February 19, 2008
The Broken Record
This morning as I sat down to drink my coffee, I flipped on the radio to the BBC World Service to see just what type of coverage the European new outlets were providing with regards to fifo’s “official retirement” announcement. I was not at all surprised at what I heard.
The story focused on the origins of the revolution and a vivid – if fictional – portrayal of what pre-Castro Cuba was really like. Allow me to break down the story in the standard bullet points:
• The island of Cuba was run by the American mafia.
• Cuba was an impoverished third-world country with a tiny minority of wealthy landowners pitted against the lowly working class.
• Healthcare was abysmal.
• Cuba was nothing more than a playground for American tourists.
• Enter Fidel Castro – the benevolent Christ-like leader who strode down from the jungles of the Sierra Maestra to rescue his people from the clutches of hedonism and imperialism. Feel free to toss in a few more “isms” should you feel the need.
In a nutshell, what I heard was yet another example of the blatant prejudice and racism that has so mired the Cuban people – both on and off the island – for decades. “Golly gee, those Cubans were nothing more than a dumb sack o’ potatoes being used by Batista until good ol’ Fidel came down and straightened things out. Them boys need a strong arm dictator to keep them in line.”
The denial of reality is simply incredible. “Cuba was run by the American mafia?” Now, sure, the mob was down in Havana, in much the same way it sprouts its ugly head in any big city. By this logic however, we should be condemning New York City and London as being run by the Cosa-Nostra. Give me a break. Note to BBC correspondents: please turn off the Godfather series on your DVD players. Coppola movies do not pass as research material. Got that?
“Cuba was an impoverished third world country?” For crying out loud, even UN statistics will negate this idea. Where is the logic in categorizing one of the strongest economies in Latin America, a nation whose peso was valued above the U.S. dollar, an island with a myriad of its own industries – from shipbuilding to nickel mining – run by CUBAN business owners, as an “impoverished third world country?” What?
“Healthcare was abysmal?” For a nominal monthly fee (and I emphasize the phrase “nominal”), Cubans were enrolled in a system of polyclinics that provided technologically advanced, first-rate care. Oh, by the way, education was free as well – that was certainly not the result of any Castro-spearheaded effort.
“Enter the benevolent Christ-like leader?” Right, I’m sure Christ really enjoyed ordering people up in front of cave walls in Palestine to take an arrow to the head. This reminds of something my mother once said about January 8, 1959 (the date Fidel and Co. rode into Havana): “They would walk into Catholic churches with rosary beads around their heads and end up genuflecting on the wrong knee. It was all a big charade.”
Well folks, the “big charade” never really ended. BBC, just like dozens of other news outlets, continue to work with the dictatorship to perpetuate the misery that has surrounded the Pearl of the Antilles for 50 long years. They are guilty – every single one of them – for taking Herbert Matthews’ lead and ensuring the perpetual enslavement of some 12-million people.
It sickens the stomach.
Wasn’t even able to finish my coffee, damnit!
Posted by at February 19, 2008 09:55 AM
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Comments
I am having trouble digesting the posts on various message boards I visit from idiots who know nothing about Cuba and its true history... friggin world filled with jackasses.
Posted by: tarznatz ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.babalublog.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at February 19, 2008 10:14 AM
For a good laugh read below - the BBC might be getting their info there.
It's a satire on how the left tells wacky stories on Cuba.
Or google the phrase below:
A Short History of Cuba's Criminal Families
Posted by: mandingo at February 19, 2008 11:17 AM
Any reporters who refer to Castro as a president can't really be expected to have sense of what Cuban history actually is. It's too bad. It perpetuates asininity.
Posted by: dramaturge at February 19, 2008 12:29 PM
1000 inhabitants per MD in 1957. Absolutely third worldish!(sarcasm ) Better than a number of countreies in Europe! A PSF commenting at a Ven Blog said that a good example of the lousy health care in Cuba was that in a certain rural area there were 2000 inhabitants per MD.While that is most likely accurate,as Havana would have more MDs than would the countryside, very few countries in 1959 had overall as few as 2000 inhabitants per MD.
Posted by: GringoTex at February 19, 2008 01:39 PM
You forgot one thing: The other day ('bout a month or so ago) in either Discovery or History en Espanol hubby and I were watching something about the Mafia in Cuba and Batista. Don't remember the exact theme.
All I know is that they covered your points 1,2 and 3 above. So after they said all those three things came this: "women had no choice but to turn to prostitution to survive".
I jumped out of my bed and started ranting and raving to the television that no woman in my family had been "forced" into any type of prostitution - they all worked for a living.
Posted by: La Ventanita at February 19, 2008 02:54 PM
Wait a minute. Speaking of ""women had no choice but to turn to prostitution to survive."
You're sure they weren't speaking of modern-day Cuba?
Posted by: CubaWatch at February 19, 2008 03:12 PM
As sure as I know who I am. That's why I almost had the heart attack. Part of the propaganda is that we were all starving thanks to the being the American playground yada yada yada women back then had no choice but to become prostitutes.
I think my husband thought I needed a valium.
Posted by: La Ventanita at February 19, 2008 04:50 PM
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