[Marxism] [CubaNews] Fidel Castro - The Chinese Victory

[Shane Mage]

On Apr 5, 2008, at 3:24 PM, Ruthless Critic of All that Exists wrote:

> On Sat, Apr 5, 2008 at 3:18 PM, Shane Mage <shmage at pipeline.com>  
> wrote:
>>
>> On Apr 5, 2008, at 1:48 PM, Walter Lippmann wrote:
>>
>>> Reflections by Comrade Fidel - March 2008
>>> THE CHINESE VICTORY
>>>
>>> Without some basic historical knowledge, the subject I am dealing
>>> with would
>>> not be understood.
>>>
>>> ...Columbus, an intelligent and intrepid sailor, was aware of the
>>> Greeks' knowledge about the roundness of the Earth. His own
>>> observations led him to coincide with
>>> those theories. He came up with the plan of reaching the Far East
>>> sailing
>>> westward from Europe. But, he calculated the distance with far too
>>> much
>>> optimism, for it was several times greater...
>>
>> One should not claim "basic historical knowledge" when one is
>> basically ignorant.  The "roundness of the Earth" was not a "Greek
>> theory"--it was a well known fact, known to every educated person  
>> and,
>> of course, to every seafarer educated or not
>
> But Fidel did not say "Greek theory".  He writes (see above) about
> 'the Greeks' knowledge about the roundness", which is basically what
> you write above.
>
But when he wrote "those theories" the only antecedent for "those" was  
his reference to "the Greeks' knowledge."  "Knowledge" to him is thus  
synonymous with "theories."
Besides, the essential Greek contribution of *knowledge* about the  
spherical earth is precisely the measurement of the Earth's  
circumference, about which he knows nothing.

>> The "Indies" bit was nothing but a cover story to
>> hide Spanish plans from their Portuguese rivals.
>
> If the Spanish knew it, why didn't the Portuguese know about it as
> well? Just curious.


Of course they did.  But their orientation in the late 15th century  
was to the East, leaving the West for later.  So the Spaniards had  
good reason to fear that if the Portuguese learned of their real plans  
they could disrupt the expedition--by bribery, sabotage, or even  
piracy, all of which were common practices of the time.


Shane Mage

"Thunderbolt steers all things...it consents and does not consent to  
be called Zeus."

Herakleitos of Ephesos