AH Challenge US & France: Friends Again

[Brilliantlight]

Ya know that part of Castro wanting to meet the US President is not mentioned in American history classes. Gee I wonder why?

Big deal, why should a leader of a two bit country like Cuba expect to see the President of the US on a moment's notice?

 

[aktarian]

Big deal, why should a leader of a two bit country like Cuba expect to see the President of the US on a moment's notice?

Because otherwise they turned to SU and embarassed US.

 

[Sean Swaby]

Ya know that part of Castro wanting to meet the US President is not mentioned in American history classes. Gee I wonder why?

Probably too embarassing. Although, that is the good thing about The History Channel. They just run the program. Probably because they don't have to worry about too many hands suddenly shooting up to ask questions about why the President (I believe it was Eisenhower) brushed off Castro.

 

[Brilliantlight]

Because otherwise they turned to SU and embarassed US.

If Castro was willing to turn to the USSR merely because he didn't get an invite he was too unstable to be a valuable ally. Personally I think Castro would meet the president, use it for propeganda and then turn to Moscow anyways.

 

[Sean Swaby]

Big deal, why should a leader of a two bit country like Cuba expect to see the President of the US on a moment's notice?

I find this post slightly rude, since I now wonder what you would call my country...

Anyway, I never said he wanted to see the US President on a moment's notice and I have never heard that Castro demanded any such thing. He simply requested to see the US President, and since the US had lots of interests in Cuba (for a variety of reasons) then it would at least have been somewhat respectful if the President had even worked in a date for a meeting some months later, which he did not. Besides, don't Presidents invite leaders from big countries, small countries (including Haiti, Cuba (before Castro), Dominican Republic, etc.) and countries that don't even have official borders or land area (witness Arafat and Palestine) to come to the White House?

 

[Sean Swaby]

If Castro was willing to turn to the USSR merely because he didn't get an invite he was too unstable to be a valuable ally. Personally I think Castro would meet the president, use it for propeganda and then turn to Moscow anyways.

Shows how much you know. Castro turned to the USSR for help after the US refused to buy Cuban sugar (which happened to be the largest earner of hard currency for Cuba), all of which occurred some time after this failed meeting. Castro never even declared Cuba to be in the socialist camp til after Playa Giron (aka Bahia de Cochinos or Bay of Pigs), when it appeared the US was getitng bolder in attempts to isolate and overthrow him. The US over-reacted to the Cuban revolution and basically pushed Cuba into the Soviet camp. Had there been cooler heads, then something would probably have been worked out and Castro would have instituted a populist regime and worked out a deal with regards to nationalization and compensation.

Next thing you will be saying how Ho Chi Minh always hated the USA and how Cuba was better off before Castro.

 

[Brilliantlight]

Shows how much you know. Castro turned to the USSR for help after the US refused to buy Cuban sugar (which happened to be the largest earner of hard currency for Cuba), all of which occurred some time after this failed meeting. Castro never even declared Cuba to be in the socialist camp til after Playa Giron (aka Bahia de Cochinos or Bay of Pigs), when it appeared the US was getitng bolder in attempts to isolate and overthrow him. The US over-reacted to the Cuban revolution and basically pushed Cuba into the Soviet camp. Had there been cooler heads, then something would probably have been worked out and Castro would have instituted a populist regime and worked out a deal with regards to nationalization and compensation.

Doubtful IMO, Castro was a communist from the start. About the only thing he wanted from the meeting was the prestige of seeing the POUS.

 

[Sean Swaby]

Doubtful IMO, Castro was a communist from the start. About the only thing he wanted from the meeting was the prestige of seeing the POUS.

IMO you read nothing about Cuban history. An opinion is just that, but fact the fact is that there was a Cuban communist party before Castro, and Castro was not in it during his rebellion, he had his own movement called the July 26 .

http://users.pandora.be/dataweb/cubaverdad/revolution.htm

http://www.historyofcuba.com/main/contents.htm

http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/3240/castro.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castro

http://www.brainyencyclopedia.com/encyclopedia/f/fi/fidel_castro.html


Anyway, back to the Challenge.

Whilst the French probably see things in a different light to how DocOrlando has outlined, what can be said without doubt is that both sides share some blame for any falling out.

In addition to Doc's 4 point remedy I would like to add a 5th point:

5) France doesn't withdraw from the NATO military command in 1966 (although it should be pointed out that France rejoined in 1992), so then both sides are left with one less argument.

 

[fhaessig]

From what I read on this thread, there are two ways for the goal to be achieved :
1) France Grovel enough than US citizens are satisfeied and thereafter follows every shift of US policy.

OR

2) The average US voter is better educated on history and international relations. This of course, requires that truth be more valued then nationalistic propaganda in US schools, political speeches and media, so probably requires ASb intervention ( of course, the same can be said for France, among other countries ).