Face to Face With Fidel Castro: A Conversation With Tomas Borge

Customer Reviews:

A Respectable Leader For Over 40 Years - The Revolution Continues . . . .......2005-08-20

Now I have to write you, I have a lot of respect for this man, Fidel Castro. And before you disagree from American journalism, you should read this book. For instance, even the American, Howard Zinn's "Peoples History of the United States," conveys the actions taken by early Cuba and those of the United States and you read just there the validity of the Cuban actions taken by Castro. This is not to deny the bad, yet you will find that everywhere, no place exempt, however what does this book speak? What reasonings does it employ? What does it relate as to Castro's character? I think it is a positive message and I couldn't imagine anything close in honesty and measure by George W. Bush, not at all, especially the personal interests in reading books and learning about history, science, art and so forth.

Now the book as some wonderful thoughts and Castro is a decent man in his words here. The embargo against Cuba has truly been barbaric and there has been no sense to it at all since the folding of the Soviet Union, except that the U.S. wishes to exercise its powerful means in it's imperialistic maneuvers. It is a horrendous thing that a country should be punished for simply having a different value system. This is why the revolution continues. If the pressure would stop and just allow this country to "be," then more flexibility can be employed there, not to mention the innocent civilians can have a fuller life. It's amazing how Castro has been able to keep things going, and improving in medicine and technology despite the barbaric embargo against him.

I'm praying this revolution continues, as it stands as the beacon light for Latin America against U.S. imperialism and global domination. Even the best systems and governments need opposing viewpoints, this is why the founding fathers of the U.S. devised a system of executive, legislative and judicial that would be in tension with one another, because there is no unity without diversity and there cannot be a one world government with only one value system, otherwise it would become an Orwelian "1984."

"As for the death penalty, the country in which the most people are given the death penalty is the United States. The U.S. record is horrible. Should we believe that all of them are common criminals? What about all the the people who are unemployed, without any support, and have to commit crimes in order to survive? Isn't there any political responsibility?" pp. 138-139

"The ideas of Marx, Engels, Lenin and Che aren't dogmas - they are brilliant samples of talent and of political, social and revolutionary vision created at a certain time. They are always applicable as long as you don't consider them immutable dogma to do so would be to take them out of the scientific, political, revolutionary context and make them a matter of religion." p. 50

This quote by the interviewer, the former Minister of the Interior in the Sandinista government in Nicaragua, Tomas Borge, are my thoughts as well and why economic equality is crucial for democracy to have value. So the left or liberal democracy, not the neo-liberal unequality of hypocritical terms as "free trade," which terminology acts as a deceptive language tool. "Recent events in Venezuela show, for the nth time, that democracy without social justice is worth no more than our devalued currencies. Political democracy is an empty formality if not accompanied by economic democracy." Tomas Borge, p. 56

"We had great cutbacks, at the same time we maintained our priority programs related to biotechnology, the pharmaceutical industry and the medical equipment industry . . . the emphasis on the food program is in spite of some quite serious limitations in the projects for building dams, canals and irrigation systems and in the projects of engineering systems in sugarcane and rice, which we have had to nearly halt while we go everything reorganized and get some fuel . . " pp. 113-114

Fidel speaks of the health care system for schools, and hundreds of thousands of Cubans and from other countries, in sending teachers for children in other parts of the world. "Has any government or country done more for human rights than Cuba? What basis can there be for all the slander campaigns they launch against our country? Naturally, we're accustomed to this, and it just rolls off our backs, because we're used to the imperialists' baseness. How can they survive if not with propaganda? How would they survive without lies? How can they explain all of the crimes they commit against the world, if not with lies and calamity, trying to discredit those who oppose them?" p. 135

"All over the world, in capitalistic society, including the capitalistic Third World countries, some citizens have been alienated and are considered worthless. they are taken to vote for somebody every four, five or six years without even knowing who they're voting for or why - because, often, their low political cultural level and low cultural level in general don't give them a chance to decide freely. They're influenced by all the mechanisms for exerting mental and psychological influence in decision-making - and then nobody cares about them any more. there isn't any sense of identification between such people and the state, the government and the society in which they live. They are condemned to a desperate struggle for survival without any social worth, respect or consideration. In a country such as ours, the situation is entirely different, with total identification and full participation by citizens in all activities - political activities, activities in defense of our country, cultural activities and for developing the country. Haws any country done more for human rights in this regard than Cuba?" pp. 131-132

There's much to be contemplated here. And Fidel speaks of the polis in ancient Greece, their democracy, but their deficiencies and injustices of slaves and non voting rights for women and alien residents who could not obtain citizenship. Cuba in some respects is like the positive traits of early Greece in a community where each citizen is expected to be an active political participant. It is a very different culture than the U.S. and should be respected, honored with full allowance for trade and economic prosperity. Tolerance must be exercised for integral world development and the very future of humanity and conscious awareness.

Very interesting - but not critical enough.......2000-05-23

Whether you agree with Castro's cuban revolution or not, the conversation between Thomas Borge and Fidel Castro is quite interesting.

There is no doubt that Borge has a lot of sympathy for the cuban revolution. And it might be because of that, that some of the necessary questions is not asked!

Questions about political prisoners is not discussed very much, homosexuality, religion and freedom of speech are subjects that are only discussed briefly.

Even with these critical points I find the book (and Castro) very interesting. It is quite amazing that he has been able to keep the society together even though the US has kept a blockade against Cuba for a long time now.

Castros views on the blockade and on the US and his analysis of the matters are precise and analytical.

Customer Reviews:

An unbiased perspective of Cuba.......2004-04-27

Good travel writing must encompass an author's ability to leave a good deal of his preconceptions and certainties at home and view everything from a different perspective. Conversations With Cuba, authored by C. Peter Ripley does not disappoint the reader in presenting Cuba in an impartial and unbiased light that for many of us will be quite a revelation.

As the title suggests, the book is based on a chronicle of conversations the author held with several Cubans during the course of his six trips to Cuba from 1991 until 2000. The first trip commences in 1991 and as the author states "a book about Cuba wasn't part of the plan when I began scheming to travel to Fidel Castro's embargoed island." It was moreover a need to satisfy a romantic curiosity that had occupied the author's mind since the age of fifteen. The opportunity presented itself when Ripley convinces a writer friend to tag along with him when the friend had been assigned by a magazine to write an article concerning Castro's emerging tourism trade.

From the very onset of his travels in 1991, Ripley is able to make personal contact with ordinary Cubans who are very eager to converse and express their feelings and perceptions. In fact, as the author states, "whatever the problems, whatever the politics of this place, no one, no one, refused to talk with us, about anything. Who is going to believe that back home."

Subsequent trips to Cuba reveal a kind of roller coaster ride in the sense that unlike the initial contact with Cuba, there were periods of extreme anxiety when basic necessities such as food, fuel and electricity were rationed. As for consumer goods, they were out of bounds for the average Cubans, although they were available in stores where foreigners frequented. There was also a prohibition imposed on the Cubans from being permitted to frequent hotels where foreigners vacationed.

This period was followed by a kind of loosening when a sliver of Capitalism peeks out from the clouds and Castro permits farmers to sell their produce for dollars in various markets. Unfortunately, this does not last too long, and the brakes are applied, putting an end to the so called "good times."
Ripley is very effective in revealing to the reader the spirit and soul of Cuba. As he states, "whatever Cuba was or was not, whatever she might become, she was not an island where a single opinion prevailed, however much some claim or hope." This is evidenced in the many towns and villages Ripley visits and as he asserts, Havana is not Cuba. To understand Cuba you must travel throughout the country and in particular to Santiago, the birthplace of the revolution. It is in all of these towns and hamlets where you will feel, taste, hear and smell what Cuba is all about and perhaps where it may be going in the future.

Although the book is not meant to be a scholarly text, it certainly serves as an excellent introduction in understanding Cuban history prior to and after the revolution.

Norm Goldman Editor of Bookpleasures

An author you just want to smack in the head..........2001-08-16

It is hard to put one's finger on just what it is about this guy that is so damn annoying. Maybe it's the way he spouts off "facts" about Cuba that would appear to have been gleaned from Reader's Digest. Maybe it is the way he reminds one of that pesky "authority" sitting next to you on an international flight who deems it his responsibility to enlighten everyone else in coach. Or maybe it is just that he appears to be so damn american. Whatever it is, it is creepy. Pick it up at your library and give it a quick read some afternoon, but only after you have read works by more credible authors. There are scores out there with more credibility on this subject.

Awful book ..........2001-07-22

This book blows. Buy the book by Christopher Hunt, "Waiting for Fidel", which is funnier and more accurate (albeit also flawed by a no-fun author). This book tries to be ponderous, serious, weighty, but with no analysis, just postering. The author is an ... (or at least claims to be) when Cuba is in fact crying out as a place to have fun. The author tries to engage in seditious conversation about politics at every turn, when most people (and I have visited Cuba) just want to get on with life. What a bore and waste of money. I almost think the author threw together this book so he can claim that he is a professor who has published. By the way, the author should educate himself when railing against the U.S. embargo as the root of Cuba's ills--according to the Cato Institute, the embargo is not that disruptive--the fault lies in communism. But again, I don't care about politics, just trying to point out how limited in scope the author's views are....braying about politics, never having fun...on and on and on and...well, I've made my point.

Finally, a different view.......2000-10-06

I agree with the reviewer who noted that this book gives a different perspective than the typical Cold War paranoid view of Cuba. The changes in Cuba from trip to trip were evident in the author's descriptions. Clearly, the book is slanted toward the Cuban people and away from the Castro regime. However, it did give a nice view of daily life for the ordinary citizen. After a while, though, the book seemed to drag on. Overall, though, it was nice to have a new view of Cuban life, and it clearly showed how the embargo is only hurting the Cuban people.

Intellectually Honest.......2000-10-02

Superior work that puts the reader on five tours of Cuba and allows you to talk to Cubans who stayed and to experience the wonderful island paradise. The writer admits that he idealized the Revolution and wants it to work but still shows the numerous ways that it hasn't work and that the island is in trouble. I enjoyed his conversations with Cubans and the Cubans' resilent nature. Great background information for a novice to Latin American relations like myself who only recently gained interest in the island due to its recent commercial musical success. Conservatives and Castro haters will dislike Ripley's point of view, which may be unfair -- the work seems intellectually honest.

Cuba: Talking About Revolution : Conversations With Juan Antonio Blanco

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Cuba: Talking about Revolution: Conversation with Jaun A Bla
More apologists who think Cuba is a free country
A thrilling, fervid and frank dialogue on present and future
if you read one book!
Revolutionary!

Cuba: Talking About Revolution : Conversations With Juan Antonio Blanco
Juan Antonio Blanco
Manufacturer: Ocean Press (AU)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1875284974

Customer Reviews:

Cuba: Talking about Revolution: Conversation with Jaun A Bla.......2004-04-25

Lies, lies and more lies. The author know how to be a good lier.
He know the true, I knew personally for long time, he can not write about how Castro has being destroyed one country and his peoples. The author all the time had confort for his father and his mother, Elena Gil Comunisty Nomeclature's Member.
He learned very good how to hide the true and the honor.
DR. Ed Prida
former political prisoner
anti castro activist

More apologists who think Cuba is a free country.......2004-03-05

This is so sad that people don't care what Cuba is really like, where there is NO freedom of political opposition and communism has ravaged the economy

A thrilling, fervid and frank dialogue on present and future.......2002-09-26

Despite the time elapsed since this book was published, with all the changes that occurred in Cuba during these years, Medea Benjamin's conversations with Juan Antonio Blanco remain extremely topical, even in the discussion of present-day Cuba. Juan Antonio Blanco, very possibly Cuba's best historian, has always been someone passionately 'inside' the Cuban Revolution: in fact, for many years he has been struggling and fighting in order to keep 'inside' that Revolution, endeavouring to push and squeeze his own thoughts and views into the boiling pot of the Revolution's changing view of itself. Even today, from his self-imposed semi-exiled in Canada, Blanco remains a faithful revolutionary servant, attempting to change what may be wrong with the Revolution, rather than ever dissenting from it. That makes him a 'dissident' inside the system, let's say a potential Gorbachev or Havel. As we read this fantastic book, and even more so as we read it backwards, we discover more of Juan Antonio Blanco's thoughts, concerns, criticisms, passions, concerns, views for the future. We read what he said and criticized of the Revolution at the time, we read his predictions, and thus we find to what extent his ideas were or were not incorporated into the new revolutionary thinking, to what extent his concerns were listened to and implemented. Overall, we can assess to what extent Blanco may really maintain his claim to have remained 'inside' the Revolution. But of course, this is not only a book about the great mind of Juan Antonio Blanco. Author Medea Benjamin provokes Blanco on a lot of points, giving rise to passionate conversations on so many aspects of Cuba's life, from the most theoretic issues of thought, to practical matters of the everyday life of Cuba's citizens. An impressive amount of topics and issues are covered, ranging from philosophy to health system, from economic crisis to nutrition and international relations. All these are discussed in a way that make it easy to read for everyone - for the scholar of Cuba and the student alike, as well as anyone interested in Cuba, without requiring any academic knowledge. The prose is excellent, and the contents very well edited. Overall, it is one of the books that should not be missing from anyone's Cuba library.

if you read one book!.......2001-01-20

This is the one! learn about the history, the ideals and the future of the revolution. Medea Benjamin asked the questions I wanted answered. And the answers were sometimes surprising. Juan Antonio Blanco is an incredibly intelligent and articulate person. If you are curious at all about Cuba... begin here. It is a short fast read.... perfect spring break or weekend material.

Revolutionary!.......1999-07-17

Medea Benjamin's interviews with Juan Antonio Blanco are a fair and nuanced portrayal of the struggles of the island's people during the economic crisis brought about by the collapse of the USSR. The book is a must read for those visiting or revisiting Cuba. If there is a "dissident" on the island with a sense of both the country's human suffering and potential, it is clearly Blanco.

Book Description

"This startling book is based on â€¦ conversations between the Cuban leader and a Brazilian priest. The talk is informal and far-ranging, and Betto's questions are often provocative ('Does Cuba export revolution?')."-Publishers Weekly

The product of an intimate 23-hour dialogue between Fidel Castro and Brazilian liberation theologist Frei Betto, this was a Simon & Schuster bestseller in the 1980s. Here Castro speaks candidly about his views on religion and his education in elite Catholic colleges, offering an insight into the man behind the beard.

Features a new translation and a unique selection of photos of Fidel as a boy.

Customer Reviews:

A thought-provoking examination.......2006-12-09

Fidel & Religion is a particularly unusual theological discussion, consisting entirely of a dialogue between Brazilian liberation theologist Frei Betto and Fidel Castro. Spoken over the course of twenty-three hours, the dialogue reveals Castro's background and his views on ethics, morals, religion, and revolution. Now with a new introduction revealing how Fidel & Revolution helped open the way for Pope John Paul II's historic 1998 visit to Cuba, and the Cuban Communist Party's decision to accept as members those practicing religious faith. Of especial interest are the parallels between Socialism and Christianity that Castro astutely observes. A thought-provoking examination for the sake of the ideals spoken as well as the political and historical importance of the man who espouses them.

A magnificent piece of work!.......2006-11-14

I read this when I was in high school and it inspired me to read more on European history, Greek and Roman history, Aztec, Maya, and Inca history and of course on current history. As a high school kid I was very ignorant and politically illeterate until I read this book and it literally changed my life. Today I am a University student studying Latin American history and Spanish Literature and I have to say that this book is still one of the my favorites and of influence to me. Rarely does a book--or interview--take you from Religion to politics to history of Miedeaval Europe to Liberation Theology and back again to Religion. I sincerely recommend this book to anyone who is studying on these fields and/or has intellectual curiosity and wants to get hold of a great text; definetly this one!

A conversation on Cuba with Lourdes C. Bassue Webb. (Report From Congress).(Brief Article)(Interview): An article from: Peace and Freedom

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A conversation on Cuba with Lourdes C. Bassue Webb. (Report From Congress).(Brief Article)(Interview): An article from: Peace and Freedom
Susan Phillips
Manufacturer: Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Peace and Freedom, published by Women's International League for Peace and Freedom on June 22, 2002. The length of the article is 466 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: A conversation on Cuba with Lourdes C. Bassue Webb. (Report From Congress).(Brief Article)(Interview)
Author: Susan Phillips
Publication: Peace and Freedom (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 22, 2002
Publisher: Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
Volume: 62 Issue: 3 Page: 6(1)

Article Type: Brief Article, Interview

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Fidel and Religion: Conversations With Frei Betto

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Fidel and Religion: Conversations With Frei Betto
Fidel Castro , and Frei Betto
Manufacturer: Ocean Press (AU)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1875284052

Standard guide to Havana and Cuba;: A complete handbook for visitors, with maps, illustrations, history, and an English-Spanish manual of conversation,

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Standard guide to Havana and Cuba;: A complete handbook for visitors, with maps, illustrations, history, and an English-Spanish manual of conversation,
Charles B Reynolds
Manufacturer: Foster & Reynolds Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Standard guide to Havana: A complete handbook for visitors, with maps, illustrations, history, and an English-Spanish manual of conversation

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Standard guide to Havana: A complete handbook for visitors, with maps, illustrations, history, and an English-Spanish manual of conversation
Charles B Reynolds
Manufacturer: Foster and Reynolds
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

United States-Cuban perspectives--1975: Conversations on major issues with Cuban officials : report of a study visit to Cuba, September 18-October 15, 1975

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United States-Cuban perspectives--1975: Conversations on major issues with Cuban officials : report of a study visit to Cuba, September 18-October 15, 1975
Barry Sklar
Manufacturer: U.S. Govt. Print. Off
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Book Description

This gripping story about the first woman executed in Texas in over one hundred years draws on accounts from family, prisoners, government officials, and friends to show how God used a remarkable woman to reach countless lives with a message of redemption and joy. Linda Strom, Tucker's spiritual advisor and close friend for eleven years, includes photographs as well as excerpts from Tucker's letters and interviews.

Customer Reviews:

There are no words to explain how wonderful this book is.......2007-08-04

There is so much to say about Karla Faye Tucker, she was a woman who did a complete turn around from who she was in 1983. Set Free is unlike any other recordings of Karla's life, it shows the TRUTH. It was a book not only about Karla, but about the women on Life Row and how they in the end affected others in their transformation. It's a healing book, you realize that no matter how different your life is from hers, you have similar struggles in your walk with the Lord, and you see exactly how Karla got through it which in the end helps you over come obstacles. God bless Linda Strom for writing such a wonderful book about a woman no one will forget. Rest in peace Karla.

Karla Faye Tucker A Life Changed By God.......2006-09-10

Karla Faye Tucker A Life Changed By God

Linda Strom has captured the real story of Karla Faye Tucker. As a Member of the Discipleship Unlimited Ministry Team and having the privilege of walking with Dallas and Linda Strom, I had the privilege of meeting Karla Faye. She prayed for me. I was going through a tough time and she knelt at my feet, held my hands and lifted up the requests to God. What is written in this book is the truth. She never denied she was a murderer. When you read of her life before the crime, you will understand what could bring Karla to circumstances, situations and a place of bad choices. She never made excuses for her past. She accepted responsibility for her actions. She met Jesus in the county jail. From that day forward there was a spiritual, mental, emotional and physical transformation that changed Karla and allowed her to touch the lives of so many and share the love of the Lord. Karla had a tough exterior and a rutty complexion when I met her the first time. Right before her execution, I saw a transformed woman of God with a bright smile, a clear and glowing complexion, a woman who spoke scripture and recited Bible verses. She was a totally and committed Christian who knew Jesus had forgiven her. She was at peace. She was ready for what ever God had for her to do on earth and she was also ready to go to Heaven. She said she was the murderer crucified next to Jesus and knew that He paid the price for her sins and was forgiven. In the knowledge of this forgiveness, Karla Faye loved others to the fullest and many loved Karla inside and outside the prison. Her story will live on forever and will be recorded in the Christian history for the future generations. This story will bless you and give you hope to see lives transformed before your very eyes. Our God is a God of forgiveness. Read this book and pray for the lost souls of this world. Believe in miracles and transformed lives. Read and learn about our mighty God.

Save The Syrup for Your Pancakes!.......2005-08-04

How slick can you get? If I read one more book about some savage
killer, serial rapist, or habitual pedophile "finding" Jesus AFTER savagely killing several innocent people or raping and killing two dozen young boys over a 10 year period, I'm going to lose my breakfast, lunch, dinner, and TOMORROW'S breakfast too. Karla Faye Tucker truly did get exactly what she deserved; she just got it 14 years too late! This book is so one sided, you'd think her mother wrote it! Save your money for a much less one-sided book, if one ever gets written.
I imagine that the Lord must be wondering by now, or long before, if some of these types of clowns will ever find him
B E F O R E they they commit such heinous crimes against their fellow men and women and not try (or seem to) to use it as a crutch to a lighter sentence. Hoo Boy.

Radiance.......2005-02-19

Great story about a real woman whose face shown with a radiance that only comes through knowing the forgiveness and peace of Christ. The author doesn't sugarcoat the crime, and she doesn't downplay the miracle of transformation that took place in Karla's life.

Free Indeed!!.......2001-02-06

Karla Faye Tucker first became known to the world when she was convicted of the brutal pickax murder of two people in 1984. A brief rundown of her childhood history reveals how Karla found herself on such a violent path, which led her to Death Row and no hope or future. But her story doesn't die there...it is only the beginning. The Karla who was executed on February 3, 1998 was in no way the same woman who entered Death Row 14 years before. She was transformed by God's Spirit shortly after entering prison. This is her story of redemption, hope, faith, grace, and the power of God in a life wholly yielded to Him. I actually found myself jealous of this pickax murderer on Death Row because of the consuming peace, joy, and hope, which filled her life. She even renamed her unit from Death Row to Life Row.

The author Linda Strom was Karla Faye Tucker's spiritual advisor and dear friend. Linda tells not only Karla's story, but she also tells her own story and the testimonies of many of Karla's fellow Life Row Mates. These testimonies overwhelmed me and revealed that without question, the Spirit of God is able to bring sheer joy out of any person yielded to Him, no matter what their circumstance. It portrays the power of forgiveness...not just the forgiveness of others who have sinned against us, but perhaps even more difficult for some, forgiving ourselves of our own sins and accepting God's forgiveness as well. And these testimonies show vividly that there is nowhere we can go where God is not able to use us. If we are willing, God can and will use us powerfully to change lives and encourage our fellow believers. This is an incredibly joyful, life-changing book, which every believer should read!

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Karla Faye Tucker Set Free: Life and Faith on Death Row
Linda Strom
Manufacturer: Harold Shaw Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OR9G0O

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