Regarding "Rethinking Cuba - Taking Off Those Miami Sunglasses May Help Clear Up the Picture"

The latest response in the ongoing dialogue between Laura Wayne and critics of her recent article on Cuba. The discussion leading up to this can be viewed by scrolling further down the page to the post from May 28.

Dear Laura:

After I read your e-mail, I started wondering if you have been propelled with mis-information during your stay in Cuba. It's logic that you received this kind of information since the people that you visited stayed in Cuba while you came, learned from them, and left. I hope and I believe that you are an open minded person, and that you know that there are always two sides to a story. Therefore if you allow me your time for a rebuttal what these people have said.

First, You mentioned "Batista" in your e-mail. I'm not a "Batistiano" or have sympathized with him. However, you have to give to the Cesar what it belongs to the Cesar. If you search on Batista's past you will see that the man came from a humble beginning. He was a "mulatto" or mixed blood. He was not as Castro and his propaganda machine painted him. He established many reforms in Cuba during the time he controlled the government. I was swooped away too with the euphoria about Batista’s sins when I lived in Cuba. Later in years, I found out that Batista brought a lot of changes to Cuba making it more socialistic and an equalitarian society than you can imagine. He and the 1940 Cuban Constitution implanted reforms needed for a better Cuba. These reforms have been trashed with the outcome of the Revolutions. When you have some time, please read about him in Wikepedia and understand what he did for Cuba. Yes he was tyrant, but also provided a conduit for many reforms in Cuba while Castro has stayed fast on his beliefs. Batista was a man of the people, and while Castro was the son of a “hacendado”. Cuba shined like the Sun while Batista was in power while it has remained dull and a lack of imagination with Castro. Would you agree with me that before you pass judgment, you should investigate all avenues and not be carried away with the fervor of the people that have some political gain to disseminate miss-information? Here is a good web page to start. Batista .

The work of the "privileged way of life that was earned on the backs of the poor" that's another myth implanted by the Regime to contradict the work of so many people that were not privileged but improve their way of life. My uncles and aunts, all worked in Cuba as you said “backs of poor” but they bettered themselves to in free University of Havana and became professionals. In Cuba, we had three classes of people like always there are privileged people, but now they are all poor except for the ones chosen to be privileged. What rights does a regime have to stifle any motivation or decrease the standard of living to it's people? Why they stifle the ambition of an individual? It was tried in China, and it didn't work, and look at it now. I will talk to you later on this about China.

Secondly, you mentioned about the demonstration in Cuba. This is naive on your part. You know that all the work force is controlled by the Regime. If you oppose going to a demonstration, you’ll be punished and banned from work along with the lost of any wages. After that, any place that you apply, your name is part of a list of "antisocial", and you are banned from the work force. What are you going to do? When you see a force of demonstrators in Cuba it’s more or less people that need their jobs to subside, so that they can continue making a living. Is that their true beliefs? I see most of them with sleepy and boring faces and with lack of ambition. Keep in mind, Cubans have two faces, one for the government and another for their true beliefs.

Third, the five Cubans that you portrait as detained in the US Prisons were convicted by a US Jury and found guilty of their crimes. Their crimes were “aiding the enemy”. Do you know that they took part in providing information to the shot down of the two unarmed planes flying on international waters by "Brothers to the Rescue" team? They provided the flight plan and where they were going to be. Do you know that the Cuban pilots rejoiced after they dropped the missiles that brought them down. I heard their radio conversations. How abusive and bullies can they be to shoot down two poor unarmed aircrafts with four souls trying to save the life of the raft people. The least they could do is keep their thought to themselves and pay some respect while those pilots died. huh? What crimes did these pilots commit that yield this kind of punishment and the use of this excess of power against two unarmed airplanes? This was a cowardly act and the one that did this is a coward starting with Raul Castro who OKed the order to shoot them down. Why couldn't they have escorted them back to Cuba as humanitarian nations do? Do you believe in the Jury system? Then if that is the case these people should stay in jail for a long time. This is a myth concocted by the Regime to bring these people back, but really do they want them back or is it just a smoke screen? They are now used to the American way and not to living in a precarious society.

Fourth, you mentioned China. "China, which was under communist rule and is reputed for its far worse record of human rights violations." China is still under communist rule; however, this is the crux of why China is not treated the same as Cuba. In an interview with Chairman Deng in 1986 by Mike Wallace he explains the reason. This is what was said:

MIKE WALLACE
September 2, 1986


Deng: We went through the ``cultural revolution''. During the ``cultural revolution'' there was a view that poor communism was preferable to rich capitalism. After I resumed office in the central leadership in 1974 and 1975, I criticized that view. Because I did so, I was brought down again. Of course, there were other reasons too. I said to them that there was no such thing as poor communism. According to Marxism, communist society is based on material abundance. Only when there is material abundance can the principle of a communist society -- that is, ``from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs'' -- be applied. Socialism is the first stage of communism. Of course, it covers a very long historical period. The main task in the socialist stage is to develop the productive forces, keep increasing the material wealth of society, steadily improve the life of the people and create material conditions for the advent of a communist society.

There can be no communism with pauperism, or socialism with pauperism. So to get rich is no sin. However, what we mean by getting rich is different from what you mean. Wealth in a socialist society belongs to the people. To get rich in a socialist society means prosperity for the entire people. The principles of socialism are: first, development of production and second, common prosperity. We permit some people and some regions to become prosperous first, for the purpose of achieving common prosperity faster. That is why our policy will not lead to polarization, to a situation where the rich get richer while the poor get poorer. To be frank, we shall not permit the emergence of a new bourgeoisie.

As you see, China has a different approach but in Cuba all illusions to be a prosperous society is stifled by the regime. They are under a notion that Cubans don't want any source of income except what the Government gives them. So why be prosperous? You mentioned this has to be the embargo. The embargo is only with one country, USA. Cuba has traded with 100 other nations including Canada. However, why do they continue to be poor and their citizens maintain a low standard of living? Could it be that the Government wants it this way? Look at what’s happening in Venezuela. Your generation is witnessing the same as mine did. Then they play the ogre card by blaming the USA. They are the ones that foster communism, but in a pauper way not as Chairman Deng said, in China the government foments the growth of economics why can they do the same in Cuba? Could it be that Cuba wants their citizens to worry about where they are going to find their next meal, and do not worry about a way to get rid of this oppressive system? Richness is power and in the Cuban’s system only wants that the Government to have the power, but Governments are to serve the people not people serving the Government. Who are the privilege that you speak of the ones running the system now? These are totally two different ways of thinking. Which one do you want for Cuba? The Chinese model or the Cuban model? Cuban model has not worked for the last 48 years why it would work now? How long can they blame the USA for it? Are we the cause of all evil?

My Fifth and last point, you mentioned the UN in your discussion. Please, this is the most corrupt system of politicians. During the late 90’s, they opposed any intervention by any country to Iraq. They had this food for oil thing going on. It has been proven that these politicians were taking kickbacks and bribes from this oil for food program. While these people were getting rich, the poor people of Iraq were suffering from the lack of resources. This is a corrupt organization with corrupt politicians. These politicians have taken kick backs from Cuban government for many years. For that, they voice neutrality, but who could stand neutral when a country maintains their people in poverty just to keep themselves in power?

That's all I can say for this time, my hopes is that you read and come up with an open mind to understand what I've written to you. Do not kill me since I’m just the messenger. Find out for yourself. Investigate, search, research, and find the truth and do not pass judgment on us that only want the betterment and the returned of the Republic of Cuba.

Sincerely,

Tony Urbizu