Introduction to Cuba’s revolution, Virginia Brown

Cuba's revolution continues to stare down the imperialist USA right under its nose, threatening capitalism's ability to portray itself as inevitable. Demonstrating an internationalism that is actually humanitarian, leading the world in sustainability and building a way of life that provides for all, Cuba's example explains why it has been the sustained target of capitalist aggression, including the criminal US blockade, since it took a proud stand for socialism. This workshop will discuss the factors that make this possible, including Cuba's participatory democracy, and its overthrow of US-backed capitalism. It will address some of the criticisms levelled at the Cuban revolution, and look at how the Cubans have used socialism to combat racism, homophobia, sexism and alienation, with these progressive struggles in turn strengthening the revolution and providing the working people of the world with the proof that another way is possible.

Virginia joined the socialist movement in 1995. This introduced her to a rich tradition of Marxist revolutionary struggle which illuminated her subsequent party activism in various fields, including the women's liberation and refugee-rights fronts. She also has myalgic encephalomyelitis and is consequently rather well-informed on capitalism's efforts to obscure well-studied disease processes in order to escape forking out for adequate healthcare.

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