May 1, 2003                Dave Silver
 

New threats and actions by the White House using the arrests, prosecution
and sentencing of C.I.A. supported “political dissidents” as a pretext for
escalating its attacks on the island.   Millions of dollars from the C.I.A.
have been funneled to the counter revolutionary and mercenary terrorists via
the U.S. Interests Section in Havana and the U.S. Agency for International
Development.  Counter to international law as well as U.S.-Cuba bilateral
agreements the imperialists in Washington refuse to return the hijackers and
planes to Havana thus encouraging more illegal immigration.   In addition
the U.S. violates its own agreement by granting only 500 visas instead of
20,000.   Bush wants to deflect sharp national and international criticism
of the genocidal aggression in Iraq and the economy by supporting a rally in
March in Miami with the chief Cuban terrorist Orlando Bosch and the Cuban
American Foundation who sported banners saying Iraq Now, Cuba Next.
       
Joining the imperialist initiative against Cuba are petitions of the
“democratic left” as the Nation magazine calls itself, denouncing what they
call cruel and excessive measures against the U.S. funded “dissidents.” The
Nation invites Leo Casey, red baiting anti-communist and former functionary
of the United Federation of Teachers who follows his mentor Albert Shanker,
to obtain many signatures.   This same Casey that equated Paul Robeson’s
refusal to answer questions about any Communist affiliation with the racist
and neo-fascist Trent Lott.   The first petition was top-heavy with liberals
and social democratic Professors like Stanley Aronowitz and Bogdan Denitch
(of it’s OK to bomb Yugoslavia fame)
        
The second Petition initiated by the Campaign for Peace and Democracy
(CPD) stakes out a position 2 degrees to the Left .  The effort was  led by Joanne
Landy, on the Editorial Board of the Journal New Politics.  Although Landy
criticized aspects of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank on
Globalisation, she had no problem becoming a member of the Council on
Foreign Relations, that high level imperialist think tank that Kissinger
made famous.  Thus an opportunistic Landy petition with a more radical
profile, earned the support of Z Magazine contributors, Chomsky, Michael
Albert and Howard Zinn.   This political current reveals its Achilles Heel.
Its willingness to go on record against the Cuban Revolution.   Or we can
look at the former Reagan Interests Section chief in Havana, Wayne Smith who
would like to see the end of the embargo (blockade is an act of war and more
appropriate) not because it is morally correct and Cuba is a sovereign
nation.  No. There is an ulterior motive to encourage a “smooth post Castro
transition” really meaning a post socialist Cuba.  Their “alternative” is
seeking some hybrid system neither capitalist nor socialist.
       
All progressive forces must strengthen their solidarity with Socialist
Cuba and beware of traps in Left disguise.   
(dm.silver@verizon.net)
 
 
 

Your opinion