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The Rhetoric of Fidel Castro Brent C Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 2008 From the mountains to the podium: the rhetoric of Fidel Castro Brent C. Kice Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations Part of the Communication Commons Recommended Citation Kice, Brent C., "From the mountains to the podium: the rhetoric of Fidel Castro" (2008). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 1766. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/1766 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please [email protected]. FROM THE MOUNTAINS TO THE PODIUM: THE RHETORIC OF FIDEL CASTRO A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Communication Studies by Brent C. Kice B.A., Loyola University New Orleans, 2002 M.A., Southeastern Louisiana University, 2004 December 2008 DEDICATION To my wife, Dori, for providing me strength during this arduous journey ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank Andy King for all of his guidance, and especially his impeccable impersonations. I also wish to thank Stephanie Grey, Ruth Bowman, Renee Edwards, David Lindenfeld, and Mary Brody for their suggestions during this project. I am so thankful for the care and advice given to me by Loretta Pecchioni. I also wish to thank Karen Hartman and Zac Gershberg. Karen, I would not have made it without your advice, our venting sessions, our honest accountability, and your genuine care. Zac, I will never forget the encouragement you gave me at our first conference together, and for showing me how to use my head when dealing with a door frame. Lastly, I wish to thank my wife for being by my side every step of the way. I could not have done it without you. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION……………………………………………………………………………..ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS…………………………………………………………………iii ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………………….vi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………..1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY..………………………………………………1 SIGNIFICANCE……………………………………………………………………3 REVIEW OF LITERATURE.……………………………………………………...5 THE STUDY..…………………………………………………………………….10 CHAPTER 2: THE EMERGENCE OF CASTRO’S EPIDEICTIC PROWESS…………15 THE DEVELOPMENT OF CASTRO AS A SPEAKER…………..………….…16 WISDOM…………………………………………………………………19 COURAGE.………………………………………………………………22 JUSTICE..………………………………………………………………...24 CHAPTER 3: CASTRO’S INITIAL ESTABLISHMENT OF POWER………………....29 MILITARY ORGANIZATION AND TRAINING…..…………………………..35 FIGHTING TO THE DEATH……………………………………………………36 STRENGTH………………………………………………………………………38 CHAPTER 4: RETALIATION AGAINST CASTRO’S CIRCUMFERENTIAL EXPANSION……………………………………………………………………..43 CHAPTER 5: A RENEWED THREAT TO THE REVOLUTION……………………...53 CHAPTER 6: RESPONSE TO THE SOVIET FALL AND RESULTANT CUBAN ECONOMIC CRISIS………………………………………………………….….63 DEMONIZATION OF THE UNITED STATES….……………………………..65 TROPE OF THE SCOUNDREL FIGURE…..…………………………..68 MORAL SUPERIORITY..……………………………………………………….73 MORAL REVIVAL AND REVOLUTIONARY PURITANISM……………….75 CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………..78 CHAPTER 7: FUTURE OF THE REVOLUTION……………………………………...81 ABSTRACT EXPANSION OF CIRCUMFERENCE…..……………………….85 AGONISTIC ELEMENTS..……………………………………………………...87 THE REVOLUTION VERSUS U.S. IMPERIALIST GLOBALIZATION………………………………………………88 DISCIPLINE VERSUS SELFISHNESS AND WASTE………………....89 SURVIVAL VERSUS UN-SUSTAINABILITY.……………………......92 KEEPING FAITH VERSUS DENIAL…………………………………...94 SELF CRITICISM VERSUS MATERIALISTIC EMPATHY...………...94 CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………...96 iv CHAPTER 8: CASTRO’S NARRATIVE………………………………………………..99 ASPECTS OF THE NARRATIVE..……………………………………………...99 PERPETUATION OF THE NARRATIVE.…………………………………….113 COUNTER-NARRATIVE.……………………………………………………..115 CHAPTER 9: CASTRO’S IDEOLOGY…………………………………………...…...123 CASTRO’S HISTORICAL NARRATIVE: THE RHETORICAL CONSTRUCTION OF A USEFUL PAST……………………………...128 RHETORICAL CONSTRUCTION OF CUBAN IDENTITY.…………129 CASTRO’S ROLE AS LEADER.……………………………………….133 NETWORKING AND MATERIALIZATION OF THE IDEOLOGICAL MESSAGE………………………………………………………………135 THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AS IDEOLOGICAL INDOCTRINATION...135 DISCIPLINING ARTISTS AND INTELLECTUALS………………….137 CENSORSHIP AND INFORMATION CONTROL IN THE MASS MEDIA………………………………………………………….138 THE CREATION OF “PUBLIC SPACE”..………………………….…139 CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………141 CHAPTER 10: CASTRO’S IMAGE AND ADAPTED ROLES………………………143 THE IDEOLOGICAL PROPHET.………………………………………….….149 PATRIARCHAL ROLE TO A MATRIARCHAL ROLE………………….….156 CHAPTER 11: CONCLUSION……………………………………………………..….160 SUMMARY OF CHAPTERS..………………………………………………....163 IMPLICATIONS...……………………………………………………………...169 LIMITATIONS………………………………………………………………….171 FURTHER STUDY.…………………………………………………………….171 BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………………………….…………………173 VITA………………………………………………………………….………………….183 v ABSTRACT This dissertation examines the rhetoric utilized by Fidel Castro that Castro used in order to maintain his tenure as the sole leader of Cuba for almost 50 years. Castro employs identification through division with an enemy, and he is able to perpetuate this division through an ongoing, dynamically perceived narrative. This narrative takes shape in the form of “the revolution,” a rhetorical construction designed to create a collective Cuban identity, which, in turn, is furthered through ideology by Castro’s elimination of competing points of views. Castro’s unique role as narrator has allowed him to adapt to events and maintain this narrative of revolution. vi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Since 1959, Fidel Castro has maintained a prominent position of power within Cuba, whether labeled as Prime Minister or President. Some consider the man a dictator, others, like Nelson Mandela, call him a source of inspiration. Regardless of these descriptions, Castro maintained a rhetorical hold on the Cuban people for his entire tenure. Although Cubans and the United States attempted to oust the Cuban ruler, none of the attempts succeeded in their task. The tiny island nation of about 10 million people has survived the Bay of Pigs Invasion, the Cuban Missile crisis, and the collapse of its former sole benefactor, the Soviet Union, all under the rule of Fidel Castro. After removing himself from public sight in 2006 due to illness, Castro allowed his brother, Raul Castro, to become President on February 24, 2008. Despite his withdrawal as the official leader of Cuba, Castro still maintains his image of prominence as the leader of the Communist Party of Cuba and through his column, “Reflections of Fidel,” in the state-run newspaper, Granma . However, his lack of public appearances appears to support the inevitable: the eventual death of a successful rhetor. The length of Castro’s reign over the Cuban people is reason enough to study this particular individual. Due to an insistence on free elections and measures to restrict a politician’s term in office, Westerners may criticize governments that do not conform to these standards, going so far as to label the leaders as dictators. Both the 20 th and the 21 st centuries have seen several dictators rise to power. Some dictators attempt to control distinct pieces of land and people, while others attempt to expand their control over whole sections of the world. Some rely more on their enormous charisma while others focus more on fear. Either way, all dictators compromise the integrity of the individuals they control. Fidel Castro does not appear to be an exception, but he does spark curiosity in the observer interested in the development of dictators. 1 Questions such as “how has he managed to stay in power for so long?” and “why have the Cuban people not resisted him?” deserve exploration. Although historical and political points of view establish criteria to identify dictators, the definition of a dictator from a communication point of view demands interest. The manner in which an individual portrays his or her agenda impacts society’s casting of the individual as a dictator. By analyzing a speaker’s method of communication, an observer can differentiate the speaker from others, thereby associating certain tendencies as either liberating, egalitarian, or authoritarian. Traditional perspectives often describe dictators in terms of physical power. A powerful military leader with the loyalty of his or her troops may seize his or her country’s government with the backing of his military power. A political party leader may rely on the acts of secret military police as a means to physically control a population who does not support a certain ideology. This control comes in the form of fear and lack of free expression. As a principle of dictatorships, public spheres are eliminated, thus, competing ideologies cannot spread and the ideology of the dictatorship becomes the only available ideology for citizens. Fear by means of physical and mental punishment becomes the enforcing tool that keeps whiffs of public spheres from developing. This discussion of fear brings to light the importance of analyzing the development of dictators from a communication point of view. The method in which the dictator communicates this fear to his or her audience is a key step to whether the
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