Do you know who said he would not become a dictator?

Do you know who then ruled his country as a dictator for more than 50 years?

Another interesting article from my Grandma’s scrapbooks.

The article is written by Ruth Lloyd, a reporter who had followed Fidel Castro through the swamps and jungles of Cuba. Two weeks before he reached Havana and became the leader of Cuba, he dictated a document and later signed a typed manuscript of it. You can see an image of the document in the picture above.

Several quotes by Fidel Castro stand out in this manuscript.

For myself, I can say – I am not a dictator, and I do not think I will become one. I will not maintain power with a machine gun.

Men do not shape destiny. Destiny produces the man for the hour. I am not looking for great wealth, or the prestige that lavish living can bring.

I know that the people who love me today may turn against me later — I hope the we can accomplish most of our revolutionary program quickly, before it is stopped.

And when the people decide they do not want me, I will step down.

Looking back at this article today we know what happened. Sometimes leaders with the best intentions will easily turn back on their words.

Sometimes the leaders that we select end up heading in an entirely different direction that what we think they will.

Remember, the past is there for us to learn from.

Steven

p.s. Of course my wandering mind is thinking. He just dictated the manuscript. Doesn’t that make him a dictator?