Despite the shift of power from Big Brother to Little Brother, the Cuban regime remains as oppressive as ever. Raúl Castro’s government is now making greater use of a provision in the criminal code that allows indefinite detention for what is called ‘dangerousness’, this being defined as conduct “in manifest contradiction to the norms of socialist morality.” In other words, it allows for the incarceration of anyone who dares offer a criticism of this paradise in the sun and the gangsters in charge.
So far some forty Cubans have been jailed under this invidious provision for such crimes against ‘socialist morality’ as organising peaceful marches or writing critical articles. At the beginning of November Yoani Sánchez, who runs a blog called Generación Y, dedicated to exposing the political and moral corruption of Castroism, was forced into an unmarked car, after which she was beaten and threatened before being dumped in the street.
We don’t know exactly how many political prisoners there are in Cuban jails. The Economist says that there are at least two hundred, probably many more. The exact figure cannot be determined because Cuba is one of only eight countries in the world that deny the International Committee of the Red Cross access to its prisons.
What strikes me about this is the sheer hypocrisy of the Organisation of American States which suspended Honduras after the coup against Manuel Zelaya, while holding out an invitation to Cuba to rejoin. There is no evidence at all of human rights abuses in Honduras; there is plenty in Cuba. Oh, and incidentally, Raúl Castro was one of those who joined in the parrot-like call for an economic embargo against the Hondurans, seemingly unaware of the irony that this invoked.
Socialism is a filthy doctrine in whatever form it comes; oppressive, miserable, thuggish and essentially anti-human, anti anything that makes life worth living. In Cuba and North Korea the doctrine has achieved its ultimate expression, that of tyrannical and self-perpetuating nepotism.
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Socialism is a filthy doctrine etc..... No its not Imp. And exactly the same accusations could be flung at Capitalism. That is an opinion taken from your position in life and unworthy of you. Your balance is normally pretty good while maintaining your viewpoint but it slipped there. Without Socialism and some pressure on behalf of the sujugated do you think Capitalism would have conceded what it has of its own volition?
ReplyDeleteOh, well, Johm, maybe so. I wrote this in a passion, angry over the treatment of Yoani Sánchez. Besides, I've been to Cuba; I have friends there; I know how local people are treated, I know how lives are frustrated. There are slogans everywhere, including Socialismo o Muerte-Socialism or Death. One girl I know, just a little older than me, said that she would prefer death. Now, is that not sad, really sad?
ReplyDeleteSo far as I am concerned, John, socialism is the antithesis of democracy over so much of the world. Oh, capitalism is not an ideology; it's an economic activity. :-)