Babalu Blog: Is Foresight 20/20? (UPDATED!)

September 14, 2007

Is Foresight 20/20? (UPDATED!)

Will tonight's John Stossel Cuba segment on 20/20 put fidel castro's "healthcare" system under the microscope or will it be just another typical MSM Cuba report, full of sound and rumbas, signifying nothing? Let's all watch and see. Tonight, ABC, 10 pm.

There's a couple of great related posts at Newsbusters, here and definitely here.

Im sure there are certain elements of the Cuban government right now in super damage control mode. And the castroite spin doctors are probably working overtime, with their "reports" most assuredly already written and waiting in the wings. Look for a quick response from the Cuban government, either during or immediately after the broadcast or a media "blitz" in tomorrow's Cuban media cycle.

I can pretty much tell you all right now that John Stossel will have his journalistic integrity questioned. George of The Real Cuba and any other Cuban exiles interviewed will be described as Miami Mafiosos and any dissidents and/or Cubans interviewed will be made out to be lackeys of the intansingent Miami Mafia and the evil imperialist Yanqui empire. Along with, of course, the usual Cuban government smoke and mirrors and finger pointing.

We're not sure we can count on ABC yet, but we can certainly count on the Cuban government's response, as sure as the sun will rise tomorrow.

UPDATE: Looks like the Cuban government won. George of The Real Cuba reports:

Tonight's 20/20 program will not have a segment about Cuba
I have received many e-mails asking people to watch tonight's 20/20 program because it is going to have a segment dedicated to health care in Cuba.

This is incorrect. Tonight's program compares health care in the US with socialized health care in Canada, the UK and France.

Cuba will not be covered as part of this program.

ABC has much more material, including many videos taken inside Cuba, but they have decided not to air them, at least for now.

Last week's segment was too short because I guess that Stossel and others at ABC didn't think that there was going to be much interest about Cuba.

Now they seem to be surprised at the amount of interest raised by such a short piece. There are over 400 messages posted on the ABC website about this particular program.

I am looking at other channels to make these videos public.

There were several people in Cuba who took grave risks to gather this material, because they wanted the world to know the reality of Cuba's healthcare.

These videos need to be shown, and I will do everything that I can to make sure that they are made public

Oppression 1, Journalistic integrity 0.

Moreover, George has been under surveillance and is being threatened:

A warning to those issuing veiled threats and stalking me
In early August, when I went out late at night to walk my dog, I noticed a white SUV with the lights on and the motor running in the middle of the block.

The driver was pulling back and then go forward as if he was looking for an address.

After a few minutes, I went inside the house and looked through the window and saw that the SUV was now parked in front of my house and the driver was taking photos with a cell phone.

I went out through the back door and was able to get his license plate.

A few days later, I noticed that a guy who uses the screen name WHAPUM@aol.com was posting messages on the America On Line Cuba forum making references to certain things that are outside my house. I realized that this person, or a friend of his, was the one who had been taking pictures of my house a few nights earlier and that their intention was to let me know that they knew where I lived, thinking that by doing so I was going to get intimidated and stop my denunciation of the brutal Cuban regime.

After Friday’s 20/20 program, where the reality of Cuba’s health care was exposed, their threats have become more direct.

Here is part of what this individual, WHAPUM@aol.com, posted on Thursday of this week: “I know where you live and how you live and what you are worth. I know what you paid for your barrio and I also know what you look like.”

So I think that it's time to explain to these morons that what they are doing, threatening and stalking other people, is ILLEGAL. This is a country of laws. If you choose to live here you MUST obey the law. This is not Cuba where you can call an “act of repudiation” and bring a group of coward thugs to beat on people who do not agree with the regime.

Those cowards who think that they can hide anonymously behind a screen name to threaten and harass others, are wrong. When you break the law, AOL is obligated to reveal your identity when asked by the authorities.

If I should feel the need to do so, I will forward to the authorities all the information I have. However, as a man of reason my suggestion to those Castro lovers who do not like the views that are being expressed on this website is to take two Zanacs and a cup of Imodium and sit tight. I will not be intimidated!

Posted by Val Prieto at September 14, 2007 04:51 PM

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Comments

I'll be reserving my judgment until I've seen the segment. I felt Stossell had really been truthful in trying to pin Moore against the wall in that 4.5 minute teaser piece they did and well, I actually have some faith this time around.

Posted by: CubaWatch at September 14, 2007 04:55 PM

I was reading about Dr.Hilda Molina yesterday. It appears that she turned against the government after they converted the hospital that Moore states is for average Cubans into one specifically for the elite and toursit dollars...

Posted by: hsilio at September 14, 2007 05:18 PM

I take it ABC got threatened with the loss of their Havana Bureau?

Posted by: Zhangliqun at September 14, 2007 05:35 PM

George tranquilo pero be alert at all times for now

Posted by: Abajofidel at September 14, 2007 05:56 PM

CubaWatcher, the only reason why that piece was shown last week, was because the producer fought tooth and nail to get this story aired. It was supposed to be a segment, but Stossel and others at ABC kept shortening it until it was just a promo for this week's program. There is a ton of information including videos taken inside Cuban hospitals, that were not aired. Fortunately, I have a copy of those videos and will do everything that I can to make sure that they are aired.

Posted by: therealcuba at September 14, 2007 06:03 PM

I've been over to the Stossel site and the number of e-mails seems to be shrinking. Unless I got the wrong link or something, from the 400 claimed here it went down to 75 I saw earlier this afternoon and then 34 just now. Guess they must be purging.

Posted by: Zhangliqun at September 14, 2007 06:15 PM

All signs point to Zhangliqun's hypothesis - ABC honchos in Havana have been threatened with expulsion. This, in and of itself, is a story.

Posted by: CubaWatch at September 14, 2007 06:17 PM

This is the link that I was referring to and it has now 412 messages:
http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=3568278&page=1

Posted by: therealcuba at September 14, 2007 06:24 PM

therealcuba:

You are correct. I had the wrong link. Scratch my previous comment on that.

Posted by: Zhangliqun at September 14, 2007 07:16 PM

I email the SOB threatening George with a warning if he ever bothers George again his ass is mine... Everyone should flood this email box with similar warnings

Posted by: Tomas Estrada-Palma at September 14, 2007 08:44 PM

Val,

Love your "sound and rumbas, signifying nothing" quote.

And yes, it's from Macbeth.

Posted by: Robert at September 14, 2007 08:47 PM

Actually Robert, it's from Macberto, the Santiago version of the Scottish play...

Posted by: George L. Moneo at September 14, 2007 08:54 PM

I'm watching the 20/20 special right now and though it doesn't address Cuba today, it's 100% on point.

Posted by: Henry "Conductor" Gomez at September 14, 2007 10:44 PM

September 14, 2007

Is Foresight 20/20? (UPDATED!)

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