Presentation

To begin my presentation I will introduce my self and my topic. I want to bring across my argument about the American government imperialistic role attempted toward the Cuban government. I want to explain Fidel Castro and his viewpoints for Cuba. I want to introduce a group called the Cuban exile community. They have influenced the U.S government a lot because they are very passionate about getting Fidel Castro out of Cuba.

It will start something like this….

Hello Everyone =]

My research topic was on Cuba. I mostly focused on the effects of the Cuban Revolution is 1959. Many Cubans from the upper and middle class let for Florida in America. That is about 90 miles north of Cuba. They are known as the Cuban Exile Community.  Castro was not supported by the U.S government. The U.S government tired many tactics to take Castro down. Some main events were the embargo block in 1960 and The Bay of Pigs Invasion of 1961. But it’s amazing to know these events have not hindered Castro and the development of Cuba, Castro was able to rise above it and to make the Cuban nation stronger.

I am currently looking for picture or cartoon that will engage the class to understand the view points of the Cuban exile community. They are the main reason the U.S government was involved with Cuban during this time.

To accomplish an effective oral presentation you must:    

-          Speak loud enough and clearly enough so everyone in the room can understand you.

-          Keep eye contact ( I think this engages people when you look at them)

-          To make sure you are familiar with all the information you are explaining. ( it will flow better for you if you have a well understanding of it.

-           Practice if you get nervous in front of people so you don’t mess up

-          Don’t just speak and talk like you want it to be over, try to make it interesting. (you took you time to research and learn something, let you classmate learn a little also)

-          To achieve this all you have to do is go over your work before you present  

background

Failure to over throw Castro

                Cuba is located 90 miles south of the United States of America. Being so close it’s not surprising that Cuba’s government and the U.S government have some history together. Starting with the leader Fulgencio Batista of Cuba from (1944-1959). Batista was the president, dictator and military leader of Cuba. The Batista government was supported and closely aligned with the U.S government. The U.S was a major influence on the Batista government. Many Cubans didn’t favor Batista as the leader of Cuba. This leads into the Cuban revolution of 1959 led by Fidel Castro. The New York Times followed the events of this uprising conflict. Articles titled A symbol of rebellion: Fidel Castro and Castro moving to take Power were published at this time. “His relationships with various political factions do agree in hating general Batista.”(pg.1)  He was supported by many forces. He had large followers in the cities such as students, professional people, idealist, and some elements of labor of the army. Fidel Castro was able to over throw the Batista government.

            At this time “Batista led an exodus from Cuba that reached a total of 400 people. They left by ships and planes, going to the united states and Dominican Republic, key political and military leaders and their families.” (pg.1 col.1) Castro was known as a communist and many Cubans weren’t going to support that so they left. Mostly Cubans of upper and middle class left for Florida in America. They started a political group called the Cuban exile community, they are anti- Castro.

            Now the relationship between Castro and the U.S government is not so pleasant. Their connections are based on issues through political, military, and cultural reasons. Castro tries to gain the U.S government and Americans trust. Castro says “we are fighting for a democratic Cuba not a dictatorship.” Also he added “you can be sure we have no animosity for the United States and the American people.” (pg.1 col.2) Castro knows the U.S is very powerful and has helped Cuba though the Batista government. He wants them to know that he didn’t mean any harm to the U.S when he over threw Batista. Castro has many ideas for Cuba his ideas are more political involving social justice, liberty, democracy, and to restore their constitution.

background- still working on it

Failure to over throw Castro

            There is always a nation that is trying rise out of the hands of an imperialistic nation. These strong nations try to keep and continue to gain power. They do not want another nation to rise up from under them or any other powerful nation. America knows the struggle to gain its independence from an imperialistic nation. Great Britain was very powerful and controlled many parts of the world. It was 1989 when Cuba was attempting to gain their independence from Spain. The Cuban Government was doing well in this battle, but the U.S government felt the need to intervene and help them. Since the U.S government defeated Spain, they got Cuba.  Therefore the Cuban government struggle for independence became more difficult. Now the U.S government says the Cuban government must prove to them that they are cable of a self government.

The relationship between the nations governments have not started out well. The American government has shown its imperialistic role in the world to the Cuban government. There connections are based on issues through political, military, and cultural reasons. The American government judged the Cuban’s by their race and felt stronger than them.  

            The U.S government felt that the Cuban government should not have a self government. Here the American government is faced with a new battle. The Cuban revolution of 1959 led by Fidel Castro started a new chapter in the American history. I don’t think the American government knew a young man would make such a difficult and long conflict for them. Fidel Castro is the political leader of Cuba; he was influenced by the Soviet Union. He over threw the Batista government in 1959. Castro has been an opponent against the American government for about 50 years now. He has been able to gain and keep his status because of military power. In this time period from 1959- 1970 it was important to have a strong military and keep a stable government.

            Under the Batista government the Cuban citizen weren’t happy. The Cuban citizens have no power or say in their government. They have to go along with whatever is happening. The government has the military on their side, so they are powerful. A community of people cannot make a change in Cuba. This gave Fidel Castro the opportunity to rise to power. To be powerful in Cuba Castro needed two things: A strong military and the trust of the citizens of Cuba. Castro knew how the Cuban citizen felt so it was easy for him to relate to them. Not everyone was happy about Castro being the new leader of Cuba. Many citizens left Cuba in 1959 and moved to Miami, Florida. There they started a group called the Cuban Exile Community. They are a political group in America and they are anti-Castro. The negative feeling they had for Castro caused them to leave Cuba.

Reality to War

            Imagine being drafted to the Vietnam War at 18 years old.  You’ve finished high school and you’re off to go fight in the war. The American government makes you believe you can do anything and save many people. They encourage you to make you feel strong and capable to make a difference. They want you to feel proud of being in the military and fighting for your country. But is that all just an ideology, to believe it’s honorable to be in the military? People have a way of letting others and their emotions dictate their actions.

            During the Vietnam War many soldier were faced with the choice to refuse the draft and run away or fight in a war and be honorable to their families.  In Tim O’Brien’s essay “On a Rainy River” he reveals his issues about going to the Vietnam War. In the end his mind was made up on what he had to do. “I would go to war- I would kill and maybe die- because I was embarrassed not to” (Tim O’Brien).  O’Brien had to do what was expected of him, he had to go to war. He felt he would be thought as a coward and he didn’t want to. He found himself being more embarrassed of not going than going to a war he didn’t support.

            The film Hearts and Minds revealed many view points of soldiers about the Vietnam War. A prisoner of War Lt. George Coker said “One thing was faith, faith in my family, faith in my God, faith in my country”.  Lt. Coker believed once he kept his faith in all he would be able to succeed in the war. He would be able to make it out alive. His quote shows how the importance of everyone in his life was. He kept his faith in others to make himself stronger. Also he was influenced by his coach in high school. He recalls his coach telling him “When the going gets tough, the tough get going because winners never quit and quitters never win”. He found himself trying harder and he could not give up because then he would disappoint those he knew. The soldiers fought this war with the intention to fight and kill, to do anything to win. The American soldiers had to be the ones to win the war.

            “Bang! I dinged in on one of them and I nailed him. I felt good and I wanted more and it wasn’t that I wanted more for politics or anything like that no; I wouldn’t care if they were whatever. I just wanted them because they were the opposition, they were the enemy.” (Soldier Robert Muller) Many soldiers fought the war like this. I believe it was caused by the American government though. These soldiers grew up in school learning about they have to be the best and stop communism. They might feel they are just fighting and winning over the enemy but they have been broken to feel that way about anyone who isn’t following theirs or the American view points. Not only Soldier Muller took pride in is fighting. Former captain Randy Floyd shares his experience flying planes. “I was a good pilot; I had a lot of pride in my ability to fly.”  He would fly the planes and then when the bombs would be released he was just amazed by the big explosions. “Put something in a can and blow up or blow up in the air, the excitement the sense of excitement is incredible.”  Floyd felt he was just doing a job and he was an expert at flying. He would reach his point and let the people over the computers do the rest. He was thrilled by the explosions and didn’t realize of the effects at the time.

            Many soldiers weren’t aware of what they were doing they just went on their mission and did their task. They thought they were doing great things for everyone. The ideology that the soldiers carry with them, they are proud of the destruction they cause. This is the most important ideology of the war. How the soldier think are important because they are the ones carrying out the task for the war. Now if they go on feeling proud of causing destruction everywhere that is a problem, they aren’t focusing on what the issues are they are just killing. That is why the Vietnam War was fought that way it was. No mercy just killing everyone and hurting innocent people and children.

After the war is when reality hit some of the soldiers. Soldier Muller was shot and he thought he was going to die. “My last conscious thought I can’t believe it I’m dying, I was dying and for what.” A soldier that during the war enjoyed the shooting and killing, now was faced with death and didn’t know what it was all for. Floyd realized how is flying and bomb harmed the citizens and children of Vietnam. He admits that these tragic bombings that their effects and results on the people never occurred to him. The destruction of what he was doing never dawned onto him. In his mind was the glory of being a good pilot and accomplishing his mission. Which s what the American military wanted. “When I look at my children now I don’t know what would happen and what I would think about?” (Randy Floyd) If he was in the place of the Vietnamese citizens he doesn’t know what he would do. I think many soldiers and Americans wouldn’t know what to do either. There hasn’t been a war fought on American land and they have not had to live with the destruction war causes. At least they realized their actions at the end of the war, so they will be able to make a difference in future wars. Don’t let the same ideologies of honoring your family make you fight a battle you don’t believe in. Or letting your pride block out the truth to what you are actually doing.

updated sources

Annotated Bibliography on Cuba from 1959 to Present

A Nation among Nations: America’s Place in World History

By: Thomas Bender

            In 1989 the American government intervened in Cuba’s revolution against Spain. This reading portion helps me get a little background information on the connection between the Cuban and American governments. American government didn’t want the Cuban government to have its independence, they were making The Cuban government prove them self first. Then the American government had the Cuban government add an amendment in their constitution that America had land in Cuban, known as Guantanamo bay.  That seems to be the start of conflicts and connections between the two nations.

A symbol of rebellion: Fidel Castro

From: New York Times

            The New York Times describes Fidel Castro and why he wanted this revolution in 1959. The Times show him as someone who can relate to the Cuban people and help them. He had encouraging words and was able to motivate them to follow him and over throw the Batista government. Also the Times show Fidel Castro explaining to an interviewer that he wants a democracy in Cuba he has a political mind the Times say.  Castro makes it know that he doesn’t have any anger towards the American government and the American people.  This article helps me to understand the United States reaction to Castro’s revolution in Cuba. The Times analyze Castro’s steps leading to the revolution, the trust the Cubans had for him, and his way of trying to get the trust of the U.S.

Exiles May Take Old Tack With Castro

From: Jeanne Dequine

            This articles introduced me to the Cuban exile community. It helped me to understand what the community was and what they wanted. In 1961 Jose Basulto and other members of this community wanted to over throw Castro’s government in Cuba. Others and Basulto didn’t like Castro. This helped me to understand the Cubans in America point of view of Castro and how they felt about the revolution in 1959.  Many Cubans left Cuba in 1959 and started the Cuban exile community in Miami since then. These Castro activists are planning a non violent approach to over throw Castro. But they realize that change has to happen within the Cuban nation.

Ideologies Led to the Vietnam War

             Imagine being drafted to the Vietnam War. You are 18 years old; you barely finished high school and you’re off to go fight in a war. The American government makes you believe you can do anything and save many people. They encourage you to make you feel you can make the difference. They give you pride in being in the military; they give you pride in fighting for your country. But is that all just an ideology, to believe it’s honorable to be in the military? The film Hearts and Minds revealed many view points of soldiers about the Vietnam War.

            The ideology the soldiers fought with was they had to fight and kill, do anything to win. The American soldiers had to win the war. Many soldiers weren’t aware of what they were doing they just went on their mission and did their task. Most of them felt proud and amazed by what they could do. The air force soldiers were proud of their flying talents. The people over the computers would tell them you’re at the right point, great flying. Then when the bombs would be released they were just amazed by the big explosions. These soldiers felt good about themselves. They thought they were doing great things for everyone. The ideology that the soldiers carry with them, they are proud of the destruction they cause. This is the most important ideology of the war. How the soldier think are important because they are the ones carrying out the task for the war. Now if they go on feeling proud of causing destruction everywhere that is a problem, they aren’t focusing on what the issues are they are just killing. That is why the Vietnam War was fought that way it was. No mercy just killing everyone and hurting innocent people and children.

" A symbol of Rebellion: Fidel Castro"

Today I found three important articles.  “Castro moving to take power”, “A symbol of rebellion: Fidel Castro” and “Exiles may take old tack with Castro”. I think “A symbol of rebellion” gives me a good overview of how Castro started the Revolution and how the United States felt about it. All Castor knew is that he didn’t like the Batista power. He had a way to speak and encourage the people. Castro got them to follow him and he over threw the government at 31 years old. I was surprised to read how Castro was described in the Times. I was expecting to hear bad things about him and how the U.S would not approve of this, but it wasn’t bad at all. An interview with Castro reveals him saying he wants a democratic Cuba not a dictatorship. Also he was no anger or regression towards the U.S. At this time I’m guess this article was so calm about Castro’s over throwing the Batista government because he is looking to make Cuba a Democratic nation. But as we know this has changed because Cuba is a communist nation today. This article makes me want to figure out what has changed and how did cuba become a communist nation.