Hands off Cuba: Defend the Revolution! By: Carlos L. Garrido and Edward Liger Smith

​Yesterday, the Midwestern Marx co-founders got together to discuss the recent imperialist attacks on Cuba. In the podcast below, Carlos and Edward analyze the Cuban protests in their historical context; beginning from the development of colonial monocropping and the subsequent sugar and tobacco dependency created on the Cuban economy thereof, to the revolution, the process of industry nationalization, and the last 60+ years of the US blockade (which includes military, biochemical, and ideological attacks). Situating the condition in Cuba in its proper historical position, the focus is then turned towards the recent build up towards these protests, which include the US’ exploiting of the pandemic to intensify the conditions created by the reinstatement of the blockade via the Trump administration, the US funding of opposition groups in Cuba, and the role Cuban-opposition artist have played in furthering the imperialist narrative. The duo also examines the role and tactics western media has used to manufacture consent for these opportunists, as well as how they have been able to blow the scope of the protests out of proportion while ignoring the substantially larger pro-revolution crowds that hit the streets after Diaz-Canel’s called on them to defend the revolution. Watch our podcast interview below if you want a complete picture of the current situation in Cuba.

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Author

​Carlos L. Garrido is a philosophy graduate student and professor at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. His specialization is in Marxist philosophy and the history of American socialist thought (esp. early 19th century). He is an editorial board member and co-founder of Midwestern Marx and the Journal of American Socialist Studies. 
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Edward Liger Smith is an American Political Scientist and specialist in anti-imperialist and socialist projects, especially Venezuela and China. He also has research interests in the role southern slavery played in the development of American and European capitalism. He is a co-founder and editor of Midwestern Marx and the Journal of American Socialist Studies. He is currently a graduate student, assistant, and wrestling coach at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. ​

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