Discussion #1 - Jake Lenef

 Module #1: Cuba and the Revolution: 

When Spain landed in Cuba they soon came to find a surplus of sugar cane. The Spanish then capitalized on this because of there was tons of money to make from selling sugar cane.

The united states saw an opportunity to create a bigger market in Cuba. With millions invested in infrastructure and business, it only made sense to protect Cuba from invaders and foreign beings like the Spanish.

The U.S. Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act increases tariffs on Cuban sugar and reduces its share of the U.S. sugar market. This resulted in worse economic conditions on the island during the Great Depression.

Eventually, Castro helped fight Batistas using the guerilla army he had built. His goal was to overthrow the government. While Casto was a huge force in Cuba, the Cubans had reason to believe in Castro's vision due to the unliveable social and political conditions at that time.

Later on, an embargo was placed on Cuba by U.S. sanctions due to political reasons. Today, most of these policies are still enforced.

In my opinion, the government and the ability to create political stability in Cuba was the biggest failure as other islands have done better. That being said, a lot of positives have come from the hardships. I think the culture was the biggest achievement because it has proved to last over centuries.

Cuba: Powerlessness and Empowerment Throughout the Revolution

     Since Christopher Columbus ran aground on Cuban shores and began colonization in 1492, the country has faced an incessant struggle to regain its independence. While it eventually gained freedom on a National scale on January 1st, 1959, some Cubans today are still attempting to establish autonomy on an individual level. At any point throughout the Cuban Revolution, success in achieving independence has had a close relationship with the power taken from and empowerment of the People.

    As Spanish colonizers and African slaves settled throughout Cuba, they began to separate into distinct groups. From privileged peninsulares to creoles of varying social status and AfroCubans, each group developed its own idea of what it meant to be Cuban. While peninsualres were loyal to Spain, others experienced a growing sense of Nationalism that has become a core value to Cuban culture. This strong Nationalism is critical to understanding how Cubans found empowerment.

    The Spanish occupation and rule of Cuba instilled a deep feeling of powerlessness across the country, slowly building tinder to light the fight for independence. Blatant oppression and high taxation crippled Cubans, until the burden of powerlessness was too much for the People to bear. It pushed them to fight back. Without much to lose and everything to gain, Cuba was just short of independence when the United States joined in, ending the Spanish-American War and placing Cuba in a state of "Quasi-Independence". The once-empowered Cubans were tossed back into powerlessness, experiencing two US military occupations in 1906 and 1917.

    The need to gain autonomy continued manifesting with each oppressive dictator in power, from Gerardo Machado y Morales (1925-1933) to Carlos Manuel de Céspedes in 1933, and eventually Fulgencio Batista during both his Presidency and rise as Dictator in 1952. However, Fidel Castro and his band of rebels demolished any hope of maintaining oppression and the aura of powerlessness after their attack on July 26th, 1953. As Castro returned from Mexico to gain support in the Sierra Maestra, he became a symbol for empowerment that embodied ever-growing Cuban Nationalism. The hope he offered people across Cuba for independence and a better future made it seem as though the multi-century stress of powerlessness appear as though it could finally be expunged, securing Castro's victory over the Batista regime and the United States' hold on the country.

    Settling into a socialist Dictatorship came with its own challenges, especially with the embargos placed soon after the United States was defeated. However, Cuban Nationalism and empowerment has been largely encouraged on paper, even if not reflected in some anti-capitalist practices. In cases of extreme powerlessness since the Revolution, Cubans have continued to empower themselves, often through waves of emigration. Since Fidel Castro's passing in 2016, his brother has lifted some restrictions and created some opportunities for privatized markets. This is a hopeful step toward Cuban empowerment on an individual level, pairing nicely with their hard-earned National autonomy.  

Questions:

How have different communities in the United States been made to feel a similar sense of powerlessness or empowerment? What changes have been made because of this?

What would be different today if Cubans had been given opportunities for empowerment during the Spanish occupation?

Works Cited:

Culture of Cuba: History, People, Society, Beliefs, and more... (n.d.). Retrieved December 29, 2022, from     everyculture.com.

 Kästle, K. (n.d.). History of Cuba. History of Cuba - Nations Online Project. Retrieved December 29,             2022, from https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/History/Cuba-history.htm

The Conception of Modern Day Cuba

 

    Cuba began as a small colonial island controlled by the Spanish. Upon arrival, the Spanish empire used Cuba as a port location. Cuba being so close to the Americas, gives Spain a stopping location close to its Mexico and Florida territories. Initially, it held little significance until the 1800s when Cuba became the leading global sugar producer.

      Cuba began seeking independence from Spain in the late 1800s. The Cuban people wanted to be free from oppressive rule and high taxation. The United States saw opportunity in supporting the resisting Spanish colonies. In 1898, the United States began fighting against the Spanish, leading to the Spanish-American War. The US government acted after the sinking of the USS Maine near Cuba. The American government does not tolerate attacks, and will forcefully retaliate. After taking control, the US government in ways just replaced the Spanish with its own military presence. After a few years of control, its likely the Cuban people saw the US as just another tyrant power. It may have been favorable if the US government laid back more, letting Cuba organize itself. Opposed to backing cruel and oppressive leaders.

      From the 1930s to 1950s, Cuba was establishing a new government. There were power struggles among leaders looking for authoritative power. Dictators took control such as Machado y Morales, Batista y Zaldívar, and Céspedes. Despite defeating Spain, the Cuban people were still facing tyrannical control and governmental oppression. The United States supported Cuban authoritarian rule, creating more tension with the people. The US government aided leaders in their rise to power, hoping to establish a new system. The American goal was to create an influential presence in Cuba, trying to build up and impact on its government. But by backing violent dictators, the United States made enemies with the Cuban people.

      There had been growing unrest among the people of Cuba. From the Spanish empire, the American Military control, & the oppression of authoritative powers. People were overtaxed and being taken advantage of. Cuba faced significant economic struggles along with human rights violations, leading to great unrest in the country. Over time, the people were becoming desperate for changes in power, giving a window of opportunity for Castro to rise. The authoritarian government was stealing resources from the people, including hundreds of millions of dollars. Leading to the Cuban revolution, Batista had seized dictatorial power in the nation. When Castro had succeeded in organized military attacks, slowly tearing down the Cuban authoritarian government. He received help from other revolutionaries like Raul Castro and Che Guevara. These aided in weaking the Cuban government, with Castro’s eventual seizing national control in 1959.

      As Castro had taken Cuba, he needed support to build his government and hold power. As a result, Cuba aligned themselves with the Soviet Union. The communist Soviet Union became a major rival and enemy to the United States. Cuba saw potential in making an ideal change. Cuba declared itself communist. During the Cold War, tensions were high between the US and USSR. The US had a strategy of trying to snuff out any communism in the world, part of “containment.” The United States does not want communism to spread, leading to intervention, wars, sanctions, etc. The US government placed an embargo on Cuba, trying to plumet the economy and stop a communist nation. Communism is viewed as the opposite and enemy to capitalism. During the Cold War, there was fear that communism would inevitably take over the world. The United States will continue sanctions and embargos on Cuba until it is no longer a communist nation.

 

Questions:

      Why did the United States not address issues of violence and oppression with the dictators they supported?

            Would the Cuban people be better off today if it had been a capitalist nation?

References

https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/History/Cuba-history.htm 

https://mycourses.unh.edu/courses/102494/assignments/869937?module_item_id=2552773

A Retrospective Look at the Achievements and Failures of the Cuban Revolution and it's Effect on Education

    “The fact is, when men carry the same ideals in their hearts, nothing can isolate them - neither prison walls nor the sod of cemeteries. For single memory, a single spirit, a single idea, a single conscience, a single dignity will sustain them all.” These are words of revolution, uttered from a young Fidel Castro in a two-hour court room defense speech in 1953. A tone setting sentiment to what was on the horizon; revolution loomed, and Castro’s radical socialist agenda was soon to make Cuba into the first communist state in the Western Hemisphere. Castro’s reign was plagued with a plethora of both achievements and failures; from Cuba’s culture to its identity, many of these which had drastic short and long term effects on the identity of Cuba. 

    In its formative years, Cuba’s new revolutionary government had rabid blue-collar support. Working-class and poor Cubans appreciated Castro’s reforms and felt as though the agitation in change would certainly bring in a golden age to the island. One of many radical achievements Castro has to his credit his revolutions fight for nationwide literacy. Prior to the socialist revolution, over half of rural Cuba was illiterate, only 45 percent of the Cuban population had completed primary education, 9 percent secondary, and 4 percent higher education. Castro selected education as a major issue for his revolution, starting a literacy campaign that was geared towards the needs of the state. 

Those who received Castro’s universal education were forced to advocate the socialist government policies, both in and out of the classroom. Through the implementation of exclusively government approved courses, Castro made great strides towards the creation of a loyal and literate population of socialist youths. By 1988, 100 percent of the Cuban population had completed primary education, 85 percent secondary, and 21 percent higher education. 

    Sympathizers, apologists, exiles, and migrants can whole heartedly agree that when examining the socialist policies of the revolution through today’s modern lens, one is met with the uncomfortable truth that, on the surface, many of Castro’s initiatives seem to serve the public good; but a dark truth lurks behind a veil of tyrannical beliefs. Castro’s crusade for better nationwide education was rooted in an idea of furthering mobilization for the revolution. As Cuba developed into a fully socialist state, schools gradually shifted into following a Marxist curriculum, where students were assigned government mandated tasks, like working in agriculture and upkeep on the school grounds. In Castro’s eyes, the revolution would be built not just in the classroom but through instilling the socialist ideologies through practical work.  

    The effects of the revolutions reform of the educational system have had serious implications on today’s Cuba. Castro’s utilization of Soviet Union funding to tens of thousands of educational institutions backfired with the Soviet Union’s eventual collapse. With no more funding, pay began to rapidly decline for white collar workers, leading to educated professionals turning to the tourism industry and different avenues of black-market self-employment. 

 

Questions: 

Was the competition of getting high grades between classmate to classmate played down in order to further instill socialist collectivism?

Should the Cuban public promote different types of informal education to teach the youth skills that will better cater towards modern day culture and economy? 

Cuba and the US: Countries Forever Intertwined

    Cuba and the United States that have a history with each other that goes back surprisingly far and is more complicated than how it first seems. Our histories together became complicated as soon as Cuba became liberated from the Spanish empire. In 1898, we joined the battle for Cuba’s freedom and by December that year the United States was declared victorious in the war. Though this marked the beginning of Cuba’s fate being dependent on the whims of the United States. 

    The United States became increasing involved in Cuba’s politics and economy, treating it almost like a colony of ours. This was because we recognized that it was a country that presented a lot of economic opportunity. Cuba was the crown jewel of the Spanish empire and even though the United States opposed colonialism it still didn’t want to let go of this potential. Many were conflicted over what to do with Cuba and this internal turmoil would create an ever-changing climate for Cuba. Almost immediately into Cuba’s independence, the United States implemented the Platt Amendment with stated that they could become involved in Cuban affairs and could even lease Cuban land. This crippled the country to become dependent on the United States. Later the United States would be responsible for the rise in authoritarianism in the country as they chose to back a seize of power from the existing body of power after a democratic loss to maintain their control of the country. This would sour relations between the two countries as many citizens hated this regime. 

    Eventually, the citizens of Cuba would revolt against this regime and successfully overthrow it thanks to the likes of Fidel Castro and Chev Guerra. Under new leadership, the country would soon ally with the Soviet Union. Due to tensions with the Cold War, conflicted escalated to the point Nuclear War almost began because of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Following these events, the United States put an embargo on Cuba that would cripple the country economically. Further crippling the country, was the fall of the Soviet Union. Cuba had relied on the Soviet Union to evade having to rely on our country and our treatment of it as a colony. Through our arms race with the Soviet Union during the Cold War, we helped accelerate the collapse of their biggest ally which indivertibly caused harm to the country again. This has once again put the country’s fate at our whim and each president has taken a different approach to handling our relations with Cuba which certainly doesn’t help the stability of the country.

    Before this week’s readings, I had never thought about our impact on the country beyond the Cuban Missile Crisis. I wasn’t as knowledgeable about our ties in the post-colonial history of the country. The current state of the country I always just assumed was because they chose the “wrong” side of the Cold War. That they chose a superpower that would ultimately collapse and was ostracized because of opposite political views. It never really occurred to me that some of the actions were deliberately done to control the country or that so much of our countries’ histories were intertwined. It always seemed that Cuba was as detached as could be and that where it is now was because of actions solely from their governments not through additional interference. 

Do you think Cuba will ever be free from the United States influence?

What actions do you think would be necessary for the United States to have a positive impact on Cuba?

Works Cited

History of Cuba. (n.d.). Retrieved from Nations Online: https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/History/Cuba-history.htm

Castro, The Cuban Revolution, And Their Influence on Cuba's Modern-Day Society

    There was a clear power difference amongst Cuban citizens in the 19th century as resentment of wealthy political figures grew. Creoles were of European descent, but knew they were not receiving the same privileges as the peninsulares (Spanish natives). For that reason, there are political in addition to social factors that influences this upcoming revolution. Rising tension within Cuba as well as between America and Spain occurred following the Ten Years War in the late 19th century. All sides understood that whoever took control would define the future character (or "Cubanness") of Cuba, so the stakes were high. Tension rose to an all-time extreme when an American ship was blown up near a Havana harbor. Roosevelt declared war on Spain, and the battle ended relatively quickly. It is evident to me that the United States attacked the Spanish because they wanted control over Cuba for economic purposes. For this reason, I believe this is a great strategic reaction by the U.S., even if they cannot prove Spain's guilt for the explosion. I do not think attempts for peaceful negotiations would drive the Spanish out of the country. The Treaty of Paris, following the war, provided the U.S. with ownership of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines.

    Fidel Castro rose to fame during Cuban struggles for independence from the United States. In 1953, just three years after graduating from law school, he already began fighting for justice. He led the Cuban revolt, with the date of the initial attack (Movimiento 26 de Julio) going down in history as a failure. One question I had about Castro was: How did he manage to gain so much influence in such a short amount of time? After subsequent attempts, the government was overthrown, and Castro took over the head position. While one can argue that the Cuban Revolution was due to the social and political discrepancies within the country, the sole influence of Castro should not go overlooked. During the earlier stages of Castro's pushes for a revolt, there was little resistance against him because at that time he represented the people (and the wishes of the people). I believe the people of Cuba needed some sort of authority figure to look up to in order to make the Revolution possible. Castro united like-minded people in Cuba who were determined to see change in the community, and was easily able to attract recruits while he was building up for his attack in the 1950's. Whether perceived as for better or for worse by the Cuban people, Castro as well as the Cuban Revolution has certainly influenced Cuba's modern-day society. The impact Castro had on Cuba makes me wonder: How would the Cuban Revolution play out if Castro were not involved at all?

    The political system of contemporary Cuba is termed as "Democratic Centralism," which definitely gives more power to the masses of citizens in the country. I believe the shift in government styles over the years is due to the struggle for human rights during the Revolution, and their society is taking a step in the right direction in terms of striving for complete independence. Thanks to the efforts that were made towards relaxing national censorship and building an egalitarian society, women have seen far more success in important positions, such as dentists and doctors. The Family Code in 1974 restructured gender expectations in Cuba, stating that domestic chores were now the responsibility of both partners in a family. Finally, the overall health of Cubans has increased dramatically following the Revolution. I am astounded that Cuba is in elite company with the United States and Canada, regarded as having the "best health status" in the Western hemisphere. Although citizens do not currently hold as much power individually as United States citizens do, I expect improvements in their rights to be made in the near future.

Political Disobedience in the Form of Art....

     One of the greatest accomplishments of the Revolution was the government's support of education and the arts. Castro strongly supported education and the arts, making it so that art could flourish. Once the Soviet Union fell, Cuba opened up more by letting artists sell their art to other countries. This brought a lot of business to the country. Because of Castro's support and the business that the Cuban art industry brought to the country, art has flourished. Also, because the government is considered to be oppressive it gives artists something to create art about. As the example below shows the artist's view of the government has become a part of their art. But artists also are limited in what they can produce because if the government doesn’t like the message that the artist is portraying the government can retaliate against the artist. The government can shut down any artists they don’t like. It is great that Cuba has “supported” art by letting artists sell their art, but the government only wants artists to produce art that they like. They want artists to follow the party line. I think that this is horrible because art is all about expressing yourself and you can’t do that if you can only produce art that follows the party line.

Art is an outlet that people use to express themselves and show how they feel about something. A group of artists that come from the same country and that have similar experiences, will more than likely have some similarities in their art. For the Cuban artists that I have learned about, the few common things I have seen is that most pieces are very abstract and different. For example Marco Castillo is an artist in Cuba that creates art with his partner that sometimes “pulls” at the Cuban upper class. They do this without doing it too much where they would get in trouble with the government. They do it through abstract art/comedy. As the art critic Gerado Mossquera with PBS art became an outlet for people to use art to show what is happening in Cuba and use it to criticize what is happening in the country. Another theme is the use of the famous Cuban lighthouse. I have seen it portrayed in a few different ways, one with it laying down showing that Cuba politics need to change or a sculpture of the lighthouse standing up.

You can clearly see politics at play in the art that Cuban artists make. For example the fallen down light house that was made by the group “the Carpenters” symbolizes that the government needs to change in Cuba. I love the pieces that are suddenly political and trying to get around the government by being more abstract. I see what some of the Cuban artists do as acts of defiance against the government and I think it is great.

Questions:

1- If the Cuban Revolution never happened, would the arts be as prevalent as they are now in Cuba?

2- As artists produce work that is political, do you think that the government will eventually start arresting artist for speaking out against the government through their work?

The Journey of US - Cuba Relations

 

                The US relationship with Cuba really started in the late 1900s with the Spanish American War.

When the US decided to help the Cuban people in their struggle for independence against the Spanish.

Spain fought to keep Cuba because they saw it as the “crown Jewel” of their empire because of the sugar

plantations that were abundant in Cuba. Those plantations made it so that Spain could keep up to the

worldwide demand for sugar. After the US and Cuba won the war, the US had to decide whether to take

Cuba as property or make Cuba an independent country. This was a part of an internal US struggle on

whether the US wanted to be linked to the European powers or not. The US ended up taking a part of the

US and inserting themselves in Cuban affairs when it suits the US interests.

 The US decided instead of granting the Cuban peoples' freedom they would keep control of the country when they had no right to do so. The US could have supported Cuba instead of trying to control the country. Then in 1906 and 1917 the US invaded Cuba because to protect "US interests" in the country. These invasions still have a lasting impact on Us Cuban relations to this day.

    In 1930 the US backed dictator was overthrown by a group of militant students and sergeant Fulgencio Batista. According to the US code they should have intervened, but president Rosavelt decided not to. With Fulgencio Batista forcing the provisional president Ramón Grau San Martín to resign shortly after the revolution. Batista survived as president from 1940 to 1944. After that Cuba had two elected presidents from 1944 to 1052. Even though Cuba had democracy during this time, corruption within the government increased. In 1952 Bastista took over the government being the next US backed dictator. During this time foreign businesses and Bastita took advantage of the Cuban people and of the country's response to become rich.

         On January 1, 1959, Fidel Castro Ruz seized power, he was very anti-U.S. “The United States imposed an embargo on Cuba on October 19,1960, and broke diplomatic relations on January 3, 1961” (Kästle,2022). The US did this because Cuba went into business with the Soviet Union and took over all US assets in Cuba. The embargo is still in place today, partly because Cuba still does not have the best human right practices impart to them with them repressing independent thought. I also believe part of the reason the embargo is still in place is because a lot of Americans still looks done on Cuba, simply because it is Cuba. Before this module I had a very different view on Cuba than I do now. Because I made assumptions about the country based off what I heard on the news and from my parents, which was usually negative and not the entire story.

    Two of the greatest things that I believe came out of the revolution is the Cuban healthcare and the educational system. Everyone gets free healthcare and education, including higher education. Some of the greatest failures are that the government represses anyone who speaks out against them, the government controls a lot of the media, the people do not have easy access to the internet, and Cuba had a dictator. All those things make freedom of thought very hard and near to impossible.

    Even though Fidel Castro was invaluable to the revolution, it would probably have still happened

without him because the reasons that the revolution happened would have still existed. Even though the

revolution had a lot of failures Cuba is better off today than it was before. Because before they had an US

backed dictator that had no initiation of reforming the government, but now the Cuban government has

been slowly introducing reforms that have been making the people's lives better. It is progress, but Cuba

still has room to grow just like the US.

 

Questions:

 

·  What could have prevented the US getting involved in Cuba affairs?

·  Would Cuba be a democracy today if the US never got involved in the country's affairs?

 

Kästle, K. (n.d.). History of Cuba. History of Cuba - Nations Online Project. Retrieved December 25, 2022, from https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/History/Cuba-history.htm