Fidel Castro

So Fidel Castro is on a plane headed for New York to address the United Nations as a member of the nonaligned nations or some such, and some journalist traveling with him on this historic journey asks him if it's true that he always wears a bullet proof vest.
Castro smiles, rests his cigar in his mouth, and starts unbuttoning layers until we see chest hair.
"Morality is my vest," he says.

Journalists and their romantic rumors.

So I am doing a presentation on the Cuban revolution tomorrow for Spanish class and just finished watching Adriana Bosch's "Fidel Castro" video, which was totally fascinating and confusing at the same time. Bosch's family is part of the exile community, which she admits to in the Bonus Materials part of the DVD, and the portrayal of Castro bears this out. I suppose the depiction is fair -- in a he-said, she-said kind of way, but we are left to draw our own conclusions about everything without being given sure footing about anything.
Here's a man who at the age of 30 led just over a hundred men in an attack on fortified Army barracks belonging to the repressive dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista, in what he surely knew was a suicide mission. He is captured, jailed and his life spared only by the pleas of a Catholic archbishop.
He comes back, overthrows Batista, but instead of having democratic elections, he retains sole posession of all things Cuba, including its leadership. He nationalizes every damn thing including his mother's farm, a move she never forgives him for, but a move that further fortifies his street cred. He is a populist always hugging everybody and appearing to relate really well.
Then we are told he is rabid-dog, upside-down-igloo crazy. He was ready to launch nukes at the U.S. and was willing to sacrifice Cuba, he told the Soviets, for the sake of communism nee socialism. For real?
Then we are told everybody gets food, healthcare, education. It becomes the highest-skill, lowest-wage country in the world -- an economist's wet dream. Tourist dollars, dollarization and remittances fatten the economy.
Then we are told they are impoverished. Huh? So confused.
He defies the U.S. by helping Angolan communists, but refuses to denounce the clearly fucked up Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
I can't believe that no journalist has gotten Castro to sit and answer to all this, though Barbara Walters appeared to have almost done it -- and while wearing a bonnet, no less. I mean, all he wants to talk his socialist Cuban fantasy and committment to revolucion around the world. And by the way, can we make a distinction between socialist and communist? Is he or isn't he or what is he?

Something doesn't ring true. I want to know the truth, not some muddled attempt at history throught the pretense of balance. Or is that all we, journalists, can do? No, it's not, I just decided.

Anyhow, she could have done better. Not that I'm friggin Ken Burns or anything, but the documentary would've been better served by someone else, I think.
Was the "bloodbath" of political executions following the revolution just? Is his repression any different than the repression of various "free expression" and capitalist countries? So many questions Adriana Bosch, I fear you Bosched this one royally.
I also felt weird about finding Castro extraordinarily attractive, particularly during the 600-mile victory roll into Havana. And the Che Guevara in Bolivia thing-- what the hell was THAT about?They made it seem like he betrayed Che? Say it aint so Castro.

It's just that, the moment on the plane sort of exemplifies my feelings about the whole documentary. I wonder if it is one journalist's romantic rumor.

Oh -- and by the way -- FUCK the CIA. (Jack Bauer notwithstanding.)

I am SO on the list now. Please tell my parents I love them.