Now that Fidel Castro is dead, we cannot let Cuba's history be corrupted

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Saturday 26 November 2016 09:00 EST
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Fidel Castro was a polarising figure
Fidel Castro was a polarising figure (Reuters)

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I had the chance to visit Cuba a few years ago crossing the country from east to west. Castro's legacy might be criticised but he had an aim and kept to his principles. I found a delightful country and friendly people. Despite being poor they can own their homes and have free health and education and music is everywhere.

I sincerely hope that with Trump at the helm of their large neighbour, we shall not see another real estate and financial speculative bonanza with Trump Towers and casinos.

But whatever the future, Raul Castro must keep and protect the Museo de la Revolucion, which covers the history of the revolution, even if it is anti-American.

Peter Fieldman
Paris

We cannot abandon evidence when it comes to Brexit

It frustrates me that senior pro-Brexit politicians can disregard evidence because it goes against their notion that Brexit will be positive, no matter what. People who cling to an ideology and ignore facts are continuing to try and mislead people.

In our everyday dealings and in our everyday purchases we all look for evidence and use evidence to make informed decisions and choices, whether that is making use of TripAdvisor reviews, looking at how many stars an item has online, or even when we employ people for a job. Can you imagine what a mess we would all be in if we ignored evidence when it came to making decisions? Yet this is what the pro-Brexit politicians would advise us to do.

If we as a country can become whole again, we need the evidence out there to either convince Remainers that the Leave vote was correct, or we need evidence to show the Leave voters that to Remain is best. We all make daily decisions on what is best for ourselves and our families. Let us continue to focus on the evidence and ignore dogma and ideology.

Nicki Bartlett
Cardiff

In defence of Mark Steel

Having just read a letter published in your newspaper complaining about Mark Steel's article on Farage and Trump, I felt compelled to write, even if it's not published. I found that article to be one of Steel's best and had me laughing out loud. I even forwarded it to a couple of friends. I hope Mark Steel writes for The Independent for a long time. He makes my day start off with a smile after I've read him, the way he highlights some of the insane ideas in this world.

Claire Singh
London N10

What acronyms are to come next?

What can pro-European JAMs (just about managing) or AMs (am managing) be called? Confiture? Surely the Trump-Farage-Bexit-Alt Right axis will ban such “foreign” phrases. If so, they will certainly not like “cul-de-sac”, preferring to take us to their vision for the world, the “dead end”.

Dr Andrew Stein
Leamington

America is turning into a comedy show

Will the Trump presidency be the American version of Yes Minister?

Gillian Cook
Market Harborough

Right wing politics thrives because of wealth

Dr Duncan Robertson (Letters) argues that “Nigel Farage has managed to do so much with so little.” Actually that is not strictly true, as he has had money with which to work. That is why right wing political campaigns can organise more quickly than grassroots left wing movements.

This country has very serious problems. Ordinary people are now worse off than their grandparents, and suffer less welfare provision, workplace protections and fully funded educational opportunities than previous postwar generations. As our repeated flooding problems demonstrate we also lack basic proper infrastructural investment.

All of this is a consequence of a political system, particularly since the neoliberal entryism of the Labour Party, skewed towards the interests of the rich. And while there might be a debate to be had about the import of cheap foreign labour, the export of British jobs, and the social and environmental consequences of globalised capitalism, these problems are not fundamentally due to the cliched “Johnny Foreigner”, but to the corruption of our political ruling-classes.

Dr Gavin Lewis
Manchester

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