As you may have seen, August 13, 2026 would have been the 100th birthday of Fidel Castro. Fidel had retired as Dictator of Cuba all the way back in 2006 at age 80, and then died ten years ago in 2016.
Commemorations of people who have been dead for ten years should be reserved for those who did something worthwhile in their lives. In Fidel’s case, during his more than half-century of absolute rule over Cuba, he brought poverty and ruin to the island’s economy and people. Yet somehow he remains a hero to the Left.
If you don’t believe me, check out this post from the website of the Democratic Socialists of America on August 13. You would think it must be a parody, but the url is dsausa.org, and the site has tabs for all the other DSA claptrap. So I’m quite sure it’s real. Here are a few excerpts:
DSA Commemorates 100 Years of Fidel and Denounces Rubio’s Genocide Against the Cuban People
Today is the centenary of Fidel Castro, and the Democratic Socialists of America recognize the historic significance of both this day and the man. Fidel was an organizer, a fighter, and endures as a stalwart symbol of anti-imperialist struggle and self-determination for the Global South. DSA has a long history of solidarity with the Cuban people, their revolution, and their self-determination. We choose this historic day to recommit ourselves to acting in solidarity with the Cuban people and to starkly opposing Marco Rubio’s genocidal war against the Cuban people and US imperialism writ large.
So it’s not just that Fidel is a hero — “a fighter” and “a stalwart symbol of anti-imperialist struggle” — but there’s also a new theme here that the long-running economic disaster in Cuba is now being branded as “Marco Rubio’s genocide.” They go on and on with that one:
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