|
|
home / subscribe / donate / tower / books / archives / search / links / feedback / events / faq
|
Hezbollah's Rise, Israel's Fall |
|
Today's Stories Auguyst 29, 2006 Paul Craig
Roberts Jeffrey Buchanan
John Walsh Sibel Edmonds
/ William Weaver Ramzy Kysia Ron Jacobs Gideon Levy Missy Beattie Virginia Tilley
Uri Avnery Alexander Cockburn Jordan Green Azmi Bishara Ray Close Gary Leupp Ralph Nader Joe Allen Fred Gardner Dave Lindorff David Krieger Stephen Fleischman Mary Turck Walter Brasch Jim Scharplaz Israel Shamir Alexander Cockburn Charles Henderson Jeffrey St. Clair Poets' Basement
August 25, 2006 Elena Everett Juan Cole Chris Moore James Marc Leas Salah Obeid Claudio Albertani Tom Barry Website of
the Day
CounterPunch
News Service Uri Avnery Nermeen al-Mufti Norman Solomon Megan Wiles Laura Santina Mike Whitney Seth Sandronsky Christopher
Brauchli
August 23, 2006 Dr. Trudy Bond Ramzy Baroud Ron Jacobs Heather Gray Amira Hass Mavis Anderson Ingmar Lee Francis Boyle John Ross
Gilad Atzmon Jack Heyman Eamon McCann Sharon Smith Edward S. Herman Ramzi Kysia Bill Quigley August 21, 2006 Jonathan Cook Paul Craig
Roberts Kathy Kelly Mike Roselle Lenni Brenner Maher Osseiran
August 19 /
20, 2006 Uri Avnery Eliza Ernshire Virginia Tilley Kathy Kelly Marc Levy Stephen Bradberry / Barbara Rose
Johnston William Blum Stephen Fleischman Ralph Nader Dave Lindorff Fred Gardner David Krieger Dan La Botz Poets' Basement
August 18, 2006 Brian M. Downing John Blair Alan Hart Craig Murray Chris Dols Emily Kirksey Joaquín Bustelo William S.
Lind Podcast of the Day Website of
the Day
August 17, 2006 CounterPunch
News Service Barucha Peller Ramzy Baroud Rothem Shtarkman Craig Murray Samar Assad Mike Ferner Arnold Kohen Kevin Zeese Missy Comley Beattie Uri Avnery Video of the Day Website of
the Day
August 16, 2006 Merav Yudilovitch Robert Fisk Mark Williams John Ross Christopher
Brauchli John Walsh Ron Jacobs Rachard Itani Felice Pace Niranjan Ramakrishnan Frank, Sharma
and Peterson Jonathan Cook Website of
the Day
August 15, 2006 Andrew Ford
Lyons Binoy Kampmark Robert Fisk Ralph Nader Todd Chretien Chris Floyd Mark Engler George Galloway Laray Polk Trish Schuh Website of the Day
Uri Avnery Karim Makdisi Kathy Kelly Robert Fisk Norman Solomon Sunsara Taylor Robert Jensen Mike Whitney P. Sainath Goretti Horgan Christopher
Reed
August 12 /
13, 2006 Jean Bricmont Norman Finkelstein Robert Fisk Adrian Grima Barucha Peller Omar Barghouti Adam Engel Conn Hallinan John Stauber Rev. William
Alberts Fred Gardner Lucinda Marshall Ron Jacobs CounterPunch
News Service Poets' Basement
Col. Dan Smith John Ross Michael Donnelly William S.
Lind Linda Milazzo Rep. Cynthia
McKinney Azmi Bishara Henri Picciotto CounterPunch News Wire Dave Lindorff Jonathan Cook
Uri Avnery Dave Marsh Gabriel Kolko Arthur Versluis Jennifer Loewenstein
Linda Schade Jackie Mason Jonathan Cook Gilad Atzmon
Charles Hirschkind
Tom Barry Cockburn &
St. Clair
August 8, 2006 Patrick Cockburn Paul Larudee Joan Roelofs Dimi Reider John A. Murphy Tim Llewellyn Website of the Day
August 7, 2006 Uri Avnery Karim Makdisi Nadia Hijab Sharon Smith Magan Wiles George Beres Rachard Itani Norman Solomon Stan Cox Mickey Z. Jonathan Cook Website of
the Day
August 5 / 6, 2006 Virginia Tilley Uri Avnery Patrick Cockburn Sgt. Martin Smith Gary Leupp Neve Gordon Ralph Nader Peter Bouckaert Peter Montague David Krieger Michael Donnelly Fred Gardner Catherine Norris Imraan Siddiqi Missy Comley
Beattie Ira Kay Dave Lindorff Pratyush Chandra Ron Jacobs St. Clair / Donnelly Poets' Basement Website of the Day Video of the
Weekend
August 4, 2006 Ralph Nader Brian Cloughley Eliza Ernshire Roger Assaf George Bisharat Remi Kanazi Laura Carlsen Niranjan Ramakrishnan Derrick O'Keefe Mickey Z. Col. Dan Smith Website of the Day
Jonathan Cook Uri Avnery Saree Makdisi Robert Fisk Farrah Hassen Nicola Nasser Ron Jacobs Mitchel Cohen Seth Sandronsky Bruce K. Gagnon Alexander Cockburn
John Ross Chip Mitchell Saul Landau Naseer Aruri Winslow T.
Wheeler Matthias Gebauer Joshua Frank Bill Quigley Manuel Yang Shamai Leibowitz David Himmelstein Lara Marlowe Website of
the Day
August 1, 2006 Michael Neumann Robert Fisk Omar Barghouti Marc Levy Diana Barahona / Jeb Sprague Claud Cockburn Ross Eisenbrey Dave Lindorff John Chuckman Francis Boyle Phil Doe Stephen Soldz Website of the Day
July 31, 2006 Jonathan Cook Uri Avnery Robert Fisk Amina Mire Marjorie Cohn Sibel Edmonds / William Weaver John Ross Stanley Rogouski Gideon Levy Ron Jacobs James Ridgeway
/ Alicia Ng Brian Tokar Alexander Cockburn
July 29 / 30,
2006 Michael Neuman Vijay Prashad Ramzi Kysia Werther Robert Fisk Patrick Cockburn Ralph Nader Rachard Itani Eduardo Galeano Gary Leupp Eve Poretsky John Chuckman Fred Gardner Juan Santos Punyapriya Dasgupta Liaquat Ali
Khan Israel Shamir William A.
Cook Stanley Heller Dave Lindorff Moshe Adler Susie Day Pat Williams Anthony Papa John V. Whitbeck Jackie Corr Myles Palmer Tom D'Antoni Poets' Basement Website of
the Weekend
July 28, 2006 Jonathan Cook Uri Avnery Renee Bowyer Robert Fisk Patrick Cockburn Ramzy Baroud Don Fitz Elaine Cassel David Price Mike Whitney Mickey Z. Niranjan Ramakrishnan Charles Glass Website of
the Day
July 27, 2006 Tanya Reinhart Saul Landau Ramzi Kysia Tom Barry Joseph Grosso Sharon Smith Gale Courey
Toensing Christopher Reed Werther Yusuf Mansur Richard Harth Website of the Day
Norman
Solomon Barbara
Olshanksy David
Nally Jonathan
Cook Patrick
Cockburn William
Blum Joshua
Frank Gabriel
Kolko Daniel
Cassidy Michael
Dickinson Robert
Fisk Uri
Avnery Website
of the Day
July 25, 2006 Harry
Browne Marjorie
Cohn Robert
Bryce Sharat
G. Lin George
Bisharat CounterPunch
News Desk Zena
El-Khalil Larry
Lack Mike
Mejia Ashraf
Isma'il Website
of the Day
July 24, 2006 Mark
Levy Robert
Fisk Maher
Osseiran Paul
Craig Roberts Patrick
Cockburn Website
of the Day
July 22-23, 2006 Jonathan
Cook Paul
Craig Roberts Gilad
Atzmon Robert
Fisk Ralph
Nader Fred
Gardner Christopher
Reed Dr.
Susan Block Najla
Said Uri
Avnery July 21, 2006 George
Galloway P.
Sainath Aseem
Shrivastava Alexander
Cockburn Website
of the Day July 20, 2006 William
S. Lind Robert
Jensen John
Ross Tom
Hayden Paul
Craig Roberts July 19, 2006 Patrick
Cockburn Trish
Schuh Jonathan
Cook Vicente
Navarro
Subscribe Online
|
August 29, 2006 Washington's IgnoranceMisreading Cuba, for 47 and a Half YearsBy SAUL LANDAU For forty seven and a half years, Washington and the mainstream media have misread Cuban reality. This fallacious view of events on the nearby island continued on July 31 when Fidel Castro (almost 80) entered the hospital and issued a public letter. In it, he ceded power, temporarily, to his brother Raul (75). He also named other top Communist Party officials to head major government departments. All adult Cubans know Raul Castro's name, as they do the names Lage, Machado Ventura, Balaguer, Lazo and Perez Roque. These officials have for years assumed the very responsibilities that Castro assigned them in his letter. So, the actual power transition in Cuba had begun before Castro's incapacitating illness. The US government's responded by warning Cubans on the island not to leave and those in Florida not to return. This demonstrated anew their ignorance of Cuban actuality and disinterest in learning. The media has also misled the public. On August 7, more than a week after Fidel entered the hospital and underwent surgery, two AM radio hosts asked me why Raul Castro had not appeared in public. Raul rarely appears in public as all Cubans know. Indeed, a public display by Raul at time of Fidel's hospitalization might have signaled something amiss inside the government. On August 14, Raul did appear at the airport to greet Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez who came to visit the recuperating Castro. Several friends in Havana told me they had not noticed his public absence. Unreported, naturally, Cuba's
electricity and water supplies continued to enter Cuban homes
and work-places and people went to work on crowded busses, just
as they did before Fidel had surgery. Successful take offs and
landings don't make news! Several news reports noted "more
police presence in certain neighborhoods." But no reporter
actually counted the cops or compared numbers of actual police
on patrol before and after Fidel's hospitalization. Two weeks
after Castro's surgery, Cubans report that all seems normal after
the temporary formal passing of state power by the man who has
held it tightly for 47 plus years. On August 15, Cuba's media
showed photos of Cuba's perennial leader smiling in a sweat suit,
apparently recovering from his surgery. Within six weeks, he
might again resume his duties. In Cuba, the anti-Castro "dissidents did not organize protests, or street demonstrations. Miami-based Cubans danced and drank on the street when they heard the rumor--false as it turned out -- of Fidel's impending death. Well, some Cubans will use any excuse--even in bad taste -- to party! After desperate news flashes and punditry about the world-shaking importance of Fidel's impending demise, little has really changed. Cubans on the island continue to complain about shortages, corruption, bureaucracy; valid gripes. Most of them also understand that the revolution has meant relative security. Fidel's temporary disability will not remove their free housing, education, health care and social services. They will also continue to receive subsidized food and entertainment. In other words, daily life in Cuba seems stable, despite the turmoil produced by 47 years of US hostility. In Bush's message to the Cuban people, he revealed his newest plan to bring them "democracy." He referred to a plan by his appointed Commission on Cuba released on July 10, three weeks before Castro entered the hospital. The lengthy report reveals how Bush intends to woo Cubans from "communist dictatorship" to "free market democracy." When the United States claims to be a friend of the Cuban people and offers to help them, however, a loud reality gong ought to ring in the capitals of both countries. Bush's Commission affirms that the United States has a duty to reassert its control over Cuba--as if somehow the Cubans had held a secret election to decide this path. In fast, Cubans know the United States government only as a threat to Cuba and a source of their hardship over decades. From the outset of Cuba's revolution in 1959, the United States has behaved badly toward Cuba's revolution. Washington welcomed Batista police and army officials who were known to have killed and tortured people during the insurrectionary period, 1957-8. Indeed, the United States has continued to admit Castro's enemies. They have made a major impact in Florida; but have had no influence in Cuba. The United States imported Castro's opposition; or, Castro practiced political judo on the United States. During the 1960s, Castro publicized the damage caused by the CIA's thousands of terrorist missions against Cuba. They destroyed property and tried to assassinate Cuba's leaders. In April 1961, Castro became a hero in much of Latin America by defeating the Agency's unsuccessful invasion of Cuba by exiles at the Bay of Pigs. All Cubans learned that every Administrations tried to strangle Cuba's economy and isolate her diplomatically--and backed sporadic terrorist missions. Yet, President Bush behaves as if all Cubans on the island should know of the purity of his intentions toward them. Chaired by Condoleezza Rice and Colin Powell, Bush's Cuba Commission foresees a "transition to democracy"--not the succession of one Communist dictator to another. Translating this, I read that the United States will guide Cuba's political reform. Alongside a US style electoral system and US-style parties, Washington would also privatize Cuba's economy. For educated Cubans, the vast majority on the island, the report resonates with the language of the 1902 Platt Amendment, which engraved in Cuba's first Constitution the right for the United States to intervene in Cuban affairs as it saw fit. The Commission report reads as if Cubans would naively warm to Bush's plan. The Commission members must think islanders have grown weary of having free rent and would welcome an onrush of Miami-based exiles to privatize their homes and apartments and charge them rent. Instead of getting free education and health care, they would no doubt improve their standards by shelling out to profit making enterprises to buy these services, as they would for entertainment, utilities and transportation, which the socialist government subsidizes. Does Bush think Cubans are
stupid or crazy? Despite the hardships of daily life, the absence
of a free press or political parties, most Cubans understand
that Castro built these public services. Moreover, they will
tell any visitor that the revolution put Cuba on the historical
map. Hundreds of thousands served in military actions that changed
the course of southern African history. Until the Cuban revolution,
Latin American nations didn't dare vote contrary to US desires
in the OAS or UN. These facts--not the lack of freedom, which are serious issues -- should serve as context for Fidel Castro's letter delegating power to his 75 year old brother Raul. Just before his 80th birthday, Fidel's written message to Cubans said: "The operation has obliged me to take various weeks of rest, at a remove from my responsibilities and duties. Given that our country is threatened in circumstances like this by the government of the United States," The named leaders already constitute the core of an informal committee. Now Raul will chair instead of Fidel--until he recovers sufficient strength to return. Castro's sudden bout with death dramatized that at almost 80 he cannot persevere as Cuba's ruler. The US government and media wonder what will happen when the "dictator" finally passes, as if Castro magically micromanaged all policy and directed all government action. Indeed, Cuba's bureaucracy has for decades run the island--except during crisis. Castro has spent much of his recent months days talking on television, promoting "the battle of ideas" and hosting state functions and dinners. His ceremonial duties hardly leave him time--poor sleeper that he is--to intricately manage all important affairs of state. The formal delegation affirms the status that all Cuban knew Raul had. He has remained at Fidel's side, albeit also in his shadow even before 1953 when Fidel led a band of rebels to attack Fort Moncada in hopes of catalyzing an island-wide uprising against dictator Fulgencio Batista. Raul accompanied Fidel to Mexico. He served as number two in the guerrilla band that fought and won the revolution in 1959. He has been the man in the wings for almost forty eight years, a well-known quantity that will not make Cubans nervous. Even if he should pass, other veteran leaders know their jobs. No power vacuum will arise that eager Florida exiles will fill. The country will not fall into paralysis after big state funerals in the coming years, just as it didn't when Fidel entered the hospital in late July. Cubans know this as do observant visitors. They watched Raul in 1960 administer change from a guerrilla to a professional army. He played a major role at the Bay of Pigs, and directed important operations for Cuba's overseas military operations in Africa from the 1970s through the 1980s. He showed his administrative skills by supervising the establishment of Cuba's new Communist Party in 1965 and in its attempt to fashion a socialist constitution in 1976 and 1992. Over the next month Raul will chair the informal decision-making committee. Raul's health is rumored to be less than perfect, but more important, he does not possess the charisma to command consensus. If anything, decision making will require more time in Fidel's absence. In 1968, while filming Fidel, a PBS documentary, Fidel told me that "socialist democracy should assure everyone's constant participation in political activity." This insight is incompatible with fatherly control--even for people's "own good." Paternal attitudes sapped initiative from Cuban society. By "giving" people what they needed without demanding mature responsibility and by maintaining control of virtually all projects, the Communist Party and government helped depoliticize the very people they had educated. For the sake of the Cuban people, US citizens should hope that democracy will flourish in Cuba. After almost five decades of unsuccessful and damaging policy, it's time for someone in the US government to scream: "attention, our policy has failed. Let's try acting responsibly. The embargo and travel ban have achieved hardship for Cubans and inconvenience for US citizens. Washington once ran Cuba's economy and supported a dictator obedient to US needs. It's time to let Americans go to Cuba, erode the embargo and open the island to cultural and political currents that might bring pleasant and democratic winds of change. Saul Landau is a fellow at IPS. His new book,
A Bush and Botox World, will be published by CounterPunch/AK
Press next year.
|
from CounterPunch Books! The Case Against Israel By Michael Neumann  Grand Theft Pentagon: Tales of Greed and Profiteering in the War on Terror by Jeffrey St. Clair          Sick of sit-on-the-Fence speakers, tongue-tied and timid? CounterPunch Editors Alexander Cockburn and Jeffrey St Clair are available to speak forcefully on ALL the burning issues, as are other CounterPunchers seasoned in stump oratory. Call CounterPunch Speakers Bureau, 1-800-840-3683. Or email beckyg@counterpunch.org.                     |
