>The CPD statement ends by stating,
>
>"...progressives should try to influence Cubans by simultaneously
>protesting the
>Castro government's repression and U.S. interventionism, and exposing
>Washington's reactionary agenda for their country."
>
>There is no such thing as "simultaneity" in the real world of political power.
>Instead there is _priority_, and in the contemporary context Castro's
>repression
>should be about 100 on the list.
>
>When U.S. imperialism has been conclusively defeated, then something can
>actually be _done_ to bring an end to the repressive Castro regime, as opposed
>to merely assuming conforting but politically impotent postures. It is
>easy to
>see that, short of this, the removal of the Castro regime, whether by the
>Cuban
>people themselves of by outside intervention, will lead to more poverty,
>suffering and political repression in Cuba, not less
>
>It is easy - especially for American progressives and leftists - to assume
>idealistically "consistent" and "politically correct" postures. It makes that
>person feel good inside and is condusive to flattering pats on the
>back. And in
>America, we know that is the most important thing!
>
>But when it comes to actually _doing_ anything - to the exercise of political
>power - American progressives continue to demonstrate their near complete
>cluelessness - really, their lack of seriousness about the attainment and
>exercise of political power. It is a safe bet, for example, that a sizeable
>percentage of those signing this CPD statement will vote - "openly" or
>"secretly" - for the Democratic Party in the 2004 elections. After all we
>know
>how bad Bush is, right? But this is one of the two parties that have done
>everything to further the long U.S. aggression against the country of
>Cuba. In
>this way, they lend their real material support for that aggression.
>
>A vote - a deed, an act, an exercise of political power - speaks much louder
>than all the fine words in the world.
>
>And in reference to a previous CPD statement on the Middle East, it needs
>to be
>mentioned, post-Iraq invasion, that in fact "the WMD" turned out to be
>nonexistent, in the real sense that none were ever used. And none have even
>been found, though surely Washington will turn up some planted "evidence"
>shortly.
>
>In this way, CPD foolishly played into the hands of the most outrageous of
>Washingtons' Big Lie propaganda, under the sign of abstract "consistency" and
>"simultaneity". But even here, self-serving, feel-good postures were
>contradicted by the exercise of practical political power: no mention was made
>of the state that is in possession of 95% of WMD in the Middle East -
>Israel! I
>was informed later that this omission was to "get some people on board" as
>signators.
>
>We should not want to be "on board" with such people!
>
>As U.S. imperialism continues down the road of its obvious decay, we must
>focus
>our efforts on attaining the political power that will enable us to reverse a
>relentless march towards a real fascist regime in the future. Fascism is
>always
>the terminus of a dying imperialism in the modern epoch, and it is a march
>that
>is presently conducted by _both_ parties, the Democrats and the Republicans.
>This has to be our first priority.
>
>I can't think of a better gift to the Cuban people, and to the people of the
>world, that American progressives can give.
>--
>/**********************************************************************/
>Brad Mayer