Post A Follow Up Discussion Page
Posted by E.Faulkner on 13th December 2000
To PAUL :
In criticism of my last post you say "one of the difficulties with discussion sities like these is we have to have a working assuption that those paricipating have knowledge of the nature of imperialism"
A bit patronising don't you think? Why should this page be restricted to learned exchanges between people already in the know? Wouldn't it also be appropriate to use it to provide information for those who are not experts on the particular subject being discussed? You don't seem to think so as I can't find any actual facts in amongst your condescending comments, apart from the statement that there are "free elections" in Cuba.
I'm not an expert, but isn't it the case that these elections involve people WITHIN the communist party being elected into government positions, and that the party itself does not need to be elected into power since no opposition parties are allowed to exist?
I also know that Cuba is gaining a reputation as something of a haven for child sex abusers, which suggests that the government is more interested in the foreign currency this brings in than in putting a stop to it. Also, Cuba has recently been condemned by Amnesty International for harrassment and imprisonment of dissidents.
Having said this, the point that I was making when I asked the question was not that the Cuban regime is absolutely corrupt. What I was asking was why you find it so easy to provide unconditional support for the Cuban government while having nothing but condemnation for a struggle taking place closer to home.
Why are you so convinced that Sinn Fein and the increasing numbers of people who support them have been fooled into supporting the 'Brits latest masterplan'?
Is it because you believe that the only victory worth having is a purely military one where the 'brits' are literally beaten out of Ireland in a Cuban style anti-imperialist revolution? Given how unlikely this is to happen aren't republicans justified in trying more circuitous means to persue the same end, which might actually result in the Brits being the ones who are outsmarted?