Re: [Marxism] Socialist Worker: After Fidel: Will Cuba change direction?

[Eli Stephens <elishastephens@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Walter writes:

"Farber, who considers himself a Marxist revolutionary opponent of the
Cuban government, completely omits any mention of the impact of the
US blockade on the country, and omits any call to end the blockade
and to normalize relations with Cuba."

That's because for Socialist Worker, which claims to be for "defending Cuba 
against U.S. imperialism," that "defense" seems to comprise coming out into the 
streets with signs on some hypothetical future day when the U.S. starts 
bombing, 
and not the defense against ACTUAL, CURRENT assaults on Cuba like the blockade 
or protesting the continuing imprisonment of five Cuban heroes who were engaged 
in an actual defense against very real attacks.

This, from the article, is particularly interesting with regard to the blockade:

"During Bush's first term, Congress was about to pass a law that would have 
removed those limits on even Americans traveling to the island. That would 
pretty much have taken the heart out of the blockade."

Removing the travel ban will "take the heart out of the blockade"? Really? We 
need look no further than yesterday's news about a European travel company 
having their domain name blocked to remind us of the extent of what the 
blockade 
involves, and its "heart" is not preventing Americans from traveling to Cuba 
(maybe its "soul", but not its heart). Its heart is trying to destroy the Cuban 
economy in every way possible, and foment discontent in the Cuban people, as it 
has been since that policy was formulated nearly 50 years ago, as noted by 
Ricardo Alarcon in his article "The Return of C. Wright Mills" 
(http://www.counterpunch.org/alarcon09172007.html):

Few times were they as sincere as when they wrote: "The majority of Cubans 
support Castro...the only foreseeable means of alienating internal support is 
through disenchantment and disaffection based on economic dissatisfaction and 
hardship...every possible means should be undertaken promptly to weaken the 
economic life of Cuba...a line of action which, while as adroit and 
inconspicuous as possible, makes the greatest inroads in denying money and 
supplies to Cuba, to decrease monetary and real wages, to bring about hunger, 
desperation and overthrow of government"


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