Comments on: Cuba and the Struggle for Survival (Part 2) http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/08/cuba-and-the-struggle-for-survival-part-2/ a radical newsletter in the struggle for peace and social justice Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:30:43 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Lloyd Rowsey http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/08/cuba-and-the-struggle-for-survival-part-2/#comment-27486 Lloyd Rowsey Mon, 01 Sep 2008 01:07:36 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=2753#comment-27486 Thanks, Josie. I was over-emotional when I posted my last comment, above. Please delete it in your mind, and read my preceding post as my final word on this most excellent interview of Doug Morris by Rick Smith. Thanks, Josie. I was over-emotional when I posted my last comment, above. Please delete it in your mind, and read my preceding post as my final word on this most excellent interview of Doug Morris by Rick Smith.

]]> By: Josie Michel-Brüning http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/08/cuba-and-the-struggle-for-survival-part-2/#comment-27391 Josie Michel-Brüning Sat, 30 Aug 2008 18:14:57 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=2753#comment-27391 We had been in Cuba since 1995 for ten times. The last time we participated at the José Martí Conference in January 2008 (it was for the third time since 2003 and we enjoyed it very much each time). We could see during the last years the Cuban economy growing and observed permanent change there. As far as we know, no Cuban athlet had defected in Beijing, this time. By reading "The Miami Herald" in the Internet rather frequently, just to know what Cuban's enemies are thinking or plotting, we did not find a respective article so far. However, may be, we have missed it while we had been in vacation for a fortnight. We had been in Cuba since 1995 for ten times. The last time we participated at the José Martí Conference in January 2008 (it was for the third time since 2003 and we enjoyed it very much each time).
We could see during the last years the Cuban economy growing and observed permanent change there.
As far as we know, no Cuban athlet had defected in Beijing, this time. By reading “The Miami Herald” in the Internet rather frequently, just to know what Cuban’s enemies are thinking or plotting, we did not find a respective article so far. However, may be, we have missed it while we had been in vacation for a fortnight.

]]> By: Lloyd Rowsey http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/08/cuba-and-the-struggle-for-survival-part-2/#comment-27387 Lloyd Rowsey Sat, 30 Aug 2008 16:53:59 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=2753#comment-27387 I hope some rabid anti-Cuba person is incapable of responding but gloating over the fact a very favorable comment here has ended the comments. Jesus shit!!! I hate to end the posts to articles here at DV. I hope some rabid anti-Cuba person is incapable of responding but gloating over the fact a very favorable comment here has ended the comments.

Jesus shit!!!

I hate to end the posts to articles here at DV.

]]> By: Lloyd Rowsey http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/08/cuba-and-the-struggle-for-survival-part-2/#comment-27380 Lloyd Rowsey Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:54:59 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=2753#comment-27380 I have just concluded reading Professor Morris' two-part interview with Rick Smith. There are many fascinating issues raised and I would like to just touch on two at this time: (1) Doug Morris is an academic, and his points and arguments are hedged with the usual reservations of any academic who understands the limitations of necessarily incomplete information. I suppose Doug would point out that there's no other way to begin informing Americans about Cuba, and he would not be wrong. However, these reservations are not shared, to put it mildly, by most of the Cuban people. When I was in Cuba in 1998, everywhere the people were extolling surviving the fall of the Soviet Union, whereas I was walking around in a daze because of the fundamental differences I was observing. And so I got the feeling "I wasn't really with the program" in Cuba in 1998, being relatively unconcerned with the previous five-years struggle as I was. (2) Comparing and contrasting Cuba with Haiti (San Dominique) and with the Dominican Republic -- Major League Baseball's Number One recruiting field, see Dave Zirin -- would not only be vastly informative, it would be vastly more complicated than focusing on Cuba's internal affairs. But the American propaganda war against Cuba, in America, has largely been waged based on the semi-truths and outright falsifications of Cuban "defectors" and hence related to Cuba's internal struggles; and so making a start in turning that war around starts with countering the falsifications and lies surrounding Cuba's internal affairs. (I was interested to hear the coverage of the Olympics in America using the word "defector" to apply only to athletes from Cuba who did not compete for Cuba; I wondered what word the talking heads used for African athletes who had emigrated from their countries and competed in Beijing for the United States. Of course, I usually had both the sound and the subtitles turned off when I was watching. And I was particularly interested in the Cubans. So, maybe I missed it?) I have just concluded reading Professor Morris’ two-part interview with Rick Smith. There are many fascinating issues raised and I would like to just touch on two at this time: (1) Doug Morris is an academic, and his points and arguments are hedged with the usual reservations of any academic who understands the limitations of necessarily incomplete information. I suppose Doug would point out that there’s no other way to begin informing Americans about Cuba, and he would not be wrong. However, these reservations are not shared, to put it mildly, by most of the Cuban people. When I was in Cuba in 1998, everywhere the people were extolling surviving the fall of the Soviet Union, whereas I was walking around in a daze because of the fundamental differences I was observing. And so I got the feeling “I wasn’t really with the program” in Cuba in 1998, being relatively unconcerned with the previous five-years struggle as I was. (2) Comparing and contrasting Cuba with Haiti (San Dominique) and with the Dominican Republic — Major League Baseball’s Number One recruiting field, see Dave Zirin — would not only be vastly informative, it would be vastly more complicated than focusing on Cuba’s internal affairs. But the American propaganda war against Cuba, in America, has largely been waged based on the semi-truths and outright falsifications of Cuban “defectors” and hence related to Cuba’s internal struggles; and so making a start in turning that war around starts with countering the falsifications and lies surrounding Cuba’s internal affairs.

(I was interested to hear the coverage of the Olympics in America using the word “defector” to apply only to athletes from Cuba who did not compete for Cuba; I wondered what word the talking heads used for African athletes who had emigrated from their countries and competed in Beijing for the United States. Of course, I usually had both the sound and the subtitles turned off when I was watching. And I was particularly interested in the Cubans. So, maybe I missed it?)

]]> By: Josie Michel-Brüning http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/08/cuba-and-the-struggle-for-survival-part-2/#comment-27375 Josie Michel-Brüning Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:51:43 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=2753#comment-27375 Thank you for your honest sounding reply. I think your considerations from several years ago are still honoring you. (Sorry, for my poor English) Furthermore, I think, the problem might be that Cuba has to import food yet. Nevertheless, let us try to support Cuba by our means, which are spreading the honest information about Cuba and last but not least about the case of the Cuban Five. By the way, we hear German people having publicly critized US foreign policy during the last years say that they are fearing to travel into the USA for they would not get an entrance visa or would be even procecuted by US authorities, if they would be there. Yours sincerely Josie Thank you for your honest sounding reply. I think your considerations from several years ago are still honoring you. (Sorry, for my poor English) Furthermore, I think, the problem might be that Cuba has to import food yet.
Nevertheless, let us try to support Cuba by our means, which are spreading the honest information about Cuba and last but not least about the case of the Cuban Five.
By the way, we hear German people having publicly critized US foreign policy during the last years say that they are fearing to travel into the USA for they would not get an entrance visa or would be even procecuted by US authorities, if they would be there.
Yours sincerely
Josie

]]> By: Lloyd Rowsey http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/08/cuba-and-the-struggle-for-survival-part-2/#comment-27366 Lloyd Rowsey Sat, 30 Aug 2008 06:45:16 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=2753#comment-27366 Hi again, Josie. I thought a great deal about trying to become a Cuban citizen, several years ago, at which time I was already in my 60's, and my skills reflected a 35 year-old law degree and some 23 years of civil claims - ie, semi-legal - work. At the time I had a net worth, however, of more than $400K. Not even considering the possibility you mentioned of Cuba's being inundated with wannabe citizens, I concluded that the only sensible procedure would be to turn over my net worth to the Cuban people and live as any other Cuban citizen of my age, gender, physical condition and skills lived. So I sent an email to the Latin American Co-Ordinator of a relatively radical group in the United States, asking if such a procedure was feasible. I never received a reply. And I never pursued the matter further. Hi again, Josie. I thought a great deal about trying to become a Cuban citizen, several years ago, at which time I was already in my 60’s, and my skills reflected a 35 year-old law degree and some 23 years of civil claims – ie, semi-legal – work. At the time I had a net worth, however, of more than $400K.

Not even considering the possibility you mentioned of Cuba’s being inundated with wannabe citizens, I concluded that the only sensible procedure would be to turn over my net worth to the Cuban people and live as any other Cuban citizen of my age, gender, physical condition and skills lived.

So I sent an email to the Latin American Co-Ordinator of a relatively radical group in the United States, asking if such a procedure was feasible. I never received a reply. And I never pursued the matter further.

]]> By: Andrew Filis http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/08/cuba-and-the-struggle-for-survival-part-2/#comment-27352 Andrew Filis Fri, 29 Aug 2008 23:26:27 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=2753#comment-27352 Thanks indeed for such a brilliant account of the Cuban reality! It's refreshing to read something a bit more articulated and expansive than the usual anti-Castro libertarian rhetoric emanating by the US and the chorus of their lackeys. I visited in June and cannot wait to join an international brigade from the UK next summer. I researched acquiring citizenship and was advised by the Cuban Consulate in the UK that this is virtually impossible - there is no guidance available other than for those who wish to live and work there. Essentially, a Cuban employer (the State or some Private-Public Partnership) must sponsor an applicant in order that a work permit/visa be granted by the authorities. It appears that there is no process of naturalisation. Thanks indeed for such a brilliant account of the Cuban reality! It’s refreshing to read something a bit more articulated and expansive than the usual anti-Castro libertarian rhetoric emanating by the US and the chorus of their lackeys. I visited in June and cannot wait to join an international brigade from the UK next summer. I researched acquiring citizenship and was advised by the Cuban Consulate in the UK that this is virtually impossible – there is no guidance available other than for those who wish to live and work there. Essentially, a Cuban employer (the State or some Private-Public Partnership) must sponsor an applicant in order that a work permit/visa be granted by the authorities. It appears that there is no process of naturalisation.

]]> By: Josie Michel-Brüning http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/08/cuba-and-the-struggle-for-survival-part-2/#comment-27343 Josie Michel-Brüning Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:29:25 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=2753#comment-27343 Thank you again for part II! I want to react to the phone question: I personally know some German people, who after having experienced Cuban reality are openly dreaming of how to become a Cuban citizen, and so did I sometimes. I don't know how it works, either. However, I think, if all people would be allowed to become Cuban citizens who want to, Cuba would be overflowed by them. Therefore, we would do better when remaining where we are and trying there to improve the system of our homeland. Spreading the truth about Cuba could already have some impact on our own system, I think. That is why, I am grateful to such publications like this one is. Furthermore, I am grateful for mentioning the "Cuban Five". In my opinion they are five "Nelson Mandelas". Please, help to free the Five! As soon as they are rehabilitated, Cuba could be rehabilitated, as well. Thank you again for part II!
I want to react to the phone question: I personally know some German people, who after having experienced Cuban reality are openly dreaming of how to become a Cuban citizen, and so did I sometimes. I don’t know how it works, either. However, I think, if all people would be allowed to become Cuban citizens who want to, Cuba would be overflowed by them. Therefore, we would do better when remaining where we are and trying there to improve the system of our homeland. Spreading the truth about Cuba could already have some impact on our own system, I think.
That is why, I am grateful to such publications like this one is.
Furthermore, I am grateful for mentioning the “Cuban Five”. In my opinion they are five “Nelson Mandelas”. Please, help to free the Five! As soon as they are rehabilitated, Cuba could be rehabilitated, as well.

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