Lenin & Castro: “We Must Own Political Violence”

These two political revolutionaries taught us what many political leaders have not

IMAGE: “Fidel Castro poses under a portrait of Vladimir Lenin”

It is overstated, but it is true — we are in challenging times; socially, economically, and overall politically. These times have been in the making for many decades. Well, technically, since the birth of capitalist countries like the United States. We must find community amongst each other. We must let ourselves feel. However, we must be bold. We must not cower. As cliché as it is, we can learn from history toward how to own our present and future. We must.

Vladimir Lenin

Vladimir Lenin (1870–1924) was a revolutionary thinker, political leader, and the founding architect of the Soviet state. He played a decisive role in shaping the 20th century by leading the Bolshevik Party to victory in the Russian Revolution of 1917, ending centuries of czarist rule, and establishing one of the world’s first socialist/communist governments. Lenin’s vision was rooted in the pursuit of social and economic equality with a goal of empowering workers and peasants who had long been marginalized under oppressive systems.

He was a gifted strategist and writer, whose works on Marxist theory adapted communism to the specific conditions of Russia. His leadership emphasized the importance of collective ownership of resources, universal literacy, and full access to quality education and healthcare. Under his direction, land was redistributed from the nobility to peasants, and factories came under the control of workers. Despite the immense challenges of war and economic collapse, Lenin worked to lay the foundation for a more just society.

Lenin is remembered as a tireless advocate for the working class, a leader who sought to transform ideals of equality and equity into practice, and a figure whose influence extended far beyond Russia, inspiring movements for liberation and social justice worldwide.

Fidel Castro

Fidel Castro (1926–2016) was a revolutionary leader and statesman who transformed Cuba into a nation that prioritized sovereignty, equality, and social justice. Rising to prominence through the Cuban Revolution of 1959, Castro overthrew a U.S.-backed dictatorship and established a government committed to independence from foreign domination. His leadership was defined by resilience in the face of immense pressure, including decades of embargoes and isolation, yet he maintained Cuba’s sovereignty and charted its own path.

Castro’s legacy includes the creation of one of the world’s most accessible healthcare and education systems. Cuba achieved universal literacy under his direction. and became internationally recognized for its doctors who were often sent abroad to provide aid in underserved countries. He emphasized the importance of social equality, equitable land redistribution, and housing, ensuring that ordinary Cubans gained access to opportunities and resources previously denied to them.

On the global stage, Castro positioned Cuba as a symbol of resistance against imperialism. Cuba under his leadership played a clear role in international solidarity, supporting liberation movements and humanitarian missions worldwide. Fidel Castro is remembered by many as a figure who embodied defiance, dignity, and the pursuit of justice for the marginalized.

Comparison

Lenin and Castro, though separated by geography and decades, share an enduring reputation as revolutionaries who reshaped their nations and offered the world a vision of resistance against exploitation. Both emerged in moments of deep national crisis, when the majority of people were excluded from political power, and crushed under inequality. In those conditions, each had the boldness to not merely critique the existing system but to build an entirely new one rooted in the dignity of workers.

Lenin brought this practice to Russia, creating a government that sought to dismantle centuries of feudal hierarchy and concentrate power in the hands of ordinary people. He understood the importance of mass collective ownership in breaking the cycle of oppression, and he moved with determination to make those ideals real, even against the staggering odds of war, poverty, and foreign hostility.

Castro, similarly, transformed Cuba into a country that asserted its sovereignty against global superpowers and redirected its resources toward the collective good. His programs ensured building a society where ordinary people had access to their rights, as an understatement. He also extended solidarity far beyond Cuba’s borders, supporting liberation movements and humanitarian aid across the world.

Lenin and Castro stand as symbols of resilience, vision, and revolutionary courage. Both demonstrated that societies can be reimagined around equality and justice, and that the will of organized people, guided by leadership unafraid of radical change, can transform nations and inspire movements globally.

Armed Resistance & Revolution

For both Lenin and Castro, armed resistance was never glorified for its own sake. It was born out of necessity, an answer to entrenched systems of oppression that refused to yield power peacefully. When every avenue for reform was blocked and the ruling classes clung to their privileges through violence, revolution became the language of survival and transformation. Both leaders recognized that without decisive confrontation, the dreams of workers would remain crushed under the boots of the wealthy, dictators, and imperial backers.

Lenin understood that czarist Russia, with its crushing poverty, secret police, and unyielding aristocracy could not be reformed. His call to arms was not a reckless gamble, but a strategic decision rooted in the defense of the majority. Armed resistance, for him, was a means of tearing down the structures that had exploited millions for centuries, creating space for a radically new order where those millions could finally govern themselves. His commitment to disciplined, collective struggle ensured that the revolution was not a fleeting uprising, but the beginning of systemic change.

Castro, decades later, faced similar conditions in Cuba. Again, a U.S.-backed dictatorship, rampant inequality, and foreign exploitation left little room for peaceful change. Like Lenin, he saw that armed resistance was the only route to dismantle the entrenched system that benefited a few while dispossessing the many. The Cuban Revolution was fought for dignity and sovereignty. Castro’s armed struggle demonstrated that even a small nation could rise up against overwhelming odds and claim its right to self-determination.

Armed resistance was an act of collective defense, not aggression. It was a refusal to accept the permanence of oppression and a declaration that justice was worth fighting for. Lenin and Castro revealed that revolutionary courage is not reckless violence but disciplined action guided by vision and solidarity. Their legacies remind us that in moments when injustice seems immovable, organized resistance can shatter the myth of inevitability and carve new paths toward freedom.

Conclusion

The stories of Lenin and Castro remind us that history’s most profound changes are rarely gifted from “above” permission. They are won through struggle, vision, and an unrelenting belief in the possibility of transformation. Both leaders prove that resistance, when rooted in the needs of the many, can break through the barriers of entrenched power and give birth to new material realities. Their revolutions stand as enduring testaments to the idea that another world is always possible when people refuse resignation, and dare to act collectively.

In our own time of deep inequality and political stagnation, their examples urge us to think beyond the narrow confines of what is “practical.” They teach us that justice often demands boldness and that courage in the face of overwhelming odds can inspire generations. Lenin and Castro, separated by continents and decades, converge on one lesson: the future belongs not to the oppressors who cling to their privileges, but to the people who dare to imagine, and fight for, true freedom.