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CounterPunch
March 22,
2003
US/Cuban
Relations Say More About Our Lack of Democracy Than Cuba's
Coming to Terms
with the Real Havana
By TOM CRUMPACKER
My interest in things Latin started as a teenager
in the 50's when I read W. H. Hudson's 19th century novel Green
Mansions. It's about a young Englishman who lives with an old
Indian in the mountains of Venezuela and falls in love with his
daughter Rima, a fairy-like creature who talks to the animals
and birds in the forest. I've spent an increasing amount of time
in Cuba in the past five years and some of my friends claim I'm
being "romantic" in my enthusiasm for the country and
it's people. They're probably right. Here's a paradox: the real
world, the one we see, actually exists out there for all of us,
but we each also create it for ourselves. Perspective is a key
word for me. I think all honest individual perspectives have
value, the trouble is they're also too limited. It's in society
or community with others that our perspectives broaden and our
contradictions are transcended.
Cuba is a very different kind of society
than ours, and one needs to have or adopt a broad perspective
to appreciate it. Looking at it through our US politico-economic
lens, making comparisons based on our standards, won't do the
trick. Some of the things I like about Cuba are the strong sense
of equality among people, the strong sense of community, the
relative lack of commercialization. Many people there have found
ways to live productive, high quality lives outside the rat-race
of consumption-accumulation. I'm comfortable living among people
who are trying to improve their lot in life by collective action.
I'm not saying it's for everyone, in fact I think most Americans
wouldn't like it.
In order to understand any people, one
needs to know their history. The last century and a half has
been one long struggle for Cubans. Against slavery, colonialism,
neocolonialism, imperialism and blockade. For social justice,
equality and above all national identity and autonomy. Some Cubans
criticize their government (openly and without fear). But I've
never met anyone on the island who wants US business to return
and run things again. They are entering the global economy on
their own terms, and in this sense they differ from the rest
of Latin America. They are attracting capital even though their
foreign investment law prevents companies from having more than
a 49% interest in the profits " in joint venture with the
government -- this is how they finance their education, health
care, social services and safety net. They (perhaps naively)
believe that collective human action rather than just blind market
forces can affect the direction of history. In a sense it might
be said they are trying to put themselves in position to determine
their own destiny by giving up some of the short-term economic
benefit they could have otherwise had by submitting to US commercial
domination.
I just returned from spending the winter
in the capital city. Today's Havana is the fastest changing place
I've ever seen. To the Habaneros I know, change indicates a desire
to experiment, find new ways of doing things, progress. Cooperatives
have become the main form of property ownership. Their new small
scale urban and organic agriculture methods are being studied
by many foreign experts, especially from the Third World. Wide
assortments of fresh fruit and vegetables are brought every morning
to their open air markets from their community gardens. Their
goal is to reduce dependence on foreign imports and become self
sustaining. Not all the changes are for the good, increasing
auto traffic for instance " and the rapid growth of tourism
is endangering the commitment to equality and social justice.
The present situation with money--US dollar vs. Cuban peso, with
different uses for each (Cubans obtaining many of their life
necessities on a collective basis) " looks to me like it
can't continue much longer. They say that if you want to see
socialism, you have to go to the smaller towns and countryside.
Capitalism is bursting through in La Habana, but it's the good
kind, the mom and pop store kind that we used to know when we
were young.
Habaneros are coming out of a very hard
period for them in the nineties. As they say, it was then, when
the dogs and cats were disappearing from the streets, that the
Yankees tried to bring them to their knees with the Toricelli
and Helms-Burton laws. But now they've survived and there's pervading
sense of pride and optimism. I saw some incredible theater, art,
music and dancing in Havana this winter. Their cultural heritage
is mostly African and Spanish but you can also see the Yankee
influence, particularly in music and sports. Construction and
architecture are booming. When I first went there in '97, Habana
Vieja looked like London after the blitz. With the help of the
UN and Spain, the plazas, churches and other buildings are being
restored to their 18th and 19th century glory, slowly and carefully,
much like what happened in Venice 30 years ago. Canada, France,
Germany, China, Italy and many other countries are contributing
to beneficial projects in the city.
In spite of present US policy, Habaneros
are very friendly to American visitors. They are a very well
educated people and they know enough to distinguish the ruled
from their rulers. But I feel ashamed to be an American when
I see these policies continuing: blockading Cuba by threatening
and punishing foreign companies who dare to do business there;
preventing medicine, medical equipment and nutritional food from
reaching Cubans by unreasonable financing conditions; funneling
money to groups in Florida who are trying to destabilize the
Cuban people's government; conducting a relentless propaganda
campaign against the revolution while prohibiting us from traveling
there to learn what is really happening.
I think present US-Cuba policy says a
lot more about the lack of democracy here than in Cuba. Congress
took charge of Cuba affairs in the '80s and there have been bills
pending to normalize relations between the countries for at least
five years. Despite a clear majority in favor, a few powerful
men called "party leaders" have prevented votes on
these bills. Since the Cuban people have no lobby here to push
and pay for change, nothing happens.
In any event Havana is an interesting
and exciting place to be these days, especially for those visitors
who want a different kind of experience. Because the travel restrictions
are unconstitutional they're not being enforced, they're just
being used to frighten people out of going there. If you're one
of the very few who get penalty notices, however, to be safe
you need to demand a hearing within thirty days. Since our government
doesn't want a court ruling the matter apparently will go into
perpetual abeyance.
Tom Crumpacker
is with the Miami Coalition to End the US Embargo of Cuba. He
can be reached at: Crump8@aol.com
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