RE: Political kidnapping of 6-year-old Cuban Elian Gonzalez

To "AC"--

I never made any excuses for Castro in the previous post I made.  I did
attack the ridiculous statement of Mr. Beaty, who seemed to attribute
Cuba's problems to "Castro" and their lack of following the "courtesy of
the American government of laws."-  whatever the hell that means.  When
any "critical thinkers" support "the American government of laws" I would
question their concern for third world peoples and their knowledge of the
history of the US government.

Saying that doesn't make me some loony leftist.  I do not refer to the
crimes of Stalin or Mao or any leader as "errors."  In that same breath,
when I hear the statement of the "horrible repression" that Castro has
supposedly brought to his people, I do take issue with that.  I do not
think you can put Castro and Stalin in the same boat.  What have been the
horrible crimes of Castro?  I look at Cuba's health, education, and
strivings to achieve some independence from underdevelopment as remarkable
achievements and doing more for human rights than the "traditonal American
government of laws" that the right believes Cuba should emulate.  There
have been well documented examples of suppression of free speech in Cuba
under Castro, but that is about it.  He made a serious mistake when he
sent Cuban troops to Ethiopia in the late 70's when he sided with a
corrupt government that slaughtered thousands of the Oromo people.
That is a crime, myself knowing victims of it. Yet I still would not put 
him in the same boat as a
Stalin.

Cubans should be the ones to decide, not privileged US scholars, on their
future.  If they want to get rid of Castro, then they should do so.
People may not know or  tend to forget that Cubans have a strong history
of dissent and revolution from oppressive governments, ranging from
rebellions in Cuba in
1868, the 1890's, 1933, and then 59.  No comparable rebellion from the
existing Cuban system has occured in Cuba.  I wouldn't attribute it to the
"represion" of the Cuban government.  History has proven, when Cubans in
mass become dissatisfied with a government, they overthrow it.  Castro is
no different.

I believe that Gallop or some other polling company went to Cuba in the
late 90's and took a poll of the Cuban people, discovering general
satisfaction with the current government.

Again, the issue is imperialism, what Cuba has faced in the disastrous
blockade from the US for over 40 years, and third world self
determination.  Let Cubans decide for Cuba.  People from a hegemonic power
in the world system can give input or their thoughts, but Cubans must
decide.  

There are Cubans on this email list, by the way.  Their input would be
much appreciated and could set some of American scholars, including
myself, straight on this issue.

Cameron Brooks 

*******************************************************************************

     "Capitalism was built on the exploitation of black slaves and
continues to thrive on the exploitation of the poor, black and white,
both here and abroad."  -- Martin Luther King Jr.

On Fri, 14 Jan 2000, AC wrote:

>Sure, you're right. The INS decision is correct imo, as is the public's
>support for it and I'm sure most of this is done without any adulation of
>Castro. But you don't find it a bit ironic that some of those expressing
>such humanistic concern for the kid are also those who shrug their 
>shoulders
>at the often brutal repression within Cuba? Cameron Brooks' post ("Castro
>isn't the issue...") was a perfect example of just the sort of uncritical
>"adulation" to which Beatty refers. This isn't a minor issue, it's an echo
>of a long, sad period in leftist politics which has either passively 
>ignored
>or actively justified the mass violence perpetrated in the name of leftist
>ideologies in the 20th century ("Stalin is not the issue..."). The
>excuse-making for Castro is just the last act in this farce, one which has
>chosen hip posturing in place of confronting in a critical manner the
>complexities and realities of all ideological constructs.
>
>
>Anthony Chase
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From:  owner-wsn@csf.colorado.edu [mailto:owner-wsn@csf.colorado.edu] On
>Behalf Of David Smith
>Sent:  Friday, January 14, 2000 9:38 PM
>To:    WORLD SYSTEMS NETWORK
>Cc:    WORLD SYSTEMS NETWORK
>Subject:       Re: Political kidnapping of 6-year-old Cuban Elian Gonzalez
>
>Seems to me that the real issue here is whether a 6 year old belongs
>with his surviving parent or not.  National polls of the US citizens show
>that the majority think that he does and support the INS decision to
>return the kid to his dad in Cuba.  Seems to me that reasonable
>people can endorse that without any "adulation of Castro" (I doubt that
>the many of the 56 percent of Americans who agree feel this "adulation"!)
>
>dave smith
>sociology
>uc-irvine
>
>On Fri, 14 Jan 2000, Jeffrey L. Beatty wrote:
>
>> If indeed the boy is sent back to Cuba (as now seems quite possible), I
>> think we should attach to him a note reading:  "Personal to Fidel:  
>Here's
>> Elian Gonzalez, courtesy of the American government of laws.  You should
>> try it some time."
>>
>> Sorry--as a post-1960s person, I have a hard time comprehending the
>> adulation of Castro in some circles.
>>
>>
>> --
>> Jeffrey L. Beatty
>> Doctoral Student
>> Department of Political Science
>> The Ohio State University
>> 2140 Derby Hall
>> 154 North Oval Mall
>> Columbus, Ohio 43210
>>
>> (o) 614/292-2880
>> (h) 614/688-0567
>>
>> Email:  Beatty.4@osu.edu
>>
>____________________________________________________________________________
>> ___
>> This is my quest/to follow that star/no matter how hopeless /no matter 
>how
>> far,
>> to fight for the right/without question or pause,/to be willing to
>> march into hell for a heavenly cause--"The Impossible Dream," Man of La
>Mancha
>>
>>
>
>