What a Contradictory Humanity!
From this our little world we offer painful contradictions that transcend outward, and reflections of contradictions come to us.
By Onofre Guevara (Confidencial)
HAVANA TIMES – Wherever other planets similar to our Earth are located in outer space, they must have their respective humanity. And, even if their men and women had three eyes or only one, were born with a tail on some planet or in all, surely in the nature of which they are part, in their social, political and economic life, they will have their own contradictions—violent and peaceful—in search of better ways for their development.
Imagine yourself a little, a lot or somewhat alike to what I said, that does not change that you, like me, like everyone, are from any country, in any of the continents of our Planet, nature, societies, nobody or anything, can escape from their own contradictions.
In this 21st Century, conventional measure of time, we have the privilege of being able to live, see, feel and communicate objectively and quickly the contradictions of our near and distant world, according to our information capacity, because nobody knows them all nor is his/her knowledge absolute.
From this our little world we offer painful contradictions that transcends outward, and reflections of extraterritorial contradictions come to us.
Consequences of our political and social contradictions, we are seeing and feeling the bloodbath, suffering from the hundreds of kidnappings, the torture and the persecution that do not cease in almost seven months that the Ortega-Murillo dictatorship has tormented and deranged the lives of our people.
All these crimes feed on our younger generations, which amazes much of the world. Sufficient enough to awaken solidarity with our people and rejection of the dictatorship that has caused everything. Meanwhile, the pair of dictators pretends to justify themselves by lying, with a revolutionary and Christian language incomparable with their real, reactionary and inhuman behavior. There are those who also express their solidarity with the dictatorship.
Evident contradictions:
*Last Wednesday, for 27 consecutive years!, in the UN General Assembly, 189 countries voted in favor of putting an end to the US trade blockade of almost sixty years against Cuba, 2 voted against (United States and Israel) and 0 abstentions. Without euphemism, the end of the blockade has been demanded by the whole world, in front of a high-handed country that does not respect the opinions of others, but intends to impose its own on the rest of the world.
*All the friends and allies of the United States, and all the friends and adversaries of Cuba, voted against the blockade, a fact that reveals the reason of the blocked country and the wrong committed by the blocker. The United States tried to distort the resolution, proposing eight amendments pressing its allies, but in the eight votes it received the same rejection.
*Donald Trump, hurt by his defeat at the UN, sent John Bolton to Miami to give a violent and vindictive speech against Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, to hide the annoyance with the OAS members who voted against him, without exception. Bolton’s errand had another more practical goal: to stimulate the Republican vote in Florida for the elections of this past Tuesday. And who is Bolton? He is the accomplice of George W. Bush, in devising the “weapons of mass destruction” that served as an excuse to crush Iraq militarily.
*Our media considered to be independent, have done cause with Washington by concealing the UN resolution, but enthusiastically reproduced the speech by John Bolton. It happens that when our media receives the deserved international solidarity for the repression and threats that they receive from the Ortega-Murillo dictatorship, because of their brave denunciations, they are silent about the political victory of an attacked Latin American country.
*Among the US allies who voted in the UN against the blockade, are the 21 countries that in the OAS condemned the Ortega dictatorship and supported our people. The votes in favor of Cuba, was because the blockade violates international law and the votes against the Ortega dictatorship because it violates the human rights of the Nicaraguan people.
*While the United States gives its support (interests aside) to the Nicaraguan people against the Ortega-Murillo dictatorship that oppresses and murders them, the Cuba favored with the vote in the UN (ideology aside) reiterates its solidarity with that same dictatorship.
*The United States, argues its condemnation of “our” dictatorship for its crimes against humanity, and supports the human rights of Nicaraguans. But this country never received a condemnation for the genocide against humanity committed with its atomic bombing against Hiroshima and Nagasaki, nor for the genocidal wars against Iraq, Afghanistan, etcetera and etcetera…
*Cuba, despite the costly resistance to all kinds of US aggressions, has given its solidarity at every level to the people of Africa, which includes the liberation of Namibia and the abolishment of the inhuman racist system in South Africa. But Cuba denies its solidarity to our people and offers it to the Ortega-Murillo dictatorship that violates all our rights, beginning with the right to life.
*All the obstacles and aggressions—even difficult material situations—have not broken the position of rejection of the blockade nor have they allowed the breakdown of Cuba’s social programs including free education, health and culture—which other people also receive–, expressly ignored by the international press, although it is enough to check with the FAO and UNESCO.
*With the impudence that comes when you want to ignore for political interest or lack of information, in these days of crisis in Nicaragua it is repeated that Cuba is completely “backward” and therefore “we do not want to be another Cuba.” I heard it on TV, from a prominent economist and former state official in the branch of the economy, precisely when the Havana International Fair 2018 was taking place. This was ignored by the interviewee and the interviewer.
*In this Fair (October 28-November 2), there were exhibits from various branches of science and technology from 1,500 companies from about 60 countries, in a space of 600,000 square meters. Certainly, that requires a certain technical level and development, with what the former official could never have dreamed for Nicaragua, neither in his time or now.
*Among the Latin American countries with an exhibit at the Havana Fair, was Panama. The president of this canal country was present and in his speech he confirmed his respect for the social system of the island and his decision to maintain commercial relations with it. Panama (remember?) is one of the 21 countries that in the OAS has not removed its critical and accusing finger against the Ortega-Murillo dictatorship.
*I join those who do not want to make Nicaragua another Cuba, because—apart from the fact that it is impossible to be equal to another country—I want another Nicaragua. The good and the bad that one country or another can achieve, is the result of the guilt and effort of each society. Our society, in its majority, is fighting for a better Nicaragua, beginning with the defeat of the dictatorship. So, the least that idea suggests, is that it is political naiveté. The issue is not that simple as stated by the believers of any international news or of those who listen to the speech of a professional politician without analyzing them.
It is true that we live among contradictions, but to overcome them, journalism has to be sensible, not omit information about what it does not like, nor be complacent with any politician (without having to feign impartiality), be critical and self-critical. That is the best way to be truly independent.