The following Editorial, written by Manuel Alvarez Jr., who escaped from Cuba, and became an American citizen may me a terror mirror of the thinking and activisms of Barack Obama v. Fidel Castro. Read the following Editorial and do your own observations of comparison. The Editorial appeared in the Richmond, VA Times-Dispatch on July 7, 2008, and e-mailed to me by Deanna Phillips, Portland, OR. The Editorial may be seen on the Internet at: http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/search.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2008-07-07-0033.html
Beware Charismatic Men Who Preach 'Change'
Each year I get to celebrate Independence Day twice. On June 30 I celebrate my independence day and on July 4 I celebrate America's. This year is special, because it marks the 40th anniversary of my independence.
On June 30, 1968, I escaped Communist Cuba and a few months later I was in the United States to stay. That I happened to arrive in Richmond on Thanksgiving Day is just part of the story, but I digress.
I've thought a lot about the anniversary this year. The election-year rhetoric has made me think a lot about Cuba and what transpired there. In the late 1950s, most Cubans thought Cuba needed a change, and they were right. So when a young leader came along, every Cuban was at least receptive.
When the young leader spoke eloquently and passionately and denounced the old system, the press fell in love with him. They never questioned who his friends were or what he really believed in. When he said he would help the farmers and the poor and bring free medical care and education to all, everyone followed. When he said he would bring justice and equality to all, everyone said "Praise the Lord." And when the young leader said, "I will be for change and I'll bring you change," everyone yelled, "Viva Fidel!"
But nobody asked about the change, so by the time the executioner's guns went silent the people's guns had been taken away. By the time everyone was equal, they were equally poor, hungry, and oppressed. By the time everyone received their free education it was worth nothing. By the time the press noticed, it was too late, because they were now working for him. By the time the change was finally implemented Cuba had been knocked down a couple of notches to Third-World status. By the time the change was over more than a million people had taken to boats, rafts, and inner tubes. You can call those who made it ashore anywhere else in the world the most fortunate Cubans. And now I'm back to the beginning of my story.
Luckily, we would never fall in America for a young leader who promised change without asking, what change? How will you carry it out? What will it cost America?
Would we?
Manuel Alvarez Jr., Sandy Hook., VA
Respectfully submitted, and God Bless America!
1 comment:
Fidel Castro stepped aside as president of Cuba in February and has not been seen much since undergoing surgery in July 2006, but he is still very much a presence in the island nation he has turned over to his brother Raúl.He also is full of opinions, he gave Senator Barack Obama an endorsement of sorts, calling him “the most progressive candidate to the U.S. presidency” while also berating him for his plan to continue the trade embargo against Cuba. “Were I to defend him, I would do his adversaries an enormous favor,” Mr. Castro said. “I have therefore no reservations about criticizing him.”Mr. Castro, 81, was reacting to Mr. Obama’s pledge last week to the Cuban American National Foundation in Miami to maintain the trade sanctions against Cuba as leverage to press for democratic change there. But Mr. Obama also promised to ease restrictions on travel to the island and sending money to relatives there.“Presidential candidate Obama’s speech may be formulated as follows: hunger for the nation, remittances as charitable handouts and visits to Cuba as propaganda for consumerism and the unsustainable way of life behind it,” Mr. Castro wrote in a column for Cuban newspapers, which was translated to English for a newspaper Web site, Granma Internacional.I am not questioning Obama’s great intelligence, his debating skills or his work ethic,”
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james wilkins
www.drivenwide.com
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