power is used to influence followers to increase their performance. For example an inspector of police is suddenly promoted to Inspector general of police and this will encourage him to push his other team who are now beneath him and their families to be followers of that leader that promoted him. 4) Coercive power: this is used when some followers refuse to listen to their leaders, they are disciplined. For example they are fired from their place of work to serve as deterrents / lessons to others, thereby instilling in them fear of not following the orders of that leader. A typical example is the Cuban President Castro Fidel who led his country under a communist military dictatorship system. He used the Referent power to gain full control of the country's military and defense system because he was first in the military, to manipulate and control the country using the Coercive power to force civilians to have equal assets and equal cost of living. For example a manager must have the same assets as the employee, teacher, doctor, house keeper are supposed to have the same level of living. The basis of most theories of motivation is the...
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...101 Date: 25th march 2014 The Cuban Missile Crisis Analysis The Cuban missile crisis was one of the greatest events in the United States. The crisis in October 19 to October 28, 1962 was a main cold war between the United States and the Soviet Union. And the crisis returns on the struggle of power between the United States and the Soviet Union throughout the war. The USSR increased its support of Fidel Castro's Cuban regime, and in the summer of 1962, Nikita Khrushchev decided to install flying arms in Cuba. President Kennedy and the other leaders of the country were faced with a bad problem where a decision had to be made. The Crisis started as a result of both the Soviet Union's fear of losing the arms fight, and Cuba's fear of US attack. The Soviet Premier, Nikita Khrushchev, thought that both problems could easily be solved by placing Soviet medium range missiles in Cuba. This placement would double the Soviet arsenal and protect Cuba from US attack. Khrushchev proposed this idea to Cuban Leading, Fidel Castro, who, like Khrushchev, saw the planned advantage. The two leaders worked together in privacy throughout the late-summer and early-fall of 1962. The Soviets shipped sixty medium-range flying missiles along with their weapons, equipment. When United States President, John F. Kennedy discovered the presence of these attacking weapons, he immediately organized a group of his important advisors. They spent some days discussing different...
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...Year 11 Preliminary English Assessment Task Task: Motorcycle Diaries Question Two: Define Communism. Discuss its origins and how and where it was spread. In your discussion you must refer to at least 3 countries, which have adopted communism and examine its success and failures and the reason behind both. You must also examine the role Marxism plays in Communist ideology. Communism is an economic and social system in which all, or nearly all, property and resources are collectively owned by a classless society and not by individual citizens. It’s an ideology theory of government where all wealth is shared equally so there is no class system, that is, no poor class and no wealthy class. Everything is shared and everyone is equal, whether you’re a doctor or a factory worker. In such a communist society, the wealth and resources were to be regulated according to the needs, abilities and contribution of the people. Differences between manual and intellectual labour and between rural and urban life were to disappear, opening up the way for unlimited development of human potential. Based on the 1848 publication ‘Communist Manifesto’ by two German political philosophers, Karl Max and his close associate Friedrich Engels, it envisaged common ownership of all land and wealth and the withering away of the power of the state. Max and Engels believed that capitalism (private ownership of all property) should be diminished and that uneven distribution of wealth and resources should...
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...over 50 years the United States of America and Cuba have had a negative relationship. In 1959, Fidel Castro and a group of revolutionists overthrew the Cuban government, changing it to a Communist country, which then created a strong relationship between Cuba and Soviet Union. During this time, the United States was at a stalemate war with the Soviet Union, now known as the Cold War. As Cuba’s relationship grew with the Soviet Union, their relationship with the United States quickly faded. As communism grew it began to ruin the United States’ idea of containment, which caused havoc within the economy. Cuba then became an enemy of the United States. Since that pivotal moment in history, the relationship between the United States and Cuba have experienced turmoil, which the current U.S. president Barack Obama, and the Cuban leader Raul Castro, have been trying to end the disorder between the two countries. In 1953 Fidel Castro and a group of 130 revolutionaries attempted to overthrow the dictatorship of Cuba but ended in a failure and later led to Castro’s imprisonment. The current dictator of Cuba, Fulgencio Batista, pardoned Castro, which was a major mistake. In 1956 Castro lead another revolt and promised the people of Cuba that he would replace Batista’s dictatorship with free elections and also promised that he would end the corruption in the Cuban government. (Dowling) Castro wanted to overthrow Batista because of his corruption and violence. Batista was known as a cruel...
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