Untold History of the United States

[Coito ergo sum]

according to ces Castro is one of the worst "dictators" the world has ever seen.

According anyone with common sense.

Why do you put "dictator" in quotes?

The guy had been "in power" for 50 years and passed the baton to his brother Raul. That's sort of a small indicator that someone is a dictator.

Murdered his opposition. Check.

Set up political prisons. Check.

Murdered "undesirables" and "traitors to the Revolution." Check.

Seized private property without just compensation.

Outlawed emigration, under pain of death.

Strongest ally: The Soviet Union.

Destroyed the Cuban economy, especially the agriculture industry, resulting in Cuba having to import 69% of the food it "rations" to the public, and the Cuban people get at least 1/3 of their food through rations. Fuel shortages. Automobile shortages.

Castro: A true democrat.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

First generation is a dictator, third generation is a king by grace of God.

[klr]

according to ces Castro is one of the worst "dictators" the world has ever seen.

According anyone with common sense.

Why do you put "dictator" in quotes?

The guy had been "in power" for 50 years and passed the baton to his brother Raul. That's sort of a small indicator that someone is a dictator.

Murdered his opposition. Check.

Set up political prisons. Check.

Murdered "undesirables" and "traitors to the Revolution." Check.

Seized private property without just compensation.

Outlawed emigration, under pain of death.

Strongest ally: The Soviet Union.

Destroyed the Cuban economy, especially the agriculture industry, resulting in Cuba having to import 69% of the food it "rations" to the public, and the Cuban people get at least 1/3 of their food through rations. Fuel shortages. Automobile shortages.

Castro: A true democrat.

Hold on now ... "one of the worst". And of all time.

Even in the last century, we've had:

Hitler
Stalin
Mao
Pol Pot
Kim Il Sung

... not to mention the likes of Mussolini, Franco, Trujillo, Pinochet, Duvalier, Somoza, Stroessner, Mugabe, Marcos, etc. And we've still not even gone near all of human history before 1900. So how far down the list can you be and still be counted "one of the worst"?

[Ian]

I suppose it's not a matter of ranking by number, but rather making a qualifying statement; one can receive a failing grade on a test and still come off a lot better than some others in the same class.

Still, "one of the worst" is debateable. But a brutal dictator any way you cut it. Sure he had a few upsides, and diehard leftist are happy to defend them, but most dictators have some upsides to their reigns - Stalin industrialized the USSR, Mao brought some order to a previously-chaotic China, Hitler built the autobahns, etc.

[klr]

I suppose it's not a matter of ranking by number, but rather making a qualifying statement; one can receive a failing grade on a test and still come off a lot better than some others in the same class.

Still, "one of the worst" is debateable. But a brutal dictator any way you cut it. Sure he had a few upsides, and diehard leftist are happy to defend them, but most dictators have some upsides to their reigns - Stalin industrialized the USSR, Mao brought some order to a previously-chaotic China, Hitler built the autobahns, etc.

... Mussolini made the trains run on time.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I suppose it's not a matter of ranking by number, but rather making a qualifying statement; one can receive a failing grade on a test and still come off a lot better than some others in the same class.

Still, "one of the worst" is debateable. But a brutal dictator any way you cut it. Sure he had a few upsides, and diehard leftist are happy to defend them, but most dictators have some upsides to their reigns - Stalin industrialized the USSR, Mao brought some order to a previously-chaotic China, Hitler built the autobahns, etc.

... Mussolini made the trains run on time.

Actually, he didn't.

[klr]

I suppose it's not a matter of ranking by number, but rather making a qualifying statement; one can receive a failing grade on a test and still come off a lot better than some others in the same class.

Still, "one of the worst" is debateable. But a brutal dictator any way you cut it. Sure he had a few upsides, and diehard leftist are happy to defend them, but most dictators have some upsides to their reigns - Stalin industrialized the USSR, Mao brought some order to a previously-chaotic China, Hitler built the autobahns, etc.

... Mussolini made the trains run on time.

Actually, he didn't.

Note hand-over-mouth.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

That was for the peanut gallery.

[klr]

That was for the peanut gallery.

Wait ... people from the outside read these threads, looking for wisdom???

[Gawdzilla Sama]

That was for the peanut gallery.

Wait ... people from the outside read these threads, looking for wisdom???

Actually, googling that phrase would turn up that post.

[JimC]

I suppose it's not a matter of ranking by number, but rather making a qualifying statement; one can receive a failing grade on a test and still come off a lot better than some others in the same class.

Still, "one of the worst" is debateable. But a brutal dictator any way you cut it. Sure he had a few upsides, and diehard leftist are happy to defend them, but most dictators have some upsides to their reigns - Stalin industrialized the USSR, Mao brought some order to a previously-chaotic China, Hitler built the autobahns, etc.

The cuban system is a good contrast to many other third world countries. Sure, there are various restrictions of freedoms, and (relative to us) poverty, but you do not find the hopeless slum conditions for the poorest of the poor. No one starves, everybody has access to health care.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Yep, like dogs in a kennel.