Cuba Denounces new and cowardly action by the U.S. government

"Castro lead 22 men into Cuba from Mexico and defeated a fascist regime. A poor share-cropper's son, he was part of a rural Cuban family. He was educated through out Cuba and excelled at out-door, Scout like activities as well as baseball. He was an above average student that understood leadership at a young age."

- Fidel and Religion, Talks with Frei Betto
Publication Office of the Council of State, Havana 1987

There are very few quality books or reports on Fidel Castro, due to his highly politisized position in the world. But, from my research I can tell you that Fulgencio Batista, the military officer/dictator was no better than the Castro most of us complain about now. The difference between the two was that Batista was in legion with the Catholic Church to enslave the Cuban people, not to mention his relaxed attitude concerning US envolvemnet in capitalizing off Cuban people's labor. What Castro did could not have been done without a majority support of the people of Cuba, as his attacks were very much jungle based. If the people had wanted to they could have alerted government forces at any time. Infact, Fidel Castro because he traveled with a priest, was the 'god father' to countless Cubans.

I am not saying Fidel had all the answers to creating a better Cuba, but as an activist...any guy who can over-throw a country with 22 men is pretty damn passionate in my books.

-Cuauhtemoc

reply to post by Cuauhtemoc


And despite all the US has done, he held on to power (albeit, from non friendly to Cuba news sources, by force) and Cuba is still a nation not a state.

Escalation of illegal anti-Cuba transmissions condemned

THE U.S. government has implemented an escalation of its radio/television aggression of Cuba by increasing the vast resources that it has pumped into this interventionist exercise since the early days of the Revolution.

Specialists from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX) and Informatics and Communications (MIC) presented this condemnation on the Thursday edition of the Cuban radio and TV Informative Roundtable, during which they cited evidence of reiterated violations of international law and an open defiance of the island’s sovereignty.

Declassified documents from the CIA detail U.S. government operations against Cuba via the illegal use of radio broadcasts, they noted.

Carlos Martínez, general director of the MIC, mentioned historical antecedents of these broadcasts and the illicit use of commercial radio stations located in Miami and protected by the U.S. government over the last 50 years, and others specifically created with subversive intentions.

The analysts confirmed that these broadcasting stations transmit a weekly average of 1,889 hours of radio and TV on 30 frequencies and that the United States has incorporated high-cost international and commercial satellite transmissions into its illegal systems.

Martínez noted that 131 counterrevolutionary organizations have broadcast anti-Cuba programs via slots hired from Florida radio stations, and quoted examples of the inaccuracy of their content and the complicity of the U.S. authorities.

The MIC expert spoke of reiterated defeats suffered by the U.S. administration at the hands of international agencies on account of its flagrant legal violations, which are systematically recorded by Cuba as a basis for its exposés of the effects that these have had on national broadcasting services.

The same article goes on to say that the US has wasted over $600 million US taxpayers money in its effort to bring Cuba to her knees. I wonder how much has really been spent.

I see the Communists on the board are all out full force.

There is no point in saying anything else, because this always happens.

Take notice people, i am not a radical leftie tree hugging Liberal. Look at what else we have here!!!!!

YOU people only know what the history books tell you. I lived throughout the damn thing- yup- so dont be telling me whats this and what that is. As i said before,which nobody conveniently read was that the Radical Ultra Right-Winged Republican Cubans in Florida are allowed to call the shots when it comes to policy with Cuba because they ALL VOTE REPUBLICAN.

Bush &* Brother and the rest would not want to jeopardise that one.

But your books are full of propaganda and you beleive them instead. Get a real education.

Someone said they were allowed to leave Cuba peacefully, - ARE YOU SANE?????
Having to leave everything you owned to the government, cars, homes, businesses, jewelry, clothes, furniture, food, you name it, and leaving with only the clothes on your back is the most traumatic experience anyone can feel. Oh and of course, no money was allowed out either.
Yes, Fidel is a real M F hero.

If it wasnt for the generosity of the public assistance in this country, i dont know what would have happened. AND WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULDNT WANT TO LEAVE???
Hunger, brainwashing on tv and schools, no jobs, you name it. TRAITORS?
MY BUTT.

And one more thing- just because i am not a highly intellectual PHD, doesnt mean i dont know what the hell is going on- so stop the imbecile comments.

Blah blah blah, once the castro borthers are dead, cuba will be the next Puerto rico. Health care, GONE. More challenging academic education, gone!

90% of the population will become employed by Franchises and corporate owned retailers. Oh sure they "may" get better access to ipods, cable tv on flat screens and some nice Gas guzzling SUV's to drive, but overall it will feel almost the same to them, or worse suince they will have to work two - three jobs per person just to survive in the real estate that will become super inflated after the Corporations and developers move in.

I just find it funny that people think having easy access to health care and a higher education, as well as more advanced public transit is evil!?

These are the things our wonderful Capitalist nation despises thinking about paying for, but yet we get taaxed probably more than many socialist countries.

Tell me how many things in this country, besides buying food that you have to pay for is not taxed? Cars, cell phones, insurance, homes, apts, regular phones, cable, satellite, gas, hospitilaztion, your own labor! Even a business owner pays taxes on his employees as they pay tax through salary.

Now with all this taxes, how come I cant go to the hospital and have my fractured limb set and cast at a low cost like in Canada and much of Europe? How come I have to wait an hour if I miss the bus because of the few routes and money invested into public transit? why can I not have light rail to help me get around my city or across the state cheaper like in China and europe? Even the few they have in this country don't serve much outside of downtown.

Is this really what your defending? The right to be taxed from cradle to grave, but not the right to see any benefits from it?

I mean seriously, my ideal country is where you dont have to worry about living in pain and sorrow because you cant afford treatment for your ills. where I dont have to worry about choosing to eat or having fuel to go to work, because there is a well developed public transportation infrastructure.

Who would dare call that evil? The Capitalist empire has fought for centuries to destroy that dream and has crippled numerous nations who attempted to make it happen in the last century. It is possible to have a representative Democracy and a socialist economic system running a country. focusing on infrastructure development, health of your citizenry and environmental and energy demands does not mean the end of bussinesses. It just means the end of extravagant corporate empires exploiting and hoading the essential industries required to thrive.

everyone still has a job, in fact employment would probably be higher. Noone is required to give up their restaraunt, general store, or hobby shop.

[edit on 5/17/2008 by DYepes]

reply to post by dgtempe


I am by no means supporting oppressive communist regimes. I am only pointing out that there must have, at one point been support from the people, to over-throw the Batista government. It is unfortnate that anyone has had to experience the loss of human rights or political freedoms under any governemnt, communist or other-wise.

Cuba is of particular interest to me, only due to its proximity and the fact it has happened (the revolution) rather recently. Oppression is oppression, and "the only difference between democracy and communism is that in communism it is man taking advantage of man, and with democracy it is just the opposite." Said by someone much smarter than me.

-Cuauhtemoc

reply to post by dgtempe


I've been reading your posts. Your last one suggests that in Cuba, under old Castro, everything belonged to Cuba inclusive of a persons belongings. Who am I to disagree. I've never lived under communism and, to be honest, I don't want to live in a communist society.

I remember reading that communism isn't true socialism and that capitalism will eventually lead to true socialism (were it not for the anti-monopoly laws) i.e everything will eventually belong to the people and all things will be accessible equally to everybody.

The conclusion of capitalism is the obsolescence of money due to the convergence of all businesses into one business e.g (though over simplified),

1, Start with lots of businesses ergo lots of competition;
2, One business becomes the dominant player and takes over all its rivals (buys them out or they go bust);
3, The dominant business eventually becomes the only business hence everybody works for one company;
4, Money becomes obsolete because everybody works for the same business;
5, People participate in society and industry according to their abilities in the knowledge they will be rewarded by the business according to their needs. At this point capitalism has become socialism.

Sounds Utopic. No money, no need to worry about employment figures when robots take over manufacturing, no need to worry about the poor because they won't exist except spiritually. Unfortunately, humanity isn't ready to have socialism. Socialism has to evolve as man has to mature; neither will happen without suffering capitalism first. Don't misread me, I don't advocate communism - it isn't for me; and in this world, socialism isn't yet for us.

I have met a lot of Ukrainians (hundreds, socially), many Czechs, Koreans and others who've lived in communist nations. I feel that despite many of communisms faults, it has lead to the world being populated by some very realistic, pleasant and appreciative people. It's a shame that capitalism, in releasing the human spirit by allowing it to strive for its desires in knowledge that if one works hard enough then one should be able to afford ones dreams, also enhances some of the less appetizing sides of human nature - greed, jealousy, callousness and the rest. What I'm trying to say is that, whether we follow communism, pseudo-socialism or capitalism there will always be good and bad points to argue over.

The main component in any political, social system is leadership followed by implementation followed by acceptance or rivalry with other nations/groups. Most people (and this is cruel) don't matter because they will just get on with things regardless of the system - they do whatever they are told. Also, there will always be some who feel they are more entitled than others, there will always be some who feel less well treated than others, there will always be those who spite others just for the sake of it.

dgtempe, if you're still reading, it doesn't matter whether someone has a Phd, BSc, A-level, Baccalaureate, even is or isn't intellectual. Most traditionally educated people are ignorant - free thinkers are usually failed by the established educational methods (Newton nearly failed University because his assessors couldn't understand his ideas). Every opinion is valid if only from the viewpoint of the person stating it - and your opinions are valid by your experience of Cuba. Never let anyone tell you otherwise.

Originally posted by dgtempe
YOU people only know what the history books tell you. I lived throughout the damn thing- yup- so dont be telling me whats this and what that is.

That is a funny comment coming from THE person telling us the standard book history of Cuba. I don't know what you think the average American history books teach but I can assure you it is exactly what you are repeating here.

Originally posted by dgtempe
Someone said they were allowed to leave Cuba peacefully, ARE YOU SANE?????
Having to leave everything you owned to the government, cars, homes, businesses, jewelry, clothes, furniture, food, you name it, and leaving with only the clothes on your back is the most traumatic experience anyone can feel. Oh and of course, no money was allowed out either.

First off, a revolution always always seizes the assets of the losers - that is standard procedure.

Guess what, the land of loyalists was taken by the patriots during the American revolution and the land of patriots was seized by the crown (until they lost.) So basically, Cuban-Americans are just whinging because they lost. Get over it - it wasn't our fight so stop dragging the American people along with our foreign policy through the mud so you can get you land back. You don't have any claim to anything in Cuba anymore.

A non-peaceful revolution, like the French Revolution, is the place you find the "most traumatic experience anyone can feel" called death - not Cuba. Entire families were put to death in order to take their titled-lands and gold. In contrast, many rich Cuban families were allowed to leave but they were not allowed to take what they stole from the people with them.

I don't see how you can compare the suffering inflicted on the losers in, say, Cambodia to having to take a boat to Miami without any of your stuff. As revolutions go, you got off lightly and that is why your people are alive to complain, and complain, and complain.

Originally posted by dgtempe
But your books are full of propaganda and you beleive them instead. Get a real education.

And one more thing- just because i am not a highly intellectual PHD, doesnt mean i dont know what the hell is going on- so stop the imbecile comments.

So we should "get an education" because our understanding of history doesn't jive with the understanding of someone who is too close to the subject matter to be objective and, admittedly, not an intellectual?

Jon

I have nothing further to say.

I dont like Communists sympathizers.

Have fun spreading dissinformation.

Pardon my grammar.

They're looking for people like you in Cuba. Have fun.

Then the many people would be incorrect. However, the hidden communists and marxists in our country are trying to change our system and they are know as extreme liberals or progressionists. They want a cradle to crave government.

There is more to that, you have a fire station, you have a police station , you have schools so you're a comunist nation, because they all run on a social program.It's a form of comunism, comunism from comun things.

The brithish goverment's name is "the labor party" and it's a socialist party, funny it's one of the best alies the US has got? they got that thing what is it called comunist medicine?

Any way, before you would say anything let me inform you that on paper you can not compare democracy with comunism because they are 2 difrent things from a difrent category.Comunism is a form of economics and has nothing to do with human rights and so on. comunism is in the same category as capitalism, because they are a form of economics.Dictatorship is in the same boat with democracy.You can be a capitalist nation and dictate to your people what you want.China is more a capitalist nation than a comunist one lately.The right to vote , the right to free speach the right to speak your mind has nothing to do with capitalism or comunism, they are just related to economics.



[edit on 17-5-2008 by pepsi78]

Originally posted by dgtempe
I have nothing further to say.

Thats good because you haven't actually said much of anything in this entire thread. You simply labeled anyone who didn't agree with you as a communist. We are here to deny ignorance and not further it by throwing simple labels. I gave actual reasons why I feel that many Cuban-Americans are spoiled brats who think the deserve land that they have no claim over.

Do you think that just because you feel personally wronged the United States should go into a foreign country and kill your own people?

War isn't pretty.
Revolution isn't pretty.
Coups aren't pretty.

If Cuban-Americans truly loved Cuba they would want to end the embargo so that it can prosper in any way it can and so that the people can have the things denied to them because of the embargo. Why can't you see that the people are denied access to new computers and cars, not because of Castro, but because of the United States of America?

If Cuban-Americans really loved Cuba, they would try to talk with Castro and get the people the freedoms that you mentioned are so important instead of trying to turn the people against him or assassinate him. Can't see how trying to kill any leader by influencing his own population may lead to the leader removing certain freedoms from his people?

Hasn't there been enough bloodshed and deadly outside influence used on Latin America throughout the years? Why can't Cuba be allowed to be now that your side has lost the revolution?

Jon

Voxel, you have some interesting thoughts, and there is some truth to what you are posting, the issue I am having is the way you are relaying your info. By painting all ex-pat Cubans with one brush, you are coming across as borderline racist. I hope that is not what you are trying to do, as you must admit that not all Cuban born Americans are as you have labeled them.

Have you ever met one? talked to them? listened to their story? Many (most) are just like everyone else. Working to make a living and try go get ahead in this world, not corrupt, not bad, just ordinary people.

Using such a wide brush is a dangerous thing my friend.

Isn't it cute when one overbearing government gets into a verbal spat with another overbearing government?

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Thank You.

I am an American born colombian. And from working at Wal-Mart, I serve Cuban born cubans all the time. For all the hard work and sacrafice they made to get here, most of them arent that grateful apparantley. Always something about America to complain about. Really it has gotten to the point where I am so tired of hearing their complaints and expected special treatment, that I pretend not to speak spanish to most of them anymore.

That English busts out really quick. But hey the point is, it almost sounds like half of them hate America more than they hated Cuba. Listen, all I want to do is make sure you purchase the right product your looking for, not tell me why my country sucks. So I will just smile and nod my head.

Originally posted by sensfan
Voxel, you have some interesting thoughts, and there is some truth to what you are posting, the issue I am having is the way you are relaying your info. By painting all ex-pat Cubans with one brush, you are coming across as borderline racist. I hope that is not what you are trying to do, as you must admit that not all Cuban born Americans are as you have labeled them.

I can see how I come across as anti-Cuban-American but you have to understand, I have nothing wrong with the people. It is the warped ideology of many in their community that I find so abhorrent.

What I dislike is the mindset of the people who were cheering in the street when Castro was in the hospital or the ones on the news acting like they won something when Castro stepped down.

Cuban-Americans are completely disconnected from what is beneficial to real Cubans.

Have you ever looked at just how much the CIA paid to Cuban "patriots" in America? The figure is insane. Some people were making over 100k a year from our government just to disseminate anti-Castro propaganda to their community. The problem is that so many Cuban-Americans started to believe the propaganda and now think it is all true.

Originally posted by sensfan
Have you ever met one? talked to them? listened to their story? Many (most) are just like everyone else. Working to make a living and try go get ahead in this world, not corrupt, not bad, just ordinary people.

Yes, half of my extended family now lives in the Miami area so I do know quite a few Cuban-Americans (my families' close friends.)

Bringing up the true factual history of how Cuban exiles changed Miami and introduced a very potent drug cartel to Florida is not anti-Cuban-American. Neither is pointing out the truth that they had a very rare opportunity to peaceable flee after being on the wrong side (the land-holding wealthy-side) in a cultural revolution.

Originally posted by sensfan
Using such a wide brush is a dangerous thing my friend.

I agree completely and it was not my intent to paint all Cuban-Americans with the same brush. I tried whenever possible to use words like "some", "most" and "many" as quantifiers based on my own experiences with the community.

At the same time, I know, personally, of only a few who don't hold the opinion that they still deserve something from Cuba (land, money) in return for "what was done to them by Castro." That is a divisive ideology that is easy for the corporate powers in America to manipulate for their own profit and interests.

Jon

reply to post by Voxel

What I dislike is the mindset of the people who were cheering in the street when Castro was in the hospital or the ones on the news acting like they won something when Castro stepped down.

I totally agree with you on this point. I found that very sad and abhorent to cheer for the death of someone.

reply to post by DYepes

THAT, my friend, is an outright untruth. Cubans are very greatful to this country for having given them the opportunity to come to a free land.
I am not going to sit here and take this, and i will try my best to type in a friendly tone, ok?
So, here we have Cubans who are at least in the majority FOR Bush and his policies, and they complain nonstop?

Where are these Cubans? Sure, as with everything else in life, every nationality, every race, including Americans can be chronic complainers...
but again, to say that EVERY CUBAN COMPLAINS is just being racist.

That's all. Feel free to discuss my ignorance because i will not even "look" at this thread again.

Originally posted by WhatTheory
Cuba is stll a communist country and should be treated as such.
Nuff said.

I never seem to agree with any of your comments lol, once again this comment is very ummm how can I say this without hurting your feelings, 'idiotic' is good enough. Just because Cuba embrace communism as their way of lifestyle doesn't give you the permission to harbour terrorists against them.

Talk about double standard. Let's just imagine a world where 80% is Communist states and the US is one of few Capitalist states. ummm would you give Russia the thumbs up if they start harbouring terrorists against America just because Americans have decided to embrace Capitalism as their way of lifestyle?? Just because you don't agree with an idea doesn't mean you have to be hostile to it. I don't agree with Capitalism but you don't see me cheering the 9/11 attackers, and you don't hear me saying "America is still a Capitalist country and should be treated as such.
Nuff said"


If a group of people decide to live their lives how ever they wish they have the right to do so, you shouldn't force them to live your way of lifestyle. It's their decision not yours.

I'm not Cuban, but my parents are. The thing is, before Castro there was Batista, who allowed US companies to buy up sugar, tobacco, and coffee plantations, process and package the product and sell it back to Cubans at US prices often marked up many times fold. This created an economic destabilization that eventually gave way to Fidel Castro. People still remember that, especially the current Cuban Gov. What Cuba doesn't want(And this is a common view shared by most people in Cuba) is to be exploited. By anybody. Cubans are a proud, extremely patriotic people, but not stupid. Meaning they don't care about Governments, they care about their Island. Bush is probably responding this way because of the same neocon reasons they wish to transform the Middle East. To exploit resources and products for profit and central world economic power. It's what empires do.

It's no wonder the US is still engaging Cuba in this way. They just can't get them to play ball no matter who's in power.

The reason why the US does not want anything with Cuba is because Cuba knows better and will not kissed the US ass. That means as Cuba and the Cuban people will not exploit themselves for cheap labor like China. Myself as a Cuban, I would not want that to happen to my people. Yes, we want change but the US will make it worse. For that reason the government is always using the word communist when they're the ones endorsing communism inside their own country it's just people are blind . They use Communist to scare people, when a government is try to create fear then it tells you something. Plus Cuba is not considered a threat. People inside are very friendly even if they're having a hard time with life, we appreciate life.

Also just because I now live in the USA, does not mean I don't appreciate what this country has given me. The number one thing that pisses me off about this country is the people who are running it and trying to ruin it. That means Bush .

[edit on 18-5-2008 by velvet]