Message from Havana to friends who are far away

[Conghaileach]

Granma
April 19, 2003

Message from Havana to friends
who are far away

In recent days, we have been surprised and hurt to see, at the foot of slanderous declarations against Cuba, the signatures of well-known members of the anti-Cuban propaganda machine mixed with the names of some beloved friends. At the same time, there have been statements issued by others, no less beloved to Cuba and the Cuban people, that we believe to be the consequence of distance, disinformation, and the trauma of failed socialist experiments.

Unfortunately, and although this was not the intention of these friends, these texts are being used in the campaign aimed at isolating us and paving the way for United States military aggression against Cuba.

Our small country is more threatened today than ever by the superpower now seeking to impose a fascist dictatorship on a global scale. To defend itself, Cuba has been forced to adopt forceful measures that it naturally did not want to adopt. Cuba cannot be judged on the basis of these measures if they are taken out of context.

It is highly significant that the only demonstration held anywhere in the world to support the recent genocide took place in Miami, under the slogan, "Iraq now, Cuba later". Added to this are the explicit threats made by members of the fascist government leadership in the United States.

These are times of new trials for the Cuban Revolution and for all of humanity, and it is not enough to fight aggression when it is imminent or already underway.

Today, April 19, 2003, 42 years after the defeat of the mercenary invasion at the Bay of Pigs, we are not addressing those who have turned the issue of Cuba into a business or an obsession, but rather to friends who may have been led astray in good faith, and who have offered us their solidarity on so many occasions.

Alicia Alonso
Miguel Barnet
Leo Brouwer
Octavio Cortázar
Abelardo Estorino
Roberto Fabelo
Pablo Armando Fernández
Roberto Fernández Retamar
Julio García Espinosa
Fina García Marruz
Harold Gramatges
Alfredo Guevara
Eusebio Leal
José Loyola
Carlos Martí
Nancy Morejón
Senel Paz
Amaury Pérez
Graziella Pogolotti
César Portillo de la Luz
Omara Portuondo
Raquel Revuelta
Silvio Rodríguez
Humberto Solás
Marta Valdés
Chucho Valdés
Cintio Vitier


http://www.granma.cu/ingles/abril03/sab19/mensaje.html

[comradezapata]

.........

[NeedForRevolution]

If the americans ever get cuba to the edge and cuba falls (what i hope never happens)
in germany i have many friends which will not take it!!!!

[nz revolution]

I think my conscience is calling me to go to Cuba TO FIGHT THE YANKEE SCUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[comradezapata]

.........

[Soul Rebel]

i think i am going to have to go back to cuba. i feel horrible being in the U.S. when cuba is at risk. i hope mi cuba is going to be ok.

[Ian]

We shall not let it happen, No Pasaran!

[CubanFox]

If Cuba is attacked, I feel that thousands of leftist volunteers will rush to her aid.

[MJM]

I'll go to Cuba if the US attacks, or threatens to.
We can meet here and organise if it happens.

[praxis1966]

Fuck the bullshit; where's my Armalite?

[nz revolution]

Sweet, we will meet in the Sierra Maestra train up so we are in a condition to fight, and slaughter Americans. Shoot down there planes and torpedo their ships.

I would certainly go. Maybe we could start in Argentina and travel northwards recruiting people as we go.

Defeat the US forces and liberate the Fascist States of America...

[CubanFox]

The US army carries things around in trucks, right?

Well, I've thought of a way to immobilize the trucks yet get the gear mostly intact. Have a sniper hidden in the bushes near the side of the road...have him kill the drivers of the trucks, then have a few dozen AK-47 waving guys leap up and spray lead at the backs of the trucks to kill anyone inside...then go and grab the stuff.

Let us hope Cuba is never threatened so we never have to do all this.

(Edited by CubanFox at 7:17 am on April 22, 2003)

[ChiTown Lady]

I realize that Iraq was not a Communist regime and that the leadership there was also undesirable – however, I ask you this: How many people Globally went to the aid of the Iraqi people who were just recently mass murdered at the hands of the US and UK Military forces? Or the Afghan people the year before?

GW seems to be on a roll, and he also seems Hell bend on taking anything and everything in his quest to control the masses of the world – including the citizens of the US (what with the laws passed here recently).

I wouldn’t like to see Cuba victimized by the Imperialist beast again, but the fact is that the US NEVER really left Cuba since the Military base in Gantanamo Bay was kept in tact even though all of the corporate interests were thrown out.

It will be a sad day if aggression is used agaisnt Cuba, and I’m sure that the whole world will speak out against it – but will they lift a finger against the high tech weaponry the US Military will likely use in such a quest?

[nz revolution]

they may not help, BUT WE WILL!

[Comrade Daniel]

Are you people serious, I mean It'll be great to see those capitalist murder soldier being slaughterd. But I'm 13 (14 in a few days) so it is difficult for me to go their alone, I don't know whether Fidel accepts young children to fight for him. If I'm 18 I will surley go, Cuba has won before without much international help. But this yankee moron will send more than 1500 mercenary soldiers and don't act like you already assembled an rebel army somewhere in Mexico this shit can be real serious.

[CubanFox]

All out conventional warfare with the US army is a good way to get yourself killed.

[NeedForRevolution]

I am 15 so i cant go to cuba either but....
If my government does not want to help its also the enemy....... here are enough american buildings to fight against i can tell you...............

[Soul Rebel]

if something goes down in cuba, im definitely going back. i was going to go back in jan. 04 anyways, so if i have to go earlier no biggie. i would fight for cuba as i would for spain--- or any country that is at risk by the u.s.

[Comrade Daniel]

I can always build a hobby plane and let it carry bombs and crash it against the embassy here in Holland would be nice...

[nz revolution]

I take it the people who said yes are over 18? I just turned 19, now I no longer look young for my age *sob*

So SenoraChe how was figthing alongside the Iraqis? joke.

Did you mean you would fight for any Latin or Spanish country?

I don't act like I have already set one up says sub-commanate nz revolution, we will, soon, lol.

peace

(Edited by nz revolution at 11:13 am on April 23, 2003)

[Soul Rebel]

Fighting alongside the Iraqis was wonderful :) joke of course.

I would definitely fight for any latin/spanish country, these countries are dear to my heart. But seriously i would fight for any country that is oppressed. I try to do it from the U.S. in any way possible, but when you are a full time 6th year college student it gets a little hard to actually go there and fight. i will be done in dec. 03 so it will be a lot easier to go places. plus, i was going back to cuba anyways so if something went down i would already be there. hopefully some of you would be there too :)

[truthaddict11]

i think ChiTown Lady has a point why not defend everyone from US agression, look at the courage the human shields had in Iraq! Everyone suddenly thinks its "cool" to go defend Cuba. But realize this the US will never attack Cuba the entire world will be against it. To stop this potential terrorism by the US and Britian we must first fight at home.

[Soul Rebel]

Like i said--- if i could have went to Iraq to protect them i would, but my classes are still on. Know what i mean? I at least tried to help them in any way possible from here.

I know your comments weren't directed towards me, but I dont think its suddenly cool to fight for cuba. I have always had a love of/for cuba--- being a hispanic and because i have history in cuba. if cuba got attacked it would break my heart. but it also breaks my heart to see any people suffer and live under oppression.

I know the U.S. would never go after Cuba because the world would oppose. I was just saying that if they did it and i was there i would definitely fight.

nobody's oppression is more important than the others. oppression is oppression and it needs to be stopped, no matter where it is taking place. i agree with you chitown lady--- we need to fight all oppression.

[Urban Rubble]

First off let me this, I'm an American, and if we attacked Cuba I would go to Cuba and fight against my country, even if it meant killing friends fighting for the U.S. With that said, how can you people sit there and say "look at the courage of the human shields in Iraq". That is ridiculous and sick. I'm am %100 against Imperialism and war but Saddam Hussein is just as evil as George Bush and if he had as much power, would be much more evil. You people claim to want freedom and equality yet you would fight for a monster like Saddam who not only is an Imperialist is also a bloody fucking maniac ? Insane. Well, don't let my comments get to you if we ever DO meet in the Sierra Masetra =) I'll be the skinny gringo with the Ak-47.

[Larissa]

Quote: from nz revolution on 4:13 am on April 22, 2003
I would certainly go. Maybe we could start in Argentina and travel northwards recruiting people as we go.
That's gonna be rather a long journey NZ, Argentina is about 7,500 km away from Cuba, a bit far in my opinion :cool:

[Dirty Commie]

Like so many peope have said earlier, I would go defend Cuba against us imperialism. The best part is, I am only a few hundred miles from Havana and know peope who would sail me there.

[Comrade Daniel]

We'll go on motorcycles like our hero did in history rember?

[nz revolution]

Aye daniel we can have a huge bikey gang cruising up the coast, AK's over the shoulder, knives in between our teeth, victory or death.

I was seriuosly having a think about it today, and my wife growled me, and said I cant go. WHo knows, maybe I could time a holiday there so when I arrive its straight to a beach bracing for an invasion.

class war at home til then...

[redstar2000]

Cuba does not need additional soldiers; in the event of a U.S. invasion, their plan is to arm the entire population and most civilians there have received training in the use of small arms.

What will help Cuba more than anything else are direct attacks on U.S. "interests" in Latin America and Europe...hurt them badly enough and you may make a small but measurable difference in the outcome.

I know that doesn't have the "romantic appeal" of night maneuvers in Oriente Province...but it is simply impractical to send an "international brigade" to Cuba...and would not help all that much even if it could be done.

If the U.S. invades Cuba, what would you do? How would you attack the U.S. where you live? A little advance planning might help.

Just a thought.

:cool:

[Comrade Daniel]

Weekly protest, burning the MacDonalds fo humanity sake.

[CubanFox]

Since I'm in the Pacific, the closest target would be a take over of one of those uninhabited islands the US owns, say, Jarvis Island (http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/dq.html).

It wouldn't be much, Jarvis Island being about one and a half square kilometres, but it'd be for political reasons. Plus, we could rename it New Cuba and rename Millersville (the tiny little station that is occaisonally visited by scientists) Little Havana or something ;)

[Iepilei]

information warfare.

i think, should it come down to it, hackers would be our greatest ally.

[Comrade Daniel]

Why don't we call it Che-lives island?It will eb a holy place for Che-lives member from their we spread our ideas.

BTW we should hack that CIA ''fact book''.

[Kez]

what bullshit
how about we pick up some books, become real marxists, and then spread our ideas?

no-one would go fight for cuba, that is bullshit, what we must do is spread the idea of marxism and to establish a workers democracy wherever we maybe for a true marxist internationale in order to be able to smash capitalism.

Less nostalgia, more realism
WORKERS OF THE WORLD UNITE!

[Comrade Daniel]

Your right, this is partly bullshit. Altough I will protest when there is a war, like I did when America invaded Iraq. No-one is gonna fight for Cuba? I'm not sure I disagree with you.

[Iepilei]

books don't do much when they're getting burned.

[Deniz Gezmis]

Quote: from Iepilei on 5:36 am on April 24, 2003
information warfare.

i think, should it come down to it, hackers would be our greatest ally.


Like during the conflict in Yugoslavia, hackers hacked US government websites to spread the news about the bombing of the chinese embassy and other stuff. Something CNN did not report.

[Sabocat]

Quote: from redstar2000 on 9:43 pm on April 23, 2003
Cuba does not need additional soldiers; in the event of a U.S. invasion, their plan is to arm the entire population and most civilians there have received training in the use of small arms.

What will help Cuba more than anything else are direct attacks on U.S. "interests" in Latin America and Europe...hurt them badly enough and you may make a small but measurable difference in the outcome.

I know that doesn't have the "romantic appeal" of night maneuvers in Oriente Province...but it is simply impractical to send an "international brigade" to Cuba...and would not help all that much even if it could be done.

If the U.S. invades Cuba, what would you do? How would you attack the U.S. where you live? A little advance planning might help.

Just a thought.

:cool:



Ahhh....but what a statement it would make eh? Can you imagine Fox News showing thousands of Americans on boats going to defend Cuba? Can you imagine the psycho right wing press? Can you imagine Ari Fleischer trying to explain that at a press conference. LOL.

[CubanFox]

Murdoch and his group of fascist thugs would just brand everyone who sails from Florida to Cuba unAmerican, and everyone who sails from Australia to Jarvis or Midway or whereverthehell unAustralian. Either that or they'll deny it happening at all. When the extreme right runs out of arguments, it either a) begins to insult the left or just B) all out lie.