Should Stalin apologists be treated in the same way as Nazi sympathisers

[David Floyd]

che,

There's a huge moral difference between escalating up enough to defend yourself, and escalating up enough to threaten to destroy everyone around you, whether or not they are involved.

If Cuba asked for Soviet conventional forces, and a membership in a Soviet alliance, that's all well and good. Almost starting WW3 is not so good - and yes, Kennedy was just as much to blame.

[Sava]

Placing nukes in Turkey aimed at Russia was just as bad as the SU trying to set up nukes in Cuba. Remember, the US moved first.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Sava
Placing nukes in Turkey aimed at Russia was just as bad as the SU trying to set up nukes in Cuba. Remember, the US moved first.

Floyd mentioned that, actually.

What Castro did was reckless, I'll admit, but if it had worked as intended, the US would have been presented a fait acompli. Threatening military action would have been mere bluffing, as Soviet forces in Cuba would have been capable of destroying most Eastern US cities.

This is a fundimental problem with nuclear weapons. If you use them to defend yourself, you risk escalation which could destroy all human life (or enough of it for it to mean the same thing).

The US got lucky, as they were spying on Cuba to prepare for a full-scale invasion, and happened upon the missiles.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
Consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.

You're betraying your inner Republican. Next you'll be telling us that you don't believe that War in Iraq was a bad idea and that Dubya is a really great President.

[Ned]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara

The US got lucky, as they were spying on Cuba to prepare for a full-scale invasion, and happened upon the missiles.

God, I wish this were true.

I remember that we helped overthrow Battista and bring Castro to power. I recall that he came to New York to visit the UN and there was speculation that he would be invited to the White House. But something during this timeframe really caused relations to sour.

I also remember how appalled we were when Castro executed so many of the former regime. I think this had a lot to do with the falling out that happened.

I also remember that Casto's alliance with the USSR caused a big stir.

What I do not remember is the sequence of events. I think this is important to determine whether Casto allied with the USSR out of fear of the US, or we became unfriendly because of it.

[Al B. Sure!]

Ned:

Castro was disturbed by the bad treatment some of his aides got... those who were dark enough to be considered black were not admitted into the fancy hotel Castro was staying in.

basically, racism caused the cuban missile crisis.

[Dinner]

The US was not preparing for a full scale invasion. Time has a great series about the Cuban missile crisis filled with authentic white house tapes and commentary of from the people who where in the inner circle and lived through the crisis. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to get the real scoop on historical events instead of the .net version of history.

[Ned]

Originally posted by Albert Speer
Ned:

Castro was disturbed by the bad treatment some of his aides got... those who were dark enough to be considered black were not admitted into the fancy hotel Castro was staying in.

basically, racism caused the cuban missile crisis.

That is what caused the craziness that has gone on since '59! I find it hard to believe. Surely Ike should have gone out of his way to make sure Castro was royally treated.

However, there were a lot of executions without trial - shown on TV and the like. I think Ike had a hard time receiving someone like Castro.

[Ned]

My memory of sequence of events is confirmed. Castro was highly popular in the US in early 1959. It was not clear then that Castro would go communist and ally with the USSR. But then he began mass executions. This caused Ike to avoid meeting him when Castro visited in April. In June, Castro began negotiations with the USSR. One thing lead to another, and by mid 1960, Cuba was firmly in the USSR camp and Ike was planning the Bay of Pigs.

"Although the anti-Batista purges, and especially the highly publicized "stadium trials," began to elicit stinging criticisms in the U.S. press in late March, U.S. press coverage of the Cuban Revolution was still sympathetic in tone (particularly Herbert Matthew's coverage in the New York Times), but reports of governmental confusion and "chaos" led to growing concern."

http://www.princeton.edu/plasweb/publications/Essays/castro.htm