"Voice of the Resistance" -- Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet interviewed by Jay Nordlinger

A must read for any human being with a working brain on the face of Earth. Long, but worthy a million times. Really, nobody can describe better the real life in Cuba... someone should definitively pass this to Obama, just for his reading pleasure, ya know...

(Emphasis are mine.)

Voice of the Resistance
Dr. Óscar Biscet, in Cuba’s prisons for twelve years, speaks
BY JAY NORDLINGER

‘I NEED to get to work,” says Dr. Óscar Elías Biscet. Are you familiar with him? He is perhaps the foremost Cuban democracy activist, a symbol of the general resistance to the Castro dictatorship. Has he been neglecting his work? Not exactly. For the past twelve years, essentially, he has been in prison, suffering the things that the regime’s prisoners have always suffered. George W. Bush gave him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2007. The recipient could not accept it in person, of course. But he has now been released from prison. The day, so long hoped for, by so many of us, was March 11. I spoke to him three weeks after.

Biscet was born in 1961 and has a wife, Elsa Morejón Hernández, and two children, Winnie and Yan. The children have been in the United States for several years; Elsa, like her husband, is in Cuba. Biscet obtained his degree in internal medicine in 1985. A few years later, he embarked on human-rights activism. In 1994, he was charged with “dangerousness,” a very common charge. It means that the individual in question will not submit meekly to dictatorial rule. In 1997, Biscet established the Lawton Foundation for Human Rights (“Lawton” being the name of the Havana neighborhood in which he lived). The organization, of course, is banned. In 1998, he spoke out strongly against abortion, particularly late-term abortion: In his work as a doctor, he saw ghastly things. The authorities responded harshly to his protest.

After being detained repeatedly — 26 times — Biscet was arrested in 1999 and thrown in prison for three years. He was released on October 31, 2002, and had 36 days outside of prison. During this time, he worked on his “Democratic Principles for Cuba” and a civic project called “Club for Friends of Human Rights.” He was again arrested on December 6, 2002, and underwent his ordeal until last March 11.

I found it somewhat amazing to hear his voice, after reading about him and writing about him for many years. His voice was low, grave, and resolute. We spoke by phone, Biscet in Havana, his questioner in New York. Serving as translator between us was Aramis Perez, of the Directorio Democrático Cubano in Miami. Biscet has felt “a kind of ambivalence” in the last few weeks. Those are his words: “a kind of ambivalence.” “I’m happy to be able to return home to my wife, but I’m unhappy to see an entire people still without freedom.”

In his view, Cuba as a whole is “the big prison” while El Combinado del Este, where he and so many other dissidents have been confined, is “the little prison.” “We who live under this dictatorship look to the sea and know that the sea is our prison bars.” Biscet also says, “This great, beautiful island of Cuba has been converted by the Castro brothers into their own personal estate.”

Why, in his estimation, did the government choose to release him? “Because of the economic crisis, coupled with the social and moral crisis. The government offers false expectations of democratic change. They do this so that free countries will give them economic support. My release is part of the effort to create false expectations.” The government’s overriding goal is “to be financed. They want more money, even as they impoverish the Cuban people, and, with money, they will remain in power.”

In the weeks before Biscet’s release, a movement was building around the world to get him the Nobel peace prize. He was nominated by the prime minister of Hungary, U.S. congressmen, members of the European Parliament, and others. Did this movement have an effect on the Cuban government and its decision making? Biscet is less likely to get the prize outside of prison than he was inside. He cannot say for sure whether the Nobel prize played a part in the government’s calculations. But he can say this: “It was a political error for the regime to imprison the Group of 75,” an error that cost the regime in the court of world opinion. The 75 are the democracy activists arrested in the crackdown of March 2003, known as the “Black Spring.” These prisoners have now been released.

Almost all of them were exiled to Spain. This is what the regime wanted to do with Biscet, too, but he strongly resisted this fate. Instead of being exiled, he has been released on a kind of parole. He is serving out his prison term beyond the gates of prison itself. His continued freedom depends on his “good conduct.” Why was he so set against exile? “Because I love the people of Cuba and want them to be free. I want basic human rights to be respected, so that the Cuban people can develop themselves and their talents fully. They need freedom in order to develop themselves fully.” Men and women of Biscet’s makeup always resist exile, no matter how terrible are the conditions at home. Remember that Solzhenitsyn did not leave the Soviet Union voluntarily; he was expelled, a fate he considered a tragedy.

Somewhat gingerly, I ask what it was like inside prison. For years, we heard reports of the torture that Biscet was enduring. He answers me very, very briefly (and I don’t press him): “My experience was very traumatic. I was forced to live among criminals,” meaning common criminals, thugs, not prisoners of conscience, like Biscet himself. And he was indeed tortured — “primarily between 2002 and 2006.” He immediately adds, “I also gained a lot of wisdom, because I studied a great deal and drew closer to the Biblical God.” Biscet is a devoted Christian. The authorities allowed him a Bible, although he could not share it with anyone, or pray with anyone. If this happened, the other prisoner would be punished and transferred to another cell. Biscet also says, “I thought of Beethoven, who said, ‘There is no evil so great that no good can come of it.’”

Biscet is a steadfast advocate of nonviolence: a nonviolent struggle for political change. We have always heard that his models are Thoreau, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and the Dalai Lama. Is this so? Yes, says Biscet, but there are others, ones who may not be as “universal,” because they come from the Bible, and not all “accept Biblical teaching.” He cites Moses — “who led the first nonviolent revolution.” Then he mentions the three Hebrew boys, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. “When a king tried to force them to bow down before an idol, they refused. They knew that God would help them — and even if He did not, they would never bow down to an idol.” While in prison, Biscet “kept them close, because they are examples of freedom of expression and freedom of religion.” And they were, of course, delivered.

For the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Biscet will not take any personal credit. “I felt honored, but I wasn’t the only person being recognized with the medal. The American people saw in me the suffering of the entire Cuban nation.” And the medal “helped change the way the world thought about Cuba.” One day, Biscet would like to meet Bush and “thank him for everything he has done for Cuba’s freedom.”

Why was abortion so important to him, early in his dissidence, and why is it important now? “The fundamental duty of a physician is to defend life.” And “life lasts from conception until natural death.” Biscet maintains that science makes clear that a fetus is “a human being distinct from the mother.” He regards abortion as “a crime against humanity.” And he links it to human rights more broadly.

What about the Cuban health-care system as a general proposition? One of the myths of the Cuban revolution is that it has provided health for all. This is not a myth that works on Biscet, who, as a Cuban doctor, knows too much. What about another myth, concerning race? The myth that Communist rule has been a boon to blacks? Biscet himself is black, as are many other leaders of the opposition. His contempt for this myth is unconcealed. “Completely false,” are the words he uses. “We know that the Cuban dictatorship is anti-American, anti-Semitic, and anti-black.” And if you would like to know what the dictatorship thinks of black Cubans, “you need only go to Cuban prisons.”

It is natural to ask Biscet what he thinks of a contentious issue in the United States: the longstanding sanctions on the Cuban regime, known collectively as “the embargo.” He says, “The embargo has helped the Cuban people both politically and morally.” He wishes that all “free and civilized countries would boycott Cuba, the way they did racist South Africa.” The world made South Africa a pariah state. The American embargo should be lifted, says Biscet, “when the embargo against the Cuban people’s human rights,” imposed by the dictatorship, “is lifted.” He believes that “civilized countries” have given the dictatorship “life” and “oxygen” for the past 20 years — in other words, since the collapse of the Soviet Union. When he says “civilized countries,” does he mean Western Europe, which has supplied much cash to Havana? “I mean civilized countries in Europe, Latin America, and North America” (which is to say, Canada and Mexico).

Recently, Jimmy Carter was in Cuba, seeing the Castro brothers and others, including some democracy activists, Biscet among them. During his stay, Carter referred to Fidel Castro as an “old friend.” This is appalling to Biscet, as to other democrats. “One can have different ideas, and they should be respected. But to call a tyrant a friend is truly horrible.” Many in the world have tried to make a hero out of Castro. And “we should not encourage the creation of false heroes.”

By the way, who is really in charge of Cuba — Fidel Castro or Raúl, whom Fidel has pushed out front? Biscet says, “In our country, the Communist party directs the course of events and is above the law, and Fidel Castro is the general secretary of the Communist party.” Biscet says this as though Fidel’s continuing dominance should be the most obvious thing in the world.

Then there is the question of Biscet’s future: What will he do? He says that his immediate task is to “recover psychologically and physically” from his twelve years in darkness and hell. “I hope to be in the best possible condition,” to do the work he finds it unavoidable to do. Does he expect to be rearrested? “Anything is possible,” but he will work without fear. He believes that the island’s democrats are basically united, although “we do live under a totalitarian dictatorship that uses all of its resources to attempt to destroy us, which makes it difficult to progress as quickly as we would like.” That is the understatement of the hour — the hour of our time together. The Cuban people are “enslaved,” Biscet says, “but here in Cuba, the slaves will revolt,” as they have done elsewhere. He mentions China, Iran, and Libya. And he describes a great challenge of the opposition: to shape a transition to democracy without a Tiananmen Square. Without a massacre by the rulers, who will not give up power sweetly.

What does he want from America? He wants people to recognize just how bad the Cuban dictatorship is. And he wants solidarity. “The American people can help the Cuban people by drawing close to us in our suffering. Those of you who live in freedom have the ability to do this.” Above all, he says, do not provide the regime with the “oxygen” it needs to survive. He sees the Obama administration making concessions to the regime. And it is incomprehensible to him why “civilized and democratic countries” should lend a hand to such people: should give oxygen to the persecutors of so many, persecutors who are ripe for a great push.

After we hung up with Biscet, I talked for a while with Aramis Perez, who had translated. How did he think Biscet had sounded? “Serene and collected. He spoke out of such conviction that he did not need to emphasize his words” — they all had authority. Every now and then, you feel that you have encountered a great man. Someone who makes up for some measure of human iniquity and indifference. Perez and I felt this about Biscet. So will many others, around the world, if they get to know him.

Source:  National Review / Digital 
H/T to Valentin Prieto ;)

Cuban political prisoner forcibly released by castro's government

About a week ago, the news started to spread that the Cuban government was planning to release prominent political prisoners against their refusal to be freed, unless the castro's thugs agreed to release the sick prisoners first.

Angel Moya -one of  castro's worst fears- was one of them and Alberto de la Cruz, from Babalu Blog, interviewed him over the phone.

Here is the English transcription of their conversation.

In it, he describes how he was forcibly removed from prison, dressed in a police car and dumped in his apartment in Alamar, where the gov't thugs from the Rapid Response Brigades (in-your-face philosophy, remember?) held a repudiation act against him and his family.

For more background information on who is this Cuban freedom fighter, go here, and here. To read about him and his family, go here.

Godspeed, man, y buena suerte!

What's wrong with this picture?

Cuba's communist regime seeks 20 years prison sentence for Alan Gross.
Obama relaxes travel and hard currency remittances to the tropical gulag.

What's wrong with this picture?
The total absence of Vaseline (or KY for her/him) is the first thing that comes to mind.

Via Babalu Blog & H/T to @marcmasferrer:

Cuba to seek 20-yr jail term for detained American

Relax, Americans.
We're on the right track.

Your WTF moment of (last) week, brought to you Sen. Charles (Clueless) Schummers (D-NY)

How did I missed this one?
Jeez, I need to get my blogging mojo back, ASAP!

Via Michelle Malkin, here is Sen. Charles Schummers (D-NY) new definition of the three branches of goverment.

Kids, please cover your ears and eyes; here comes that Sarah Palin again...oh, wait...never mind...



Now I am ROFLMAO!
Cubanita OUT!

Where is my government-mandated ration of global warming?

... but this Cubanita wonders if I need to produce the rationing book from the tropical gulag in order to receive my minimal dose of warmer temps...hey, whatever it takes, if we are being blinded and frozen by snow and record low temperatures in 1/3 of the United States!

Since we're in the topic, I wanted to share drillanwr's superb take on this global-warming-that-in-winter-is-called-climate change, over there at Babalu Blog.

Enjoy! After all, I'll have a balmy 35 F ovah here today.

PS-Wholeheartedly dedicated to a scientist-inquiring mind... while this Caribbean girl in Colorado daydreams with sun, salty water and white sands...  :)

Not completely ready to be back, but sharing an old lesson...

Probably an old lesson passed to me by a friend a few days ago...something that I will definitively keep to share with my son when the time comes.

A young woman was about to finish her first year of college. Like so many others her age, she considered herself to be a very Liberal Democrat, and among other liberal ideals, was very much in favor of higher taxes to support more government programs, in other words redistribution of wealth.

She was deeply ashamed that her father was a rather staunch Republican, a feeling she openly expressed. Based on the lectures that she had participated in, and the occasional chat with a professor, she felt that her father had for years harbored an evil, selfish desire to keep what he thought should be his.

One day she was challenging her father on his opposition to higher taxes on the rich and the need for more government programs. The self-professed objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to be the truth and she indicated so to her father.

He responded by asking how she was doing in school. Taken aback, she answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA, and let him know that it was tough to maintain, insisting that she was taking a very difficult course load and was constantly studying, which left her no time to go out and party like other people she knew. She didn't even have time for a boyfriend, and didn't really have many college friends, because she spent all her time studying.

Her father listened and then asked , 'How is your friend Audrey doing?' She replied, ' Audrey is barely getting by. All she takes are easy classes, she never studies, and she barely has a 2.0 GPA. She is so popular on campus; college for her is a blast. She's always invited to all the parties and lots of times she doesn't even show up for classes because she's too hung over.'

Her wise father asked his daughter, 'Why don't you go to the Dean's office and ask him to deduct 1.0 off your GPA and give it to your friend who only has a 2.0. That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA, and certainly that would be a fair and equal distribution of GPA.'

The daughter, visibly shocked by her father's suggestion, angrily fired back, 'That's a crazy idea, how would that be fair! I've worked really hard for my grades! I've invested a lot of time, and a lot of hard work! Audrey has done next to nothing toward her degree. She played while I worked my tail off!'

The father slowly smiled, winked and said gently, 'Welcome to The Republican party.'

If anyone has a better explanation of the difference between Republican and Democrat I'm all ears.
If you ever wondered what side of the fence you sit on, this is a great test:

If a conservative doesn't like guns, he doesn't buy one.
If a liberal doesn't like guns, he wants all guns outlawed.

If a conservative is a vegetarian, he doesn't eat meat..
If a liberal is a vegetarian, he wants all meat products banned for everyone.

If a conservative is homosexual, he quietly leads his life.
If a liberal is homosexual, he demands legislated respect.

If a conservative is down-and-out, he thinks about how to better his situation.
A liberal wonders who is going to take care of him.

If a conservative doesn't like a talk show host, he switches channels.
Liberals demand that those they don't like be shut down.

If a conservative is a non-believer, he doesn't go to church.
A liberal non-believer wants any mention of God and religion silenced. (Unless it's a foreign religion, of course!)

If a conservative reads this, he'll forward it so his friends can have a good laugh.
A liberal will delete it because he's "offended".

From the WTH?! Department

A New Civil Right.

No comments.

H/T Ace of Spades.

We've been calling off this red flags...

... for a long, long time. Regardless, I still feel that nobody is listening.

Then, I can't help thinking: do Americans really need to live like I lived in Cuba or like this writer did in Russia to learn their lesson the hard way.

Are you, my fellow Americans, willing to pay the highest price for your lifetime lesson?

If so, please read before you keep commiting mass suicide:

The Modern Left (Unmasked)

 "... the names are unimportant.  The Lefts true believers will likely scream bloody murder at comparisons between their philosophy and Socialism, even though birds of a feather have been shown to flock together in London, Pittsburgh, and Toronto..."


"...To be sure, they all share and wish to perpetuate a basic misunderstanding of two Constitutions -- a Soviet one that promised what a government would do for its citizenry, and an American one that guarantees what a government will not do to its people..."

(Via  American Thinker)

Are your feeling the chills going down you back?

Well...you should.

USA's New Missile Crisis; gracefully brought to you by Barack Obama, dictator-in-the-making Hugo "Monkey" Chavez and the latter's Iranian pal.

Have at it.

My not that short answer...

Welcome reader Casey!

I tried to answer your question in the comments section with no success; even my shortest version wouldn't fit in the box, oops! Thanks for stopping by... I'm glad to read you are not clueless about castro and che; that, per se, leaves a huge room for political debate.

You question is the million dollars quest. I'll try to give you my view: the opinion of a simple girl that was born and raised under castro's communist dictatorship and who has been living in freedom for merely ten years. (If you dig back in some of my posts, you'll be able to get into more details).

First, in my own experience, I have seen that most Americans are uninformed/ill informed (thanks, MSM!)about the embargo being a legal consequence to castro's decision to unlawfully confiscate (and not properly pay for) American property. That's a legal/judicial process by international laws where you have two choices: either pay for those properties (which never is gonna happen with castro) or face the legal consequences (the embargo in this case.)

I'd say almost the entire world, including Cubans inside and outside the island know the embargo is the one-size-fits-all excuse the commies has been using for 51 years to blame their own failures; from a dengue epidemic to the their socialistoid economic disaster.

Many people --and I will give them the benefit of the doubt and say that maybe, well intentioned-- argue that if we remove the excuse, castro will be exposed. Really? Do we really need to expose him more? Because whoever have not seen in the past 51 years the atrocities of castro and his thugs is, well, because they don't want to...

And how that is going to change the life of your regular average Cuban?

See... you'd have to understand that there are two parallel realities in Cuba: the one for communists, government, military and tourists elites, and a whole different hell hole of life for the average Cuban citizen that has no access to hard currency.

The embargo being in place or not WILL not affect the life of those privileged elites at all. They have always lived --and believe me, will continue to live-- like royalty in the land of slaves. Nor will change the life of the poor souls on the darker side of Cuba's society. More money will end up in the commies' pockets. Period.

Nowadays, one also have to keep in mind that the embargo is more cosmetic that anything else. It has been weakened substantially during the past US administrations and there are only two measures in place: Cuban govt has to pay in cash, and Americans are restricted to travel (directly) to the island.

From a Libertarian point of view, I agree that no government should restrict the free movement of its citizens. But also, from real life experience, I can tell you Americans traveling there will not bring substancial change either; unless they have supernatural powers I haven't seen yet ;)

Cuba has been receiving tourists from all over the world (not only Canadians) for years. Sadly, the biggest majority of them are only interested in the PR-ready Cuba, where they can get drunk and have sex with cheap underage young men and woman, then post their videos/pics online and pretend they are bringing democracy to the island, one mojito at a time...that is.

From the American taxpayer's point of view (because that is what I am now, an American that works her back off and pay her fair -an unfair--share of taxes), extending credit to a communist government that has one of the worst credit/payment records in the world, according to recent stats from the Paris Club, I think that is a terrible mistake.

Who can guarantee me that castro's debts are not gonna be paid by my hard-earned money in the next bailouts craze, when the next US administration happily decides to use the Constitution as their deluxe toilet paper?

Errr...thanks, but no thanks.

Will lifting the embargo bring change and democracy to Cuba?
IMHO, I highly doubt so... Cuba's mess can only be solved by Cubans themselves.

Had the US government been really interested in helping, it would have done it years ago, by simply don't betraying Bay of Pigs. That was the moment. If it didn't happen back then, it won't happen now.

But... where is the hope?! Can something be done now?! --you may ask...

Yes, of course. I think in the this moment, the US can make the difference by supporting that incipient dissident and civil movement that has been growing in the island in the past 10 years, with all those independent bloggers, journalists and peaceful dissidents battling inside the monster and needing basic technology to weaken censorship and repression from within.

Even if we have to do it one tweet at a time. That will help to bring down the wall the regimen has built since 1951.

On the other hand, I don't have a very promising diagnosis for the useful idiots on this side of the ocean, drooling over everything castro. They only cure would be to GO THERE and SUCK IT UP 'till they die.

(I bet you my relatives there will trade places with all the Maxine Waters, Barbara Boxers, Sean Penns and et al of this world in a New York minute)

Castro's regimen endorses UN homophobic resolution

Via Capitol Hills Cubans:
This week, the Castro regime endorsed an amendment to a U.N. resolution (along with homophobic African and Middle Eastern nations) that exposes gays to arbitrary executions.
The U.S. strongly opposed the amendment.

"According to the International Gay and Lesbians Human Rights Commission, the UN General Assembly's Third Committee on Social, Cultural and Humanitarian issues removed "sexual orientation" from a resolution addressing extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions this past week in a vote that was overwhelming represented by a majority of African, Middle East and Caribbean [led by Cuba] nations."

More details here.

But things changing in Cuba. And Castro II is more pragmatic. And he is releasing political prisoners. And more direct infusion of money and tourists is gonna change their minds. And... I have a bridge for sale. Wanna buy it?

PS - Can someone please alert the troops of useful idiots that haven't received the memo yet?
Thanks

Obama, Sestak, and the centuries old Chicago Machine

Michael Ramirez summarizes it pretty well in IBD:

Once in the family, always in the family...

As an updated footnote, one only needs to add that the White House didn't try to bribe Sestak; they only sent Bill Clinton to explore if he would be open to a bribe, I mean, an unpaid advisory position.

Really? That's a big difference, no?

And let's not even go to Colorado's version of My Big, Corrupt, Chicago Wedding!

Now, back to regular programming...

Where were we? Ah!, Sí... the most transparent administration ever, in this new era of hopeandchange. We have nothing to worry about; after all, it's Bush's fault!

Mexico's hypocrisy and double standard

Aside from any opinion one may have about the recent state legislation approved in Arizona regarding immigration, there is one thing that should be crystal clear for every person in this planet:

Felipe Calderon and his government representatives have absolutely no business criticising a law written and approved by American legislators.

Why?
Because that would be the uttermost example of hypocrisy and double standard a person could ever show.

This article I found in USA Today online has more than one example of facts that support my opinion, beyond the countless personal testimonies I've heard from people from Central America and Cubans that have escaped the tropical gulag and have had to use Mexican territories to get to the USA.

I mean, I've seen - literally - clinical cases of post traumatic stress disorder caused by violent experiences individuals have suffered while being kidnapped by Mexican officials while trying to get to the US border.

Here is a preview:

... in Mexico, illegal immigrants receive terrible treatment from corrupt Mexican authorities, say people involved in the system. And Mexico has a law that is no different from Arizona's that empowers local police to check the immigration documents of people suspected of not being in the country legally.

"There (in the United States), they'll deport you," Hector Vázquez, an illegal immigrant from Honduras, said as he rested in a makeshift camp with other migrants under a highway bridge in Tultitlán. "In Mexico they'll probably let you go, but they'll beat you up and steal everything you've got first."  

“Shakiras”, torture and the “non-existent” political prisoners in Cuba UPDATE

Luis Felipe Rojas (Crossing the barbed wire) is a Cuban blogger that writes from Holguin about pretty much everything that happens in Cuba’s Eastern provinces.

Today, he bring us a heart-wrecking post with a conversation he had with a man who served four years in Guantanamo's Province Prison for trying to leave the country.

UPDATE:
English version of Rojas' post here.

Anderlay Guerra Blanco served four years in prison for trying to escape Cuba. Photo from Crossing the Barbed Wire

Yep, in case you haven’t notice, in Cuba you go to jail if you try to leave the plantation without the master’s permission.

The interviewed painfully describes the “Shakira”, who is not by any means the Colombian singer whose hips don’t lie. (The original post in Spanish is here)

No. He is talking about a method of torture currently used in several Cuban prisons, especially against political prisoners.

Here is a milder demonstration:

An excerpt, in my very own free translation:

"The "Shakira" is the worst method of torture that I saw in that place. Since the individual is handcuffed with both hands and feet tied to his back, and later is thrown in the dirty floor of a punishment cell, he is left in an extremely uncomfortable position. When he tries to make any movement, the only part of his body that moves are his hips. Can you imagine the irony?

They have established the parallel with the singer that happily dances, moving her hips in a very peculiar way, with the way the inmate copes with the pain and the uncomfortable position. I saw men there who urinated and defecated in that position because they were being held like that for 24 or 48 hours.

There is even a variation of the "Shakira" where the inmate is literally hung from the ceiling of the punishment cell, through the chains between the handcuffs. This lacerates the skin, leaving permanent scars in wrists and ankles.

When the guards decide they want to punish someone, first of all, they handcuff the man like that and then, beat him up before putting him in the punishment cell in that position. That's why I told you it is humiliating for everyone, but the cruelty is worse when it is a prisoner that it is there for political reasons, or when the inmate shouts off against the government or when they engage in hunger strikes to demand to be taken to a doctor or what they call "their [political] prisoner's rights.

Besides, there are different variations of that same torture. The chain that ties hands and feet can be lengthened or shortened. The shorter they leave it, the inmate can only rest his chest in the dirty, humid and putrid floor they share with insects and rodents."

I can’t help to wonder WHERE are those that over the world raised their voices against water boarding and the tortures against jihadists in Gitmo.

Not that I justify it – that’s a topic for a whole different conversation - but, WHERE are their voices when the victims are just Cuban political prisoners?

WHERE are their progressive, liberal, politically correct, humanitarian, considerate, just, fair and moderate voices condemning the tortures against Cuban political prisoners in the hands of Castro’s thugs?

And the United Nations and et-al?

And the MSM that have news bureaus there?

And the intellectuals, Michael “Sicko” Moores and Congressional Black Caucus that drool over the buttock-less old “dear leader”?

And all those that in the floor of the US Congress recently applauded Cuban legislators – completely out of scope – resolution against Arizona?

I better don’t even go there…like cheap whores – actually, worst than them - they always end up in bed with the dictatorship.

Your silence is deafening.

Update on rabid Cuba's consul in Norway

... developing, scroll down for more updates...

Via Punt de Vista and Twitter (#Norway #perra #mordida #consul), here is my freely-translated version of the latest updates:

The Cuban consul in Oslo that bit a peaceful protester in her hand is in deep trouble, which her canine narrow mind – I apologize to all smart dogs out there, barf! – could never anticipate.

The news of the aggression towards Alexandra Joner, @AlexandraJoner, -Norwegian girl of Cuban descent that is a model, singer and actress- during last Saturday protest in front of the Cuban consulate in Oslo went viral online during the weekend and this morning, was being reported in all major news in Norway. 

Alexandra Joner

Close up of the bite

The Cuban consul faces being declared persona non grata in Norway, along with her husband, ambassador Rogerio Santana:

Although the Norwegian authorities have not made an official declaration yet, Barbara Joner, the mother of the young woman attacked by the Cuban consul hopes that she will be expulsed from the country. This morning, the mother of the girl went to a police station to file a forma complaint against the Cuban consul. She said in Norway an aggression of this kind is “unacceptable”.


She mentioned that, by the way the incident is being handled by the press; this has become a “national scandal”. Therefore, she believes this will lead to a diplomatic confrontation between the two countries. “There is no other way around than the expulsion, and we are only waiting for the bureaucratic process to be finished to have her, finally, expulsed from the country,” said Barbara Joner. A friend that his helping the Joners with their official complaints said that in Norway’s environment, the fact the consul approached the young girl, intimidated her and used (some of the worst Cuban-style) slurs is seen as a gravely offensive attitude that does not meet the standards of international diplomacy at all.

Norwegian officials are formally demanding the expulsion of both, the rabid Castro’s representative and her husband, who is the ambassador in Oslo:

In a popular news morning show, God Morgen Norge, Jan Tore Sanne, a conservative politician in the Norwegian parliament said he will not accept a mere setter of protest from the Foreign Relations department to the Cuban embassy, nor any sort of apologies. He stated he will demand the expulsion of both the Cuban consul and her husband.

This woman was never able to calculate the consequences of her communist class act. As expected, last night she started backpedaling and is trying to twist the story, saying that Alexandra Joner attacked her first:

“She attacked me”, said the Cuban diplomat, whose name is Carmen Julia Guerra, during an interview with this TV channel. And while she was being nice giving her explanations to the media, she was being depictive towards Alexandra and her mother, Barbara Joner, both also present during the interview.

If you thought that Castro's thugs were in Cuba only, think again. They are everywhere, posing a hazard risk for diplomatic relations everywhere.

What its worse, nor them or their idiot enablers in Havana want to see the reality that is slapping them in their faces: they can not censor YourTube, Twitter, cell phone vids and freedom of speech on the Internet.

Their Nurenberg will probably be hosted online and their demise will come dressed up as a blue bird, with a .com tag on it.

TIP - If you need to request a visa to the Cuban consulate in Oslo in the near future, and would like to inquire whether you'll need a rabies shot prior to the appointment, the consulate phine number is
011-47-2308-3260 (H/T Penultimos Dias)

Via Guama - jokes to last an entire month...

Close up of CUJA, the murderer -Cuban- dog.

A video clip of Laila Samuels, interpreting "Nineteen", where Alexandra Joner plays a role.

And a priceless traditional Cuban rhyme dedicated to the b%^$#! - too bad it can't be translated!

Beware of the dog...err... the Cuban diplomat -UPDATE

On Saturday May 22nd, the Cuban consul in Norway (who happens to be the wife of the Cuban ambassador in that country) bit the hand of a Cuban-Norwegian young woman who was filming a protest in front of the consulate. The girl, Alexandra Joner, is a Norwegian singer are dancer, born to Cuban parents.

The protesters, a small group of people dressed in white, where holding hand-made signs demanding freedom for Cuba's political prisoners. YouTube Exhibit #1 here. (H/T to Marc, via Twitter - @marcmasferrer)

Stay classy, communist b%$#&! -- no pun intended ;-)

Apparently, this is not the first rabid incident involving the furry couple that are supposed to be acting as representatives of Castro's diplomacy...

UPDATE: an audio file with an interview of the bitten girl's mother, Barbara Joner, in Spanish, via Punt De Vista.

Garrix has an easy-to-read graphic explanation of Cuba's School of Foreign Relations best practices on recruiting:

Vet's Office: "...it's from the Cuban Embassy... they want to check if we can deworm two of their officials..."

Let's see... we need an assistant for the consul, two embassadors... *

Canine Division: So... were you also called by Minrex? *

* MINREX= Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores / Office or department of foreign relations.

The real failure of communism in Cuba

Yesterday, in the middle of a busy Mom Sunday, I splurged myself with a few minutes in Twitter and found this article in the Gainsville Times, where Frank Norton Jr. describes his experience during a recent trip to Cuba. He describes pretty well what for me, is not news because it was my daily life up until almost ten years ago.

"Underground capitalism: Throughout our visit, we've seen small flares of capitalism: the man selling pizzas out of his basement; an elderly gentleman dressing three dachshunds in hats, coats and sunglasses charging $1 per picture; the Cuban Coco cabs that charged $6 a trip; vendors in the crafts shops selling carved ebony statues or colorful canvases. Capitalism is alive, thriving actually, in the deep bowels of Cuban life. Capitalism may even be the dark underbelly of successful communism. In a totalitarian state, the underground micro economy keeps the engine running and the populous content and fed."

Where I disagree with him? Well, when he started repeating the broken record on who’s to blame for the shameful state of a country that was ahead of the region five decades ago.

[Introduce here my deja vu thinking I was reading Granma or watching la mesa redonda (round table]

“Cuba has learned to recycle, out of embargo necessity.”

Excuse me, but Cuba has learned to recycle out of communism-induced misery and chronic scarcity. Cubans are some of the most miserable individuals in the region thanks to the failed economic policies of socialism, despite having been constantly fed by the former Soviet Union, the East European communist and now, Hugo "Monkey" Chavez -with his 200 Twitter assistants - petrodollars.

“The embargo: Our days passed and our opinion of the anti-Castro embargo has changed. It does not hurt Castro or his oblivious government; it hurts the children, old men and women and everyone in between.”

"The children, the old men and women and everyone on between" that are tied to the communist elite of Cuba’s Communist Party, high rank military officials, high class intellectuals a-la-Silvio Rodriguez and those who have relatives living in exile and sending them hard currency are not hurting. For Christ's sake, not even THE Cubans living in Cuba believe that story of the embargo anymore!

I’ve seen, personally, some in those ranks living in Cuba like any middle class family would live here. There is no embargo when you have connections.

The ones that do not fit in any of the above categories are the ones really hurting, and not precisely by the embargo. American credits to the communist dictatorship WILL NOT change an iota of their misery.

If what is left of the embargo is gone tomorrow, regular Cubans will continue recycling our of necessity, will continue starving with the rationed food that lasts only the first two weeks of the month, kids will continue not having milk after age seven through the rationing book, and their parents will continue stealing from their workplaces and trading in the black market in order to eat the remaining two weeks of the month.

And all that, while American taxpayers – in the era of hope and change, government bailouts and power grabs - subsidize the defaulted unpaid credits extended to the plantation’s owners.

However, there is another face of Cuba that Mr. Norton didn’t mention. Maybe he didn't see it... who knows?

(Click here to keep reading)

Ideological subversion and disdain are killing the US

It is not about lack of historical memory anymore. It is not about the uber liberal hypocrisy and double standards. Or being a brain-washed sycophant bred in an American college.

It is WAY more than that when you see the fact that a given management / PR company lighted up the Empire State Building to celebrate China’s communist murderer regimen, while refuses to light the darn building in white in blue to celebrate what would have been Mother’s Theresa 100 birthday.

Sorry, Mother, you're not evil enought to deserve being honored

(Photo from AP)

Jeffrey Scott Shapiro tried to investigate the story for FOXNews.com, and he wonders:

"If the Third Reich had survived World War II, would the Empire State Building have felt “honored” to illuminate the building in red to commemorate the night Adolf Hitler burned the Reichstag to the ground and started a Nazi revolution in Germany? Would anyone be proud of the relationship between our countries and our people then? I highly doubt it. For some reason, (and I have to imagine that reason is the indoctrination of ultra-leftism at American universities and from Hollywood), we have conveniently forgotten about the brutality and human rights violations committed by communist states. Somewhere along the line communism became heroic and even fashionable. If that seems like a stretch, check out the T-shirts produced by popular rock band Rage Against the Machine that champion Che Guevara. Apparently, fascist dictatorships are evil, but communist ones are acceptable, and that kind of rationale in itself is unacceptable. In reality, Communism has been responsible for the slavery and oppression of hundreds of millions of innocent people. That’s why citizens of many communist states like China, Cuba and the former Soviet Union risk their lives to escape. Communism in all forms is evil and should never, ever be honored under any circumstances. To honor communism is to honor evil."


Have at it - I strongly recommend a barf bag.

Memo to the socialistoids, communistoids and idiot liberals in America:
Charity = good.
Communism = EVIL.

Will you EVER finally get it?

How do you know if you're being forced-fed into socialism?

The easy way out to this question would be by simply paying attention to what Cubans, Russians and Eastern Europeans who lived behind the iron curtain are screaming to the top of their lungs.

For once, it would make sense, since they have lived and suffered the monster of socialism and communism up close and personal, so it is logic that they should know a thing or two about living without freedom and with the government deciding - literally - the number of feminine pads a woman is supposed to use in a month.

But we, human beings, are complex entities. You may not even want to see the easy answer in front of your eyes. And if that's the case, a small summary of facts on how to identify a socialist government and/or president may be in order.

Star Parker has masterfully have put it together in this column:

" There’s a debate going on about whether it’s accurate to call our President a socialist. Here’s what I say. Socialism has three key characteristics, all of which I believe he buys into. "


"First, socialism disdains private property as sacred. Any doubt where our President stands on this? As former Council of Economic Advisors head Greg Mankiw notes regarding the health care bill, the prime motive was not “health per se but ... redistribution of income.”

 
I would add that yes, socialism disdains private property for everybody but to them: those in the power elites of the communist/socialist parties, the government and the military forces that keep them in power. Private property is despicable, but for only for the repressed masses. Pure double standard. Do as I say, but not as I do.
 

"Second, socialism puts faith in government social engineering. Just think government health care, government takeovers of banks and car companies, and cap and trade."

Indeed. They take over everything, end up owning everything and then, everything ends up not working.
 
Just look at Cuba after 50 years of failed economic non-policies and communist misery - again, only for the oppressed masses, never for the elites. Or Venezuela, an oil-rich country that is having...err... blackouts. Imagine yourself living in a nation-wide DMV field office, and you"ll get the picture.
 

"And third, socialism is godless, secular religion. It sees human redemption in government planning."

I would add that socialism and communism always try to eradicate first the two nuclear forces in society: religion and family. They do that in order to successfully brain-wash the new generations and erase the traditional values that hold nations together and usually are knit-tight to individual liberties.
 
Castro did it in Cuba when the first ones to be sent to the concentration camps called UMAP were Catholic priests and seminarists. Religion became a curse-word in a nation culturally and traditionally Catholic, where church always played a key role in the civic society.

Christmas trees were prohibited as capitalism's sins and you could go to jail for having one in your house. Things changed a little after Pope Jean Paul II visit to the island in 1992, but the damaged has been already done to three generations of Cubans born after Castro took over. Look at me, born after 1959, and I have no idea what I am supposed to do when I enter a church...
 
Then he attacked the family and its influence in the raising of its youngsters. In Cuba, you are separated from your parents at the age when you need them the most: in your teen years. Boarding schools with a system of work-study are the norm. (But again, there are always a few privileged that can evade that rule...) And at a young age, you're being told to denounce your parents and relatives if the talk ill about dear leader, the revolution or socialism.
 
Unfortunately, in this third case, we're already in big trouble in the US: just look at the government take over of public education and how it has become public indoctrination, not to mention the sick communist, anarchist and anti-Republic penetration in American colleges...
 
Finally, this last step it is crucial because it provides the communist moonbats with the basis for the process of ideological subversion that allows them to entrench in power.
 
That is, in plain English, sucking up your brain until you're not able to think by yourself and you become a robot-like leech totally depending on the government.
 
However, there is one thing that we should always keep in mind: the words of the Iron Lady when she said that socialism is great, until you ran out of other's people money.

That's what's happening in Greece. They ran out of other (Greek) people's money and now raided German's money. And when that one is gone, who know whose wallet in Europe will be raided. And I don't even want to think about when they are done emptying out all EU's pockets...

Obama thinks we should thank him

Egocentric and megalomaniac our POTUS? Naahh...

After raising 2.5 millions in Miami - one of the events was held at Emilio & Gloria Estefan's house in Miami Beach - Obama mocked the Tea Party protesters on Tax Day, saying that we should thank him because he has cut taxes instead.

Can someone, please, find this man's math teacher and FIRE him? - if you can bundle  a BOGO with the teacher and the student, please, do so!!!

My response can also be summarize like this:

H/T to Babalú Blog