When it rains
The sun hasn’t come out all day and a downpour constantly forces us to duck into some doorway or stay at home. One might think that in a tropical country life is organized taking the climate into account, and that along with our light clothing we always have umbrellas and raincoats at hand. Not so. Leaking roofs are common, especially in the construction of the last fifty years; homes, offices, schools and hospitals, and even stores suffer repeated losses because of them. Collapses, now typical in the urban landscape, are not the result of bombardments of imperialism, rather they are caused by the difficulty of acquiring waterproof construction materials.
“I couldn’t go because it was raining,” is the most common excuse of the season. Not coming, or arriving late, whether to work or a lovers’ assignation, is socially acceptable when we offer this convincing excuse. But it is not always a false pretext, because the sewers on streets where we live are blocked by vegetation, and the risk of falling into a water-covered pothole is a real possibility.
In foreign films we often see scenes of crowds in the rain. We are impressed by the image of a cloud of umbrellas that extends the length of a street or the full width of the stands in a stadium. We inevitably compare these scenes with the typical appearance of our streets during a cloudburst: nylon bags used as protection, trying to cover one’s head with the newspaper Granma or a piece of cardboard; older people waiting under the balconies or huddled together at a bus stop. The pleasure it almost always gives young people who defy the storm, running along, soaked to the skin, and using the first found object – a board or an old tire – to surf on the water, clinging to the bumper of a truck.
These are days to ask ourselves when we will have a raincoat – one without holes that fits – let alone what seems to be a pipe dream for so many, when the city will not collapse because of a simple shower that falls in the tropics.
Noviembre 29th, 2009 at 23:22
Se muy bien que este mensaje pretende ser un criterio en contra una dictadura y tal vez en contra el embargo estado unidense. Pero la sencillez y la belleza de tus palabras tambien cautiivan mi alma y mi ser.
Noviembre 27th, 2009 at 20:07
Yoani may have something to say about the military exercises in due course.
Hard to know in a totalitarian state where information is carefully controlled, but I wonder if the exercises are intended to blunt Obama’s clear message to Yoani that the US has not intention of intervening in Cuba militarily? I suspect Obama’s responses to Yoani questions are circulating around the island on CDs, text messages, etc. The exercises may be at least in part a desperate attempt to keep the threat of US bogeyman alive in the minds of the Cuban people.
Noviembre 27th, 2009 at 16:07
CUBA, NORTH KOREA & IRAN! THEY ARE N U T S!! SIGN OF DESPERATION!
AFP ARTICLE: Cuba repels mock US attacks in major war games
HAVANA — “Cuban President Raul Castro ordered his troops to “never give up” on Friday as his Caribbean island nation carried out war games designed to train for the possibility of a US attack.
“Never give up the battle, regardless of the situation, even if you don’t have any information. Fight and fight until you wear down the enemy and you defeat them,” said Castro.
“The objective is to never surrender, never to abandon the fight,” local media quoted the Cuban leader as saying.”
“Since US President Barack Obama took office he has toned down US rhetoric against Cuba and ordered policy changes.
But Cuba’s government said the measures, which include the end of travel restrictions for US citizens with Cuban family, fall short and demand the full lifting of sanctions and restoration of diplomatic relations severed in 1961.
Obama has said fully-restored ties depend on Cuba improving its human rights record and moving towards democracy.”
http://www.google.com/hostedne.....NHfuiAhJxQ
Noviembre 27th, 2009 at 15:53
Anxiously waiting Yoanis’ next blog! I am sure it will address the current military excersizes by the Cuban Goverment and the ABSURDITY OF IT ALL! She has commented on this already on her Twitter!
Noviembre 27th, 2009 at 14:55
Sorry..Let me do it again..
I’m reading all the comments, restraining myself , since my son is around. Thanks God he is nothing like his dad. ( my youngest is a carbon copy of myself… I know ..I’m in trouble..). My oldest the one who posted is the most well rounded kid I haver seen in along time.
Any ways, after reading Andy’comment (#112).I can’t restrain myself anymore.The only thing I have to add is AMEN
Noviembre 27th, 2009 at 14:51
I’m reading all the comments, restraining myself , since my son is around. Thanks God he is nothing like his dad. ( my youngest is a carbon copy of myself… I know ..I’m in trouble..). My oldest the one who posted is the most well rounded kid I haver seen in along time.
Any ways, after reading Andy’comment (#112).I can’t restrain myself .The only thing I have to add is AMEN.
Noviembre 27th, 2009 at 14:16
Macheteamor.. with regards to the media simplifying everything — trying to set up a dichotomy — there are two opinions in Cuba… Fidel’s and Yoani’s… You’re absolutely right. And the media does this not just about Cuba… they do it about everything. So again, it is the job of Yoani, and others, to resist this, not to play into the hands of the lazy media and the lazy readers and lazy TV watchers - who want everything in black and white.
That of course characterizes the difficulty of all of our debates. If, like me, you believe that Fidel is SO EVIL that there are no shades of gray — then you cannot even credit him with any “good things” that have come from the revolution… for example universal literacy. If, on the other hand, like some others, you believe so strongly in the goals (if not, perhaps, the realities) of the revolution — then you “forgive” Fidel for all his evil because you believe so strongly in the goals.
I believe there are a few people in the world so evil that I can credit them with nothing — but a man who enslaves a people for 50 years falls into that category. (And in this case, it’s not just the result of what he has done… it’s the clear pattern of behavior of one-man rule… this is not an oligarchy… a number of people with shared beliefs trying to move in a certain direction… this is a person who cares only for the HONEY OF POWER… his OWN power… no one else’s… make no mistake… he stands firm for only one belief… he should be King, absolute despot, the ruler of all he surveys.
I suppose, in contrast, there are a few people in the world so “good” that they can be forgiven anything… but personally I could not name a single one. (And if I could.. it would probably be a completely unknown 5-year-old.)
The rest of us must live in a world with shades of grey.
We must resist the pressures of everyone — including the mass media — who would try to push us to the edges where life can be stated in black and white.
And in our own conversations… trying to work through these challenges… we also must navigate the same dangerous waters… in our own minds, and together.
So again, for Yoani to accept that characterization of her own role and her own words, would be to play into the hands of everything she stands against.
Noviembre 27th, 2009 at 13:59
Totally agree with You Macheteamor on 107!
Please I am really glad you are commenting here and please never feel that your comments are not important even if they are to contradict something you think Yoani is not saying correctly.
Nobody is perfect and people. Normal humans make mistakes.
To think that one is above anyone else is to think like you know who.
This is what democracy is about. When we can talk our differences as people without seen enemies and fights or struggles or whatever they like to portrait.
Noviembre 27th, 2009 at 13:57
Julio: (#109)
as always you are right and I hope you washed your hands after you finished quoting fidel.
Thanks for your insightful comment!
Noviembre 27th, 2009 at 13:52
Albert
I also believe “they started with a “good intention””
but it change very soon when they started to kill and murder innocent people without trials.
At the end that seems to be close for them
we can resume as I say before it looks to us now the reason was
about having the
“Honey of Power”
I am quoting Fidel Castro himself!
Noviembre 27th, 2009 at 13:23
I guess I also want to add that what I like, and find refreshing about this blog, is that she often simply talks about the realities of everyday life. Obviously within a political context. But, she does often exclude talking about political events, other political people and players in Cuba. But I think that, while sometimes a little frustrating, this is what I like about her blog. It is very simple, she is able to convey the soul, suffering and yearning of the people with just a simple post about rain.
Noviembre 27th, 2009 at 13:05
Andy, thank you. I also agree that its best to have a wide diversity of opinions, rather than setting up one person to be the sole “voice”. Your right. That is also unfair to Yoani, to expect her to encompass everything. Its hard though, because sometimes people on the outside, like the press or politicians, only want to listen to one voice and expect one or two people to represent everyone because, especially in the case of the press, its just easier that way.
Julio, I also agree with you about rationing. Now they are already phasing out certain products, I think coffee and maybe one or two other things. They are doing it slowly. This is very dangerous because for most people they will not be able to afford to buy these products without access to hard currency. They are barely able to produce and distribute enough food to feed everyone as it is. This is why, I think Cuba is no longer even truly socialist, because now you have people with access to tourist dollars and money from abroad accumulating more and having greater access to goods and services than the average working Cuban. To get rid of the libreta now, without fixing the economy, getting rid of dual currency and completely reorganizing how food is grown and distributed is a mistake.
And Julio, I would add capitalism to that list. I think those in power in Cuba would shift to a capitalist model (maybe more like state run capitalism like they have in China) before giving up control. They are not married to any ideology, only to their own power and control.
Noviembre 27th, 2009 at 12:59
Julio:
I’ll be willing to entertain the idea that they started with a “good intention” and I would be willing to consider that along the way what these people wer originally came to the surface.
The problem for all of us is that they believed in their greatness & lofty ideals;
raul’s samenity towards intelectual communism married to guevara’s pseudo self serving lie of idealism and half baked knowledge of the communist versions of the time made the rest possible.
Ther concevied superiority, their own ego and the intoxication ofpower absolute did the rest.
This people is no different than us but in one thing … their hypocresy, their arrogance and their ego … other than that … they put their pants the same way we do …
Humor:
I wonder if they realize the meaning of the calling others oposing them gusanos …
They day they die … the gusanos will take care of them … eventually the regimes ilustrious members will be gusano guano … so I belive it to be the highes cumpliment … gusanos for office !!!
Noviembre 27th, 2009 at 12:36
I agree with you Albert on 103
they are doing this changes and the other changes and the next changes because they know they can not sustain themselves in power if they don’t so the whole question is
All they really wanted was to be in power!
Is not about communism or socialism, slavery or whatever they want to call what they have. It’s just plain and simple “Honey of Power”
Noviembre 27th, 2009 at 12:32
well said Andy!
Noviembre 27th, 2009 at 12:32
Julio & Liam:
At the risk of sounding stupid … I realy look forward to your comments.
The dictatorships I know … function very similar to each other, control, control & control.
Their problems is time and their small failures that keep on coming back in different forms.
Their inner circle get smaller w/age and their paranoia multiplies.
The older they get in that circle the more they lose in numbers, the newer the blood in the inre circle the more paranoia rules.
The demise of the regime will be their own implotion, there is no one to replace the original format, the newcomers are not as savy or well tought since the secrets of oppresion can not be passed along without risk.
This is a situation deteriorating rapidly; raul does not have the carisma nor the capabilities to handle it.
He can be a good theorician of communism but not a flexible practitioner.
His image unlike that of his elder is not of cult but of fear.
So the time is near … the regime is unable (like the russians and others)to change to fit the time.
Its over & they know it …
Noviembre 27th, 2009 at 12:24
re #85 Machetera
You point out a dilemma I have heard from others — essentially this: Yoani’s is the most famous blog, more people read her than any other blog, people turn to her for information, so she should present a broader range of information, representing more of what is happening in Cuba.
I would respectfully disagree. While she has a responsibility to be honest, one person cannot and should never try to, represent a whole people. Yoani can only write from her own point of view. Other people need to represent their own views.
And Yoani is supporting this with the Blogger Academy and her work around the country to get more people blogging.
The danger of setting Yoani up as, “The Voice of Cuba” is creating in her exactly what is wrong with a country like Cuba… the idea of a “single voice” able to speak for all.
Noviembre 27th, 2009 at 12:18
There is also a world marathon for the respect of Human rights in Cuba in different cities around the globe
http://desarraigos.blogspot.co.....echos.html
Noviembre 27th, 2009 at 12:10
LOOK AT POST #74 ALTHOUGHT THERE ARE MANY MORE ARTICLES SINCE THEN ABOUT THE MILITARY EXCERSCISES IN CUBA.
Humberto Capiro
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 17:14
FIDEL AND RAUL ARE FLEXING THEIR DESPERATE MUSCLES!! THEY ARE SO AFRAID OF THE BLOGGERS WITHIN!! GETTING READY FOR ONE OF THE BIGGEST FUNERAL IN HISTORY!!
ASSOCIATED PRESS ARTICLE: Cuba military exercise guards against US invasion
“Analysts say Cuba is more concerned with sending a message to those who would seek to destabilize the country than with an actual military assault.”
“Such a show of force is particularly important, Klepak said, given the open question of who would succeed Fidel and Raul Castro, aged 83 and 78, and because of Cuba’s current economic difficulties.”
http://www.google.com/hostedne…..QD9C7DBJ01
Noviembre 27th, 2009 at 11:56
Ok guys here is something interesting
I guess is the price someone have to pay when is famous or recognize by many people
Zoe Valdes is a known Cuban writer in exile in France. In her post she is critical of Yoani for not talking about political prisoners in the questions to Obama and not make it a precondition for negotiations with the regime and for Yoani not talking about the Ladies in White (Group of ladies that have family in prison for political reason and that protest in Cuba) etc etc.
http://zoevaldes.net/2009/11/2.....ment-13873
And on the other hand we have the other group of people that complain about her not seen anything good in the regime!
I guess is difficult to please everyone!
Noviembre 27th, 2009 at 11:25
in case it was missed …
Military exercises to prevent the possible invasion of Cuba by the US are under way according to the news.
If so … perhaps more than pushing the fear button the regime is preparing for a “purge”.
For one thing since raul is no fidel his hold to power is military.
I venture to think that perhaps a status check in loyalty to the regime is in the works.
The army of the revolution is no longer what it used to be, the political motivation may or may not be as strong as once was; The middle level of this army is younger, full of ambition and more importantly their loyalty rests in … who knows where?
Since Yoani’s & others voices have reached a permanent status and people is more willing thru their justifiable fear to “show up” things are fluid in a daily basis.
This military exercises remind me not of “muscle flexing” but about the manouvers to hold on to power used by other dictatorships in history.
My comment addresses that permanent fear of retaliation effected by this (like other) regime, a voice of warning to Yoani and all others to be extra careful; observe at least the basics of commun sense in reference to your own security & safety.
Be aware … I pray you’ll be safe since I do not belive in accidents.
Please, be safe, be careful …
Noviembre 27th, 2009 at 10:45
Hey Paul Liam thanks for posting
I agree with you that the Cuban government and any government has the right to fight corruption but I do not agree with the Cuban government been able to sell lobster and a Cuban not been able to do so. There should not be a distinction between the Cuban government and a citizen in that case. So I do understand if he was place in prison for corruption.
Still will like to listen to what you think about how privileged are foreigners with regards to businesses in Cuba compare to Cubans.
Noviembre 27th, 2009 at 10:35
Hello Julio,just time for a quick blog before i go to play football (why Cuba is so bad at football i will answer on another day!)
I will come back to you on the market tomorrow when i have more time.
On ‘Huron Azul’,i know all the details.It was closed because he drove a ‘coach and horses’through all the regulations,whether you like them or not.He amassed a fortune and was corrupt. He had a scam with the Fine Arts museum in which he ‘borrowed’ art for the restaurant and then it ‘vanished’. He was up to his neck in bribes and corruption. Very few people have any sympathy for him and other paladar owners thought him arrogant,corrupt and were not suuprised at his arrest.The ‘dogs in the street’knew what he was doing!
There are many many private restaurants that make a very good living without being corrupt. ‘La Guarida’ in centro Habana is a good example but there are many other honest citizens running good private restaurants used by cubans and tourists.
More tomorrow.
Paul.
Noviembre 27th, 2009 at 10:07
Sorry, I meant to say “disingenuous.” Anyway, Macheteamor, thank you for your clarification. I, for one, think that your opinions matter – a lot. Here’s why. You have a unique perspective, one that I don’t have. You have actually been to Cuba and it sounds like you travel there fairly often. So you have seen things and can view them in a different context. I care very much about this topic, so I value the opinions of others who know more about these things than I do. So please, continue to post your thoughts and opinions - they do matter.
Noviembre 27th, 2009 at 09:59
Liam
Not too long ago Yoani published about a guy who use to own a few paladares in Havana
One called “Huron Azul” they got him in prison and confiscated everything I believe.
Their reasoning is because he was importing things from other countries and was selling lobster and beef.
Let me ask you this. Why does the government think is the only proprietor of things in Cuba? Why can the government sell beef and lobster and this individual can not?
That is very unfair. The same rules that apply to the government should also apply to this individual.
I do understand that to do what he did he may have had to corrupt a few people. So you see they do have lots of problems that they create themselves with this prohibitions.
Here is the link to the post by Yoani I mentioned above
http://www.desdecuba.com/generationy/?p=478
Noviembre 27th, 2009 at 09:49
Liam I am glad you replied:
I do believe free markets works if there is control on corruption and there is not favoritism and nobody is allow to monopolize the market. Cubans despite 50 years of revolution still seem to know how capitalism and market economy works and I will tell you why that is.
When the government did not provide the milk some people were able to get it from a farmer that will sell it to them what we call Black Market, that black market has been alive and well the 50 years of the revolution. The sad part is that the revolution has made it a Black Market.
It’s sad because thanks to it many people in Cuba get by and do not starve. Their prices are unnecessarily hight because of the government reprisals if they get you doing it. I am sure they know it exist and it has existed.
Why not make it legal?
For example cell phones where illegal to have by Cubans not too long ago until they realize they were doing it anyway. So is like the leadership is not listening to the Cuban people and is detach from their real needs.
I agree with you it will be a difficult problem to solve to take away the rationing book. Since many sectors of the Cuban population will be left with nothing. But who’s fault that is? who created this entitlement?
The revolution.
I know it will be unfair to take it away since many people count with only that for their survival and that points to another thing. The very very low wages that the Cuban government as sole employer pays to the Cuban people. If there were more private enterprises and foreign companies they will have better salaries and a lot more competition. So the government would have been force to pay better. But as you know that competition on salaries in Cuba does not exist since the government is practically the sole employer of most of them.
Therefore again who is responsible for the low salaries?
The revolution.
They may claim no is the fault of the american embargo or whatever.
It is a tiresome argument when they never see a fault on what they do. They are not able to see that their economy independent of embargo or not it will still not work.
Because people do not see what they do as theirs there is no sense of I am working to improve my life or that of my family so the stimulus to produce more and better is not there when you see the big state take ownership of everything you do and pay you a miserables salary that equates you to been treated as slave.
I do not have a problem with a mix private and state business.
what I will strongly disagree is what the revolution have done.
Foreigners can own businesses in Cuba while Cubans are limited to small paladares and are harass constantly by the government. I think that is very wrong. To discriminate the citizens of your own country and also a big economical mistake since Cubans making money in Cuba will be more likely to reinvest in Cuba than a foreigner.
Free market is not anarchy there have to be laws and regulations. Here in the US free market is not anarchy. They have antitrust laws etc many of them have been place so companies can not abuse us and to benefit us and new laws are place all the time to patch wholes in the system.
The function of the state should be in protecting citizens from big corporations that will start to behave like totalitarian regimes and start dictating prices etc. The behavior is the same as what I observe in Cuba by the Cuban government!
I will be interested in listening to the ideas they are discussing and will not mind commenting my opinions.
Noviembre 27th, 2009 at 09:16
Julio,i note your comments on the possible phasing out of the ration/libreta in Cuba. There is a very big debate amongst ordinary cubans about this. Those with jobs in tourism or family abroad want it to go but if you take an area in La Habana like ‘El balcon de La Lisa’ or ‘San Miguel de Padron’ where there are no tourist jobs and people have no family abroad and no access to convertible pesos,there is a very different attitude.In those areas people want to keep and need the ration.
My worry is that a totally free market, shock therapy solution comparable to Russia in the 1990s would also be a disaster. The Russian economy collapsed with all the attendant problems.
Other economic models that i know have been/are being examined by the cuban government are the ‘chinese model’(the USA is falling over itself to work in and with China for business),’vietnamese model’and parts of the ‘Brazilian model’. This latter involves the state and private enterprise but with the state being interventionist.
Lastly Julio,yes i do find Yoani relentlessly negative but not always wrong.Also I do not confuse Cuba with the government. I comment from living and working in a barrio in La Habana for 8 months each year. Also the barrio is not comfortable ‘Miramar’ or ‘Cubanacan’!.
Noviembre 27th, 2009 at 08:50
Julio and Albert. Many thanks for your replies and thoughts in the previous blog. I forgot to write in the current one!
More from me later.
Liam.
Noviembre 27th, 2009 at 08:17
Señor De La Yncera,
Gracias(thank you:-) )
Noviembre 27th, 2009 at 07:02
Guys I found this in some site a form and they claim is a form use by the Cuban security to gather information about a person’s statements
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3y4i.....cw1dl3.png
I am not sure if it is or not a form use by the Cuban security but
what attracted my attention to it was the fact that the size of the form dedicated to explain what the person speaks (texto asociado a ese mencionado) is very small and the size of the part dedicated to (medidas aplicadas) that could be translated as applied measures or counter-action. is disproportionately large.
It is very interesting and it will be very nice if we could verified somehow that this is a real form from the Cuban security since it actually points to the fact that you have to say very little to be punish in many different ways as is shown by the respective sizes !
We can see how institutionalized is the concept of people can not be critical of the regime and those that are should be deal with in many different ways as many as they can find!
Noviembre 27th, 2009 at 04:38
Macheteamor I will love to listen to your opinion about “I personally think the Cuban gov’t should go about phasing out rationing”
for example I think that will be a mistake if they do not have free market. Because many people will have nothing to eat then. I still think it will be the right move by them to do so. Because it eliminates some of the paternalism that Cuba suffers under the regime but then if they eliminate that paternalism they should not stop there they will need to compensate by giving back freedoms. Like the freedom for a farmer to sell at the price they seem fair that is Market price. The right to sell to whomever they want and not been force to sell to the government. etc.
Noviembre 27th, 2009 at 04:24
Macheteamor I really like to hear more about “public forums and debates on various topics” for example can people question the system?
Can they ask questions like why can we go back to capitalism etc?
I think your opinion is very valuable here and you should not shy yourself from expressing what you like to express.
People do not only read Yoani they also read what you post so feel free to write and to explain when you feel something is missing or not fair.
Noviembre 27th, 2009 at 04:17
John Two:
If you read my comment asking Macheteamor I am very respectful and I really like to know where is she disappointed with Yoani likewise I understand she does not have to agree 100 percent with Yoani everyone’s experiences with the revolution have not been the same. For example Macheteamor can enter and exit Cuba as she please while Yoani can not. Maybe that is an indication of why Yoani writes about what Yoani writes but then again Yoani was writing like that even before they did not let her travel.
I do not think we are bashing or harassing Macheteamor in anyway.
In my case as it seems also is the case of Hank is just pure curiosity. I still stick to my opinion that Macheteamor have the freedom to choose just as any of us what she reads.
I choose to be here because I like what Yoani writes I also consciously choose to read Granma and Juventud R and even Yohandry’s blog and many other blogs that are with the regime because I like to listen to their point of view not necessarily because I like what they write so that way I get the full picture. In my case I do have a big advantage. I used to live in Cuba for 26 years. So many if not all of the things they talk about I am very familiar with. That may not be the case of someone who know about Cuba from afar or someone who visit once in a blue moon.
If you are to judge anything with regards to the issues we discuss one of the first task anyone should do is to gather information from different places. Otherwise one is bound to just see one side of the coin. You have see me many times pointing to links that come from Granma and from web sites that are pro regime. And in the same way Macheteamor is critical of Yoani I am critical of what they write. But the difference is that I explain what I do not agree with. What is it that bother me while Macheteamor so far has been on the abstract. I will say if you are going to be critical then let’s see your reasons and also be prepare to defend them.
When I go to any of this blogs who apologized the regime I do not go and ask them why do you write so good about the revolution ? why can you see the spots on the sun?
See is call freedom. Everyone chooses voluntarily to write about what they like or in Yoani’s case don’t like.
On the other hand there is one like Liam who says that Yoani is “so relentlessly negative aboput all things in Cuba”
This is something that bothers me.
When someone confuses Cuba with revolution. Cuba with Fidel Castro. Cuba with the group of people or should I say the little group or the groupies that support Fidel Castro.
I am sure you will agree with me that they are not the same thing.
When I see those statements those are statements that I recognized as very similar or close to the same statements Fidel Castro used to make. Why can we be critical of the revolution? why do we have to be grateful? Why that equivalence between revolution and the people of Cuba?
We know that that equivalence does not exist in reality since for them the streets belong to Fidel. Not to the people of Cuba.
The People of Cuba also include those that are critical of the revolution
include those that are in exile. Those that oppose the revolution and those that have been murder by the revolution.
Those are the groups they always forget to mention or they ignore or they mistreat.
I tell you this. I am sure that if Yoani was writing beautiful things about the revolution she will not have any trouble getting permission to exit and enter in Cuba.
You make ask then why? why some have privileges and other do not?
Because everything for the regime is seen thru a political lens.
If you are critical of the revolution then in their logic you are not one of them.
If you are not one of them then you do not have the same privileges they have. Yes in Cuba you have the freedom to talk everything good you have about the revolution and you can be as critical as you want to be of the US. :-)
Does that sound to you like freedom?
John do not take all my statements above as address to you
I am sure you know and understand what I am saying.
Noviembre 27th, 2009 at 03:27
Sorry if people got the wrong impression from my statement. My little quip is that I think that there is slightly more debate and addressing of divergent opinions going on in Cuba now. Even in the past year or two. I sometimes wish that Yoani would write more about some of these events and people who are also taking very brave steps by hosting, for example, public forums and debates on various topics. The only reason I say this is because hers is the most famous of all the Cuban blogs, so many people who don’t know allot about Cuba look to her site for information. Sometimes I wish she would write more about some of the other movements, events and ideas which are being circulated. But, your right, who am I to criticize her or what she chooses to publish on her blog. I don’t think she is avoiding anything, I think she is incredibly brave and brutally honest about everything she writes.
If I have differences of opinions I’ll post a comment or two when it comes up. As I have in the past. I don’t think its useful to do that here, on this thread, because in the end I think that my differences are minor and my personal opinions are meaningless. I don’t think you want me rehashing my petty opinions on how I personally think the Cuban gov’t should go about phasing out rationing. Honestly, nobody really cares what it think. I am more concerned with reading about and supporting people who have an opinion and a vision for where they would like to see their country go. I am of Cuba, but I don’t live there. In the end, for me, it’s their decision and my little opinions mean nothing. Haha, and that’s my opinion.
Noviembre 27th, 2009 at 01:13
Ms. Jenny Hunches,
Your rhetorical device is sarcasm. If you have something concrete to say, then please say it. We’re all ears. Otherwise…ok, I am being respectful so I’ll restrain myself.
Noviembre 27th, 2009 at 00:52
John Two,
You’re right. Macheteamor doesn’t have to agree with everything Yoani writes and she doesn’t have to open herself to criticism if she does not wish to do that. I am curious to know, however, what it is that Macheteamor thinks Yoani is avoiding. If I were in Yoani’s place, and I don’t pretend for a minute to even begin to comprehend the difficulties she faces, there is a lot that I would avoid and not write about. I doubt if I would have the guts to do what she does. I am sure Yoani chooses her words and her topics very carefully - so it seems a bit ingenuous to me to critique Yoani based on what she chooses not to write about, especially given her perilous situation. I agree with you that this forum is unique in the respect we show each other when we express our views. And we should strive to maintain that respect. If I was disrespectful in how I addressed Macheteamor, it was not meant that way.
Noviembre 27th, 2009 at 00:00
Julio and Hank, with respect I don’t think your insistence that macheteamor outline her minor disagreements with Yoani contributes to this blog being a respectful place. Perhaps you’re just genuinely curious, but it’s really macheteamor’s decision as to whether she wishes to open herself to the criticism of her views that may follow.
macheteamor has occasionally commented on this blog previously. I believe she is on the side of democracy and human rights for the Cuban people. This doesn’t mean she has to agree with everything Yoani writes.
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 22:57
Ms. Jenny Hunches, I get the HUNCH that you are trying to demean Yoani, her work and the work of her fellow bloggers in very difficul and dangerous cirmcumstances. I get the HUNCH that HUNCHES is not your real name, but in the case it is why don you HUNCH over the computer and write something more meaningful.
Humberto Capiro
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 22:14
MacheteAmor
What are the things she chooses not to write about that you think she should?
I am not Yoani and I am not sure what she will respond to your statement but in her defense I will just say this is her blog and she is free or should be free to write anything she likes. If you do not like it there is many others that you may like more. Is that freedom of choice you have you know.
Still we are free ourselves to write in our posts whatever we like
so why don’t you post about those things you think Yoani is lacking?
A blog is not just the post of the person who make the post is actually a combination of the ideas introduce by the person who make the original post and all the subsequent debate that ensues afterward by the many posters with different ideas than the author in pro and con.
So when people come and read if they only read the post by Yoani they do not get the full picture they should also read the post of the people that contribute.
I will love to hear what you have to say.
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 22:04
I am really sad for the Cubans who have to get wet… it must be so cold and depressing to be wet all the time. I wonder if we could wet, sorry, get, a Cuba solidarity campaign going to buy Yoani and her many many friends (gosh! doesn’t she have lots of friends!) some nice umbrellas. But then again, what if they get stolen by the regime? Or worse still, imprisoned. No, maybe we could try and get Yoani to emmigrate to the USA. I think she would be so happy there. The only problem is I don’t know how she would survive writing blogs and taking photographs all day! But then again she could go on benefit and then write against the US government and maybe Obama could write letters to her and send her an umbrella. Gosh, she’s so brave. My heart swells with pride to see someone of such youth and patriotism fight back against evil every single day of her life.
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 20:42
Macheteamor,
Thank you for your answer. I don’t understand your criticism of Yoani. You disagree with her for what she does NOT write about? Really? She risks imprisonment (or worse) for a very, very long time for what she DOES write about. What else would you like to see her write about? Since you are free to say things, and apparently come and go as you please to and from Cuba - what is she not writing about that you would like to expound upon?
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 20:25
Humberto,
So the paranoia continues. A military exercise of this size costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. What a waste. Why not spend it on the infrastructure of the island instead. These old men must really be afraid.
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 20:03
macheteamor, I read Yordanka’s diary entry in its entirety and could find little to find fault with. I have a great deal of respect for the Cuban people and have developed a great deal more reading Cuban bloggers.
I think most of the responsibility for why discussions about Cuba become polarized lies with the Cuban government.
In democratic countries it is completely normal for citizens to criticize their governments. While not always civil, there are all sorts of forums for these political discussions to take place, and at the end of the day we entrust elected leaders to make decisions on our behalf.
Criticizing the Cuban government, however, either gets you branded a counter-revolutionary, or if you’re a Cuban, political persecution and maybe a harsh prison sentence.
Look at the ridiculous attack on Human Rights Watch in Cuban state media. Last year, Human Rights Watch was awarded the international human rights prize by the United Nations on the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. But according to Granma, they are servile agents of Yanqui imperialism.
http://www.granma.cu/ingles/20.....Watch.html
Obviously, none of this is Yordanka’s doing but it does help explain why discussions about Cuba become polarized.
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 19:24
I started to write about my family history, but this is a very (very) public site and would rather choose not to. I’m sorry if this disappoints anyone, or makes anyone distrust me or my opinions. The short answer is, I was raised outside of Cuba when I was very young (not my decision) and I do return often. I agree with pretty much everything Yoani writes about, my disagreements are minor, I think my critique is more with what she chooses not to write about. But the reason I posted the HT article is because I think that she is writing a very personal blog about her experiences. I am free to read other blogs that offer a counter-opinion. I have the freedom to do that…my friends in Cuba do not. This is where I am in 100% agreement with Yoani.
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 17:14
FIDEL AND RAUL ARE FLEXING THEIR DESPERATE MUSCLES!! THEY ARE SO AFRAID OF THE BLOGGERS WITHIN!! GETTING READY FOR ONE OF THE BIGGEST FUNERAL IN HISTORY!!
ASSOCIATED PRESS ARTICLE: Cuba military exercise guards against US invasion
“Analysts say Cuba is more concerned with sending a message to those who would seek to destabilize the country than with an actual military assault.”
“Such a show of force is particularly important, Klepak said, given the open question of who would succeed Fidel and Raul Castro, aged 83 and 78, and because of Cuba’s current economic difficulties.”
http://www.google.com/hostedne.....QD9C7DBJ01
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 16:11
MacheteAmor, I will like to know about your disagreements with what Yoani writes.
What have she wrote that you think on you opinion she is wrong?
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 16:04
Machetamor,
You write in a very moving way, that is wonderful. But you have been asked a very specific question: “why did you leave Cuba? And why don’t you go back? (And I don’t mean that in a nasty way… I’m really curious.”
A lot of us here would like to know your answer.
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 15:59
I also thought this post by a Cuban woman in Germany puts thing into perspective
http://desarraigos.blogspot.co.....ueblo.html
comparing what they did to Reinaldo to the same thing the Nazis did to Jews.
the post is title “the streets do not belong to the people”.
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 15:55
Guys I think you all will enjoy this snippet of Cuban humor
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3y4i.....DDTI-4.jpg
The caption says
Who owns the streets?
Looks like the Spanish inquisition!
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 14:58
I was quoting a HT blogger. But, I am 1/2 Cuban, my father is Cuban and still lives in Havana. Thank you concumbino’s son for your post. I was also raised outside of Cuba, but I still return on a regular basis to see my family. Whenever I return, I feel ashamed, angry, privileged…a whole hurricane of emotions…to be able to travel so freely to this place that I love with all of my heart. I recognize very deeply that the majority of Cubans both on the island and in diaspora cannot travel like I can. And this tortures me sometimes. That’s why I love this blog, because even if I disagree with her at times, I know that she and other young Cubans living there will eventually move to change these conditions.
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 14:06
Concubino,
Many of the universities in the USA and abroad offer overseas programs where you live for weeks, months or a year (not sure more than that). It was a great experience for me living in Florence, Italy. I shared a 400 year old unit in the middle of the city, learned italian, traveled in Europe, African and Middle east with not too much cost. He should check into that if he is interested. Living/studying for a long period of time in a foreign country is a once in a lifetime experience. I even found out that my last name “capiro” is the future tense of “capire” which means to understand.
Humberto Capiro will understand you!
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 13:48
Capiro :small world indeed .My son is going to Italy for a winter break and to do a project right after the holidays.
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 13:40
He is sophomore now (i forgot to mention)
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 13:39
This is my answer to a post by Liam on the prior Yoani’s post
Liam
I am sorry you take Yoani that way
I do not think Yoani is negative about Cuba as you mentioned in
“so relentlessly negative aboput all things in Cuba”
She is critical of the Cuban regime just like we are critical of any government that does not do what we will like here in the US. If you are American you should know we can be even more critical than Yoani in this country.
As for “They are proud of their country” it seems to me that you are implying that Yoani is not. As always there is this interchange between Country and Cuban Regime.
Allow me please to remind you that Cuba is not Fidel Castro
Cuba is not the revolution
Cuba is not the totalitarian regime that oppresses people freedom and beat helpless women for the simple fact of been critical of the government. So I am not sure if you have seem the beating they orchestrated and organized by the regime against Reinaldo but tell me does that looks to you like people are allow to voice their opinions?
Interesting you point things are not black and white all the time but the regime has always claim either you are with me or against me.
They portrait everything black and white.
For example Yoani is in favor of lifting the ban for Americans to travel to Cuba
Should I remind you the Cuban government has denied her that right!
Yoani also has pronounce herself in favor of eliminating the embargo
so as you see you are guilty of portraying things in Black and White too.
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 13:38
Andy,
Thanks. Needless to say I’m so proud of him. He won a full ride academic Scholarship at Oberlin College in Ohio(ranked #22 US News & world Report).
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 13:36
Concubino’s Son,
You bring tears to my eyes. Thank you for writing and telling us about your experiences. Talking about your family, your abuela, tu tia, that gets to me. I knew my abuela y mi abuelo. But that’s about it. No one else. Mis primos, mis tios y tias, none of them. I never met them. The maternal half of my family is completely unknown to me. I too am second generation, but I don’t want to go to Cuba. Not the way it is now, maybe someday. You were brave to do it and I don’t fault you for it at all. I am so sad about what I missed, it makes me cry.
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 13:32
Julio he is 19.
Capiro.
I was born in Havana.When I finished medical school I was sent to Sancti Spiritus to serve my social service , there i met my first wife and my first son( the one who just posted) was born there.
I served my social service in Guasimal, Tunas de Zaza, Banao, Guayos and the last year anad half I was in Cabaiguan.
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 13:24
To Concubino & Concubino’s son,
Small world! I was born in Cabaiguan, raised in Guayos and spent quite a bit of time in Sancti Spiritus where several of my uncles and aunts lived. I came here when I was 9 and had some of the same issues of identity. Luckily I got educated, thanks to the US govement’s help, lived in Italy during my last year of architecture school and traveled a bit within that continent. I am a “sampler”, from food to culture and is this interest in learning that defines me. I danced many quinceaneras and listened and seen live, Celia Cruz, Los Van Van, Issac Delgado, Albita and many more great cuban artist which gave me a lot cultural perspective on Cuba and Cubans without the trappings of politics. I traveled to Cuba 4 times to visit my father’s grave and took my family all over the island so they could see it like I wanted to. I really dont feel 100% confortable in Cuba while I feel pretty confortable here in the USA with my Cuban Experiences in music, art, theater to keep me conneccted. I love Cuba from afar like a long distance lover that one romanticises about, with her beauty and grace and I will do whatever I can to make her life better.
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 13:21
Likewise Concubino
I did enjoy a lot your Son’s comments it will be a breath of fresh air here
How old is he?
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 13:14
This is exactly what we have discuss before about how the Cuban regime does use the scarcity so people are force to do illegal things so if you start to be vocal against the regime they can place you in prison not because you are vocal but for other charges!
Again that kind of behavior from the revolution reminds me about the way the Mafia works.
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 13:12
to Concubino — you must be proud beyond belief to have such a son!!!!!
to Concubino’s son — thank you so much for posting… we never get your perspective here… and we need it… please stay a while… your comments really enrich the discussion not to mention touch my heart.
Part of what you describe is the Cuban story, of course, but part is the story of emigrants and exiles everywhere — and so beautifully told.
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 13:01
Julio,
Yes, Dr Darsi Ferrer is in prision . He was caught with a couple of cement bags illegally bought according to the police report , he was trying to improve his modest house that it has been so damaged precisily by the rain
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 12:39
Hi
First off I want to thank you all for keeping my dad company these past couple of months. He is constantly talking about these blogs, planning out what he is going to say, and making vague references to news that is kept in the dark until this blog sheds some light on them. But the best thing about my dad being a blogger, however, is that he is more excited now about something than I have seen him in a long time.
My dad asked me to write about my experiences in Cuba but when he asked me to do this I got a little bit angry. Not because he asked me to do this but because I wish I had more natural Cuban experiences to write about. It seems appropriate to talk about the rain since this is the topic of this blog.
When we first came to America my mother and father did not think that we would be returning to Cuba for a long time. Luckily we were able to a couple of years later. I remember my mother and me taking one of those 1950’s Buicks to Sancti Spiritus where I was born. My mother and father had decided to split my time between both of my families and I was going to spend the first ten days with her and my maternal family. Driving up to the dingy one room house in Colon and hugging my grandmother made me feel more at home than anywhere else I had ever been. I soon synched up with my guajiro spirit and made fast friends with the local kids, two of whom I still hang out with every time I go back, and we would play with each other every day. My favorite part of the day was waiting for the daily afternoon shower where the three of us would rush outside to get soaked. For me, that was both a moment of euphoria and sadness. Euphoria because it was the most free and happy I have ever felt. But also sadness because I knew that soon not only would the shower end but I would be going back home to my new home the states.
Being born in Cuba but moving to the United States so quickly after I was born makes it hard to be a part of the Cuban Diaspora. Because I left so early I tend to romanticize Cuba like many of the other second generation Cubans in America who don’t understand the struggle and suffering that is the reality of the island. But unlike those second generation Cubans who can conceptualize the suffering but not truly understand it I am able to put a face to the struggle. Whether it is my father, my mother, my tĂa Tita or my abuela Noemi. It is because of this that I always feel torn. ÂżWhat culture do I really belong to? ÂżAnd more importantly what do I do about it once I accept the ambiguity of my situation? These are questions that I am still trying to figure out. Hopefully learning more about the issues in school, some of which I am blissfully ignorant of, will enable me to do something more in the future. In the meantime I am going to try and spread the word about this blog in my school and do my best to do the best that I can as Cuban (American).
-thanks
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 12:26
Mushba — I second that! Welcome back!!!!!
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 12:08
ANOTHER GROUP ON FACEBOOK TO SUPPORT YOANI, THIS ONE IN ITALIAN.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/.....amp;v=wall
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 11:48
Concubino
I am not sure if you know but Doctor Darsi Ferrer that appears on the documentary you showed about the lies from Michael Moore
is in prison!
http://www.cubaencuentro.com/e.....rer-195847
http://www.cubaencuentro.com/e.....nto-196192
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 11:35
Andy, macheteamor was quoting a Havana Times diarist in #46. I agree with her that Yordanka’s (another Y) diary entry was very interesting and thought provoking.
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 11:31
Machetera is a good writer , so I going to let my son respond.
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 10:28
Mushba
Welcome back we miss you here.
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 09:47
*i added the wrong address of my site* :-$
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 09:46
thats exactly what happens here!You always amaze me with what you highlight,it seems to be similar to here in one way or another.Here you think we’d get use to rain after all these years,but no;the development of flyovers & underpasses only become hazards when it rains,& especially recently;the last rains that hit,hit hard,& turned the city into Venice & Hell;people lost their homes,some areas were filled waist up for days, children drowned in deep areas of their neighborhood,the electricity was out for atleast 3 or 4 days,electricity wires broke & hung,& life was at a very odd halt.Though i love the rain with all my soul for so many personal reasons,many hate it because of the hazards it brings. :-(
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 09:42
macheeamor — why did you leave Cuba? And why don’t you go back? (And I don’t mean that in a nasty way… I’m really curious)
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 09:05
Concubino,
That’s the spirit! I’ll wait a little and then invite her. I doubt she’ll come, but what the hell, it’s worth a try!
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 05:38
un contributo dalla Ciociaria vai avanti
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 02:04
One of my most beautiful memories of Cuba is running from the rain on the Malecon hand in hand with my boyfriend, a day or two after the July 26th celebrations, in the midst of a crowd departing from a large free concert featuring Los Van Van and others. Buses, cabs, umbrellas, bags everyone running for cover. We ended up in a doorway, wet but warm, from the tropical downpour. Never mind that the day before, during a similar storm, he was more than an hour late meeting me for lunch…shoes and clothes soaking wet, carrying a white umbrella and a sheepish look on his face. I think that, maybe, it’s the rain the I miss the most…and the lightning…and the thunder. These tropical storms happen everywhere, but seem so unique in Cuba. They are hard, hot, fast and sometimes treacherous.
Allot of people in the United States are taking about lifting the embargo and the travel ban etc… And specifically mentioning and invoking Yoani. I am reminded of a very touching post by Yordanka Caridad on Havana Times. So many people invoke Yoani, both for and against various causes. Can’t we just accept her voice for what it is… a powerful, strong women speaking her personal truth amidst the downpour of dogmatism, sectarianism, authoritarianism and ideological narrow-mindedness.
http://www.havanatimes.org/?p=10896
I am Cuban, give me some respect
“I am from Cuba. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be Jamaican, Dutch, or South African. Why? Right now, while you read my thoughts, more than half of you have already begun to judge me.”
“Why? Because for too many people, being Cuban is a moral, or even more so, a political matter.”
“And I can assure you that for me this is more exhausting than waiting three hours in the sun to pay the telephone bill or whatever other bureaucratic paperwork is constantly stifling us.”
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 01:38
Bring her on!
Noviembre 26th, 2009 at 01:01
Friends,
Does anyone object to my inviting Chicamacha (Machetera) to this forum to discuss the issues that divide us? I would like to do so, but if you do not agree, then I won’t.
Noviembre 25th, 2009 at 23:17
I’m pleased some of you were moved by the MLK quote I posted way back in #5. It’s one of my favorites. Concubino asked if silence could sometimes mean complicity. I wouldn’t go that far, but in some cases silence could mean consent. But most of the time, silence is just that - silence. If I were putting myself and my loved ones at great peril for no other reason than exercising my universal human rights, I can’t imagine a worse feeling than having my actions greeted with silence by those who I was counting on to support me.
Concubino asked in the last thread what motivates those of us who are non-Cubans to be in solidarity with those seeking democracy and respect for human rights in Cuba. I don’t speak for anyone other than myself, but this is my attempt at an answer.
Noviembre 25th, 2009 at 22:55
Thanks guys, I really appreciate your answers. You all rock. Happy Thanksgiving to you!
Noviembre 25th, 2009 at 22:37
Concubino I was looking at the part where Michael More claims the Americans can go to any Hospital in Cuba and be treated without insurance and was thinking wow. Fidel will be in trouble if the drop the restriction to travel for Americans. :-)
I guess then they will say no we can not take all of you for free :-)
That will be the excuse then
I just can not believe some Americans will be so gullible as to believe the lies on Michael Moore video.
Noviembre 25th, 2009 at 22:29
Scroll down this page “Made in Usa” is the name of the post, her husband Reinaldo Escobar is against the embargo too.
Noviembre 25th, 2009 at 22:18
Yoani is against the embargo
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/.....61696.html
Noviembre 25th, 2009 at 22:14
Tracy:
We would like to present you with the real Michael Moore
http://www.elnuevoherald.com/n.....2-t34.html
Noviembre 25th, 2009 at 22:10
To Hank
Noviembre 25th, 2009 at 21:08
Guys,
Can someone direct me to a statement that Yoani has made, for or against continuing the embargo? Sorry to raise this issue again.
DONT KNOW ABOUT THE EMBARGO TOTALLY BUT SHE IS CLEAR ABOUT THE TRAVEL BAN!
MIAMI HERALD ARTICLE: Yoani Sanchez’s letter to Rep. Howard Berman
“Over the course of several decades, Cuban exiles and tourists have brought part of the information that has served to undermine the myth of the supposed “paradise” in which we live. The interchange among family and friends on both sides of the Florida Straits became a source of news of what happens outside and inside our borders. There is nothing more corrosive for a state that holds itself up as the father and savior of a nation, than the testimony of those who, in other latitudes, have greater space to realize their dreams and greater tolerance for their opinions. In the midst of a state information monopoly, the arrival of newspapers, magazines, anecdotes, and information carried in luggage by these welcome visitors comes as a balm.”
http://www.miamiherald.com/new.....42595.html
Noviembre 25th, 2009 at 21:33
Yoani:
Just a small piece of advise: You and Reinaldo should go to the nicest beach you can find - Santa Maria, etc. - take a day or more off to walk it and relax. You both deserve it.
Noviembre 25th, 2009 at 21:25
Yoani, thanks for a great article. Rain drops and gray clouds always bring deep appreciation for what would otherwise pass as the trivial and repetitive unraveling of life.
In this case we have a petty regime, with a small man at its center, riddled with a barrage of Napoleonic shortcomings. It denies signs of failures at every turn. Inclement tropical weather has beaten it back into a marabu bunker. Its arthritic cavalry no longer can hold their weapons firmly at hand. In its distorted mental state it finds itself incapable of recognizing that its Waterloo is fast approaching and that time and its many enemies are not on its side.
Tomorrow is another day, and the sun will rise and reward those who are fresh with passion who can stand up and take its energizing embrace.
Noviembre 25th, 2009 at 21:25
This has got to be a classic Yoani!
Talking about the embargo..
I grew up repudiating the blockade, not because I swallowed the line about the country we could be if the blockade weren’t preventing it, but simply because they tried to explain that everything that wasn’t working was a result of it.
If my friends were leaving the country en masse, it was because of the United States policy of harassment; if the cockroaches were crawling all over the walls at the maternity hospital, it was the fault of the North Americans; even if a meeting at the university expelled a critical colleague, they explained to us that he had fallen under the ideological influence of the enemy. Today, everything begins and ends with the blockade. No one seems to remember the days when they promised us paradise, when they told us that nothing — not even the economic sanctions — would prevent us from leaving behind our underdevelopment.
Noviembre 25th, 2009 at 21:23
I’d like to see the answer to Hank’s question, too; it would be interesting to know what she thinks of the embargo.
Also, in light of the Michael Moore movie “Sicko”, wherein he hails the virtues and benefits of the Cuban medical system over the American system, does Yoani have any comments about it?
Noviembre 25th, 2009 at 21:21
Hank I am reposting the comment made by our friend Andy where she talks about the embargo
This is what Andy posted
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/.....37815.html
This article by Yoani in the Huffington Post is titled: The U.S. Embargo: A convenient Excuse for Cuba’s Own failures.
She says:
“If my friends were leaving the country en masse, it was because of the United States policy of harassment; if the cockroaches were crawling all over the walls at the maternity hospital, it was the fault of the North Americans; even if a meeting at the university expelled a critical colleague, they explained to us that he had fallen under the ideological influence of the enemy. Today, everything begins and ends with the blockade. No one seems to remember the days when they promised us paradise, when they told us that nothing — not even the economic sanctions — would prevent us from leaving behind our underdevelopment.”
Noviembre 25th, 2009 at 21:08
Guys,
Can someone direct me to a statement that Yoani has made, for or against continuing the embargo? Sorry to raise this issue again.
Noviembre 25th, 2009 at 21:08
Concubino
I was also in Cuba when the first interview
At that time I was starting to wakeup and understand the harsh reality around me
I think I was either 12 or 13 years old.
Noviembre 25th, 2009 at 20:42
Tracy
I like your comment(25).
Statue
I was reading your comment(193)from last post.You are right about that.
Noviembre 25th, 2009 at 20:12
24
concubino
Noviembre 25th, 2009 at 19:40
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Welcome Concubino….. at least something “good” brought us the inefficient construction systems of castro regimen….. no memories, no monuments !!!!!
Noviembre 25th, 2009 at 20:05
I actually lost my umbrella not long ago. I’ve lost many of them, actually, and I hardly noticed that I’d lost yet another. I simply bought a new one, feeling annoyed that they didn’t have the purse-sized umbrellas I like.
I’ve always felt very lucky, but as tomorrow is Thanksgiving, you’ve given me one more thing for which to give thanks.
Noviembre 25th, 2009 at 19:40
I’m talking about the first interview done more than 25 years ago…
Sigmund I saw your comment in the Spanish section and i thought about posting it here, I’m glad you did it yourself. Thanks
Noviembre 25th, 2009 at 19:38
THIS AN ARTICLE WRITTEN A WHILE AGO BUT I WAS STRUCK BY YOANI’S STATEMENT! UNFORTUNATELY EVEN RESPECTFUL WRITTING CAN GET YOU AND YOUR FREINDS BEAT UP!!
NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO:Cuba Bars Blogger from Accepting Award in Spain
“She says one of her missions is to civilize the discourse in Cuba, to oppose what she says is a tendency among Cubans to denounce each other with ugly names, engaging in what she calls “verbal violence.” She thinks one reason she hasn’t been directly harassed by the government in spite of her critical commentaries is because she writes respectfully.”
http://www.npr.org/templates/s.....d=90268442
Noviembre 25th, 2009 at 19:30
“Leaking roofs are common, especially in the construction of the last fifty years; homes, offices, schools and hospitals, and even stores suffer repeated losses because of them. Collapses, now typical in the urban landscape, are not the result of bombardments of imperialisÂm…..”
Thanks God no a single building built in the last 50 years will survive our sons….. in such way our grandchildren will avoid to live together with “monuments” of this dark age….. our grandchildren could not say, like us today do pointing the buildings our grandfathers built, “look this one was built by president Estrada, this other was built by president Grau or Prio or Menocal”.
No materials memories will be left by this tyrant, only horror, dead and suffering.
Noviembre 25th, 2009 at 19:26
Julio
I did not commented about your link because I was in the Island when the interview was aired.I recalled very well.The interview was not a such if you watched carefully.
Later in life I found why. Barbara Walters confessed that she had a big crush in Castro.Therefore the interview was biased from the get go..
Noviembre 25th, 2009 at 19:02
The MLK quotes are excellent and truly moving. I hope MLK was right about the arc of history. He was a visionary and an optimist. Why is it that the visionaries and good people are killed, while the truly evil persist?
I watched the video Julio posted of the Barbara Walters interview with Fidel. It angered me because she could have asked much more demanding questions and done a more thorough job as a journalist. In this country, the press (however you define it) is practically a fourth branch of government. She should have used that opportunity but she squandered it.
Instead, Barbara seemed to coddle Fidel - she was obviously thrilled to be in his presence. Maybe that’s how she got the interview in the first place, because Fidel knew all her questions would be softballs. I wonder how she prepared, did she ask Cuban exiles what questions they would like answers to? She could have asked specific questions about political prisoners and the conditions in Cuban jails. The list is endless.
I think I heard Fidel say during the interview that freedom of the press does not exist in Cuba. Without that, how can freedom of expression or anything else akin to freedom exist? It is all so tiresome, arguing against these false premises.
Noviembre 25th, 2009 at 18:13
That’s beutiful Andy
it is amazing how diferentated people for different reasons have to
strugle to gain freedom!