July 13, 2021 - 11:00am
Extraordinary images from Cuba, as thousands of protesters take to the streets. One can only wish them the best, but — given the precedents of Iran, Hong Kong, Venezuela and Belarus — one fears the worst.
Of infinitely less importance is the tricky position in which the British Left finds itself. Cuba has long been the acceptable face of communism. Point the camera away from the obvious signs of decay, and the scenes of sun, sea and socialism can be sold to a gullible western audience.
However, it’s much harder to sell the dream of a workers’ paradise if the workers are out on the streets calling for the delivery of basic services — plus bourgeois fripperies like freedom and democracy. It’s especially awkward when some protestors are waving American flags.
So what does the Corbynite Left make of it all? I wish I could tell you, but they’ve been rather quiet on the matter. Let’s start with Jezza himself. As of 11am this morning, there was nothing about it on his Twitter feed. This is odd because he’s been more that happy to weigh in on Cuban matters in the past — for instance here and here. I checked the accounts of a number of other prominent UK Lefties. Crickets.
In desperation, I turned to the website of the Cuban Solidarity Campaign, where I found this statement. It acknowledges there have been “some street protests” that “took place against the scarcity of food, medicines and power supplies.” However, the statement mostly consists of a diatribe against the US and its decades-long trade embargo.
If the protests continue, expect this to become the standard line for regime sympathisers in the UK. It’s all the fault of those damned Yankees, you see. Definitely nothing to do with a visibly failing communist regime, whose autocratic, incompetent rule Cubans are so desperate to be free of.
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SubscribeThe tragedy for the people of Cuba is that they might be thirty years too late. Had they managed to shake the Castro compound in 1990, the whole western world would have sympathised; but with squeaky, non-binary, bald headed, vegan nutcutlets running the western show, they’ll get more support from a rice pudding.
Calling out the left for lies and hypocrisy is like calling out a leopard for having spots. It is not just pointless it is counter-productive. They know they are liars and hypocrites. It is their stock in trade. All you do by calling them out is to waste time and effort which should be spent hounding them night and day. You may congratulate yourself that you are winning the argument, but they do not give a toss. They do not care what you say or what you think.
Well, it is always useful to broadcast this hypocrisy, with evidence, as widely as possible. Otherwise I am not exactly sure what this ‘hounding’ at least in a democratic society with rule of law might consist of. Do you have any practical suggestions – that is an open and genuine question?
Do what they do. Compile a list and wait. When one of them puts their head above the parapet come down on them hard. Go to their employer and anyone giving them a platform. Make them the news story. Get up a mob. Why is Paul Mason employed by Channel 4 when it is in receipt of public money and how can the BBC continue to give him a platform
‘Hounding’?
i wouldn’t underestimate the lefts ability to talk out both sides of their mouth. Saint Biden’s regime is both progressive, stainless and pure and an irredeemable racist imperialist oppressor depending on what benefits Guardianland the most at the time
I believe sleepy Jo has also been doddering around this issue. Must check to see if he has woken up. Did see that the Chinese control the internet in Cuba and the internet has been ‘switched off’.
He is scheduling Harris to make a visit as we type. No one is holding their breath.
Guardian today:
News: Racist football fans, Evil Tories, Covid deaths up.
Sport: More racism by racists
Foreign news: USA Climate crisis ; Evil Tories cut foreign aid, Zuma “unrest” – and a snide story about Miami’s assassination-plotting , Trump-voting, Cuban, Venezuelan and Haitian expat communities.
Buried amid the guidance memes about Bay of Pigs (No mention of JFK’s approval though), Trump (alleged Haiti assassin allegedly recruited by a mercenary group that had an office “near Trump’s golf resort”!), you might find a brief reference to the “threat” of expat Cubans helping the protestors.
There is no link to their couple of stories about the protests deeper inside, which are mostly well-written until the one about shortages descends into blaming (former US President) Trump. Apparently Biden can’t do anything about it because … Trump.
So far, so predictable.
What about the non-Corbynite left?
Are they saying anything about it?
the lefts completely predictable silence on Cuba
There is nothing remotely curious about ‘the left’s’ silence on this issue. Anyway, aren’t all Cuba’s problems caused by US sanctions tightened recently by Trump? And aren’t the recent protests got up by groups encouraged by US interference? It’s all as usual.
I don’t recall ‘the Left’ being too enthusiastic about the Arab Spring. After all, the post-war settlement in North Africa and the Middle East left a bunch of dictators more anti-Western than anti-Communist, so willing to get involved with the radical left in Europe. So the usual doctrine – your enemy’s enemy is your friend – applied.