On this date 72 years ago, Fidel Castro led an attack on the Moncada Barracks in Cuba, an attack that failed at the time but helped launch the Cuban Revolution, resulting in Castro’s eventual assumption of power in 1959.
Many of the videos about the Moncada Barracks Attack on YouTube are either really bad artificial intelligence (AI), propaganda, or otherwise deficient. Here’s a Short that encapsulates what occurred.
An article at PBS is a more detailed synopsis of the events leading to the attack. (Here is a link.)
All of my life in the deep South, I heard nothing but negative attributes of Fidel Castro, and indeed he had those. Some would argue that he held some good ideas. Indeed Cuba celebrates this day in history as National Rebellion Day. My older child and I discussed this week that most people–even characters like Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler from the movie we watched this week–have both positive traits and flaws. The same goes for political movements and governments. Capitalism has its positives, but late stage unchecked capitalism also causes great injustices. Similarly, socialism has its positive and negative traits. We used a T-chart to list the benefits and drawbacks as we discussed each. (Here is a link to a page of T-charts you might find helpful.) Then I assigned my older child a writing assignment: Where is the United States heading under Donald Trump?
(Note: The pentarchy in the lower left-hand corner of the chalkboard is part of our vocabulary lessons, which I’m slowly building on this site. Here is a link.)
Never stop learning,
Erin
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