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Blog: Revolutionary pill anyone

So, communism survives intact after 50 years in one little corner of the globe. A small island in terms of geography, but Cuba is a delicious intrigue that continues to fascinate the world. And, we love it! Every bit of it!

Read gigantic American cars from the fifties, palm trees, stretches of spotless white sand, exotic cocktails, absence of high tech gadgets, economic embargo, cigars, unnervingly beautiful women and the charisma of Che and Castro and, honestly, tell me that you want Cuba to emerge from the aura that has made it an enduring enigma.

As Cuba celebrates 50 years this year of the revolution that overthrew the American backed Batista government on Jan 1 1959, we find that, though there is a call out there for the country to come out of a self-imposed isolation, in our hearts we admire the way it lingers on with ideals that, on the surface, seems to have lost much of its luster.

As Cuba survives despite heavy embargoes and moves on leaving behind the history of repeated assassination efforts on Castro and failed invasions, the mystique surrounding it grows.

Maybe there is a need for such a country that still flies the flag of the revolution for the people and by the people. Why? Well, let's just say that beyond our astutely preserved materialistic facade there is a side that is romantic; that wants to lead guerillas against imperial forces and proudly stand in front of all odds to deliver lines line: shoot, you are only going to kill a man or condemn me, but history will absolve me.

Realistically, Cuba is but a tale of quixotic romance that managed to hold on though other tales like it ended long time ago, not with bangs, but with whimpers.

However, as we step into a new year and a world struggling with recession, the failure of the seemingly invulnerable ideology of capitalism makes Cuba, revolution and romanticism, topics of interest. Though, Cuba is not outside the global web of economic woes, there is fear that the island's economy, already weakened by US embargoes, may face acute worries and problems in the days to come.

But, when we look at the country, the revolution that succeeded and, its stubborn stance, we cannot but wonder about the miracle that helped it to go on despite so many odds. In fact, from the revolution movement in the Cuban mountains by a rag tag band of 200 men led by Castro to the present day, the mere existence of a socialist state so near the USA seems hard to digest.


Even the revolution did not have the features for a success. It was a movement of a handful of men against 30,000 trained troops, yet it managed to become a success. Interestingly, Batista regime, supported by the Americans, never had sophisticated weapons and their air force could not be used to thwart rebel attack as spare parts of aircrafts could not brought from the US due to an embargo. Now, this information can open a lot of alleys for debate. Did the US tacitly support the overthrow of Batista believing that Castro can be roped in later on?

Even the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba that aimed to end the Castro rule and kill the leader, was ill planned.

The invasion was nipped in the bud and the myth of Cuba, Castro and Che Guevara became a fiery ideology. And, till today, it survives and shows no sign of evaporating.

• But why would anyone think that the trademark Cuban revolutionary philosophy will peter out when proponents of it are running Venezuela and Bolivia. Hugo Chavez, the president of Venezuela, has openly expressed his admiration for Che and the revolutionary zeal and, today, in Latin America there is a resurgence of a new model of socialism. This may not be a copy of what Che or Castro believed and espoused, but this is respectful of the ideology that led a group of men to dream of Utopia where equality will be the power and not the power given by social divisions.
  

• The vision of Castro, Che and others does not fit in the template of modern day liberal views in any way but the dream survived and inspired millions.
  

• In Bangladesh, the 80's and the 90's saw a huge Che following in the public universities and there was talk of a social revolution. No, the kind where guerillas come down from mountains with guns and embrace the common people did not happen but Bangladesh did underwent a social revolution where young people learned to question age old ideas and think beyond propaganda.
  

• Cuba is still an isolated country, but with decades of US embargo, fall of the Soviet Union, its main benefactor, and an unwillingness to allow modern technology have also allowed an economic malaise to take form.
  

  Yes, the country still manages to uphold that charm of something exotic; but if it aims to survive, there needs to be some subtle compromises made. Computers must be made available to all, the tourism infrastructure must be
  made stronger to attract foreign currency and interestingly, the revolution that isolated it can be used as a marketing commodity. Vietnam's main tourist and historic attractions are the preserved war zones that feature shot down helicopters, planes, machine gun outposts to secret bunkers.
  
  

• But will this trivialize the zeal that motivated 200 men back in 1959? Well, the answer is no. Cuba, Castro, Che and revolution are firmly entrenched in the global psyche. Yes, some people may find it amusing but the bottom line is – people still think and talk about it. And, as the saying goes – what we talk about is what we believe, if not openly then in our hearts. So, are you still saying that a revolution is impossible? Well, a surviving Cuba with its never ending veneration for Che seems to say otherwise. Venezuela and Bolivia have already paid respect to the spirit of the 1959 revolution and, if there are others, hell, yes, that old man in Cuba, holding a cigar and looking at his dead comrade and friend's image will have the last laugh. He will die one day believing in a revolution and, that's his achievement. Unfortunately, many people die seeing most of their beliefs proved wrong or evaporating into nothingness.