All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others
I got this email from a friend in Australia today:
hi b!
I was bored the other nite so was looking at this big left wing site in aust wrote them a question - see the response below - at first i thought it was a laugh but actually in reading it today it makes me sad - but then again maybe i live in kooky land because apparently i didnt even realise that my political rights in australia were far worse here than in cuba oh hang on - vive prime minster howard!
A.
******************
To: sydcentral@socialist-alliance.org
Sent: Monday, November 14, 2005 1:04 AM
Subject: socialist policy
Hi
Had a look at your website amongst many things i saw that in your policies you support 'Solidarity with Cuba' and directly underneath it you support 'Right of self determination for the Tamil People' any hope of 'Right of self determination for the Cuban People' (ie free elections?) so people can express if they wish to keep authoritarian castro or not
Interested in your response
Regards
A.
Response:
HI,
I've just returned from Cuba and would love to know what you're talking about really...
I don't understand it. Cuba is a very free country. Many people talked to me about how they are not happy (most liked castro though, a few didn't,), and because my spanish is crapped and i talked only to about 5% of Cuba's population who speaks english (and tends to be involved in the tourist industry and most likely to be less socialist than the rest of the country), I got to talk to the least happy people generall.
I just don't know where you even get this idea that he is authoritarian: is it from American big business media?
I think the main reason people think he's authoritarian is because he has been the president for so long: is that it? Because Cuba's politics is just not that simple and Castro's power is not that real anyway. He is more like a queen- not in the undemocratic sense, but his more like a figure head, giving speeches and things, but the actual policy decisions are made by a government much more democratically elected than ours. Of course, Castro is elected democratically too, but my point is it really doesn't matter as he isn't the essence of the political system there.
Frankly, our political rights here in a Australia are much worse. I've been arrested for protesting, but noone in Cuba has (usually its millions Cuban's protesting the US blockade and the US war).
*********************
It is worth a laugh.
hi b!
I was bored the other nite so was looking at this big left wing site in aust wrote them a question - see the response below - at first i thought it was a laugh but actually in reading it today it makes me sad - but then again maybe i live in kooky land because apparently i didnt even realise that my political rights in australia were far worse here than in cuba oh hang on - vive prime minster howard!
A.
******************
To: sydcentral@socialist-alliance.org
Sent: Monday, November 14, 2005 1:04 AM
Subject: socialist policy
Hi
Had a look at your website amongst many things i saw that in your policies you support 'Solidarity with Cuba' and directly underneath it you support 'Right of self determination for the Tamil People' any hope of 'Right of self determination for the Cuban People' (ie free elections?) so people can express if they wish to keep authoritarian castro or not
Interested in your response
Regards
A.
Response:
HI,
I've just returned from Cuba and would love to know what you're talking about really...
I don't understand it. Cuba is a very free country. Many people talked to me about how they are not happy (most liked castro though, a few didn't,), and because my spanish is crapped and i talked only to about 5% of Cuba's population who speaks english (and tends to be involved in the tourist industry and most likely to be less socialist than the rest of the country), I got to talk to the least happy people generall.
I just don't know where you even get this idea that he is authoritarian: is it from American big business media?
I think the main reason people think he's authoritarian is because he has been the president for so long: is that it? Because Cuba's politics is just not that simple and Castro's power is not that real anyway. He is more like a queen- not in the undemocratic sense, but his more like a figure head, giving speeches and things, but the actual policy decisions are made by a government much more democratically elected than ours. Of course, Castro is elected democratically too, but my point is it really doesn't matter as he isn't the essence of the political system there.
Frankly, our political rights here in a Australia are much worse. I've been arrested for protesting, but noone in Cuba has (usually its millions Cuban's protesting the US blockade and the US war).
*********************
It is worth a laugh.
posted by CaliValleyGirl at 3:31 PM
3 Comments:
LOL - you'd get the same kind of response from left wing sites in the US... We are severely oppressed here... we have no rights... Cuba is the golden land... Um... sure... I have some nice dry land to sell you in NOLA...
Even better - we have movie stars going around spouting the same bilge. This would be why I won't watch any more movies with Danny Glover - he supports Castro and I choose (with my pocketbook) not to support him. *grin*
Teresa hit the reason on the head why we will attend most movies only on base. 3 bucks a pop and I'm not worried about 9$ going to support ego city.
I have asked this question many times (and very nicely, so I can't figure out why I get screamed at for it), but if Cuba really is so much better, why are they living here? I'm not saying "Love it or leave it," I'm saying, I choose to live where I like (well, except for that whole being stationed where the AF sends us thing, but I'm pointing to when we get out)...
I'm perplexed.
Oh my!
Why didn't she stay in Cuba then?
It's not democracy when there is only one party. Democracy is plurality and certainly not a dictatorship.
The Battle of Midway just doesn't seem that important to me right now.
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