Report Card for WaPo piece on Cuban Revolution's 50th Anniversary

Here's the sixth in a series of report cards on coverage of the Cuban revolution's 50th anniversary. I am using this grading system which is written from castro, inc's point of view.

This piece is from the Washington Post. If the New York Times has been fidel castro's right hand then the Post has been his left.

+10 for referring to Raul as "president"

+10 for referring to U.S. embargo as a cause for Cuba's economic difficulty

+10 for referring to Batista as a dictator without using the same language to describe the castro brothers, +5 BONUS points for saying that Batista was "despised"

+10 for pointing out that the regime has outlived 10 U.S. administrations, +5 BONUS points for saying that those administrations have been "mostly hostile"

+10 for mentioning "reforms" introduced by raul castro

+40 for mentioning that the regime provides "food rations, medical care, housing and education."

-10 for pointing out that many Cubans have risked their lives to escape the workers paradise

-10 for using the word "communist"

-10 for mentioning that Cubans can't afford to buy the previously banned articles on their government salaries

Verdict: +70, a worthy effort by the Post on behalf of the regime. 822 words and not a single mention of firing squads, political prisoners, human rights abuses, dissidents, etc. A commendation is in order.

Posted by Henry Louis Gomez at January 2, 2009 01:01 AM

Comments

Posted by: Lazaro at January 2, 2009 08:58 AM