I do not claim to be all-knowing about Cuba, and I guess I don’t believe either
side entirely. Let me assure you I am not subscribing to the sort of 5th grade
history version promulgated by many here in America. I knew a few Cubans living
in East Germany, some of our Eastern European friends had traveled to or
studied in Cuba, so I heard quite a bit from them. As I think Carl said, no
government, not even that of Heaven itself is perfection, is without its
difficulties, injustices, inequities, and malcontents. I don’t think anyone,
though, ever said that life under Battista was the greatest, that’s for sure. .
On Apr 1, 2016, at 3:34 PM, Roger Loran Bailey (Redacted sender "rogerbailey81"
for DMARC) <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Let me suggest, also, To Speak the Truth by Fidel Castro. It is also
available from Bookshare.
On 4/1/2016 9:44 AM, Miriam Vieni wrote:
I've read history in several books regarding when and how Castro turned to
Russia, Most of what I've written, comes from books I've read. The problem
is, I read so many, and I read so many articles, that I can't cite specifics
to refute what you say. Of course, you're free to believe anything that you
wish. The anti Castro people who settled in Florida had an incredibly stong
lobby. I think that many were wealthy people and, of course, they didn't
want their property expropriated by the State. Others were small businessmen
or middle class and they left out of fear, not because they knew that
something bad would happen to them. But all of the information available to
all of us has always been filtered through our own government propaganda
which includes the newspapers we read. And being blind, we had less reading
material available to us than most people until we began using the internet.
A few years ago, we were having a similar discussion on this list about the
Korean war. Everyone was giving me the version that they read in their
history books and that I heard on the radio when I was thirteen years old.
Being the rebellious soul that I am, I went looking for a book and found one
on Bookshare which described how and why the war really started. I trusted
the author because I'd been reading very knowledgeable and insightful
pieces on the web from other members of his policy group. And what he said,
verified my very strong instinct that the public had been told a very
distorted story about why our country was fighting that war. But people
choose which facts they accept, which story they feel comfortable with. We
share. We debate. In the end, people believe what they choose to believe.
But as I mentioned last night, I've found Back Channel To Cuba on Bookshare
and I know who the author is and trust him so after I finish reading the
book about the dying neurosurgeon from BARD, I'll read about Cuba from a
source that is more trustworthy than Cable News.
Miriam
________________________________
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Alice Dampman
Humel
Sent: Friday, April 01, 2016 8:12 AM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Fidel Castro on Obama's visit to Cuba
There are several assumptions in your statements that are really unknowable,
for example that Castro turned to the Soviets as a cause-and-effect direct
result of the American attitude. And, although it started out as a people's
revolution, it didn't work out too well for large segments of the population
in the arenas of oppression of dissidents, economic sustainability, quality
of life for the people, etc. No, I don't believe all the American/Western
anti-Cuba propaganda. But I don't believe the Cuban propaganda about all
them happy darkies in the fields, either. As we have all said, there
were/are many positive aspects of the Cuban system. But, like every system,
it has its dark sides, too, and we all try not to ignore either, right?
On Mar 31, 2016, at 4:58 PM, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I wonder what you think Cuba did. Castro led a revolution against a
US
backed dictator. Before the revolution, Cuba was a playground for
the
American wealthy and a comfortable place for the Mafia. Castro led a
people's revolution, but he made friendly overtures to the US
government.
The US government instituted an economic boycott, and immediately
began
trying to kill Castro with Mafia help. At that point, Castro turned
to
Russia for assistance. Had the US not been hostile, he wouldn't have
turned
to Russia. The moment that he did, it became a whole cold war thing.
I
remember watching it happen. I was just starting graduate school.
The US is
this monolith and any country that appears to defy it in any way, is
made to
pay. So we see what happens when people are confronted by hostile
power.
They become hostile and defensive in response. Well now-a-days, they
become
hostile and offensive on a small scale in response. Just remember
that
every bit of information we hear about any country considered to be
an
enemy, is filtered through layers and layers ofpropaganda.
Miriam
________________________________
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Alice
Dampman
Humel
Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2016 4:05 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Fidel Castro on Obama's visit to Cuba
I don't think it is quite that one-sided.I don't deny that the US
was a bad
actor, but Cuba and the Soviets did their share, too...
On Mar 31, 2016, at 10:07 AM, Miriam Vieni
<miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Yes, it would be. Cuba had a revolution to get rid of a US backed
dictator.
The US never forgave it for that. The US policy is to dominate as
many
countries as possible. The US has been punishing Cuba ever since. It
is the
US that has been the bad actor.
Miriam
________________________________
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of R. E.
Driscoll Sr
Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2016 12:13 AM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: [blind-democracy] RE:
[blind-democracy] Fidel
Castro on Obama's visit to Cuba
All:
Would it be mean to generally indicate that Cuba has been a bad
actor over
the past years?
Richard
On 3/30/2016 2:00 PM, Bob Hachey wrote:
Hi Roger,
No doubt that "the empire" as Fidel calls the US has acted badly
toward Cuba and many others. But, given Cuba's history of holding
political
prisoners, his words ring a bit hollow to me.
Just as the United States is hypocritical when complaining about the
human rights records of other nations, Cuba is equally hypocritical.
Bob Hachey
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