Relation U.S.A – Cuba: My blunt explanation

To sum it up: The United States’ pride is hurt.

Oof. I can already see those anti-castro people throw bananas at me from their warm coast in Florida. Mouhaha. Well, yes it’s true. Let’s go through history and have a good laugh, shall we?

So! Early 18^th century, Cuba which was still a Spanish colony and the North American mainland began to do some illegal trading in order to elude colonial taxes. More this pattern went on, and more Cuba became prosperous. Obviously, the States really liked sugar and tobacco! Eventually Spain opened Cuban ports to North American commerce officially and the colony became highly dependent on trade.

Then, around 1820, you have Thomas Jefferson who realizes the potential of Cuba and states “the most interesting addition which could ever be made to our system of States” while John C. Calhoun, Secretary of war (no less!) declares that the United States “ought, at the first possible opportunity, to take Cuba”. Oooh, already, the intents are starting to show. They were even talking of an annexation of Cuba within half a century.

Around 1877, the United Stated represented about 82% of Cuba’s total exports. That sort of power gave to the US a control over prices and of course, production levels. It has been noted by some traveller that “The trade of the country is falling into the hands of foreigners, Havana will soon be as American as New Orleans.” Americans were moving in, and tried to abuse the weak economy of the country during the Ten Years’ War. Obviously, things haven’t changed that much…

Around the rebel war of independence of 1897, William McKinley (US President) offered to buy Cuba for $320 million. The rejection of the offer along with an explosion that sunk one of the US battleship, led to the Spanish-American War which has been closed with the signature of the Treaty of Paris. It meant that finally, Cuba was no more a colony of Spain but was pretty close to becoming part of the U.S. In order to succeed, the US-owned “Island of Cuba Real Estate Company” opened for business to sell Cuban land to Americans. HAHA. Also, U.S. military was on the island until Cuba was finally granted formal independence, in 1902. Is it me or the patterns REALLY didn’t change changed in over a century?

Anyway! We all know the U.S. wouldn’t have withdrawn for no reason or with no gain. As such, Cuba had to sign the Platt Amendment which basically stated that the U.S. government could intervene in Cuban political, economic and military affairs if necessary. That Amendment was to be respected for the next 33 years and needless to say that most Cubans didn’t like it at all. Another consequence of the amendment gave the States continued use of the southern portion of Guantanamo Bay, where the United States Naval Station was established.

In 1912, U.S. forces returned to Cuba to quell protests by Afro-Cubans against discrimination. Around 1926, 60% of the Cuban sugar industry was owned by U.S. Companies, 95% of the total Cuban crop was imported. In 1933, the rebels overthrew the government in place and Roosevelt panicked. He ordered 29 warships to Cuba and Key West, and warned U.S. Marines for use if necessary. The rebel leader assumed presidency of the island and immediately nullified the Platt Amendment. That was the beginning of “Cuba’s communist! Cuba’s irresponsible!” cries from the U.S., as they refused to recognize the new president’s government.

General Batista was a close friend of the U.S. and when he became President of Cuba for two terms, he made sure the two countries would co-operate as much as possible. Batista’s second spell as President is known to be initiated by a military coup planned in Florida, and President Truman quickly acknowledged Batista’s return and offered military and economic aide. Basically, the U.S. were dominating Cuba at that time, through private U.S.-owned companies. Still, we recognize the imperialist habit.

We also have this wonderful quote that was said while Castro took over Cuba with the rebels, that was said by U.S. State advisor William Wieland: “I know Batista is considered by many as a son of a bitch…but American interests come first… at least he was our son of a bitch.” So…great!

So in 1959, when the great Cuban revolution was finally over and Batista’s government was disbanded, President Eisenhower officially recognized the new Cuban government but quickly started to get worried about the large reforms and nationalization of US-owned industries. Who wouldn’t be! You treat people wrong, the abused says ok, that’s enough, go back home. Here, take a few pennies for the trouble. At least we will be happy and we’ll finally work to benefit our economy, not yours.

So when Castro met with Vice-president Nixon, he outlined his reform plans for Cuba. The U.S. started to freak out, seeing how it would be a threat to the U.S. business relation with the island. They started to restrict relations with Cuba at that time. In fact, Ambassador Bonsal met Fidel Castro to express “serious concern at the treatment being given to American PRIVATE INTERESTS in Cuba both agriculture and utilities.” You have to understand that, at that time, everything or so, was U.S. owned, any country that wants a bit of independency, got to take control of what she produces in order to be self-sufficient and not clingy to some other, just like the child has to eventually move out of the parents’ house and earn his own money to covers his own needs.

As Castro continued to reform things, trade restrictions on Cuba increased. Eventually, it reached a point where the island got in huge problems since they were unable to get petrol or other important resources. The U.S. Embargo got more and more prominent and Eisenhower authorized from behind closed doors the CIA to organize, train and equip Cuban refugees as a guerilla force to overthrow Castro. In 1960, the embargo was completed since every single time Cuba’s government was nationalizing a U.S.-owned company, the U.S. government was taking countermeasures. As a result, Cuba found new allies in the Soviet Union.

It’s hard to skip the beautiful failure of about 1500 CIA Cuban exiles trying to invade the island from the Bay of the Pigs. Kennedy declaring publically his responsibility for the event, pissed off the Cubans and they literally kicked the invaders out. Needless to say that the United States wouldn’t take that as a small offense, and they started to plan more and more ways to overthrow their neighbour’s government. Failure as the ultimate signature, all the next presidents tried to have Castro murdered, for a total of -638- times! Funny when you think that he just retired because he is actually greatly ill, and it’s by no mean because of the States.

So when we hear that the U.S. government still spends, in 2008, millions of dollars to try to conquer Cuba, with wronged propaganda filled with lies, insane plans and preparation of coup against their leadership…we can easily conclude that the U.S. still doesn’t accept the defeat. Thanks to Obama though, if he does manage to get elected, that stupid Embargo and manipulation of other countries will finally stop. Because not only are the U.S. snubbing Cuba and trying to get involved in what doesn’t concern them, but they also threaten other countries to stop business with them or punish them for dealing with Cuba.

Of course, Canada being on the top list of those doing business with Cuba, and first provider of oil for the U.S. …I guess they are choosing who they are snubbing. After all, American interests come first!

Cuba, will never be part of the United States so now, please, stop acting like children, damn presidents! Also, if you will excuse me…I will go wait by the door, the CIA should arrive soon…

-Sabbi

The Answer to Violence is NonLethal

Through whatever possible process, a socialistic democracy coming into a country must invariably decide on the process by which to ensure their authority, as a government that does not have a basis in the populace will succumb to a new revolution quickly after. The typical response has been over-zealous repression of ideals considered contrary to the state. While stemming from a pure intent, this method soon results in populace resentment of the government, which will unchecked eventually result in a revolt or reverting to a capitalistic ideal. Instead, they must work at length to establish a non-lethal police and military force.

There are already many ways to detain individuals with little to no permanent damage done to them. Stemming from these examples, a military force equipped purely with weapons designed to incapacitate or restrain their targets will achieve a massive public relations victory. One of the easiest ways to cause resentment towards a government regardless of their actions is the death of their own population. Blame will inevitably be placed on the government to some extent. Minimizing these occurrences is key.

This military methodology does not answer the ‘how’ of its full use and application, but in an ideal government it is necessary. If the government adheres fully to all other factors that might be necessary in such an ideal place, a police force that purely protects even the criminals themselves will be hard to resent. In this way, law can be maintained with minimum public disturbance and aggravation, and the elimination of the resentment would allow for public cries for change to be directed at the laws in question instead of the force used to enforce them.

Understand that this would not be the only factor needed to achieving said ideal government, but is simply one of the necessary factors. In order to reach the ideal, we must all think every moment how to improve even the slightest problem within the government at hand

. Even something small could one day could blow out of proportion if left unchecked. This is simply my answer as to how a non-lethal enforcement method is one of those things needing to be changed.

- Justin

Main resource

Stuck in a system where the rusted gears endlessly falter, the man satisfies himself of his proletarian status. He only sees that reality which eats his dreams and ambitions, accepted and forever acclaimed. How many times, have we been told that “It has always been like that.” “At your age, I was thinking just like you.” “You don’t have a choice.”. Asleep within that pre-defined frame, unable to see past his own cage, mankind perceives itself as free. Free to choose, free to establish its own way of living. An illusion of freedom, in order to maintain productivity. Vicious circle that has for unique goal the destruction of human’s intellectual matter. Materialist, consumer, ignorant or well-informed…he remains nothing more than a prisoner in endless research of happiness.

Are we so numb that we are unable to see the wheel spin? Are we so dishearten, that we prefer to keep our eyes closed on our present, our future and our past? How can we accept to live under such conditions without having words on our life?

We are deafened by the noises that the machine produces, scatterbrained by its lights and emblems. How can we sit and watch for nothing but a moment, the movement of that wheel? Contemplate with aggravation the deterioration of our existence. Reduce to nothingness all efforts because lonely men that you are, needless to wake up, this dream is so much better.

Far away, we perceive that soothing mirage. A soft breeze brushing the coast while by a single day off, we enjoy that view, oh so pleasing. The racket so familiar is no more. But by a snap of the fingers, has already returned. Vain hopes too often unhealthy: this is the symbol of happiness that human clings to.

We don’t have time to think. We are born on this planet, as main matter for that industry that destroys the mankind potential as we have known it. The resource, tireless, reproduces and when one doesn’t do it anymore, another will know just better how to oil the equipment. Like a cannibal, our predator watches us, spies on us. He will know soon enough when the moment of renewal will arrive, devouring its prey still tender.

And he watches the wheel spin, a subtle smile caressing softly the rigid features of his face. He knows. Main matter, not only are you crafting wonderful gadgets, but you know better than anyone, how to use them. Of that piece of paper, like a magician, you will bring me thousands back. Don’t ever ask for more than your bread, because never, oh never, will I tolerate such insolence. This is mine, be happy of what is yours.

And we will watch the beast feast on our brother, because we are free. We will not say word, because we are comfortable. We earn our bread; he did not even know it tasted. But whatever…my crumb is fresh, and this nest is but more mine.

Comes the day where the grain becomes rare. We cannot earn our bread, because it has disappeared. We cannot earn our water, because he drank it all. But whatever…we are comfortable. …we were comfortable. Today, we do not have enough to live on, and that wheel, of which we were hearing the gentle cog, stopped spinning. We have, as well, stopped existing.

- Sabbi

How long will we wait?

And there was the day I became conscious. Conscious of my existence, of this pre-decided road on which I had to walk until the fatidic end of my brief appearance on earth. I started to walk, to…grow as some please themselves to say. The changing environment: its wonderful colours fading away. It was merging so perfectly that I barely noticed, as long as I wasn’t looking behind me. Anyway, even though I would have wanted to, I couldn’t walk back. With a slight push in the back, they show me the direction to take and no other must be considered as mine.

Is it mine or theirs? I often asked myself… A questioning that many prefer to ignore as reality, the answer to that interrogation, changes our lives forever. I, who believed that all were the heroes of their own adventure, was horribly mistaken. It’s them, who decide where are going, what we must think, do, create and use. They decide also, the day of our arrival and departure. Are we in all honesty, nothing more than marionettes?

Darkness invaded my soul the day I realized this. While I was attempting to find my own path, to hear my own reasoning within this chaos, the scheme exposed itself being much bigger than I first believed it could be. During each discovery, an expending rage eats the rest of their education, of their doctrine so deeply engraved. How can we see clearly while all stimuli are adulterated, swindled, manipulated by that third party.

I’m losing hopes. What will happen to these other generations, those children of our children? Will they be braver and more serious in their implication than we or are parents are? Will they be so misled that they will be completely obnubilated, such as zombies, machines accepting that the term “life” isn’t for them and is from now on unreachable? If freedom isn’t for us, it’s for them that we should fight!

The strength of my words remains useless, unable to state fairly that rage, this feeling of extreme disdain. While I thought I was isolated, she embraced me and it’s because of her, that I paint those weak sentences of this sheet. Not only am I not alone or poorly accompanied…but we are thousands! Thousands of people screaming to every Elite’s moves, but nothing more. Only words spread, quotes taken away…a popular force thrown to the garbage.

Change isn’t a discussion matter anymore. It’s a reality, a need. A need that is just as important and essential as eating, sleeping or even lodging. It is now fundamental. We can’t allow sitting back passively in front of TV, letting the media manipulate our poor grey matter, whitening.

That the population choose “the less bad”, clearly shows our lack of judgment. We are the population and I am part of that “we” just as you are. I can’t accept this cowardice where we prefer to blame our neighbour for our own misery. The simple “because” isn’t enough. It is time to rise and take what is ours. Together, consequently live by those words that please our revolutionary minds while we condemn the destruction of our future.

Forever become these warriors of the humanity liberation. It is no more the princess of childhood stories who needs rescue but the whole humanity, and its mother earth. Every single minute that passes by, becomes nothing more than the breath’s echo destroyed by our idleness. Hundreds of men, women and children, falling under the weight of canons; thousands of forest hectares, becoming no less than a souvenir…

- Sabbi

From Socialism to Dictatorship, the human nature

During an animated discussion between a friend and I, I reached the conclusion that socialism, on a sociological and psychological basis, leads automatically to a dictatorship even though the best intentions might be there. Even then, it’s only a perspective matter since in modern socialist and communist societies, like China or even Cuba, the nature of undertaken actions aren’t regularised or decided in order to establish a dictatorship but rather under an idea of collective consciousness of needs and resources available to said community.

It’s easy, while being a stranger to the situation, to expose facts leading to believe that this or that is bad, even more within our Western consciousness where the corruption of the capitalist system has sunk so deeply within our souls. While we’re fighting against that way of thinking which is nothing more but a reflex, the critical thinking resumes being harder and harder to reach. Those who have read the title of my article are probably feeling attacked and ask themselves: “But Sabrina…how can you think something so absurd! The people’s liberation can’t become true and lead to a dictatorship, because it’s together that we will choose our future.” And to that, I will answer…yes, it’s together that we will become conscious of our ways and we’ll use the necessary means in order to live in a society that we will build free of monetary rules, instead replaced by our humanitarian laws.

The human, by nature, can be just as good as it can be bad. In the deepness of my mind, I must, as in I can’t believe otherwise, that men are good as a species, that the situations lead them to be become evil but is it really? Isn’t it naive to believe in such utopia? Yes, yes!! I’m naive. Within this infinite circle between good and bad, where relativity is subjective, men learn and develop. The human, in endless evolution matches to the complexity of the system he grows within.

At birth, we are nothing more than a white sheet, where the words “I want to understand” are inscribed. The paper’s fibre is dense and represents our assets. The nervous system, the senses, driving force…all those things that we don’t learn but that are inherent. A pencil at hand, sometimes a little too sharp, we write the first lines: learn what hurts, what feels good, to walk, to talk, etc… If we shred a part of my sheet while there’s not much written, I will still be able to understand I will use the rest of the space more carefully, just like the child who has a defective part of his brain. An accident could happen while he’s only 3 years old, in a part of his brain where speech data is usually stocked, and as surprising as it can be: he will use another part of his brain in order to develop his speech capacities, without necessarily possessing any lack speech-wise. Amazing, is it not?

Is it normal, that we must tell people to take action when they see something unusual happen in their neighbourhood? Well yes, it is. By nature, men are individualistic and believe that someone else will take care of it. That seems unreal yet studies have proven it: situations have proven that we aren’t conscious of the needs of others, while when we find ourselves in such situation, we will yell for help hoping that someone…somewhere will hear our suffering call. Around, people will hear but they will rather think that someone else will take care of it. Are we unable to take responsibilities, unless we are taught to at a pretty young age, while the page isn’t blackened by a mess of writing?

Therefore, if we do manage to create this society that we all dream of, how would it be possible to break the individualism cast? How will we be able to teach men, that his brother is just as important as himself? I find myself pleased, thinking that it will be through the education that we will reach the next step but it goes much further than that….it will be at the household’s foundation that these values will have to take place, so the parents’ education is extremely urgent, for the survival of the next generations.

In society matters, be it socialist, communist or even capitalist. It is imperative that the whole population participate in its emancipation. However, the argument that we hear often is that there will always be “slackers” who will do nothing, who wants to do nothing. To that I answer: “Men, aren’t “slackers” by nature. They refuse to feel useless. It’s the sum up of actual and past circumstances which creates more and more of that kind of people. How, while being members of the lower part of the poorer class, who don’t earn much more than well-fair, who don’t manage to pay for bills, rent, food, leisure activities and so on, can we actually want to get involved in a society that represents nothing more than a slow but gradual destruction of our beings?

There isn’t only the worker who is an asset to society and that’s one of the problems that we refuse to understand as a group. We need to give people unable to find a job or to work, things to do so we do not lose them and see them fall progressively in an endless tunnel where depression and fear surrounds their prey like hungry wolves.

But, even if every single one of us would finally understand the importance of one another, of their implication toward building a better world, did you know that a single greedy person could destroy the work of a whole society? Yes, a single person could start a wave that would bring us back exactly to where we are today. Stupid creatures that we are, we have to live within a set of laws that keeps us from becoming greedy, that wouldn’t allow such actions in order to protect what will have taken decades to build up.

Hence, isn’t that a dictatorship? To tell a man, you will not act this particular way? You will live forever for one another? After all…everything is relative. If we take for example, Cuba, where it wasn’t allowed to possess a microwave, unnecessary energy-eating tool, while they were about to enter an unbelievable energy crisis? China, that doesn’t allow more than one child per family is in itself a dictatorship in the eye of one, but to the other, it seems evident that with the population density of that country, it wouldn’t be logical to promote reproduction. Shouldn’t a society live within the restrictions of its own capabilities? Therefore, is it a dictatorship to impose a structure within which everyone, as a community and not individually, is able to live without reaching the auto-destruction point of non-return?

- Sabbi