Response to an Outrageous Pamphlet
Dariela Aquique
HAVANA TIMES — The editorial published a few days ago in Cubadebate, one referring to the recently held “Festival Clic,” is one of the most sickening examples of media manipulation that I have read of late. They lie without the most minimal scruples while their non-stop discourse is scathing, offensive and threatening.
The most outrageous is that all of the comments — none of them disagreeing, all with the same hackneyed lines, so worn out — by now are too dense to continue listening to them.
I don’t want to resort to employing their weapon (slander), but I doubt, I repeat, I very much doubt that every one of the comments that appear there are genuine.
It’s possible that they engaged a whole department to write these non-spontaneous notes of little credibility.
The overwhelming fear experienced by the crumbling regime is making them lurch haphazardly and draw on resources of such little respect as ignominy.
They are trying to make people believe that the Estado de Sats project is directly funded by the US; I’m not even going to address their case against Yoani, because — as the popular expression goes — “that’s already been washed and hung out to dry.”
But to say that the Havanatimes website is working in the service of imperialism is pathetic.
Such an attack on the good will of Circles Robinson — a man with progressive ideas, an openly leftist friend of Cuba and its people, someone who worked years in this country and who also resides on a small island in Nicaragua in total austerity — demands that I must raise my voice to speak out against this officialist behemoth.
There is another detail we didn’t miss. The forces of coercion have already announced a coming wave of restrictions and ruses to silence dissenting voices. Many of Cubadebate’s commentators of “good will” are calling for repression, harassment, confrontation and even violence.
The tumult of this death rattle is ear-splitting, but like a mortally wounded beast they are extending their claws to lash out at everything nearby. I have no doubt that at any time we will be seeing tanks in the street putting down civilians in the name of “safeguarding national sovereignty.” What horror!
No one is paying me for this post; it is my duty to Cuba. Right now we’re helping to change history, like Antonio Mella once said: Todo tiempo futuro, tiene que ser mejor (all of the future must be better).
Excellent response! and Dariela thank you again.
Reading the CubaDepate editorial, and most of the synchophantic comments which followed, reminds me, in a topsy-turvy sort of way, of the opinion pieces and comments on some of the conservative and reactionary web sites here in the States. That they call this stuff a “debate” is positively Orwellian, sort of like when the Fox Network calls itself “Fair and Balanced!” What is even more saddening, is that even during the first years of the Revolution in power, back in the early 1960’s, when the mis-informed Northamerican listeners would write in to Radio Habana, those answering the listeners’ comments would patiently, and logically, explain the Revolution’s posititon and Cuban reality. As wrong headed as I personally feel Yoanni Sanchez is, for example, repression, be it physical or emotional threats, is wrong. Likewise, to accuse the Havana Times of being in league with U.S. Imperialism–either intentionally or unintentionally–is an egregious error. Circles and all the Havana Times contributors, whatever their positions, (and if you’ve been a regular reader you know that they come in a great variety of flavors, like Copelia in the old, pre-Special Period days) come from utterly principled positions; they all love Cuba, and want her revolution to be actualized. In the end, what I see operating in the CubaDebate editorial is fear. Fear of change. Yet history is dynamic. We must embrace it–or perish.
Elpidio, como he explicado en otros momentos a usted… los comentarios en español deben ir con el artículo en español. Como he hecho con otros ocaciones, y hoy mismo, en un rato haré lo mismo con esta. Saludos, el editor
Esta joven cubana, se expresa con toda soltura como se lo que ella dice es totalmente cierto, es que esta joven no lee la prensa extranjera en Cuba, pues si tiene acceso a este sitio y escribe articulos en el mismo, debe de conocer quienes son los autores intelectuales de este Festival Clic.
Hay que ser muy ingenuo o muy cinico para desconocer lo dicho hasta aqui, solo conociendo a sus participantes en la Isla, sus organizadores y sus pantallas detras de la escena publica, no tenemos que pensar mucho sobre este Festival Clic, yo lo llamaria Festival Anexionista de Nuevo Tipo.
Es una lastima que esta joven se lance de boca junto al senor Pedro Campos en su retorica y en su doble discurso, sobre la creacion artificial de enemigos.
Por favor joven lea, investigue, indague y despues hable de lo que aprendio, no sea ingenua, eso tiene un costo muy alto, aunque haya sido hecho con buenas intenciones, como el Infierno que esta lleno de muy buenas intenciones.
Ademas le aclaro, que este sitio, publica los comentarios que estan acorde con su estilo de propaganda anticubana, pues he realizado comentarios sobre variados temas con todo el respeto que merecen los articulistas y el lector casual o rutinario.