Castro "no show" for Cuba Mayday

by Duine Wed May 02, 2007 14:22

Tá 80 blian d'aois aige. Lig dó.

El pueblo, unido, jamás será vincidó!

by - Tue May 01, 2007 22:07

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6610369.stm

"let's not eff this transition up"................... Fidel is an icon. A quick look at the gallery today will show you the sort of people who not only wanted to see him appear today - but really needed him to appear. Anarchists and genuine leftists can not argue for "regime change" in states like Ireland if they are so reliant on the presence of an octogenarian at the helm of Cuba. Yes- much (but not all) of the problems of the Cuban people have been caused by the USA blockade which until recent years and the diplomatic efforts of the Spanish socialist presidency also included a EU embargo on commerce and aid. Yes - unique amongst the northern hemisphere the young of Cuba may look forward to a university education complete with idealogical training and their grandparents count on 4eu a month disposable income topped up with a daily allowance of protein (mostly beans - rarely dried fish) and carbohydrate.
Yes - the ancient cars still work. No - there is no freedom of movement, association, speech or in any sense a democratic participation.

But that ought be seen for what it is - 20th century anachronism.

South America and Latin America are changing quickly, quicker perhaps than African or Oriental states. the Peoples' republic of China in the last 7 years has switched from shoring up the Albanian regime in Europe to becoming one the main sponsors of development in Africa (most notably involving herself in hydrocarbon resource exploitation in sub-saharan africa, liberia and Ethiopia) as well as South America. But we want China to free her own lumpen proletariat too......

We must always be mindful of the "rules of play" our support for individuals see come into general or accepted use. If we had as a political generation on the left unwaveringly supported Richard Mugabe from his early 80's revolutionary arrival to the last years - we would have been hypocrites. Yet Mugabe said and still does say "much of the right things". Likewise now many of us must realise that if we are not critical with Cuba and with Venezuela - then not only do we run the risk of Garcia in Peru adopting a rightist "decree presidency" we also allow by our own "neglect to criticise" a terrifying new breed of "enabling acts" and "non-democratic yet populist regimes" in Africa as in Asia.

I for one - have never thought the struggle for workers' rights, Mayday, Liberty meant a global economy not undreamt of by Nixon emerge reliant on Chinese or other proletarian workers sweat and toil.

Let us send the customary good wishes to our friends! VENCEREMOS!
but let us also be honest with them. Gracias Fidel "for staying at home". It's over now. We're not going to let Gloria Estafan convert Cuba into a US liberal economy and leave those grandparents without their daily allowance of beans and rare treat of salt-fish. But we're not turning blind eyes to the Cuban prisons filled with those who merely mouthed words "we do over here".

Liberty is not negotiable. We have established Liberty is not a US or right wing thing. But we have not ensured its meaning is _really felt_ from Havana to La Paz to Caracas to Moscow to Beijing.

your enemy's enemy is only your friend and ally if they listen to you.