[Marxism] CubaNews Commentary - May 19, 2005

["Walter Lippmann" <walterlx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

CUBANEWS COMMENTARY - May 19, 2005

May 19 is an exceptionally significant date in world history. 
For Cubans, it's the date when Jose Marti died in combat 110 years ago,
during the independence struggle begun in 1895. Marti is referred to in Cuba
as the apostle of the island's struggle for self determination., the apostle
of the island's independence struggle. Fidel Castro has often said Marti was
the "intellectual author" of the July 26, 1953 assault on the Moncada
Barracks, after which the name of 
Cuba's principle armed revolutionary movement was named.

In a speech given in 1973, Fidel explained about Jose Marti:

"Without the illuminating preaching of Jose Marti, without 
the vigorous example and immortal work of Cespedes, Agramonte, 
Gomez, Maceo and many legendary men of past struggles, without 
the extraordinary scientific discoveries of Marx and Engels, 
and without the genial interpretation of Lenin and his 
portentous historical exploit, a 26 July would not have been conceived.

"Marti taught us ardent patriotism, impassioned love for 
freedom, man's dignity and decorum, repudiation of despotism 
and unlimited faith in the people. His revolutionary preaching 
embodied the moral ba sis and the historic legitimacy of our 
armed action. That is why we said he was the intellectual 
http://lanic.utexas.edu/la/cb/cuba/castro/1973/19730727 

Marti's ideas continue to be so central to both the theory
and the practice of the Cuban Revolution that you find them repeated
frequently. Marti's last letter to Manuel Mercado, written the day before he
was killed in combat. In Cuba this document is referred to as Marti's
Political Testament.

Cuba's media are going all out about Marti's birthdate today. Fidel Castro
gave a special presentation and participated in a special MESA REDONDA at
the Karl Marx Theater. At that 
event, in addition to explaining again Marti's significance
for Cuba's independence struggle, Ricardo Alarcon once again read that most
famous of Marti quotations, from his final letter, his political testament.

MARTI SAID:
"I am in daily danger of giving my life for my country and 
duty for I understand that duty and have the courage to 
carry it out-the duty of preventing the United States from 
spreading through the Antilles as Cuba gains its independence, 
and from empowering with that additional strength our lands 
of America. All I have done so far, and all I will do, is 
for this purpose. I have had to work quietly and somewhat 
indirectly, because to achieve certain objectives, they 
must be kept under cover; to proclaim them for what they 
are would raise such difficulties that the objectives 
could not be attained." 

LINK TO FULL LETTER
http://makeashorterlink.com/?H32232B37 

May 19th is also the birthdate of Ho Chi Minh, known in his home country as
being the father of Vietnam's independence 
struggle. Tonight Fidel Castro spoke out about and link the
two great revolutionary leaders in a special presentation at the Karl Marx
Theater in Havana. There will be a detailed report or series of reports on
this shortly.


Today is also the birthdate of Malcolm X, the incomparable leader of the
Black liberation struggle of in the United 
States of America. Malcolm X inspired me personally and it
was my good fortune to have heard him speak in person as a young college
student. In 1962 he came to speak on behalf of the Nation of Islam to the
University of Wisconsin in Madison where I was a student. I'd never been so
moved by any speaker in my life. Malcolm became a teacher and an influence
to me which he remains to this day. Listen to Malcolm X's speeches at the
excellent website developed by Abdul Alkalimat:
http://www.brothermalcolm.net/ 

Here is an essay I wrote about Malcolm X and how is views 
on self-defense were distorted by the New York Times:
http://www.walterlippmann.com/mx-nyt.html 

The New York Times reviled Malcolm during his lifetime 
and gloated over his death. They've been doing the same 
thing about Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution through
all the succeeding year. Today with Malcolm X safely dead,
the US media says favorable things about him. But while he lived, taught and
fought, they distorted his ideas and they slandered and reviled him at every
moment in his life.

Here where I live in Los Angeles, radio station KPFK today 
presented ten hours of programming devoted to him. You can listen to its
programming on the internet at KPFK's website: Democracy NOW devoted today's
program entirely to Malcolm X with excerpts from a speech by Manning Marable
who's been 
working on a new biography of Malcolm for the past ten years
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/05/19/1330222 

Today is also the birthdate of Yuri Kochiyama, a fighter for social justice
and Black liberation going back many decades. The only non-Black member of
Malcolm X's Organization of Afro-American Unity, she went to Cuba on the
Venceremos Brigade at AGE SIXTY SEVEN. You can read the chapter of her
wonderful memoir, PASSING IT ON, in which she describes 
Cuba as she saw it at that time on this webpage:
http://www.walterlippmann.com/yuri.html 

In light of Tuesday's giant mobilization, and the arrest of Luis Posada
Carriles by the United States government hours after that demand was made by
the marchers in Cuba, Fidel's remarks should be of exceptional interest.
Fidel's speech at the march was short, but twelve minutes long. Read that:
http://www.cuba.cu/gobierno/discursos/2005/ing/f170505i.html 

A web-page has been prepared including the front pages of the main Cuban
newspapers, Juventud Rebelde and Granma published after the demonstration to
report on it. You can view that: http://www.walterlippmann.com/docs159.html
It includes the gallery of lovely photographs of the demonstration taken by
author and translator Mike Fuller.

Today is ALSO the birthday of the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lorraine
Hansberry. Her best known work was the play A RAISIN IN THE SUN and TO BE
YOUNG, GIFTED AND BLACK.

Today is ALSO the birthdate of Harvey Cox, the theologian
from Harvard Divinity School who wrote the introduction to
Frei Betto's 1985 book of interviews with Cuba's Commander -in-Chief, "Fidel
and Religion" (Simon & Schuster)


Walter Lippmann, CubaNews
http://www.walterlippmann.com 


=====================================================

Cubans Honor Jose Marti and Ho Chi Minh

Hanoi, May 19 (Prensa Latina) Cuban residents in Hanoi paid tribute Thursday
to national heroes Jose Marti and Ho Chi Minh, coinciding with the death in
battle and birth, respectively.

The island´s national hero died in action on May 19, 1895 in the Cuban
eastern region of Dos Rios, and the founder of the Vietnamese Communist
Party was born the same day but in 1890 in the small village of Sen.

A Vietnamese representation and the group of Cubans, led by ambassador Jesus
Aise Sotolongo and members of the Vietnamese-Cuba Friendship Association put
a white-flower offering at Jose Marti´s bronze bust at the central Tao Dan
Park.

Later, participants honored Ho Chi Minh in the Mausoleum erected to him at
the Ba Dinh Square, a place where he declared independence for the
Democratic Republic of Vietnam on September 2, 1945.

The mausoleum director praised the fraternity and affection existing between
the two countries, shown during the visit to this Asian nation of Raul
Castro, first vice President of the Councils of State and Ministers of Cuba,
who attended festivities for the 30th anniversary of the South and the
Reunification of Vietnam on April 30 1975.

Visitors received the commemorative medal bearing a portrait of the
Vietnamese hero and date of his death, as well as paid last tribute at the
coffin where the embalmed body of President Ho Chi Minh rests.

mh/iff/mne/mf


Fidel Castro to Speak on 110th Anniversary of Jose Marti´s Death

Havana, May 19 (Prensa Latina) President Fidel Castro will make a public
appearance Thursday, for the 110th anniversary of Cuban National Hero Jose
Marti´s death in battle.

Granma daily reported today the speech, taking place at Havana"s Karl Marx
Theater, will be broadcast live by Cubavision, Educativo and Cubavision
Internacional channels, Radio Rebelde and Radio Habana Cuba, beginning at
17:30 local time.

The tribute to Jose Marti, a consummate supporter of peace and political
commitment, is part of Cubans" struggle against terrorism, for justice and
truth.

mh/iff/mf


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