I am fascinated by a man who can actually make a beard, a political statement. Especially in the face of a conservative 1950s America. ( In fact anyone who sticks it beard haters generally ) Of course we judge each other based on appearances bla bla bla, I'm talkin bout more than just not liking someone's hair. Or face. Or face-hair.
I'm suggesting, I suppose, beard prejudice.
Fidel Castro led Cuba for over 40 years. A lot of people want him dead. Ya, still. Mostly I figure because they have a real bad case of beard envy. Especially this lunatic fuck on camera saying she welcomes him assassinated, followed by something about "god will judge us". (I missed the part of the bible saying killing people with opposing political views is kosher but whatever.) She tried to say it was taken out of context. Quite impossible, and hardly surprising.
Yes, this is the example of an extremist moron. A very funny, scary, moron. (Re-elected I might add. She was called by Obama to congratulate her on the reelection when she hung up on him, believing it was a prank call.) Whatever, back to beards.
Castro is a socialist survivor in a capitalist world. He is also the only modern political leader with a beard. Please, think of one other. Why is that? Fidel entered politics as a university student of law, not as a communist, but as somone interested in human rights at a time when... there weren't any. He fell in love with a woman from an elitist family, and got married. The marriage didn't last on account of fidel being put in prison for conspiracy. Who knew such a normal guy would develop an inspirational beard, and, you know, change the world.
History lessons to a minimal, the goverment said no more political parties, we're taking over this shit, your constitutional rights are now worth dick-all. Granted, sometimes the government apparently has to do these things.
Students protested. He tried an operation in 1953 to politically overthrow the head hauncho: Batista. It didn't work at all. 150 attacked, 61 were killed, only 6 in combat. Many were tortured, many with no teeth left. Fidel was tried as a criminal and gave his quote "Convict me; it doesn't matter. History will absolve me."
Fidel toured like a rock star and by 1956 he had a small guerilla force with the likes of Che Guevara by his side. They had an epic dinner conversation, and by sun-up, Che was in. Anyone suspected of supporting the rebels was usually just shot or tortured, no real questions even asked. ( This is the government backed by the freedom lovin 'Mericans at the time. ) Fidel won a lot of Cuban hearts and didn't just preach, but hacked it in the bush with the troops.
Here's the beard content folks
Castro was asked if he would come to visit America by this slick talk show host at the time, to which Castro basically replied "sup im prtty bsy right now. country needz running.lol." The dude then asked "If you do, will you be coming here with that beard?!" The camera crew had a grande guffaw, and cast their gazes to Castro in anticipation of his response.
"It's possible that if I go, I will have the beard. I'm not thinking to cut my beard. Because I'm accustomed to it. The beard means many things to my country. When we have a fullfilled our promise of good government, I will cut my beard."
The length of Castro's beard was turned into the amount of time it has taken to fix the government. Cuba became an obsession with america at this point and refused to deal with him rationally, based on being a "communist." And possibly, as I'm suggesting, because he refused to conform to the acceptable norms that a political leader should.
No hotel in New York would take him except a dive in Harlem. He stayed and chilled with Malcolm X. A journalist asked the Russian leader Khrushchev "is Fidel a communist?" to which he replied "meh. I don't know if Fidel is communist, what I do know is that i'm a Fidelist."
"The era where weapons solved problems is ending. A new period is beginning in which the people's political conscience, historical needs and ideas will change the world" Fidel quoted recently.
It's pretty clear the US embargo SUCKS BALLS and stuff, and still after all this time and only hurts Cuban people. Some people (like myself) were given the impression that Castro is a bad guy, because the tv told me so. He eats babies to fuel his communism super powers, that even Captain America can't seem to best.
To my knowledge, he still hasn't shaved off his beard.
