*
war and social upheaval: The Cold War country trends America public support
The Cold War: American Public Support--Radical Chic
Figure 1.--Here we have a yoing American who came to admotr a brutal ductator whi turned prosprtous Ciba into a pne of the pootest countries in Latin America. It would seem a hard sell, but Marxist professors promote brutal dictatorships no matter how badly they fail or abuse their people. And they have continued to do so even after the Asian Tigers have demostrated that it is capitalism not socialism that can create prospeity. The press caption read, "Students Return Bearing Gifts from Cubans: A picture of Fidel Castro is held by Ed Lemansky, 24, of New York, as he leaves plane that nrought his and 83 other young Americans back from a forbidden visit to Cuba. The group, that returned by way of Paris, were handed letters by immigration officers informing them that their passports were 'tenttively withdrawn'. Lemansky and two others in the group were summkined to appear before the House Committee on Un-Alerican ctivities nedt month. Others leavin plane atbNew York's Kennedy Aitport are not identified." The photograph was dated August 15, 1964. An air fare through Paries was not cheap. I was in school at the time and I could not have aforded thevfare. Which is interesting because fewvCubans atbthe time could have afforded sych a plane ticket. It does not seem to mhave borthered these students that theu were supporung a brital dictator who decined Cubans all basic ciculmrights and refuced the country to poverty.
Popular journalist Tom Wolfe coined the term Radical or Revolutioary Chic (1970) [Wolfe]. Wolfe was best known for art in developing New Journalism, basically news reporting incorporating literary techniques. It was a style popular in the 1960s and 1970s. He published best-selling books, two of which turned into popular movies, especially 'Bonfire of the Vanities'. Radical Chic as dedcribed ny Wolfe refers to the alleged promotion of radical political ideas and causes by prominent celebrities, socialites, and high society. It was adopted by many young people, especially college students as a trendy movement. The term as Wolfe defined it describe individuals who insincerely identify themselves as radicals while pursuing prosperous capitalist lifestyles. Especially prominent were and contunue to be artists, singers, actors, and film makers who like the image and seek to profit by posing as radicaks but are quite unwilling to suffer any privations that might result from radical politics or live in a revolutionary country like Communist China (before market reforms), Cuba , and Vietnam. Most of these individuals are so poorly educated that they do no understand or vare unwilling tomadmit that the ideas that they seek to popularize lead to poverty and capitalism to prosperity. This has been proven by the Asian Tigers. Even China had to admit that it was capitalism that alieviated poverty. Some apparenhtly do not care as there is money to be made by posing as trendy radicals--they can benefit personally. Many well known names dabled in Radical Chic. Andy Warhol did silk creens of Che and Mao. Jane Fonda posed in North Vietnamese anti-airceaft guns. Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese dug ip the proppaganda film, 'I am Cuba' from the old Soviet archive. One author describes Radical Chic as 'double-tracking one's public image: on the one hand, defining oneself through committed allegiance to a radical cause, but on the other, vitally, demonstrating this allegiance because it is the fashionable, au courant way to be seen in moneyed, name-conscious Society.' [Bracewell] The imagery attracted a lot of young Americans attracted by chic, trebdy idea. Notably none desired to go to these countries and live in the poverty ceated by Communist ideology. Even real revolutionries like Eldrige Cleever anf Huey Newton who fled to Cuba but after a time there decided that America was not quite as bad as they thought.
.
