> Thomas Seay wrote:
>
> >I dont understand this kind of response, Doug. Why is
> >it that when someone, even someone on the Left,
> >criticizes a "Leftist" dictator, the immediate
> >response is not to address the criticism but to
> >counter with another criticism and thereby avoid any
> >real discussion of the criticism? It's a nice
> >rhetorical trick but I dont believe that it makes for
> >genuine conversation.
> >
> >Authoritarianism is unacceptable in any system, no
> >matter what title ("socialist", "capitalist", etc)
> >that it cloaks itself with.
>
> Because our comrade Brad is relentless in his critique of Fidel, but
> I've never heard him say a word against capitalist authoritarianism.
>
> And I've said many times that I don't like the practice of jailing
> dissidents and suppressing freedom of speech, but I don't know how
> any remotely progressive government can defend itself against the
> U.S. and still respect civil liberties. It's a very profound problem,
> and critiques of authoritarianism that don't ackonwledge its
> profundity are evasions of any real discussion too.
>
> Doug
Chomksy has taken to quoting the New Testament gospels lately, but having been inconveniened in that road of probably attending a yeshiva over a Jesuit institution, I can help with what he's trying to say with a quote from the J-man "before you look into the speck of your neighbor's eye, first pull out the log in your own". As Americans, we should be concerned with what we can effect in the US, the most powerful and terroristic nation on earth, not the minor failings of a country that has one of the highest standards of living for workers in Latin America, despide a decades-long campaign of terror against them. Orlando Bosch, who bombed a Cuban civilian airline in the 1970's, is protected by the US government at his home in Miami government, and hailed as a hero by the petit bourgeois former Cuban right-wing dreck who reside there. Instead of being concerned with this, or the Bay of Pigs invasion, or the fact that the US has a military base on Cuba despite that countries desire to not have a military occupation of their island by this foreign power, where people are being held and tortured in violation of Geneva convention, or the US's decade long terrorist campaign against Cuba, or that the US head diplomat there is meeting with people in Cuba and publically admitting it is for plans to overthrow their government, which after Iraq looks a lot more feasible, prompting more of a crackdown by Castro over the mostly foreign-funded and influenced opposition, he chooses instead to muse over the failings of the leader of a country that has one of the highest living standards for workers in Latin America. If you want to see a country where the liberals like DeLong got there way, look at Guatemala, which is truly doing things the American way after the US helped forcibly overthrow their government. American DLC neoliberals lecturing Castro on morals and good government is laughable.
Lance