Leftist leaders preach a sermon of economic equality, of providing the "little man" with the ability to live the same life as the doctor or engineer - because though he may have less education, his contribution to society in terms of labor (particularly manual labor) is more significant, challenging, and sacrificial than the practice of medicine or law. The sugar-cane farmers and rum producers, the tobacco growers and the fishermen all had seen their quality of living decrease sharply under Batista as the men who owned the markets they supplied paid less and less and sold for more and more. Ultimately, Batista could not possibly be viewed as the friend of the people he purported to be - and the nation of peasants shifted radically to the left. It was here that Castro and his compatriots found their revolution.

Cuba was pushed to the left by a dictator who could...
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