This October is the sixty-second anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and today, October 22, marks the anniversary of Kennedy’s televised address to the nation, announcing that US spy planes have discovered Soviet missile bases in Cuba. (You can watch the uncut speech below.) These missile sites—under construction but nearing completion—housed medium-range missiles capable … [Read more...] about Remember the Cuban Missile Crisis: October 16-29, 1962
Cuba
CUBA: The Triumph of the Revolution
Over the course of New Year’s Eve on Dec. 31, 1958 and January 1, 1959, the reigning Cuban dictator, Fulgencio Batista, abdicated his position as a result of the growing revolution led by Che Guevara and Fidel Castro, who replaced the government with a revolutionary socialist state. Fidel Castro -- popularly named "Savior of the Fatherland" and "Maximum Leader" -- reached … [Read more...] about CUBA: The Triumph of the Revolution
Cuban Missile Crisis
Why did the Soviet Union place missiles in Cuba? And why didn’t they hide them? They were well aware of U-2 reconnaissance flights over the island. Like many of you, I still am wondering why on earth Nikita Khruschev thought it would be a good idea to put missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles away from the American mainland. Looking toward the 60th anniversary of the Cuban … [Read more...] about Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuban Migration to the US: 2022
If you keep up with the news, I’m sure you’re aware of the global movement of displaced people fleeing their home countries. But did you know that, according to the United Nations, in June of 2022, one in 78 people across the world were considered displaced? According to the New York Times, Syrians are the largest group of displaced people while Venezuelans are estimated … [Read more...] about Cuban Migration to the US: 2022
CUBA IN A NUTSHELL: PART TWO (1959-2011)
The video below is the second in a two part series that takes you quickly through the last 50 or so years of Cuba’s political and economic history. Here are the salient points: By 1990, when the Russians were gone, things were really tough. It was becoming very clear that the Cuban people could not sustain life at such a minimal level indefinitely. Castro and his … [Read more...] about CUBA IN A NUTSHELL: PART TWO (1959-2011)
