...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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...Organization & Leadership - Assignment Fidel Castro is one of the most recognizable leaders in world history. He led Cuba as Prime Minister and, subsequently, as President for almost fifty years. He was born and raised upper-middle class as his father was a very successful farmer and did quite well for himself and his family. There were several key events that led to Castro’s rise as a powerful leader and shaped him into the man who successfully led the Cuban revolution. First of all, although he benefited from a decent education and was exposed to the upper echelon of society at times, he also played with and grew up around the children of the migrant workers of the farm. He maintains that this conservative upbringing helped him to stay grounded and to develop empathy for the working class. Consequently, Fidel rebelled against what he perceived to be classism. While in law school in Havana, he became intertwined with the student protest movement. The government of the time decided to crack down on student protesters and a lot of student leaders were being killed. Instead of fighting against the governmental regime, however, the student protesters began turning on one another and becoming involved in crime. Being surrounded by this, Fidel decided to focus on political goals where he became enthralled by anti-imperialism and the opposition of U.S. involvement in Cuban (and Caribbean) politics. Law school exposed Castro to several student leftist groups and he...
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...Jamaican – Cuban Societies and Relations SOC 300 Introduction I have often wondered about the relationship of Jamaica and Cuba. Two island countries so close to one another with different ways of governing, how and why did Jamaica not chose the socialism route, in doing my research I found that Jamaica had come very close to doing just that. How would have Jamaica been affected if they did follow in Cuba’s footsteps? Their economy relies heavily on U.S. tourism. Was that a factor in their choice not to follow Castro’s ways? The ties that bind Cuba and Jamaica run deep, according to Brian Meeks, Professor of Social and Political Change at the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica. The interconnections stem from several episodes in their shared history, Meeks said in a recent lecture, as well as from past migrations of people between the two countries. His talk, “Cuba from Due South: An Anglo-Caribbean Perspective,” launched the Center for Latin American Studies’ (CLAS's) new thematic focus on Cuba. An academic, journalist, novelist, and poet, Meeks commenced the talk with a reading of self-penned poem, “Cuba One,” written during the height of Jamaican political turmoil in 1975. “In 1962 a blue//mountain peak showed//a green horizon//to the unsuspecting eye.//standing spyglassed//staring blindly,//thought I'd see a dull grey line//tinged with red and barbed around//the picture framing//captive portraits//hiding...
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...companies (and is alleged to have had partners to organized criminal activity, just like in Godfather Aspect 2). In 1951 he joined the competition to become President again, but when a study revealed him in last position he organized a second hen house and seized energy again. After the 1952 hen house Batista experienced large community disapproval and municipal disobedience, along with a revolt cause by Fidel Castro which was mashed (don't fear, Castro becomes essential again later). The US had many linked with Cuba, which legalized betting in and create an effort to woo United states travel and leisure. Prostitution also became very typical. Cuba encounters large extensive hardship because Batista put all the nation's sources into offering vacations for the wealthy Individuals in america he did company with. He announced an election in 1954, but with himself as the only lawful applicant. Student demonstrations and road riots became very typical and Batista organized energy only with the aid of an army that many suspicious was funded by the United States. Gradually Fidel Castro's put back together army dislodge him and in 1959 Batista left to Individuals from France, which was then a fascist dictatorship under Oliviera Salazar, and also remained for a while in Italy, which was also a fascist dictatorship, under Common Franco. Castro's 26th of this summer Activity won the Trend because they...
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...process. In this essay I will be focusing on the events that led up to the terrifying 14 day event of the Cuban Missile Crisis as well as looking at the crisis from an individual level of analysis and from a realist point of view. In order to fully understand the Cuban Missile Crisis, we must first take a look at all of the events that had lead up to the crisis. Among many of the factors leading up to the nuclear standoff between the countries, one of the factors, of course, was the genuine concern of defense of each leader, John F. Kennedy, Nikita Khrushchev, and Fidel Castro. Each leader would act in uncertainty trying to offset the actions of the other leaders out of fear of what the others might do. One major event that had raised lots of concern, was in April, 1961, during the Bay of Pigs. This was an unsuccessful invasion by the untrained CIA of the United States to overthrow the Cuban Dictator Fidel Castro. Due...
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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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...– a failed attempt by US CIA-led forces to overthrow the Fidel Castro-dictated Cuban government initiated less than three months after JFK took office. • The Cuban missile crisis – one of his most defining moments, Kennedy made Russian chairman Nikita Khrushchev accede to our demands to pull their weaponry out of Cuba. Kennedy initiated a blockade of Soviet ships headed towards Cuba and told Khrushchev the blockade would be in force until the arms were removed. • The economy – was shaky and the unemployment rate was at levels similar to what we’re experiencing now. Kennedy loosened monetary policy to keep interest rates down and the economy turned around and prospered. • He promoted the equal rights revolution, laying the groundwork for the Civil Rights Act. • The space program and his challenge to send a man to the moon within a decade culminated with success, and the computer advances it generated had undreamt of consequences. Without a doubt John F. Kennedy has become one of America's most favorite presidents. Among his greatest accomplishments was his leadership during the Cuban missile crisis and the establishment of the Peace Corps. In contrast to his success, however, the Bay of Pigs invasion and his stance on civil rights showed him at his worst. Yet more than Kennedy's successes and failures, his ability to inspire many Americans to serve their country has been his lasting legacy. JFK’s most enduring words, taken from...
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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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...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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...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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...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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...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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