For Osmani with regards to The Brutes
Rarely has an article written by one of the authors of this blog seemed so wrong to me.
Starting from the recent entering of a church — and “the invitation to leave the temple,” according to me — of a group of dissidents, you echo the rejection of a friend before the fact. That’s not what is bad, expressing opinions is what we need, and this group of people must have been aware that their actions would attract approval and disapproval. But right there you launch into the indefinite plural and affirm that they have no credibility with the people.
At best I missed something. Perhaps the press already published the note from the Church, published the demands of the group? At some point did some individual or group opponent have the opportunity to divulge their purposes from within Cuba? The immense majority of Cubans know these and all groups of opponents from the “free” translation the media — in the hands of the government — has made of them.
I cannot affirm that the dissidence is sincere, as you cannot affirm that those who support the government are. It is like any social conglomerate. You are young and you’re a university graduate. Do you just believe what it says in the national press and if that press doesn’t mention it, it doesn’t exist? Isn’t it curious that according to the same source there is not one honorable opponent?
your reading confirmed for me the anthropological damage that over fifty years of totalitarianism has done to us as citizens. Wherever there is government and opposition, the citizens sympathize with one side or the other, or they look elsewhere, but only in totalitarian societies is this polarization seen to make enemies.
You point out things I can agree with, but your work in general runs in a direction contrary to mine; I don’t want to stir up hatred or contempt just because someone thinks different. The verbal attack is inconsistent with the ethics of a blog. Or is it perhaps that when you write you don’t use the term “Brute” disparagingly, the impression of the total opposite disappears?
(Note: Was that part about the majority of Cuban homes having a DVD a joke?)
March 30 2012
