From: daum@ee.ualberta.ca (Tanya Louise Daum)
Subject: Re: Human Rights in Cuba
Organization: University Of Alberta, Edmonton Canada
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 01:51:41 GMT

ez000281@hamlet.ucdavis.edu writes:

>Julio Gonzalez writes:

>>    This is absolutely preposterous. To be nationalist and socalist does not
>>   mean to be national-socialist or nazi.  Don't forget many followers of
>>   marxists ideas are liberal jews. 

>A marxist does not believe in Judaism.  A marxist is an atheist (a 
>philosophical materialist if you wish).  A marxist (or "scientific socialist" 
>is an internationalist, not a nationalist.  Nationalism and "socialism" are the 

	If you wish to be dogmatic and insist on ideological purity, sure. 
However, you must realize that Marx himself was a jew, although he never
practiced the jewish religion.  I don't think you can stereotype all
self-professed Marxists this way, considering that it is a flexible and wide
ranging philosophy.

>prime ideological ingredients of facism, por it presupposes the interests of 
>the national state above those of the international working class, it also 
>presupposes that a supreme dictator will "socialize" the wealth of the nation.  

	I don't believe that you can call call Castro a nationalist in the
sense that he puts interests of the national state above the working class. 
Remember, this is the Cuba that sent troops to Angola and supported the
Sandinistas, Allende's Chile, and other movements that claimed to be working
class.  For any part of the American continents excluding the U.S.
nationalism means the autonomity of a certain cultural group, which does not
conflict with the idea of an international working class.

>In this sense, stalinism and facism have a lot in common (for a neat comparison 
>of both see "From Commintern to Cominform" by Fernando Claudin).

	But Castro is not a Stalinist -- I think in many ways his ideology
cannot be compared to any of the European leaders.

>>       Are you telling me that Cuba's constitution
>>   institutes hatred against minorities ?  

>No, but in practice there are no blacks at the highest echelons of power, and 
>you only get token Uncle Toms (like that boxer whose name I forgot).  Perhaps 
>we should ask some Marielito about how racism continues to be prevalent in Cuba.

	I've heard the opposite, actually.  I don't think you could get away
with outright racism in Cuba considering the division of the population into
so many ethnic groups.

>>  Does it discriminate against
>>   homosexual individuals ?  

>Again, in practice, homofobia is rad various 
>books are available on the topic.  It is to no wonder that among "scum" who 
>exited through Mariel, there were thousands of homosexuals.

	Again, I have heard that this is no worse than in most western
nations ... Don't talk to me about homophobia in Cuba when all you have to
do is step outside your front door and it's staring you in the face!

>>  The closest to nazism I have recently heard
>>   was Buchanan's speech at the Republican convention. 

>And we all know what happened to his boss.

	Oh, he got only slightly less than half of the votes?

>interests of the radicalized middle class above those of workers and peaseants. 
> It aims to unite the masses behind the "antiimperialist" petite bourgeoise 
>under the cover of their "national" interests.  Nationalism dissolves class 
>conflicts and puts the entire country behind the "national" ruling class,  and 
>this is precisely the card that Fidel is playing right now.  Instead of 
>"Socialismo o Muerte" we will be hearing more of "Cuba jamas sera una colonia 
>yanqui".

	You sound so definite about this!  How can you say that me claiming
that I want American dominance of my country (Canada) and me being a
socialist and believing that all workers must unite are incompatible. 
Remember that the purpose of nationalism in Cuba was and is to keep the
American power bloc from controlling it -- I don't think Castro would have
anything against American workers coming and living in or sharing space with
Cuban workers.
-- 
"And men are men who till the land, and women are women who weave, fifty men
 own the lemon grove, and no man is a slave." -- Herbert Read

Comrade @ LambdaMOO (telnet lambda.parc.xerox.com 8888) daum@bode.ualberta.ca
Newsgroups: soc.culture.latin-america