Why's Cuba releasing their 'political' prisoners & why aren't they talking about it?

[R_P_A_S]

It seems that in the last 3 weeks or so Cuba has release many of their "political" prisoners. I mean... why are they doing this? Aren't they supposed to charge and process these people if they indeed violated the laws? Where they just holding them in detention just to have some sway over them? I don't want to get into the details because I think it's impossible to know for sure that all these prisoners are in fact finance by the miami mafia. Is Cuba just giving into outside pressure from the EU? Since when do they do this? seems kinda soft if you ask me.. there has to be a good reason as to why they are just giving up these people who could very well be mercenaries and enemies of the revolution.

2nd... WHY is there NO mention of this in the cuban news paper "granma.cu"? Maybe I missed it. But I'm yet to see anything in relation to the release of the prisoners. I would love to read a Cuban source's take on the case. I really would. I would also think they want to let their people what's going on.

I'm kinda disappointed.

[Wanted Man]

I thought most of them had already been convicted.

Anyway, it doesn't seem like a bad move to simply offload the fuckers to Spain.

[theAnarch]

May be the war with the United States is becoming less severe and they feel they can liberalize there policies, truthfully Idk.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

They're making concessions.

[R_P_A_S]

They're making concessions.

I'm sorry but could you elaborate? What is your take on the news not being anywhere in the grandma?

[R_P_A_S]

Come on.. I know everyone loves Cuba.. but we aren't willing to criticize.. not even that but offer some sort of opinion? all the sudden? :crying:

[Robocommie]

It's not that huge a deal, I don't think. They've released prisoners like this before. It seems the Church convinced the President that it'd be a good PR move, and I imagine they're interested in that after the Orlando Zapata scandal.

[Nolan]

Eh it has to do with Raul getting kissy with the church or something. Damn revisionists.

[R_P_A_S]

But doesn't this take away all the seriousness away from the crimes or violations these guys committed? The Cuban government claims that they take money from the Miami Mafia and that they are trying to undermine the revolution... So let a priest ***** and moan and some EU diplomats ***** a bit and all the sudden that's the ticket to get a waiver on their crimes? just makes no sense.

[DaringMehring]

The releases are also being used as a political tool in US-Cuba relations.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

I'm sorry but could you elaborate?

What more is there to say? They've made concessions to dominant imperialist powers. It happens all the time around the world.


What is your take on the news not being anywhere in the grandma?

I don't know that's not in Granma. I don't have access to the daily Spanish version (which is different from both the website and--especially--the English version).

I don't imagine that they've given it a ton of coverage though. Why would they?

[Kassad]

Eh it has to do with Raul getting kissy with the church or something. Damn revisionists.

There's that fun word again! It's like anti-revisionists substitute any kind of rational thought, sources and facts by just throwing out the word "revisionist." As if that makes your argument coherent. You know, if you really despise Cuba so much and all of its "revisionist" progress, you Hoxhaists should give a call to the CIA and try to get Raul Castro overthrown. That way, everybody wins!

[Nolan]

There's that fun word again! It's like anti-revisionists substitute any kind of rational thought, sources and facts by just throwing out the word "revisionist." As if that makes your argument coherent. You know, if you really despise Cuba so much and all of its "revisionist" progress, you Hoxhaists should give a call to the CIA and try to get Raul Castro overthrown. That way, everybody wins!

Because Cuba is obviously a healthy socialist society. And yes, we're plotting to aid in imperialist intervention in Cuba. After all that's what all Marxist-Leninists want. :rolleyes:

If Raul Castro doesn't infuriate you, your politics are bankrupt. It's not like this is the same trojan horse we've seen before or anything.

[Uppercut]

I don't see how releasing a couple political prisoners automatically equals revisionism. Yes, Raul may not be a carbon copy of Fidel, and it is true that he is seeking out some reform in the Cuban economy (turning the barbershops into cooperatives, for example) but I think it's too early to tell where all this is heading in the long run. Now, if he does start to reinstate capitalism and appease America, that's another thing. But for the time being, Cuba still has my support.

[Lolshevik]

I'm with Kassad here... it seems like every time a Cuban sneezes, people on here predict the fall of the workers' state. People, the Cuban Revolution is not made of sand. They survived the overthrow of the Soviet Union and all the Eastern Bloc nations. They survived the tightening of the blockade after that. How? By increasing mass participation in the country's life. By reviewing their past positions, admitting some mistakes along the way, but always reaffirming the fundamental "socialismo o muerte" (socialism or death.)

Come on. Let's try to have a more thoughtful analysis than the State Department here, ok?

[Kassad]

I'm with Kassad here... it seems like every time a Cuban sneezes, people on here predict the fall of the workers' state. People, the Cuban Revolution is not made of sand. They survived the overthrow of the Soviet Union and all the Eastern Bloc nations. They survived the tightening of the blockade after that. How? By increasing mass participation in the country's life. By reviewing their past positions, admitting some mistakes along the way, but always reaffirming the fundamental "socialismo o muerte" (socialism or death.)

Come on. Let's try to have a more thoughtful analysis than the State Department here, ok?

How does Socialist Action/USFI classify countries such as Cuba, China and Vietnam? Do they view them as deformed workers states or state capitalist, or something different? I'm not familiar with their ideology.

[727Goon]

What did the political prisoners even do in the first place, was it just for speaking out against the government or did they actually do something? I think any healthy socialist society should have free speech and tolerate dissent, I mean would I be arrested in Cuba for being an anarchist or what?

[Lolshevik]

How does Socialist Action/USFI classify countries such as Cuba, China and Vietnam? Do they view them as deformed workers states or state capitalist, or something different? I'm not familiar with their ideology.

State capitalist?! I - ok. Won't go there. No need for another tendency war. : P

Cuba is classified as a workers' state. Socialist Action is critical about this or that aspect of the Cuban dotp, but it is always placed in the context of our role as active partisans for the revolution. We do not advocate political revolution there. We advocate what the Cubans are already doing; which is strengthening workers' democracy to combat internal counter-revolutionary forces & promotion of international socialist forces since a new workers' state anywhere in the world, but especially in Latin America, would set off a wave of socialism throughout the area and could come to the aid of the Island of Revolution.

For the DPRK we say it's a deformed workers' state. On China/Vietnam there are varying opinions... mainly deformed workers' state or capitalist.

[Nolan]

what the Cubans are already doing; which is strengthening workers' democracy to combat internal counter-revolutionary forces

Does anyone have any sources or details on this?

[Lolshevik]

There's Jeff Mackler's pamphlet "The Cuban Revolution: Beleaguered but Undaunted." It's a Socialist Action pamphlet & gives an eye-witness account of Cuba in the Special Period and today. But I don't think it's available online...

No, it's not. But here's an article that touches on some of the stuff the pamphlet discusses. http://www.socialistaction.org/meyers1.htm

[727Goon]

What did the political prisoners even do in the first place, was it just for speaking out against the government or did they actually do something? I think any healthy socialist society should have free speech and tolerate dissent, I mean would I be arrested in Cuba for being an anarchist or what?

.

[Nolan]

.

They all did the same thing, and everyone knows about it. That's why we all rushed to answer your question.

[727Goon]

Well you seemed pretty certain that they were guilty of something, so I thought you knew the specifics.