Revolution Revisited (Cuba)

[kskiska]

Cuba isn't perfect - but it is living proof that it is possible for a third world country to combat poverty, disease and illiteracy

(snip)

It has always been part of the hypocrisy towards Cuba that people who would visit any other country in the world and accept its strengths and weaknesses at face value apply very different standards once the plane lands at Havana. Twenty-five years ago, that was apparent in the tortured behaviour of the British delegation. Now, as then, supposed leftists often see disapproval of Cuba as an opportunity to balance their ideological brownie points.

But for me, that visit was the start of a life-long love affair. There is no need to confuse that statement with uncritical acclaim for everything about the place. But criticism should never ignore the fact that Cuba's primary service to the world has been to provide living proof that it is possible to conquer poverty, disease and illiteracy in a country that was grossly over-familiar with all three. That is a pretty big service. The fact that it has been delivered in the face of sustained hostility from an obsessive neighbour makes it all the more stunning.

(snip)

Those who think that Cuba will roll over and be trampled on when Castro eventually goes are, I believe, grossly mistaken. Cuba will continue to evolve pragmatically, as it has done beneath the rhetoric for 40 years, in order to defend the integrity of its achievements. The tragedy is that the evolutionary process - not least in regard to the liberal freedoms - could be so much more rapid and comfortable, if only the US would learn to co-exist a little more graciously.

(snip)

Cuba's problems are immense. Socialism in one country is still a contradiction in terms. For those who go to Havana only in order to sneer, there are political paradoxes on every street corner. All true, all the inevitable product of 40 years of siege, but also all irrelevant to the bigger picture of what Cuba represents as a symbol of human potential.

more…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/cuba/story/0,11983,1030632,00.html

[shance]

1. Hi Ksiska***I have never understood our 'issue' with Cuba

Havent seen you around in a while....

Well, it sounds like we have more an issue with Castro

What is the issue now?

Recently I heard Castro was bearing down on the human rights activists. Is this true or propaganda we are receiving?

[kskiska]

3. I'm not a Cuba expert

but I wouldn't mind visiting.

[Maple]

2. this item may be of interest to you

http://biotech.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.fiu.edu/%7Efcf/biotech81498.html

[kskiska]

4. Amazing

Thanks for the article, Maple.

[Judi Lynn]

6. Great info., and it's rare when information like this gets aired here

Most of us don't know a thing about Cuba, and it's because we've been kept from visiting there, totally closed out, by our own government.

Any propaganda they throw at us, and dissinformation often gets accepted as truth.

As you can see from this article, our country most definitely does NOT see Cuba as a threat with wicked biohemical plots up its sleeves. Any sane person would know that plotting against the U.S. would be suicidal for a small island like Cuba.

Yet the State Department, mainly John Bolton, then Powell have tried to tell us, on a couple of different occassions, that they believe Cuba is producing "dual-use" medicines which can be used for weapons of mass destruction.

Both times they were asked for proof, and they had to back down.

If they let us go to Cuba and look around for ourselves, they can't keep us in the dark any longer.

In the meantime, articles like this are very valuable.

[Judi Lynn]

5. Here's another message from Brian Wilson, Trade Minister in Britain

(snip) Britain wants Cuba off U.S. terrorism blacklist

"We are not in agreement with the U.S. view that Cuba sponsors terrorism," Energy Minister Brian Wilson, a regular envoy from London to Cuba in recent years, said at a Havana news conference.

The U.S. State Department puts Cuba with six other alleged "rogue" nations -- Sudan, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea and Syria -- on a list of states sponsoring terrorism mainly because Basque ETA rebels and U.S. fugitives have found refuge on the revolutionary island(the former with the agreement of the Spanish government).

Fidel has rejected that slur, pointing out that the United States has fomented terrorism against Cuba for 42 years.

Wilson said "Our government differs from the United States on a number of issues when it comes to Cuba". He also praised Cuba's condemnation of the Sept. 11 attacks on US cities. "Cuba condemned terrorism and immediately offered the United States the use of its airports and medical assistance," Of course Cuba received no public response to either offer. (snip/...)

http://homepages.poptel.org.uk/markburton/britain.html

Thanks for posting this outstanding article. I have been reading Brian Wilson's occassional articles and statements on Cuba for several years. He's in a position to have learned quite a bit by now.

There is another Brian Wilson (Willson) who has written about Cuba. He is an American peace activist. He's very good. He represents Veterans for Peace.

Just googled him, and saw him mentioned in a William Rivers Pitt article:

(snip) I was privileged to share several days with the men and women of this organization during their annual convention in San Francisco. It would take an entire book, an entire volume of books, to describe my experiences there. It would take an entire book to describe shaking the hand of Brian Willson.

Willson is a Vietnam veteran who stands today on two prosthetic limbs attached to his knees. He did not lose his legs in the war. He lost his legs in 1987 while protesting in Concord, California. He and his comrades were attempting to stop a Naval train loaded with weapons that was headed for Central America. Willson laid himself across the tracks, determined not to move. He and the protesters had done this several times before, and each time the train had stopped. Not this time. The train took Willson's legs and smashed a hole in his skull. He somehow survived this, and stands today with the Veterans of Peace, unbowed and undaunted and unafraid.

He is not the exception among the men and women of this group. He is the rule.

The VFP convention centered around one concept: Defeating the politics of fear. These men and women, who served in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Haiti, Panama, the Gulf, who served everywhere the American military has been since 1941, refuse to accept the fear their government is trying to sell them. They repudiate it, denounce it, stand against it from a well of courage that is beyond the comprehension of most of us, and certainly beyond the comprehension of George W. Bush and his crew. This courage has cost men like Willson dearly, but they do not stop. (snip/...)

http://www.truthout.org/docs_03/081803A.shtml

If you EVER see an article written about Cuba by Brian Wilson, or Brian Willson, you can be sure it's well worth reading!