196 Books: Grenada

 The Grenada Revolution: What Really Happened? by Bernard Coard

Here's Grenada with some reference points:

Here's the summary:

Finally, the inside story: honest, self-critical, and based on a wealth of credible and independent documentation. Bernard Coard reveals in dramatic detail the factors, forces and personalities which cumulatively led to deepening crisis within the Grenada Revolution and ultimately to wholesale tragedy. Bernard Coard, United States and British trained economist and university lecturer, played a leading role in the NJM and in the People’s Revolutionary Government of Grenada. His experience, including 26 years as a political prisoner, offers a unique insight into the causes, course, and finally the implosion of the Revolution.

A couple of quick notes before I get into the actual book... 

(About the map): Grenada is the little island with the two arrows pointing towards it. The book made it seem like Cuba was basically next door. I'm not great at Caribbean geography, but it makes Grenada's close friendship with Cuba a bit weirder. 

(About the summary): Maybe I just misread it, but the book says NOTHING about Coard having been a political prisoner for 26 years. Although I believe this is book 1 of 3 on the events so maybe it comes up in one of the others? Whatever. Rude. 

Ok. 

I was super excited about this book; I think I was expecting something along the lines of a political thriller. Guess what? Life is mostly not like that. The first half of the book was basically day-to-day running a country, trying to get social programs in place, working at bettering the economy and way of life for the country, trying to iron out the issues. Guess what else? It's not that interesting or exciting. Well, I'm sure it is for some people. I'm not one of them. 

BUT. 

The second half of the book really picked up for me. There was intrigue, back-stabbing, and foreign interference. Looking back at all the sections I highlighted, there's definitely a bigger shift in dynamic than I'd originally realized. So I guess all the day-to-day stuff is a bit more interesting in hindsight. With that, let's get into some of the highlights. 

Highlights regarding the US

"The United States strongly opposed any country in the Western Hemisphere having friendly relations with Cuba. Grenada on the other hand, insisted that no 'big country' had the right to dictate what we should do." Um, yes. Totally with Grenada on this one (and tbh, I stayed with them against the US for the whole book). Fuck you and the horse you rode in on! I hate the right-wing idea that the US is better than everyone else and gets the ultimate say in what everyone should be doing. 

"They highlighted for us a key passage in the US Army's Field Manual on Psychological Warfare which stated that "PEACE IS THE CONTINUATION OF WAR BY NON-MILITARY MEANS." Excuse me? We can't just...I dunno...leave people the fuck alone!? 

"There were three uncompromising demands [from the Reagan administration]: free elections must be held by the PRG right away, all detainees not charged must be released immediately, and Grenada's close relations with Cuba must end." So, again, the US thinks it can just push everyone else around. 

"..Reagan told the American people in nationwide broadcasts that Grenada was 'a threat to the National Security of the United States.' He used a map of Grenada and pointed to our Point Salines International Airport under construction, claiming it was a Soviet MIG-fighter base." So, this is after multiple experts had told Reagan that it was just an airport, no shady business. Despite the fact that Grenada is tiny. Despite the fact that it's really not close to the US. Just straight up lies because he didn't like what they were doing with their government. Can we stop electing celebrities to lead our country PLEASE?

Highlights regarding Cuba

"From henceforth, apparently, the Grenadian Revolution now had a 'Maximum Leader' model of decision-making decreed by Havana!" Another country deciding that their way is best and that's how everyone should do it. 

"A few months later, a shipment with some of the supplies [from Moscow] arrived from Cuba. We were informed that the rest, including all the 'heavy stuff' would be kept in Cuba 'for the time being.' This included those which would provide for our defence against naval and aerial bombardments. ...They would never arrive." I assume here that Cuba just decided they wanted the stuff and kept it, but it's still a dick move. And it makes it seem like Castro is at least trying to steer Grenada, if not setting it up to take the country over. 

Highlights regarding the Revolution

"When the revolution speaks, it must be heard, listened to. Whatever the Revolution decrees, must be obeyed; when the Revolution commands, it must be carried out..." Basically it's saying the revolution is more important than any one person. Party members got sick from being overworked and constantly complained that they couldn't do it, but were just told to figure it out and be more organized. Honestly this part sounds a bit culty to me. 

"Fitzy then joined the other Party members who criticized my resignation from the CC the previous year. ...he said, "When Comrade Coard resigned last year, I had openly called such a resignation counter-revolutionary." The Revolution is more important than the individual. You must stick with the Party, even if you don't think it's working. Even if you don't believe in it anymore. Even if it's killing you. 

"We all get wisdom from the collective wisdom of the Party." If they'd left off the Party, I would have been good with this. But again adding it in makes it sound a bit like a cult. 

"The unvarying rule of the Revolution and the People's Revolutionary Army has been that, once persons are unarmed, you do not open fire on them." SAY IT LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK.

"I asked him what he understood 'Communism' to be. He said that he did not know, except that it was very, very bad." SOUNDS FAMILIAR.

Highlights regarding people

Though Maurice Bishop was the Prime Minister during the revolution, Bernard Coard was his right hand man and they mostly made decisions together, as well as a party-wide decision approval process. They'd known each other from the age of 12, lived next door to each other, and talked multiple times every day. One of the worst parts of this book was seeing the deterioration of such a close friendship, because of power and malicious intent. At the same time, they were so intent on the needs of the Revolution that the people element got somewhat lost. As time goes by, Bishop starts listening to people who are trying to gain more power for themselves, as well as being swayed by Castro, and starts making decisions single-handedly and selfishly. Bishop even starts a malicious and dangerous rumor that Coard and his wife are trying to kill him. By the end, Coard and his wife (also a prominent member of the party) decide they have no choice but to leave the country with their children.  

"Grenada was a small, poor, developing country. We were desperate to transform our society as quickly as possible. The timeframe in which we set our goals, and the expectations which we had unleashed in our people, were unrealistic." It's sad. They had such good intentions and really believed what they were doing. I've seen it with a lot of the books I've been reading-one dictator gets overthrown and another steps in. Ultimately it's the general populace who suffer. 

Though Coard did use lots of testimony and interviews, a lot of this was his point of view, so I was interested in what else was out there about this time. I read the Wikipedia entry (I know, not the most reliable source, but certainly the most convenient) and those details differ somewhat. The entry states that Coard intentionally overthrew Bishop and became Prime Minister. In the book the events leading up to Bishop's overthrow and murder (spoiler) are quite different, but the book also ends at that point. Coard puts much of the blame on the US infiltrating and starting shit, and some people in the Party as well as Castro telling Bishop what to do. I think I'm going to stick with giving more weight to the book. Moral: maybe don't read the Wikipedia page.