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| Fifth Column | |
| "Cuba shows us what is possible" | |
| 2006-08-02 | |
THEY are perhaps one of the largest groups of young people from the United States to visit Cuba this year. They are Chicano, Mexican, Puerto Rican, African-American, Asian, and white, many from working-class families. Coming from nine U.S. states, the 48 members of the Venceremos Brigade traveled to Toronto, Canada to fly together to Cuba, publicly stating their intention of violating the U.S. ban on travel to the island, a component of the imperialist blockade that has been intensified by the Bush administration. “I feel very strongly about the right to come here, because it’s such an amazing place,” said “brigadista” Priscilla Bassett, a 15-year-old high school student from New York. “I think it’s despicable that we call ourselves a democracy and have this blockade.”
The Venceremos (“We shall Overcome”) Brigade was created in 1969 when radical students in the United States “decided to support Cuba’s Revolution and travel to Cuba,” explains Kathe Karlson, 57. A social worker at a New York City public high school, Karlson herself has been on the brigade nine times, one of 9,000 people — most of them young — who have gone to the island with the group. “In the early years it was more about coming to see Cuba; now it’s about openly and publicly defying the blockade,” Karlson explained. Now, even though the government has taken away 90 percent of legal travel, there is increased opposition to the ban, she affirmed. | |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #20 Don't worry Swamp Blonde. I'm sure people like these asshats won't actually see the peasants lining the streets or the slums or sheet-metal housing or starving kids on their way to their state-sponsered parties. They are immune and have self-imposed blinders. They can look right at it in plain sight and not see it. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2006-08-03 00:11 |
| #19 Pinhead lawyer can't even read the federal statutes correctly. Yep, there's a reason Soffiyah's not in private practice..... To wit, if you want to get technical, any American can go to Cuba. It's not the big act of defiance any more. However.....you're not allowed to spend American currency there unless you are part of an officially sponsored group or in a special category (educators, journalists, family reunification kind of thing). So, if you want to "stick it to da Man" to impress hippie chicks, just be sure to change all your currency into Euros, British pounds, Canadian dollars, etc. Don't use a credit card you will pay in American dollars. And enjoy your little holiday in the sun while other people suffer under Castro, you pathetic ratbastard. Not that your "minders" will let you see any of them. Oh no. Can't bother to learn the language, can't bother to venture out on your own and see reality for what it is, 'cause that would harsh your mellow. (Note: Yes, traveled to the USSR when I was younger and did get out and speak to the natives. Socialism didn't look appealing at all after that, no matter how the Intourist guides tried to make it all look rosy. Thanks, Grandma & Grandpa for leaving Lithuania....best present our family ever received!!) |
| Posted by: Swamp Blondie 2006-08-02 23:54 |
| #18 "One brigadista, Soffiyah Elijah, 51, is a criminal defense lawyer and deputy director of the criminal justice institute at Harvard Law School in Boston." And dare I suggest, perhaps a beneficiary of our nation's misguided affirmative action admissions' and hiring policies. |
| Posted by: Lancasters Over Dresden 2006-08-02 18:23 |
| #17 Not gonna be much competition for me on the flats looks like. Just that many more Bonefish for me. |
| Posted by: 6 2006-08-02 18:04 |
| #16 Speaking of rafts, why would anyone voluntarily want to leave a place where healthcare is given away and the literacy rate is 100%? (/sarcasm) |
| Posted by: eLarson 2006-08-02 16:08 |
| #15 We had a term for them in the early 80's when they toured central America spouting the save drivel: "Sandal-nista tourists". |
| Posted by: 49 Pan 2006-08-02 14:00 |
| #14 Must be all those middle class folk from Miami jumping into impromptu raft's and heading towards Havana that are showing them the way. |
| Posted by: pihkalbadger 2006-08-02 13:16 |
| #13 Cuba shows us what is possible. And I, for one, as an American, want NO part of what "is possible." Just look at the streets of Miami as to what those who are truly free to express their opinions of Castro think of him. |
| Posted by: BA 2006-08-02 12:46 |
| #12 Ah, yes. To be young and stupid again... Let's see how many don't come back to evil racist fascist Amerika from the Worker's Paradise. Over/under=zero. Real easy to be a revolutionary when there's no revolution to fight... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2006-08-02 12:08 |
| #11 I feel it is even more important for me and for other criminal defense lawyers to be on the front lines for people facing these illegal sanctions. So.... there's money in this gig? |
| Posted by: Secret Master 2006-08-02 11:14 |
| #10 Great steaming piles of festering BS. If they want to go to Cuba, our Government certainly won't stop them. |
| Posted by: mcsegeek1 2006-08-02 10:18 |
| #9 Most right wingers are leftists mugged by reality. We should start subsidised tours. |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2006-08-02 09:27 |
| #8 You know Oldcat! I reckon we should sponser them to stayed for 10 years in Cuba really get to experience what its like. At least we will get some peace. |
| Posted by: bernardz 2006-08-02 09:19 |
| #7 no mo uro, that's just mean - I love it! LOL!! |
| Posted by: Tony (UK) 2006-08-02 08:54 |
| #6 “I believe people have a human right and a Constitutional right to exercise their freedom to travel and exchange ideas and build friendships with whomever they please,” But only if you are one of the 'elite' like she is of course - can't have the average person able to go on guided tours. They smell bad and would ruin it for everyone else. Hey - you want to see what Cuba really is like? Go live with one of the farmers or a 'working class family' or out without government support, housing, food, tourguides, and minders for about a year. Then report back ok? Until then you don't know. BTW: If its so amazing - why'd you come back to the 'evil, imeperialistic' United States? Useful Idiots all. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2006-08-02 08:46 |
| #5 "a waiter and radio journalist" "Well, I'm not REALLY a waiter, I'm an actor" "Well I'm not REALLY a record store clerk, I'm a musician." "Well, I'm not REALLY a book store clerk, I'm a writer." Until your making money from being an "artiste" you're a waiter/clerk. Shut your pie hole and get me accurate change. |
| Posted by: no mo uro 2006-08-02 06:44 |
| #4 Steven Gustavo Emmons, 26, a waiter and radio journalist from New Mexico, commented, “I knew that this was the only way for me to understand Cuba’s reality, to see it with my own eyes, and that coming here would be a very strong act of civil disobedience against the U.S. government, which I do not believe in at all.” Well, now, Steven, since you don't believe in our government, there's no fucking reason for us to let you back in the fucking country. So fuck off, and enjoy your slave state. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2006-08-02 06:25 |
| #3 Fidel must be died we are getting the Cuban propaganda again. |
| Posted by: djohn66 2006-08-02 02:03 |
| #2 You know, it would show HUGE defiance if you stayed there in Cuba for, say, 10 years or so. Do it for the PEOPLE, man! |
| Posted by: Oldcat 2006-08-02 01:47 |
| #1 Same type of radical apologists at Penn State whom argued that becuz there is more enough food for everyone, the reason why ordianry Cuban hosfraus see scarcities in Cuban food markets + need food vouchers to get food is becuz Castro his Govt want to make sure the bounty of the Cuban cornocupia is fairly and equally distributed - you know, why both ordinary Cubans + now the Army are now starving ala North Korea, whilst Castro, etal. and only Castro, etal. has to have expensive hams routinely imported for his own PERSONAL, LIMITED EQUALITY = UNIVERSAL/ POPULAR ANTI-EQUALITY, use. ALL HAMS ARE EQUAL ONLY WHEN THE GREAT LEADER IS THE ONLY ONE EATING IT - SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL WARLORD-MAFIA-BANDIT SLAVER, ETC. D *** YOU, ITS THE WILL OF GOD = THE PEOPLE! |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2006-08-02 00:16 |