All throughout history, nations continue to disagree with one another, leading to conflicts all across the globe, but it is how they choose to handle these disagreements that determines the course of their relationship and the world at large. Among the list of tensions, lies Cuba and the United States of America, two countries so close in geography, yet so far in political beliefs. 

As I grow older and better understand how the world goes round, I find that the human race is so powerful, yet we still manage to use that power to hurt us; but that’s just how the world works, and as time goes on we’ll continue to develop new advancements, but that idea of harming each other will never go away. People never being happy is a topic that has been present throughout history and in many civilizations. It addresses the human inclination to continuously want more, to be unsatisfied with what we have, and to look for fresh opportunities for enjoyment, excitement, and fulfilment. This inclination may be seen in many facets of human existence, including our pursuit of love, achievement, and fame as well as our need for material belongings. The life of Fidel Castro also in many ways exemplifies this idea. He overthrew Batista and established a socialist government in Cuba, but he still had to deal with internal and external forces that were always against him. The policies of the new administration continued to infuriate many Cubans, and Castro’s repression of disagreement and opposition only served to heighten this unhappiness. People are never happy is a concept that is timeless and universal. The never ending cycle of desire and dissatisfaction that takes up so much of life relates to the basic human condition. It seems that there is always something more that we want, something else that we are aiming for, and something that we feel is missing, whether we are talking about politics, relationships, or our own personal life; and while this never ending striving can lead to motivation and development, it can also lead to anxiety, sadness, and feelings of frustration.

Cuba and the United States have a long history, one that isn’t so pleasant which is still the case to this day. The root of this problem can be traced back to the Cuban Revolution in 1959, which saw the collapse of Cuban leader Fulgencio Batista and the rise of Fidel Castro to power. The nationalization of American-owned companies and properties on the island was just one of the policies that the new communist government in Cuba quickly started enacting that went against American interests. In retaliation, the U.S. imposed an economic embargo on Cuba that has significantly impacted both the country’s economy and the welfare of its citizens. Like humans are designed to do, we want more, so that wasn’t enough for the U.S. so they backed multiple attempts to topple the Cuban government, including the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 and numerous murder attempts on Fidel Castro. 

The Cold War as a whole was one of those periods of time where someone always wanted different, it’s arguably what brought this event to life. Through looking at different sides of this global conflict, I kept on thinking to myself, why? And honestly, I still couldn’t give you a valid reason, but that’s the truth of wars in general, nobody wants them, but they still happen. 

Our latest humanities project has been one that has taught me a lot, and that’s due to me finding interest in what I genuinely care about. I’ve always been interested in South and Central American culture, but over the past couple years that interest has gone even deeper. Having a large soccer background may play a part in that, but there’s just something about this part of the world that intrigues me. Growing up as a wealthy, lucky kid has made me take things for granted, and it’s when I hear stories about poverty being a significant issue in many parts of the region that instil a sense of immeasurable  gratefulness in me. Despite the region’s vast potential and unique contributions to global culture, it often gets overlooked due to these negative stereotypes and misconceptions. This part of the world can teach us many things about creativity, community and resilience. Being able to relate my work to things that I genuinely care about has been a long time goal of mine, and throughout this project I’ve been able to do that which has only proven to be beneficial to my learning and enjoyment. 

Knowing that my final product would be a comic book, after long consideration I landed on focusing on a person rather than an event, and that person being Fidel Castro. I’ve always considered myself as someone who isn’t too creative, or creative in the sense of coming up with fiction that is interesting, so following the life story of an individual made my job easier as I could dedicate my thinking towards telling a compelling story and making sure my drawings reflected that, rather than coming up with something new. Fidel Castro was a controversial person, and I wanted to show that in my graphic novel, so my goal was to tell the story in his perspective, but that proved to be harder than imagined. My thought process behind this idea was based off knowing it is a journey into the unknown to write a story about a controversial person. It is a chance to look closely at the mind of someone who may have been misunderstood or vilified by society. It gave me the opportunity to learn the truth about Fidel Castro and tell his tale in a way that contradicts stereotypes and biases. But I needed to make sure it was still the truth. Although I had a strong plan, I struggled to put it to paper, or in my case, iPad. My idea wasn’t really coming to fruition and it left me frustrated which spiralled into wasting time, until I realized I had to make it happen to meet my goals. Eventually, I brought my story to an end after countless hours of drawing and turning my thoughts into real life. 

I’ve been able to recognize that I’m not creative in a story telling sense, but where I can be is in the way it’s presented. My story begins at the end with Fidel Castro annoyed at his so called ally who made the decision that he disagreed with. I wanted to start like this because one thing the Cold War has taught me is that you need to be careful of who you trust. During the Cold War, the idea of being careful of who you trust was crucial. With tensions high between the whole world, everyone engaged in espionage and propaganda to gain an advantage. Spies were everywhere, and individuals who appeared to be friendly could actually be working for the other side. Trusting the wrong person could lead to disastrous consequences. I’m not suggesting it was a poor decision of Fidel Castro to trust Nikita Khrushchev, actually I believe quite the opposite because a third world war never happened, but I wanted to bring that theme into my novel. As you turned the paged we were taken back ten years to the beginning of Fidel Castro’s rise to power, following the Cuban Revolution into the Cuban Missile Crisis where the story would end. My focus was showing the resilience of the Cuban and I feel that I managed to do so. Just like all humans, I wanted more and felt I could’ve done better after seeing other stories, but at the end of the day, nobody is perfect and there will always be something that you will find a problem with.

Click to read Castro by Logan Wickstone

The Cold War was a time in history where the world changed politically, socially, and culturally. It led to a world arms race, cultural shifts, and scientific improvements while encouraging a significant ideological division that lasted for decades. The Cold War came to an end with the fall of the Soviet Union, bringing in a new era of interconnection and globalization. The Cold War can teach us many things, but what it has rooted into me is the idea of balance. You are taught at a young age that a healthy life consists of balance, eating the right amount of different foods, getting sleep and exercise, and making sure all these pieces fit in the puzzle. The Cold War has proven the importance of balance to me in a different way, balance between power. This idea once again goes back to people always wanting more, and when it goes to far we end up in a situation where a need for power becomes aggression leading to negative outcomes. However, the Cold War can be seen as a positive when it comes to balance, as the United States and the Soviet Union were the two dominant superpowers, each sought to maintain a balance of power to prevent the other from gaining too much influence or control. The globe is still being shaped by the legacy of the Cold War, from ongoing tensions between nuclear powers to the impact of proxy wars on developing nations; the influence of the Cold War is a reminder that the past continues to shape the present and the future. As we navigate a rapidly changing world, understanding the lasting effects of this pivotal moment in history is crucial to creating a more peaceful planet for everyone.