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The Forum > Article Comments > Cuba: the propaganda offensive > Comments

Cuba: the propaganda offensive : Comments

By Tim Anderson, published 15/3/2005

Tim Anderson argues Australia’s media is blinded by American anti-Castro propaganda.

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Maracas
"If you knew what you were talking about..."
and
" Open your eyes, dont descend to attempts at ridicule with derogatory remarks."

Your hypocrisy if obvious for all to see Maracas.

"Irrefutable proof is out there in alternative reports."
'Alternative' reports?
Laugh

Your sweeping generalisations are pointless and obvious.
You talk of truth, yet give no specifics. You are the 'useful idiot' that is so loved by enemies of freedom

You respond to talk of freeing iraqi people with non sequiters...such rational discourse...

DavidJS
"Not this leftie! I've already made some comments about Cuba."
Good to see. And I definitely support doing things to stop human rights abuses as well. I just don't support the witch hunts and biased drivel that people like maracas continually spout out.

Kenny
"We went to war in Iraq because there was a threat to the world from Iraqis WMD’s. Iraq didn't end up having any so in order to not take responsibility for the that, they say he was trying to get them or he was not a very nice person anyway"
Thats why, in every major presentation on reasons for going to war with iraq, freeing the iraqi people was mentioned. It was the reason I supported the war, and thats why it is so blindingly obvious when wingnuts try and revise history to help them bash views or actions they don't like.
Posted by Grey, Friday, 18 March 2005 6:43:27 PM
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For me, the recent war in Iraq has presented a dilemma. On the one hand, it was good to see Saddam Hussein overthrown. On the other, it was quite obviously a way for the Cheney Administration in the US to gain strategic and military advantage. After all, if the US, France and Germany and were really concerned about human rights they wouldn't have saved Hussein's arse back in the 1980s when Iraq was being beaten in the Iran-Iraq War.

To cite another example, it was great to see Pol Pot's murderous dictatorship collapse in 1979. But that meant the Hun Seng regime in Vietnam scored strategic and military advantage. These foreign policy dilemmas happen a lot and I'm not as sure of myself as I used to be in posing solutions.
Posted by DavidJS, Monday, 21 March 2005 8:36:55 AM
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maracas, here is one "righty" who thinks what is being done by the US in Guantanamo Bay is very dangerous (and wrong) and who also from his limited knowledge of the whole Cuban issue thinks that they are dealing with Cuba very badly. There are other places where I disagree with their internal and external policies and actions.

Having said that it is worth noting that they do make an attempt to limit their actions. Countries they invade do get to have elections with more than one party standing, time will tell how they go at withdrawing. I think for the most part they try hard to do it right, for a variety of reasons they don't always succeed.

DavidJS, very well said (from a straight righty). You have made the point very well that these issues are not black and white. I was very pleased to see Sadam overthrown but wonder how we justify that and leave North Korea alone (I don't want to see them invaded but would really love to see the North Korean people free of what appears to be a very repressive government). Discussion about the rights and wrongs of specific wars will always clouded by our own priorities and perceptions.
Posted by R0bert, Monday, 21 March 2005 9:42:31 AM
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I think Tim Anderson's response to the SMH article is an important contribution from somebody who has actually visited the island and seen a little of the Cuban reality himself.

I have recently returned after 6 weeks in Cuba and like Anderson, found no hint of a population scared to pronounce their political views. The benefits of a free education system mean that the Cuban people are some of the most educated people you will meet. They have an opinion on everything and are not afraid to share it with anybody willing to listen!

Cuba is not a utopian paradise and Cubans are openly critical of elements of the current system (particularly in relation to the impact of tourism) but they in no way would like to overthrow the so-called 'dictatorship' to replace it with another system.

I was also lucky to see first hand how the election system operates in Cuba as they are currently preparing for elections this year. While Cuba does not have multi-party liberal democratic election system - it has an alternative system where people vote their local representatives into power in non-paid positions at a local and national level. The diversity of opinion within these elected officials means that although there it is technically a one party system, there is no shortage of debate and discussion from elected officials within the local and national assemblies (many of whom are not members of the communist party).

I think we need to be clear that liberal democracy does not equal democracy. Just because a country does not adhere to a liberal democratic notion of democarcy does not make it a dictatorship.

The majority of Cuban people support the current system - that is why it has lasted. The day the majority do not support it will be the day that it is overthrown.
Posted by pink, Monday, 21 March 2005 2:24:53 PM
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Like Pink, I have also recently been in Cuba and support his/her observations. All the Cubans I met were very proud of their revolutionary history in overthrowing the ugly US-supported Batista dictatorship, and they are well aware of the pressures put on them by the current Bush administration (and its lackeys), which they face with courage and determination.

They do not hate Castro as many here would like to believe. They revere him (and Che) for his courage and leadership during the revolution, and for continuing to stand up to the mighty USA. But they are also capable of criticising Castro, particularly for being too hard on prostitutes and gays, for example, but they see this more as the product of an old warrior's ways and are prepared to wait him out.

Most importantly, Cuban children are well loved, heathy and highly educated. Art, music and dance flourishes everywhere. Cuban conversation is intelligent, provocative and funny. The food is pretty ordinary though.

Go and see for yourself, they like Australians...but don't go anywhere near Guantanamo, the yankees might shoot you.
Posted by grace pettigrew, Wednesday, 23 March 2005 2:14:19 PM
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Man I hate communist writers....
Posted by Grey, Thursday, 15 March 2007 3:38:49 PM
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