CB is at it again.

New possible campaigns for Web CEO. Just don't be drinking milk in front of your computer when you click here.

Definitions, and a Murderer Named Ernesto

Or, Che Guevara est mortuus

Heard a Mexican-American caller last night on local talk radio berating the Cuban-American community for its lack of support of this week's protests by La Raza, etal, around the country. His gripe, as you can imagine, was that according to him, Cuban "immigrants" get special treatment from the US government. And since we all speak Spanish, you see, we are all the same and thus, the Cuban-American community has betrayed their "Latino" and "Hispanic" brothers and sisters in arms because we didn't support their cause while receiving said preferential treatment.

Since so many of the protesters are skipping school to take back their lands via la Reconquista, I thought I'd offer up a quick vocabulary lesson that will hopefully clear up the "we're the same" misconception:

ref·u·gee n. One who flees in search of refuge, as in times of war, political oppression, or religious persecution.

im·mi·grant n. A person who leaves one country to settle permanently in another.

Contrary to what today's media prefers to call Cubans who risk their lives to reach US shores - lately the term has been "migrants" - those Cubans are fleeing political oppression and are, thus, refugees. As I stated in a previous post, when Mexican "migrants" are faced with systematic violations of every basic human and civil right as the people of Cuba are, then perhaps I would accept a similarity.

What I will never accept, however, is the undignified treatment of a symbol of the United States of America under the caveat that as a "latino" or "hispanic" it is done on my behalf. While this country may not be perfect, it offered me refuge and the freedom to be me and I take great umbrage when an American flag is desecrated supposedly in my name. That's my flag that was being burned. That's my flag that was being hung upside-down and below the flag of another nation on my own soil.

And if disrespecting my American flag wasn't enough, many of these protesters are proudly donning the image of the Butcher of La Cabaña himself, none other than che guevara:

Now, if you think you can criticize me for not supporting your protest while insulting me by desecrating the flag of the country that has taken my family in and offered me liberty and prosperity, and then all the while proudly displaying the image of a man who murdered countless of Cubans and was instrumental in the destruction of my country of birth and the reason for my family having to seek refuge in the first place, you got another thing coming.

That man on your t-shirt stands for everything that I and my community detest and what we passionately and painstakingly fight against. And too many courageous and noble Americans and Cubans gave their lives fighting the likes of the very same man whom you seem to revere. So don't come to me asking for my support. Youre not going to get it. I dont care what your cause is. Not while I still breathe and you're lauding che guevara.

And if I may offer a few words of advise to my protesting "brothers and sisters": Before you choose a hero like che guevara for your cause, better do your homework first. Here's a start:

The Real Che Guevara
Guevara: Anatomy of a Myth.
The Real Che by Anthony Daniels
The Killing Machine
Ruthless Killer
Che Guevara
Murdered by Che
Debunking the Che Myth

A plan to defeat Jihad -- and it'll never be implemented

A few months back, I finished a book titled The Sword of the Prophet, written by Serge Trifkovic, former BBC commentator, and reporter for US NEWS and World Report. It was a fascinating history of the practice of Jihad: unvarnished, very politically incorrect, and full of references to the source documents of Islam, the Koran and the Hadith. An interview with Mr. Trifkovic was published today by FrontPage Magazine regarding his new book, Defeating Jihad. He has brilliantly stated the sad state in which we find ourselves in the so-called “War on Terror” and lack of resolve on the part of the West. Here’s a little taste of the interview:

All Americans -- real Americans, that is, and not those who falsely take the oath of citizenship but continue to preach jihad and Shari'a -- will be spared the worry about Mr. Bush listening in to their phone conversations if Islamic activism is treated as grounds for the loss of acquired U.S. citizenship and deportation. The citizenship of any naturalized American who preaches jihad, inequality of "infidels" and women, the establishment of the Shari'a law etc., should be revoked, and that person promptly deported to the country of origin.

A foreigner who becomes naturalized has to declare, on oath,

that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by law. and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.

But for a Muslim to declare all of the above in good faith, and especially that he accepts the US Constitution as the source of his highest loyalty, is an act of apostasy par excellence, punishable by death under the Islamic law. The Shari'a, to a Muslim, is not an addition to the "secular" legal code with which it coexists with "the Constitution and laws of the United States of America"; it is the only true code, the only basis of obligation. To be legitimate, all political power therefore must rest exclusively with those who enjoy Allah's authority on the basis of his revealed will. America is illegitimate.

So how can a self-avowedly devout Muslim take the oath, and expect the rest of us to believe that it was done in good faith? Because he is practicing taqiyya, the art of dissimulation that was inaugurated by Muhammad to help destabilize and undermine non-Muslim communities almost ripe for a touch of Jihad. Or else because he is not devout enough and confused, but in that case there is the ever-present danger that at some point he will rediscover his roots, with many predictably unpleasant consequences for the rest of us.

Read the entire interview here.

P.S., for all of you who are denouncers of “hysterical xenophobia” I want to ask one question: how many tragedies must unfold caused by one group or another that are bent on our destruction, before the blinders come off?

Oh, that great, free Cuban healthcare!

You get what you pay for, and then some.

fidel killed my computer, the bastard

I wanted to link to Victoria's piece on the death of the tyrant over at Sundries last night, but try as I might, I couldnt get my computer to follow orders. Either it went on strike, got hacked or basically just went kaput.

On the subject of media coverage of castro's death, Victoria writes:

Depending on their ideological viewpoint, each news organisation will either completely ignore the tremendous evil this man had foisted on a nation of 10 million plus for almost 50 years, or to reduce their significance, by comparing the then and now, in as positive a light as they can.

The latter will include always mentioning the 99% literacy rates, and the free health care, his Socialist Revolution brought about.

No word about the lack of free elections during all this time; indeed, the fact this rich man's son, this ex-altar boy-turned lawyer-turned revolutionary, Fidel Castro has never once been elected to any position in Cuba, yet he, however, is the font of all power in his country.

They will not mention all the thousands and thousands of people he has imprisoned, nor the mock trials held to condemn his opponents to death, nor of the civil liberties he has taken away, such as freedoms of speech, assembly, association and religion, all these years.

The negative column is so bristling to capacity with infringements of the most basic kinds of liberties which most people not living in Communist dictatorships have, yet who are always prostesting they have little, or that that they are under siege by whatever current administration is in power.

If these self-same people had to endure EVEN ONE MOMENT of the very real lack of civil liberties Cubans have undergone these many years, they would find out how very lucky they truly are.

Read the whole thing.

Web CEO meets it's match.

Perhaps you aren't aware of this despicable company that uses Che Guevara to promote itself, but CB at Killcastro brings us 3 alternate campaigns that the company could implement. Check them out here.

I got the itch.

Happens to me every year.

For about a week now I've had what I call Spring fever. Now, I know you snowbirds out there are probably thinking Pfft. Spring fever? You live in Miami, Val.

Yeah, I live in Miami and I dont have to shovel snow or bundle up. And it rarely gets below 50 degrees here. But still, we have had absolutely the most beautiful weather here for the past few weeks. Clear blue skies, moderate temps and of course, those breezes coming in from the ocean...

And every year, this time of year, when the weather is perfect like it is now, I get the itch. The I-need-to-be-outside-at-the-beach-or-by-the-pool-or-on-a-boat-or-at-the-Keys-lying-on-a-hammock-under-a-palm-tree-with-a-daiquiri-in-my-hand itch.

Right now, I'm sitting inside my windowless office and all I can think of is this.

Now tell me, wouldnt you want to be lounging under one of those palms, with the sand between your toes, the sun at your back and that endless lapping of little waves right in front of you? Cant you just smell the ocean?

All you need to complete the picture of pure, unadulterated and unbridled relaxation is a cooler full of your favorite beverage, maybe a little smooth jazz on the radio and a good book. A nice, juicy work of fiction.

Weill, I cant help you all with the sun, the sand or the sea, and you'll have to choose your own music and BYOB, but I can suggest an excellent work of fiction:

La Pionera and the New Mango by Jerome du Bois and Catherine King of The Tears of Things.

La Pionera is by far one of the best pieces of fiction I have read in quite some time, and, of course, to top it off, it's about Cubans in Cuba. Trust me folks, you will love it. It's chock full of real characters, intrigue, suspense, CDR agents, Santeros, the whole nueve yardas.

I urge you all to click the following links, press your print button and find yourself a nice, cozy and relaxing spot under a palm tree. You wont be able to stop reading.

La Pionera And The New Mango. Introduction: Meet The Mantis
La Pionera And The New Mango: Part One (Sections 1-3)
La Pionera And The New Mango: Part One: I've Learned A Lot From The Nautilus: (Section 4)
La Pionera And The New Mango: Part One: I've Learned A Lot From The Nautilus: (Section 5)
La Pionera And The New Mango: Part Two: In The Time Of Lisa Zeitgeist: (Sections 1-4)
La Pionera And The New Mango: Part Two: In The Time Of Lisa Zeitgeist: (Sections 5-7)
La Pionera And The New Mango, Part Two, Section 8: Guillermo's Sojourn To Santa Clara
La Pionera And The New Mango, Part Two, Section 9: Lisa Zeitgeist Under The Influence
La Pionera And The New Mango: The Legend Of The Seed Man

And the latest addition:

La Pionera And The New Mango, Part Two, Section 10: Jikary Nacional and the Jaba Vinyl of Miracles

Now go and read. You can thank me later.

Updated: What do you think?

I'm thinking of printing this T-shirt up. Any reactions?

Some people have objected to the use of the word "intransigent" on the shirt. I respect everyone's opinion but the story of the genesis of the shirt deserves to be told. About 5 years ago a fellow graduate of Belen and I were having a pretty hot debate about Cuba. You see my friend went away to college and got brainwashed by a bunch of liberal professors and Jesuit priests. Anyway, in this debate he continually called me intransigent. I had never even heard the word before, but that's OK there's probably a lot of words I haven't heard before. Anyway I've noticed a trend that everyone who is anti-castro is labeled intransigent. As some of you have commented intransigent can have a negative connotation, particularly when it's used with the venom that castro sycophants use it with. But I've decided to own that particular criticism. Why? Well because I prefer this definition of the word:

adj.: not capable of being swayed or diverted from a course.

Intransigent is the key word on the shirt design. In fact, I'm pretty intransigent about the word intransigent.

When it comes to Human Rights, I'm intransigent
When it comes to pluralism, I'm intransigent
When it comes to freedom, I'm intransigent
When it comes to a free Cuba, I'm I N T R A N S I G E N T !

Just like my Miami Mafia shirt design, this perhaps doesn't appeal to everyone. I'm not afraid of labels. Sticks and stones may break my bones...

No hotel room for you!

From the same guys that called fidel castro from their radio show, (You can listen to that audio here) we have the following phone call to the Habana Libre hotel, where they attempt to make a reservation, as Cubans from Cuba, and are told "no way, Jose":

fidel castro, hotel Nazi!

La botellita

There are probably thousands of them. In Miami, New Jersey, Michigan, Texas. Scattered about the country and world just like their owners. Waiting. Silently. Tucked in the back somewhere behind the milk and OJ.

La botellita.

At one point every refrigerator in every Cuban exile home had one. Chilling. Waiting for the day.

Other botellitas have come and gone. One was opened when they took the oath and became Americans. One was opened when a son graduated from college. One was opened when a daughter had their first grandchild. One was opened, perhaps, when reunited with a long lost relative.

But that one botellita, that one bottle that each time they open the refrigerator door serves as a painful reminder, it is still there. Corked. Unopened. Full. Stoic. Still waiting.

Oh, but how glorious it will be! That day. That day when they pop that cork. That beautiful, glorious day. The new dawn! The day that botellita has been waiting for all its peaceful life.

They will rush to that refrigerator with the news still sinking in, still blaring loudly all around. Cheers from outside their windows. Car horns blaring up and down the streets. They'll reach past the milk and OJ, delicately grab that botellita that has had such patience. Such determination. Such anguish. Such patience!

And they will pull that botellita out, stare at the label. Remember the day they bought it. How young they were then. How optimistic. How hopeful. How naive. My God, but how young they were!

"Bring me the glasses!" they'll yell. The special glasses. The expensive ones. The ones in the china cabinet that have never been used. Yes, those. They will set them down on the table. Stare each other in the eyes with indecision, remorse, elation.

Slowly they'll unwrap la botellita's foil. Undo the little wire. Squeeze ever so gently that cork. Slowly. Make the moment last. It has been a long time coming.

POP!

Like a cañonaso. Cannon fire signifying the culmination. Marking the beginning of time.

They will pour its contents carefully. Dont want to spill a single drop. They have been waiting too long to waste it. They want to savor it. Take it in. Absorb it.

They will take the full glass in hand. It doesnt matter if it isnt bubbling all that much. It's from their botellita. The one stored in the refrigerator all these years. Back behind the milk and OJ. Waiting for today. This day. The day of days.

They will raise their glass, look up at the heavens, thank God and then, right before the glass's rim touches their waiting lips, from the most profound and hidden corner of their souls, they'll make their long awaited toast.

Viva Cuba Libre!

Champagne and tears.

A dead castro - is this the day?

castro may be dead.

Rumors are circulating in the far left Latin American press. castro may be in hell as I write this.

Bella cubanita Stefania in Sardinia has the first report here.

Update: (Val) Im 99% sure this is a hoax. Like this one. castro may not be dead today, but he will soon hang up his sneakers, as Cubans say. And on that day, come on by. We're having a party. A big one. Beers are on me.

Update II: Val's right - the bearded scumbag just released a totally pointless photo of himself meeting some oil executive in Havana. He obviously heard the rumor - and wanted to show everyone he was alive. After all, it was the number two item on the entire blogosphere today.

Since castro was desperate to release the picture, it must have been some internal enemy who released the rumor. It's nice when rats fight. But I hope we scared him. The Prensa Latina communist press photo of the old reptile is here.

Memo to Cuban agents reading this: We still despise your rotten dictator. Go tell castro that.

Fariñas ends hunger strike

Guillermos Fariñas Hernandez has ended his hunger strike.

Details at Wall Street Cafe and from Uncommon Sense:

Some may dismiss Fariñas as merely someone who wanted the right to surf the Internet, a right not equal to his sacrifice and which he failed to attain. But his protest was really demanding something much more for himself, and for Cuba.

Freedom.

To be free, man must have the right to free expression, and in the modern age, that means the right to use the Internet to gather and distribute information.

Castro understands that, which is why unregulated use of the Internet by Cubans in Cuba is against the law.

With his sacrifice, Fariñas added to the evidence that, despite the dictator's bluster, Cuba and Cubans are not free.

The tyrant has no clothes.

Maybe that is why most of the MSM ignored the Fariñas. Everyone already knows that Cuba under Castro is a very bad place.

Yeah, and Al-Jazeera is hiring Lucia Newman because she is such an objective journalist.

The truth is, the MSM ignored Fariñas — one of their own — because they don't give a damn about Cuba, especially the Cubans who have suffered under almost 50 years of castroism. As a journalist in the MSM, I am angry and disappointed, but not surprised.

The MSM may have missed the story, but that does not diminish the magnitude of what Fariñas accomplished.

He stood up to Castro. Yes, he backed down before he got what he was demanding, but not before exposing for a new audience the cruelty of the Castro regime.

He also demonstrated a courage that if emulated, will eventually bring down the dictatorship and make Cuba, and Cubans, free.

Fariñas' courage and his love for Cuba are unquestioned.

He is a hero, and a patriot.

Indeed.

From fidel to jihad...

Posted without comment: "CNN Correspondent Jumps to Al-Jazeera." Get a load of the last paragraph.

Wednesday, March 29, 2006 3:17 p.m. EST
CNN Correspondent Jumps to Al-Jazeera

Lucia Newman, CNN's first and only correspondent based in Havana, has jumped to the new Al-Jazeera International network, which plans to begin operations later this spring.

Newman will be based in Al-Jazeera's bureau in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Journalist Mariana Sanchez, a former news anchor for Panamericana Television, will also work for Al-Jazeera International in a Caracas, Venezuela bureau, the network said on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the network is still targeting a launch in late May, spokeswoman Rana Jazayerli said. She labeled as misleading some reports that circulated last week that the network would have trouble meeting that target.

The English-language network will be an offshoot of Al-Jazeera, the influential Arabic network that has come under fire from the Bush administration. Al-Jazeera International will broadcast from offices in Doha, Qatar; London; Washington; and Kuala Lumpur.

This winter, Al-Jazeera International announced that it was hiring Dave Marash, formerly of ABC News' "Nightline," as a Washington-based anchor and reporter.

As yet, no U.S.-based cable or satellite company has said it will carry Al-Jazeera International. With limited space available, it's often difficult for new networks to get substantial carriage commitments - even those without potential political baggage.

Al-Jazeera International has said it expects to be in about 40 million homes worldwide at launch.

Newman did not immediately respond to an e-mailed request for an interview on Wednesday.

She's a veteran CNN correspondent, joining the network in 1987. She was based in Panama, Nicaragua, Chile and Mexico before CNN opened its first bureau in Cuba in 1997.

CNN said it intends to keep its Cuba bureau open, but had no announcement on Wednesday about who will take Newman's place.

Chris Cramer, managing director of CNN International, said in an e-mail to his staff that Newman had decided to move on to fresh challenges after two decades of "magnificent service."

The Havana posting has been "a demanding assignment which she has handled with great professionalism and maturity," he said.

© 2006 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Reprinted from NewsMax.com

Why I abhor the terms "latino" and "hispanic"

I hadnt wanted to cover this subject here on Babalu for fear of opening up a great big ole can of worms, but I feel I have to clarify a few things regarding the recent protests by "latinos" or "hispanics" throughout the US.

First, there is no such thing as a "latino" race. There is no such thing as an "hispanic" race. Both terms are contrived and used solely for census purposes. There is no such country as "latinolandia" and Hispaniola is technically half of an island in the Caribbean.

Second, I am not nor will I ever be part of "La Raza." Nor do I agree or support their current protests. Some of you may, but I do not.

Third, I have never and will never, despite having many issues with the government of the United States throughout the years, burn a flag of the United States of America. I am Cuban by birth, American by the grace of God. And a darned proud, dignified, thankful and respectful American.

Fourth, while I certainly sympathize with the Mexican people for their country's economic and social troubles, I refuse to be lumped together as a class or a race simply because we speak a similar language. If Mexicans and Mexican-Americans had wanted my support, then they should have supported the cause of a free and democratic Cuba, instead of the majority and at times the Mexican government having sided with and legitimizing the government of fidel castro.

Fifth, there is a difference between a Cuban living in the United States and a Mexican living in the United States. One is a political refugee and the other is an immigrant, respectively. When Mexicans are being oppressed and have their basic human rights trampeled on by their government as Cubans do, then perhaps my opinion will change, until then, the aforementioned difference stands.

Mexicans and Mexican-Americans may very well have legitimate gripes with the government of the US, but as La Raza, the flags they are burning and flying up-side down below the Mexican flag do not speak for me. I aint Mexican, I aint Latino and I aint Hispanic. I am an American of Cuban descent. And damned proud of it.

More:

Wall Street Cafe
26th Parallel
El Cafe Cubano

Cuba: The Atheist State

It never ceases to amaze me how some religious leaders from the US and around the world travel to Cuba and collude with fidel castro, the very same man who once declared Cuba to be an atheist state. The very same man who rounded up priests and clerics and when not executing them expelled them from the island. The very same man who made Christmas illegal. The very same man who to this day still rounds up, harrasses and oppresses pastors, reverends, priests and other men and women of faith.

Last month I wrote about Frank Griswold of the Episcopalian Church, there's the National Council of Churches, Vatican officials ignore Cuba's human rights record and instead chastise the US for Guantanamo. The list is endless and frustrating.

But every once in a while, a true Christian organization, concerned more about Christianity than politics, goes on record and takes a stand against the blatant violations to freedom of religion and human rights by fidel castro's government:

From The Institute on Religion and Democracy:

Waiting for the Solidarity Embrace

Faith McDonnell

Within the mud-wall cells (celdas tapiadas) of Cuba’s infamous Combinado del Este Prison in East Havana, the prison guards work overtime to demoralize Christians and other political prisoners. Dissidents are presented with every new statement of support by a U.S. church leader for Castro’s revolution in an attempt to convince them to abandon their faith.

IRD first learned of this favorite technique of the Cuban Communist indoctrinators over two decades ago. The lauded Cuban poet and patriot Armando Valladares experienced this mockery and abuse first-hand during his twenty years in Castro’s prisons. In his acceptance speech upon receiving IRD’s 1983 Religious Freedom Award, Valladares said that the award’s recognition of the suffering of Cuban Christians for the sake of religious freedom and human rights countered the betrayal they felt from other U.S. mainline church leaders.

“Every time that a pamphlet was published in the United States, every time a clergyman would write an article in support of Fidel Castro’s dictatorship, a translation would reach us and that was worse for the Christian political prisoners than the beatings or the hunger,” Valladares revealed.

“While we waited for the solidarity embrace from our brothers in Christ, incomprehensively to us, those who were embraced were our tormentors.” Valladares declared that Christians in Cuba’s prisons were suffering not only the pain of torture and isolation, but the conviction that they had been deserted by their brothers in faith.

Fast forward twenty-three years. The recent trip to Cuba of Frank Griswold, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church provides the latest ammunition for shooting down the morale of Cuba’s brave dissidents. Griswold led a cartel of Episcopal Church Center staff members on an official visit, hosted by the Episcopal Church of Cuba, in late February 2006. During his six days in Havana, Griswold denounced U.S. policy towards Cuba as “inhuman,” but had no equal words of condemnation for Castro’s brutal regime. The Christians and other political prisoners, who languish in the Combinado and the rest of the 300 prisons that have spread like sores across the island since the revolution, went unnoticed.

Despite the NCC's and Griswolds of this world, I know God has not forgotten the people of Cuba. He has given us people like Faith McDonnell and organizations like the Institute on Religion and Democracy, and their exposing of Cuba's reality, that will help free the Cuban spirit from fidel castro's imposed purgatory.

Please take a moment to read the whole article here. There is also another excellent article from the Institute of Religion and Democracy on Abdul Rahman here.

Hey MSM! Wake the hell up!

Journalists and dissidents in Cuba are being harrassed constantly. Where are the US and World meida and why are they so damned quiet on the subject?

Via Cubanet:

Wife of imprisoned dissident released from jail

HAVANA, March 28 (Leonel Alberto Pérez Belette / www.cubanet.org) - Independent journalist Lamaciel Gutiérrez Romero, who reports for Nueva Prensa Cubana, was given a conditional release from jail last week.

Gutiérrez Romero had been arrested October 11 and later sentenced to seven months in jail on charges of disobedience and resisting arrest.

Her husband, Rolando Jiménez Posadas, has been imprisoned for three years on charges of insult, enemy propaganda and revealing state secrets.

Police search home of opposition pacifist

PINAR DEL RIO, Cuba, March 28 (Rafael Ferro Salas, Abdala Press / www.cubanet.org) - Two political police agents searched the home of Juan González Lugo, a member of the opposition People's Party.

"The policemen showed up at my house and without showing me any search warrants searched everywhere," he said. "They didn't find anything, but they insisted that they knew I had visited the home of the delegate of the People's Party and that I had propaganda in my possession."

González Lugo said the agents promised to return in the next few days to look for the propaganda.

Political police threaten journalist for Abdala Press

PINAR DEL RIO, Cuba, March 28 (Rafael Ferro Salas, Abdala Press/ www.cubanet.org) - Two political police agents entered the home of Genaro Martínez, a reporter for Abdala Press, and threatened him last week, the journalist said.

"They told me the purpose of their visit was to talk to me about my activities as a reporter for a dissident news agency, Abdala Press," he said.

He said they took his identity card and issued a citation to appear the next day at the municipal police headquarters, where he was issued a warning.

He said the pair also searched his home and took a shortwave radio and a camera.

Dissident's telephone service cut

CIEGO DE AVILA, Cuba, March 28 (Abel Escobar Ramírez / www.cubanet.org) - Waldímar Parra Santana, president of the Independent Farmworkers League, says he has been without telephone service since February 9.

He said service was cut after the municipal president of the block committees visited his mother and played for her the tape of a news story he had filed to Radio Martí. He said the official accused him of using his telephone for "counterrevolutionary" activities.

Parra Santana said he has been many times to the Empresa de Tele Comunicaciones de Cuba (ETECSA) but is always told that nothing can be done to reestablish his telephone service.

To trade or not trade...

That is the question.

I’m only 36 but I am an old school, hard line intransigent anti-castro, Cuban-American. That means that I support the embargo (as limited as it is) and other trade and travel restrictions on Cuba. In this online clash of ideas I’m often asked why the United States should try to isolate Cuba with sanctions while at the same time trading with China. After all China is communist too. It’s an interesting point. The purpose of the question is brand the United States as hypocritical by equating China with Cuba. But there are some very big differences between the two situations. I hope to enlighten you with my thoughts on the matter.

The first factor is the obvious one. With 1.3 billion people China is the most populous country in the world. It’s hard to isolate 1/4 of the of the world’s population. That’s not to say that we should just push Cuba around because it’s a small country, but strategically, a harmonious relationship with Cuba is not a prerequisite for national security. But this is probably the least significant of my arguments so I won’t belabor the point.

Let’s also look at the relationship between the US and the two countries. Since Nixon’s opening to China in the 70s US-China relations have been relatively cordial. On the other hand castro has never backed down from his anti-American rhetoric and actions. He has harbored American fugitives, unleashed waves of immigrants, shot down civilian aircraft and even planted a spy in Pentagon. Cuba is on the State Department’s list of terrorist states and continues to try to aid the spread revolutionary movements in the region. China on the other hand has been focusing inward, trying to remedy its substantial economic problems. This is not say that China is model citizen, far from it, or that China hasn’t had it’s moments of tension with the US but objectively speaking our relationship with China is much deeper and warmer than it is with Cuba. Still this isn’t why I advocate trade with China and sanctions for Cuba. There are a couple of sound economic reasons for my position.

Neither China nor Cuba will win a prize for observing human rights but there is at least some hope that things are changing/will change in China. For one thing China’s power structure no longer revolves around one man as it does in Cuba. Over the years the changes in China’s leadership have brought in waves of new blood that have in turn brought basic economic reforms that have resulted in the privatization of large segments of the economy. While maintaining political control, the communist party has actually steered China towards a path resembling fascism. That may not sound like much of an improvement but privatization means that in at least one sphere government control is not ubiquitous. The hope, of course, is that as the Chinese middle and upper classes grow that they will begin to demand more civil liberties and human rights. The key here is that China has already decided to open itself. My personal opinion is that in this environment, capitalism and market principals are the most democratizing factors at play in China.

For more than 40 years however Cuba has remained loyal to the communist economic dogma of state control over the economy. castro has only implemented the most basic of reforms in reaction to huge economic crisis of the mid 90s. But even then castro always insisted that the reforms were temporary and they be structured in such a way as to limit their “corrosive” effect on his revolution. This is because unlike China, which is determined to have a richer, more successful economy, castro is only interested in maintaining his stranglehold over the Cuban people.

Carlos Alberto Montaner states it succinctly; “Castro was forced to find capital and know-how in the West to keep his foundering economy afloat. But he did so without renouncing his dictatorship or the economic model based on state monopolies tightly controlled by the government…Quite simply, he invited foreign businessmen to become partners with his government in "joint ventures" in which the foreign investors contributed the capital and management while the Cuban state leased to them a docile and cheap labor force, a sales territory and a captive market that was not subject to the risks of competition or the conflicts of labor unionism….To ensure that the entrepreneurs would not be the Trojan horse of feared democratic changes, the government appointed numerous retired army officers and members of the political police as directors and top executives of the joint ventures. To them, the government assigned a dual mission: to make sure that corrupt foreign businessmen did not contaminate the selfless Cuban workers, and to watch the workers closely so they wouldn't deviate from the noble principles of socialism.”

In any case, since the rise of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela and his assistance to the Cuban regime castro has unilaterally killed many of the smaller and mid sized joint ventures, often without compensation to the investors. The small businesses, which were allowed to exist during Cuba’s “special period”, have since been closed.

The last factor I’d like you to consider in comparing China and Cuba is credit. Opponents of the embargo never tell you that Cuba is free to purchase food and medicine from the US on a cash up-front basis and that, in fact, the US is currently the largest supplier of food to Cuba. What embargo opponents are really angling for is credit for Cuba. But Cuba is an incredible credit risk. It owes Russia billions dating back the days of the Soviet Union. It owes almost every nation it trades with. Yet Cuba’s economy is not showing any signs of breaking out of the stagnation it’s been experiencing. China has the second largest economy in the world (or 4th depending on the metric you use) and as everyone knows it has been experiencing significant growth over the last few years. I’m opposed to giving Cuba credit as long as the castro brothers are in power because I’m afraid it will be us, the US taxpayers that will end up subsidizing castro.

Simply put, the conditions do not currently exist in Cuba for foreign trade and investment to change the plight of ordinary Cubans and therefore I am against it.

An Honor

As the newest contributor to Babalu, I'm honored and humbled to be in such great company. I hope you enjoy my musings in the coming weeks and months. I will not be abandoning my other blog or my web site but I'm very happy to be here, blogging under those beautiful all-seeing, all-knowing eyes.

A pre-Cuba Nostalgia related Cubanism

Cuba Nostalgia Convention time is quickly approaching and Im way behind schedule in everything, especially fundraising. You all know that I, being Cuban, hate to ask for handouts and donations. Unfortunately with the convention fast approaching and with all the preparations I need to be doing, I dont have much time to do much of the fundraising stuff I had planned.

So consider this post fair warning folks, for the following Cubanism will apply:

Soltar el gallo.

Literal translation: Release the rooster.

Meaning: Time to ante up.

We will humbly be accepting donations starting next week to help defer the costs of the exhibit at the Cuba Nostalgia Convention.

We will also be doing something totally Cuban: Una Tombola! A raffle where different Cuba related prizes will be won. Still working on those logistics, but I think its a great idea.

So stay tuned, and have the checkbooks ready, cause my wife will kill me if I spend so much out of pocket this year like I did last year.

I was, you know, a little nervous, you know?

You may have already read elsewhere that I was interviewed on Canadian radio last night as result of the Fariñas BlogBurst. The show was The World Tonight with Rob Breakenridge on AM770 CHQR in Calgary Canada. To be honest, I was a bit nervous and just like the Radio Mambi interview some time back, I cant for the life of me remember verbatim what was asked or what I responded.

I do know that I kept using "you know" repeatedly. I didnt have a chance to record the show, but CHQR has an audio vault where, with a free registration, you have access to all their shows.

Just click here and follow the registration instructions. Once youve completed the registration process, login and in the audio vault look for Monday, March 27, at 8 pm. You'll have to listen for about a half hour before I come on.

I think I did alright, despite the "you knows", you know?

Louie Louie Louie Louieeee

Or: Farrakhan! Farrakhan!

Dumbass castro cultist Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan was in Cuba last week, most assuredly checking on fidel castro's black political prioners and dissidents like Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet and Dr. Guillermo Fariñas Hernandez and...oh...wait a second. Hold on. It seems Louie wasnt checking in and offering solidarity with those black Cuban political prisoners. Who'd a thunk it, huh?

Apparently the honorable Mr. Farrakhan was in Cuba to learn about "disaster management." Kudos to Louie then. What better place to learn about disasters than fidel castro's Cuba. And while there, the honorable Louie Louie took the time to lambast the United States, kiss fidel castro's white ass, criticize the embargo, shout HALLIBURTON!! HALLIBURTON!! and praise Cuba's free healthcare and education. Oh, praise be to Allah! Allahu Akhbar!

Upon his return, Louie Louie called for a regime change in the US, defended Iran's quest for a nuclear arsenal and called on America's muslims to unite to prevent "America's desire for a preemptive strike against Iran and Syria." Allahu Akhbar!

What a guy that Louie. I wonder what he thinks about all those African muslims being systematically anihilated by Arab muslims in Darfur?

Related: Cuba: Poor People's Paradise

Ya gotta love Cuban women

So I'm standing at the Badia spice rack at my local supermarket yesterday (incidentally, the Badia spice rack is a thing of beauty) looking for the Sazon Completa and this Cuban woman, about 70 years old and dressed to the nines with husband in tow like ten feet behind her comes up to me and parks her cart right next to mine.

I look over at her and nod. She smiles coquetishly, bats her eyes and says "Y cocinas bien?" (And do you cook well?)

I nearly lost it. This seventy something year old lady was flirting with me right there in the spices aisle and in front of her husband.

"De vez en cuando," I respond. Sometimes. "Pero yo prefiero comer." But I prefer to eat.

She lets out this slight chuckle and as she's pushing her cart away gives me the sideways coquetona glance. The woman was checking me out!

I must have looked completely nutso standing there in the spice aisle laughing out loud.

And we kept running into each other in the next aisles. It was like this Cuban woman -who, Ill venture to say, must have been a knock out in her youth - with her little grocery cart and husband in tow and I had this little secret thing going on, right there in the middle of a supermarket. The Publix Affair. Rendevous in the Spice Aisle. A Supermarket Triste.

Y cocinas bien? I dont think Ill ever forget that line.

Thanks

Just a quick note to thank everyone for their support and participation in yesterday's Fariñas BlogBurst and a special thanks, con un besote, to Fausta for putting it all together and all her hard work.

I've yet to receive anything new on Fariñas health but will forward any news I get as soon as possible.

Let me be buried on this spot! (Updated continuously)

The Guillermo Fariñas Blogburst

UPDATE: Welcome all new readers! This BlogBurst effort was the brainchild of Fausta Wertz and is meant solely for the highlighting of the hunger strike for net access by Guillermo Fariñas Hernandez in fidel castro's Cuba. I urge you all to take a few minutes of your day and read the excellent commentary in the linked blogs below and do whatever you can to help spread the word about Dr. Fariñas and the lack of personal freedoms that exists in Cuba. Please also take a moment to sign this petition in support of the Doctor. One more signature may not seem like all that much, but it lets Mr. Fariñas, other dissidents and the people of Cuba know that there is at least one more person on their side. Gracias.

Guillermo Fariñas Hernandez doesnt have any RBI's. He's hit no fastballs out of the park and he doesnt play shortstop, second base, center field or otherwise. He's never been on the pitching mound and has never struck out a soul. He doesnt own or wear a uniform with the word Cuba across the front and he's never worn a pair of cleats. He's never had an at bat.

Guillermo Fariñas Hernandez isnt a baseball player for the Cuban National Team. That's why you havent heard anything about him. He doesnt play for fidel castro. That's why the MSM is oblivious to his one predominant statistic: He has gone without food or water for 57 days.

Fifty-seven days. Almost two whole months.

Guillermo Fariñas Hernandez deserves more attention than any team, any game, any tournament. He's not in it for the props or bragging rights. It isnt about propaganda and what system of government is better at producing anything. He is in it for one reason and one reason alone: freedom. All Guillermo Fariñas Hernandez wants is access to this very same internet through which you are reading this right now. He is starving himself for access to what you have at the click of a button.

Guillermo Fariñas Hernandez is a Psychologist. Guillermo Fariñas Hernandez is a journalist. Guillermo Fariñas Hernandez is a Cuban. Guillermo Fariñas Hernandez is, for all intents and purposes, the David to fidel castro's Goliath.

And Guillermo Fariñas Hernandez will most certainly die because fidel castro's government can only stay in power one way: by keeping the Cuban people deaf, blind and dumb. Allowing Guillermo Fariñas Hernandez access to the internet is allowing him access to the truth and for a regime built on lies and deception, the truth is a cancer.

The last MSM report on Guillermo Fariñas Hernandez was March 17. Ten days without food have gone by since and the man is just that much closer to death.

Let's not be like the MSM who are undoubtedly waiting for Dr. Fariñas' demise before they publish their next report on his courageous and dignified stance against his oppressors.

Patrick Henry stated "Give me liberty, or give me death" when facing tyranny from his own Goliath. Guillermo Fariñas Hernandez has done the same.

You and I can be that man at the window, who, upon hearing Henry's cry shouted "Let me be buried on this spot!"

The following blogs have risen to the ocassion and taken Dr. Fariñas' plight to heart. Please join us and help spread the word. Below the fold you'll find all the contact information you need to help this Cuban Patrick Henry.

Fausta's Blog:

Today, bloggers across the world honor a brave man, Guillermo Fariñas.

Dean's World:

A man is dying on behalf of a basic freedom that every single one of you enjoys, and probably take for granted.

They don't even deny people this freedom in China--they try to censor it, but they don't deny people access to it. In China they have it better! Is it even thinkable?

The Cottilion:

TODAY, now, take two minutes and sign a petition. It costs you nothing, you won't get spammed, and you'll be doing something that people in Cuba can't do at all.

Gall and Wormwood:

Desperate to maintain his rule, this bloody-handed despot must deny the truth to those trapped in the prison he’s made of Cuba. For his temerity in reporting the abuses of the Cuban state apparatus, Fariñas has been beaten, vilified, defamed, and denied access to the Internet. Having no other recourse, in his extremity Fariñas has taken up the only weapon available, his life, to fight against this oppression.

Critical Miami:

So says Guillermo Fariñas, who has been on a hunger strike for 55 days, after his e-mail was taken away by the Cuban regime. We are blogging about this because we agree that it is an injustice, although I’m pessimistic about the power of blogs to make much difference in this case. Why is it that ten years after the fall of most communist regimes in Europe, Cuba is still in this impossible situation?

INDC Journal:

A journalist has rejected food and water for 57 days to protest the Castro government's denial of unfettered internet access to the Cuban people. The last update on his condition simply states that he's "about to die."

We'd know more about his condition, but ... well ... Cuban journalists don't have uncensored access to the internet.

Cagey Mind:

Some people would ask why someone would do this. It is the sort of thing that goes against reason - starving yourself. But there are those who would rather die standing than live on thier knees. It is an American tradition to be sure. But it is also a Cuban tradition. We have “Give me Liberty or give me Death.” Cuba has “Viva la Cuba Libre.”

Gay Orbit:

Would you die for access to the Internet? This guy would.

Wall Street Cafe:

Guilermo Fariñas is now on his 57th day of hunger strike, willing to die and be a martyr for his cause. Still it is one of the most unreported and not covered news stories around. The silence is deafening.

J. Scott Barnard:

Take a moment and imagine what your world would be like if you had no internet. Think what it would be like to have only one source for information, George Bush. TV, magazines, newspapers...all run by the Whitehouse. What would you do?

26th Parallel:

What are you doing right now? Pretty obvious answer, right?

Unfortunately, the man pictured below has been starving himself for almost 2 months now for not being able to do what we are doing this very moment. For something that bloggers and journalists routinely do.

Economics with a Face (From mainland China!):

Dying For The Internet.

Havana 50/60:

This man, Farinas, is fighting and dying for the very right to do what many of us are doing now - blogging, publishing, exchanging and sharing information, graphics, sound, tidbits, whatever you want to call it, through that fantastic, unifying medium known as the Internet, the Web, la Red - no, not the color. Information is power, and information can lead to liberation. That is what el barbudo and his twittering hyenas are afraid of - liberation/liberacion/freedom/freiheit/libertad.

Paxety Pages:

''I got on my knees and said, `Down With Fidel!'" said Guillermo Farinas, a 41-year-old psychologist-turned-independent-(and anti-establishment)-journalist, as he reported the events of a government agent mob attack to The Miami Herald.

"They started kicking and beating me, bruising my back, arm and head. They stopped when they saw I would not lose my dignity and say things I didn't feel," he continued.

Uncommon Sense:

In Cuba, freedom is against the law. And anyone who resists the exercise of Fidel Castro’s tyranny is an outlaw, whether they do so silently, like a majority of Cubans, or whether they step up — like independent journalist Guillermo Farinas — and put at risk their life and what little liberty they might have and go public with their opposition to the regime.

Killcastro:

This brightest of lights emanates from one of us, Guillermo el Coco Fariñas, a Cuban caught in the irony that is communist Cuba.

The difference is that he cannot join us in blogging, because the tyrant that rules Cuba with a bloodied iron fist denies the Cuban people the chance to access the information that the whole world is able to share through the internet.

Blog for Cuba:

Choice, the choice to die for freedom is a solitary decision. "If God wants me to die, I will die. I will be a martyr for the free information in the World." It's in God's hands, he knows the choice he's made, and he knows only a miracle will save him. He knows fidel castro will not allow access to information. He also knows he is a free man, whether here among us or with his maker.

Texidor Blog:

There is not much time left in the life of Guillermo Fariñas. He will have accomplished all he can for the cause of freedom in Cuba with his last breath. From that point on, it's up to others to make his contribution a lasting one. The efficacy of his sacrifice will depend on the ability of others to make the world aware of the cause for which he is willing to give his life.

El Confeti:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” - Amendment I of the United States Constitution

El Cafe Cubano:

"If God wants me to die, I will die. I will be a Martyr for the Free information in the World"- Guillermo Fariñas Hernández

The Universal Spectator:

Unless you are Guillermo Fariñas. Today is the 57th day of his hunger strike. What is he demanding? The right to do the very thing I am doing now. Help Guillermo Fariñas (and the other Cubans on the island) in this struggle of good vs. evil. Call your Senators, Congressmen, local news stations and the news networks and tell them what this man is doing and why he is doing it. Cuba is not free, despite what the useful idiots want you to believe. Keep the pressure on Cuba to end its evil system.

Brandon's Puppy:

Support the cause. Help get the word out on the plight of Dr. Fariñas and the rest of the Cuban people. Link. Talk. Email. Write. Tell everyone you know about this. The truth shall set them free.

Latino Issues:

This is why, to me, Fariñas battle is so important. Freedom of religion, economic prosperity, and social justice CANNOT happen without the freedom of information for which he now gives his life. So, use the liberty you have, practice the free speach men have died to grant you, and spread the word of Guillermo Fariñas and his fight for freedom!!

Willisms:

Cuban journalist Guillermo Fariñas Hernández has not had food or water since January 31st, and is now in critical condition. Why? He is on a hunger strike against Fidel Castro's red fascist regime, and has vowed death if Cuban journalists are not allowed internet access.

Shrink Wrapped:

Communism and its refined methodology of thought control (which includes gulags in its past and present and political correctness among its present offspring) is still with us and still exercising its waning power to destroy people's humanity in its attempts to control people's thoughts.

Publius Pundit:

very brave independent Cuban journalist is on his 57th day of a hunger strike for the right to Internet access in Cuba. Guillermo Farinas Hernandez’s case has gotten little media attention, but it’s an important struggle for freedom of information inside news-starved Cuba. Castro knows very well the power of the Internet and its challenge to his brutal and increasingly tattered dictatorship. That’s why he’s repressing the brave ones who dare challenge his rule … not with guns, but with a hunger strike for free information.

American Thinker:

Although Cuba is treated like an equal instead of a pariah in places like the United Nations, the Internet is virtually illegal in Fidel Castro’s Cuba. Almost alone among the world’s nations, including even oppressive states like Burma and Zimbabwe, Cubans are deprived of access to Internet unlike almost any other nation on earth.

Atlas Shrugs:

Over thirty bloggers are posting today about Guillermo Fariñas, the Cuban prisioner of conscience who's on hunger strike for being denied internet access.

Chez Diva:

Guillermo Farinas represents the real Cuba. The Cuba that Hollywood, the MSM and some in Liberal circles ignore. The Cuba that I’ve described in the past as a country under the dictatorship of Fidel Castro in which:

” … one is not allowed the luxury of choice, freedom of speech or expression. Many in the US and Europe have no idea what it is like to be shackled to a country or to its dictator. We come and go as we please. We have no fear of speaking out against our leaders. We live in what many consider to be an economic Mecca of great wealth. So for many of us it is impossible to understand the suffering of those who are kept imprisoned by Communism.

My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy:

It’s easy to feel powerless, facing such obstacles to freedom. Signing petitions online also seems rather impotent, but it’s better than nothing. Someone will know you are there supporting their cause, so at least do that much. Educate yourself a little today about Cuba, and maybe you’ll feel the outrage that Cuban-Americans feel–and only because they are here, they can express–and spread the word.

Striving for Average:

Information and access to information are one of the cornerstones of a free people. You’re being asked to do three things. Be aware, think, and sign a petition. The first two items are up to you, the third one I can help

Likelihood of Confusion:

Support and link to this blog entry about Guillermo Fariñas Hernandez....this is germane to one of our central topics, free speech, especially as it relates to the Internet.

Michelle Malkin:

A CUBAN JOURNALIST IS STARVING...

...to protest the Cuban dictatorship's restrictions on free speech and Internet access.

Guillermo Fariñas Hernandez has gone without food or water for 57 days.

Reporters without Borders:

Reporters Without Borders voiced alarm today about the state of health of two imprisoned journalists who are on hunger strike, Juan Carlos Herrera Acosta and Guillermo Fariñas Hernández, calling for a humanitarian gesture from the Cuban authorities and for foreign embassies in Havana to intercede.

“How are we to interpret this indifference about the slow death of two individuals who are just demanding the right to express their views and surf the Internet freely,” the press freedom organisation said. “And what danger could possibly come from two people who are so physically and mentally debilitated ?”

Instapundit:

FIGHTING FOR Internet freedom in Cuba.

MacStansbury:

And, finally, you probably never head about Guillermo Fariñas Hernandez. No, you haven’t heard about him. It’s too painful to hear. He is a man, starving himself for freedom.

Where he protesting the Evil Capitalist Bush Adminstration™, he’d be on the cover of every magazine, every newscast. But he isn’t calling for the troops out of Iraq. No, he is voluntarily starving himself for freedom…in Cuba.

More:

Right Wing Sparkle
The C Square
Chicago Boyz
Cubanology
Cuban-American Pundits

The following is the contact information for numerous governmental agencies and organizations. Let them know you are watching:

Ing. Felipe Pérez Roque, Cuban Minister of the Exterior E-mail cubaminrex@minrex.gov.cu

Ricardo Alarcón de Quesada, President of the Cuban
National Assembly of the Popular Power
E-mail: anppci@cenial.inf.cu

Newspaper "Computacion" / Editora Abril - UJC -
compu@tinored.cu

Cuban Movement for the Peace - cupaz@tinored.cu

Attorney General of the Republic -fisgecu@tinored.cu

Granma Internacional / La Habana - granmai@tinored.cu

Cuban Association of the United Nations - acnu@ceniai.cu

Diocese of Cienfuegos/ Santa Clara - bishop@ceniai.cu

Press Information Center - cip@ceniai.cu

Cuban UNESCO-CNCU Commission - cncu@ceniai.cu

Medicaba - medicuba@ceniai.cu

Public Health Minister ( Office)- ofmin@ceniai.cu

Prensa Latina / S.A - prela@ceniai.cu

Fidel Castro Diaz-Balart - siva@ceniai.cu

INTERNATIONAL

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL SECRETARIAT

Web site: www.amnesty.org
Telephone: +44-20-74135500
Fax Number:+44-20-79561157
Address: 1 Easton Street
London
WC1X 0DW, UK

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
European Parliament
Human Rights Unit
ATR 3K060
Rue Wiertz
B-1047 Brussels
XP-DROI@europarl.eu.int

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
350 Fifth Avenue, 34th floor
New York, NY 10118-3299 USA
Tel: 1-(212) 290-4700, Fax: 1-(212) 736-1300;
hrwnyc@hrw.org

1630 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 500
Washington, DC 20009 USA
Tel:1-(202) 612-4321, Fax:1-(202) 612-4333;
hrwdc@hrw.org

2nd Floor, 2-12 Pentonville Road
London N1 9HF, UK
Tel: 44 20 7713 1995, Fax: 44 20 7713 1800;
hrwuk@hrw.org

INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS
ICRC Regional Delegation
2100 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Suite 545
WASHINGTON D.C. 20037 / United States
E-mail: washington.was@icrc.org

ICRC Regional Delegation
Calderón de la Barca No. 210, Colonia
Polanco
Delegación Miguel Hidalgo, MEXICO C.P.11550 /
México
E-mail: email.mex@icrc.org
(covers México, Guatemala (bureau), Costa Rica,
Honduras, Nicaragua (centre ortho - FSH), Panamá,
El Salvador, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haití(mission)

COMMITTEE TO PROTECT JOURNALISTS
330 7TH AVENUE, 12TH FLOOR
NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10001
TELEPHONE: 212 465 1004
FAX 212 465 9568
americas@cpj.org

REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS
Reporters sans frontières/ Reporters Without
Borders
5, rue Geoffroy-Marie
75009 Paris - France Tel. 33 1 44 83 84 84
Fax. 33 1 45 23 11 51 E-mail : rsf@rsf.org
Web : www.rsf.org

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL - UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Web site www.amnestyusa.org
Telephone +1 212 807 8400
Fax number +1 212 463 9193\1 212 627 1451
Address 5 Penn Plaza - 14th floor New YorkNY 10001
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
E-mail admin-us@aiusa.org

FIDH - Federación Internacional de Ligas de Derechos Humanos

Tel. y fax: FIDH : + 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 / + 33 (0)
1 43 55 18 80 Tel. y fax OMCT : (+ 41 22) 809 49 39 /
809 49 29 - E-mail: observatoire@iprolink.ch

What are they doing?

Western Hemisphere Policy Watch has a list of thirty-six, yes 36 Cuban-Americans and Cuban-American supporters in the Bush Administration and Washington, DC that may be involved in U.S./Cuba policy issues. What the hell are they doing?

Read and shake your head, here.

I wont spit on my platanitos today.

I promise, Serpico.

A Cuban meal just isnt complete without a side of platanitos maduros fritos. Fried sweet plantains. They are the perfect compliment to every Cuban dish imaginable. Whether muy maduros - very ripe - or pintones - not so ripe and my favorite - they offer that much loved sugary something along with your ropa vieja or arroz con pollo or palomilla steak. And they are coveted. Very coveted.

Growing up in my parents home, Mom made a different Cuban staple every day. Whether the aforementioned dishes or potaje de chicharos, or carne con papas, or boliche, or any other delicious Cuban culinary masterpiece, each and every one was accompanied by platanitos maduros fritos. Mom would serve all of our plates with the main dishes and we'd sit down at the table with our plates in front of us and wait. Waiting not just for all of us to be seated before eating, as good table manners dictate, but because the precious and coveted platanitos were the last thing brought to the table.

Mom would set the plate of platanitos in the center of the table and swipe her hand away quickly, almost like a gunslinger, so that she wouldnt get forked as my sister and I vied for the "good ones."

See, my sister and I love the same kind of platanitos. The thinner, longer ones, not over ripe but just sweet enough to melt in your mouth. Los pintones.

With lightning speed, and sometimes before the plate was even set down, my sister and I would wield our forks like samurais, stabbing as many good ones as we were allowed and dropping them on our plates. Mom had long given up on admonishing us. There was just nothing she could do as far as our nightly platanito competition. So she'sd just set the platanito plate down and roll her eyes.

And the competion wasnt always friendly. If I turned away from my plate for even a second, to watch something on the TV, or if either one of us was asked to get something Mom had forgotten from the kitchen, it was on. The minute we got back or our eyes came back to our plate, there would be a few platanitos missing, replaced, sometimes, with the not-so-coveted fat overripe kind.

Yes. That's right. We'd steal each other's platanitos.

Of course, me being the youngest meant that I was always the one sent to the kitchen for the salt or the water or my dad's favorite fork. And I'd come back and my plate had always been looted. And my sister sittting there, plate full of the good platanitos with a smirk on her face.

But much to my parents chagrin, I developed a strategy.

When asked to leave the dinner table to get something that we were missing, I began ceremoniously standing in place, picking up my platanito laden plate with both hands and with full ceremonial regalia, lifting it straight to my face, and spitting on my platanitos. Now, Im not talking about hawking lugies on them, but a good PFFFFTTT all over my coveted plantains. It was the best and perhaps only defense against the platanito usurption.

It worked great until that one day that I came back to the table with whatever it was I was sent for and my sister, smiling from ear to ear, just poked the best spit riddled platanito from my plate right there in front of me, and stuffed the whole thing in her mouth, chewing with a smile and looking me straight in the eyes.

Every single time I eat a platanito, I remember my sister. Sitting there at the table munching on that stolen plantain, laughing inside.

Today is the platanito thief's birthday. I wont mention her age or the many many many years that Serpico (I call her Serpico, which is another story altogether) is older than me. But I will mention that I could not have asked for a better sister - even a platanito stealing one. She's always been there for me when I needed her. She's a little kooky in her own astrological, metaphysical, Feng Shue, planets aligning, moon over Uranus kinda way, but she's still my sis and I love her.

She has raised three wonderful kids that have turned out to be wonderful adults and she's an incredibly doting and loving grandmother. She's faced life's trouble with dignity and courage and is always there, punto fijo, whenever the family needs her. Her bursts of laughter are always contagious and this world and my life are all the better for having been blessed with her presence.

Happy birthday, Serpico. And remember, now that youre getting older, your platanito stealing dexterity may be faultering. And maybe, just maybe, Ill get a good platanito for a change.

Fariñas

We have had no reports in the past few days on Guillermo Fariñas. The Blogburst is still on for tomorrow and I urge all of you to participate.

Shivers down my spine (Updated)

I thought I'd follow up on Patrick Henry's speech that I posted yesterday with the reason why I felt compelled to post it. First, huge kudos to Sheila. Had it not been for her post on that historic speech it might have been doomed to remain locked somewhere in the crevices of my memory. (Incidentally, if you're not reading Sheila regularly, you are missing out on some of the blogosphere's best writing.)

When I was in the sixth grade I was assigned to write a paper on Patrick Henry and subsequently portray him in a class history play. I remember the teacher working with us on our speeches and obviously, Henry's entire speech was way too long for a ten year old kid to memorize, so I was only required to orate the last paragraph.

It's funny, though, because as I sat here reading that speech yesterday, thirty years later, I could still recite it almost perfectly by heart despite the fact that I hadnt thought of it in who knows how many years. This just goes to prove the absolute power of the word. And how righteous men, men of honor, with dignity and intellect can use the power of the word for the most noblest and just of causes.

It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace-- but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!

Give me liberty or give me death. Seven simple words that helped shape a nation.

Yet what really sends chills down my spine isnt just the speech itself. It is that precise moment in time, with the colonies on the brink of outright war with England, with men of some of the colonies already at arms against the tyranny of the King, and death by hanging for treason looming over their shoulders, that Patrick Henry used his intelligence and oratory skills to rouse his peers for a just cause.

Nothing depicts this better than a quote from Paul Johnson's History of the American People that Sheila quotes in the comments section of her post:

Then Henry got to his knees, in the posture of a manacled slave, intoning in a low but rising voice: 'Is life so dear, our peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God!' He then bent to the earth with his hands still crossed, for a few seconds, and suddenly sprang to his feet, shouting, 'Give me liberty!' and flung wide his arms, paused, lowered his arms, clenched his right hand as if holding a dagger at his breast, and said in sepulchral tones: 'Or give me death!' He then beat his breast, with his hand holding the imaginary dagger.

There was silence, broken by a man listening at the open window, who shouted: "Let me be buried on this spot!'

Think about that for a moment. A room full of statesmen who have just heard perhaps one of the best orations of a speech stating what could at the time have been considered treason, sitting there awed and in complete silence, mulling over and trying to come to terms with the brilliance of what they have just heard, when all of a sudden, some guy, a regular Joe perhaps, having heard Henry through a window, was inspired to the point where he felt compelled to yell: Let me be buried on this spot!

Chills all the way up and down my spine.

Update: Sheila responds in the comments:

...I so agree: chills all around.

And the dude who yelled "let me buried on this spot" is, actually, buried on that spot, believe it or not. Truth is sometimes better than fiction. His name was Edward Carrington and he had a really interesting career himself (Lieutenant Colonel in the army, delegate at Constitutional Congress, jury member for treason-trial of Aaron Burr, etc.)

And the fact that you can actually visit that church - and he is buried in that very spot ...

I mean, come on!!! so perfect.

Absolutely.

Castro lies about Katrina aid

Update: Reaction from the Cuban regime. Also, Reuters picks up the issue

Update 2: The Granma article calls Patrick Courtney a "so called spokesman". Well do a little google on him and you will find that he is a spokesman for the commissioner's office.

Remember how Castro said he would donate whatever money Cuba made from the WBC to the victims of hurricane Katrina? How he asserted this again at the speech welcoming the players? How the Cuba spokesperson at the end of the WBC and coach Higinio Velez at the beginning, repeated this to the press?

Well it was all a lie. Castro nor Cuba get any money whatsoever directly or indirectly, so there is nothing to donate.

La Ventanita, Cuban-American Pundits, The Real Cuba and Uncommon Sense have the story.

Are we living in Bizarro World?

Read this excerpt:

WASHINGTON (AP) - In the aftermath of the Dubai ports dispute, the Bush administration is hiring a Hong Kong conglomerate to help detect nuclear materials inside cargo passing through the Bahamas to the United States and elsewhere.

The administration acknowledges the no-bid contract with Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. represents the first time a foreign company will be involved in running a sophisticated U.S. radiation detector at an overseas port without American customs agents present.

Have we as a nation lost our f---ing minds? Hutchinson Whampoa is a company with deep ties to the Chinese Communist miltary. Are we inviting the disaster to happen? Contact your Congressmen and Senators and cry out in a loud voice that you will not support this. This outrage dwarfs the Dubai port deal in my view. Read the whole article by clicking below.

U.S. Hiring Hong Kong Co. to Scan Nukes
Mar 23, 8:32 PM (ET)
By TED BRIDIS and JOHN SOLOMON

WASHINGTON (AP) - In the aftermath of the Dubai ports dispute, the Bush administration is hiring a Hong Kong conglomerate to help detect nuclear materials inside cargo passing through the Bahamas to the United States and elsewhere.

The administration acknowledges the no-bid contract with Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. represents the first time a foreign company will be involved in running a sophisticated U.S. radiation detector at an overseas port without American customs agents present.

Freeport in the Bahamas is 65 miles from the U.S. coast, where cargo would be likely to be inspected again. The contract is currently being finalized.

The administration is negotiating a second no-bid contract for a Philippine company to install radiation detectors in its home country, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. At dozens of other overseas ports, foreign governments are primarily responsible for scanning cargo.

While President Bush recently reassured Congress that foreigners would not manage security at U.S. ports, the Hutchison deal in the Bahamas illustrates how the administration is relying on foreign companies at overseas ports to safeguard cargo headed to the United States.

Hutchison Whampoa is the world's largest ports operator and among the industry's most-respected companies. It was an early adopter of U.S. anti-terror measures. But its billionaire chairman, Li Ka-Shing, also has substantial business ties to China's government that have raised U.S. concerns over the years.

"Li Ka-Shing is pretty close to a lot of senior leaders of the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party," said Larry M. Wortzel, head of a U.S. government commission that studies China security and economic issues. But Wortzel said Hutchison operates independently from Beijing, and he described Li as "a very legitimate international businessman."

"One can conceive legitimate security concerns and would hope either the Homeland Security Department or the intelligence services of the United States work very hard to satisfy those concerns," Wortzel said.

Three years ago, the Bush administration effectively blocked a Hutchison subsidiary from buying part of a bankrupt U.S. telecommunications company, Global Crossing Ltd. (GLBC), on national security grounds.

And a U.S. military intelligence report, once marked "secret," cited Hutchison in 1999 as a potential risk for smuggling arms and other prohibited materials into the United States from the Bahamas.

Hutchison's port operations in the Bahamas and Panama "could provide a conduit for illegal shipments of technology or prohibited items from the West to the PRC (People's Republic of China), or facilitate the movement of arms and other prohibited items into the Americas," the now-declassified assessment said.

The CIA currently has no security concerns about Hutchison's port operations, and the administration believes the pending deal with the foreign company would be safe, officials said.

Supervised by Bahamian customs officials, Hutchison employees will drive the towering, truck-like radiation scanner that moves slowly over large cargo containers and scans them for radiation that might be emitted by plutonium or a radiological weapon.

Any positive reading would set off alarms monitored simultaneously by Bahamian customs inspectors at Freeport and by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials working at an anti-terrorism center 800 miles away in northern Virginia. Any alarm would prompt a closer inspection of the cargo, and there are multiple layers of security to prevent tampering, officials said.

"The equipment operates itself," said Bryan Wilkes, a spokesman for the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration, the agency negotiating the contract. "It's not going to be someone standing at the controls pressing buttons and flipping switches."

A lawmaker who helped lead the opposition to the Dubai ports deal isn't so confident. Neither are some security experts. They question whether the U.S. should pay a foreign company with ties to China to keep radioactive material out of the United States.

"Giving a no-bid contract to a foreign company to carry out the most sensitive security screening for radioactive materials at ports abroad raises many questions," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.

A low-paid employee with access to the screening equipment could frustrate international security by studying how the equipment works and which materials set off its alarms, warned a retired U.S. Customs investigator who specialized in smuggling cases.

"Money buys a lot of things," Robert Sheridan said. "The fact that foreign workers would have access to how the United States screens various containers for nuclear material and how this technology scrutinizes the containers - all those things allow someone with a nefarious intention to thwart the screening."

The Hutchison deal in the Bahamas was flagged in a report in October by ATS Worldwide Services, a Florida firm that identifies potential risks for private-sector and government clients. Company officials said they shared the report with some officials in Congress, the military and law enforcement.

Other experts discounted concerns. They cited Hutchison's reputation as a leading ports company and said the United States inevitably must rely for some security on large commercial operators in the global maritime industry.

"We must not allow an unwarranted fear of foreign ownership or involvement in offshore operations to impair our ability to protect against nuclear weapons being smuggled into this country," said Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., a member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. "We must work with these foreign companies."

A former Coast Guard commander, Stephen Flynn, said foreign companies sometimes prove more trustworthy - and susceptible to U.S. influence - than governments.

"It's a very fragile system," Flynn said. Foreign companies "recognize the U.S. has the capacity and willingness to exercise a kill switch if something goes wrong."

A spokesman for Hutchison's ports subsidiary, Anthony Tam, said the company "is a strong supporter in port security initiatives."

"In the case of the Bahamas, our local personnel are working alongside with U.S. customs officials to identify and inspect U.S.-bound containers that could be carrying radioactive materials," Tam said.

However, there are no U.S. customs agents checking any cargo containers at the Hutchison port in Freeport. Under the contract, no U.S. officials would be stationed permanently in the Bahamas with the radiation scanner.

The administration is finalizing the contract amid a national debate over maritime security sparked by the furor over now-abandoned plans by Dubai-owned DP World to take over significant operations at major U.S. ports.

Hutchison operates the sprawling Freeport Container Port on Grand Bahama Island. Its subsidiary, Hutchison Port Holdings, has operations in more than 20 countries but none in the United States.

Contract documents, obtained by The Associated Press, indicate Hutchison will be paid roughly $6 million. The cont