So who is dumber? I honestly believe that Henry is, because Val at least knows the lacuna in his knowledge and avoids whenever possible questions that might betray it. When Val dips in unfamiliar waters he is usually the worse for it, as in his recent assertion that Spaniards "forced religion" on his siboney ancestors, which leads naturally to the question (at least in well-ordered minds) of whether religion is a good thing or not. Most historians agree that at least in the colonization of America, it was. In fact, religion curbed and helped eliminate the abuse of the indigenous population by boldly declaring that the natives were human beings no different from the colonists in the dignity of their persons. That was the subject of a papal bull of 1537. The descendents of the English didn't get around to acknowledging that until 1965, when the Civil Rights Bill was signed.
To be fair to Val, I am sure that he had no idea whatever that he was propagating the Black Legend, which claims that Spaniards are more fanatical, intolerant, bloodthirsty and greedy than any other European people. This myth, of course, was invented by the English, whose ideas of racial superiority prevented them from ever mixing with the natives, and, on the rare occasions when they did, led them to disinherit and even enslave their progeny.
Val, however, stumbled on a fact which Henry was quick to discern and exploit — if you resurrect the Black Legend, Spaniards will listen. In his latest post on Babalú, Henry Gómez exploits the Black Myth for all it's worth as no has since 1898.
Henry accuses Spaniards of "plundering the new world of all its gold and silver" (there's as much of that stuff there now as there was then) and being "frozen in a psychological state of colonial masters." Why? Because the Spanish government has asserted a claim to the historical reliques on a sunken Spanish galleon which the descendents of Englishmen (of all people!) want to, shall we say, plunder, as their pirate ancestors did 500 years ago. Are the English, then, still "frozen in a psychological state of colonial pirates?" Is the Jolly Roger still synonymous with the Union Jack?
Of course, Henry is not making "war" on the English. These are the people that nurture his American uber Cuban soul.
And this ignoramus and self-described "American-Cuban" named Henry has the temerity to accuse our friend Charlie Bravo of Killcastro blog, who first brought this story to light, of being some kind of poseur because he calls himself "Charlie" instead of "Carlos?"
OK, Henry, here's another lesson in history for you: there really was a historical figure name "Charlie Bravo." His real name was Colonel Charles (not Carlos) Hernández, but he was known by everybody in his day as "Charlie Bravo." (bravo means brave and daring in Spanish). Who was he? The most successful gunrunner in history. For years he almost singlehandedly kept the Cuban rebels supplied with arms in violation of the so-called U.S. Neutrality Act (which allowed U.S. arms merchants to sell to Spain but not to the rebels). Charlie Bravo was indicted dozens of times for violating the U.S. Neutrality Act but always acquitted because of the legal genius of Horatio Rubens, a young Jewish lawyer chosen by Martí to be the legal counsellor of the Cuban Revolutionary Party, and because the American people then actually sympathized with the Cuban rebels (even though their government didn't) and no jury ever found them guilty.
"Charlie Bravo" is actually a symbol of resistance to both Spanish power in Cuba and the U.S. government's attempts to thwart Cuban independence as it waited for the "ripe apple" to fall into its lap.
Of course, Henry would have wanted Charles Hernández (aka Charlie Bravo) to be put in jail because he flaunted U.S. laws, and if Henry had been on one of those juries he surely would have voted to convict him. Such a good American, Henry is.
http://www.babalublog.com/archives/005290.html
UPDATE:
In the "Comments Section," Henry's support for burning the Cuban flag.
To be fair to Val, I am sure that he had no idea whatever that he was propagating the Black Legend, which claims that Spaniards are more fanatical, intolerant, bloodthirsty and greedy than any other European people. This myth, of course, was invented by the English, whose ideas of racial superiority prevented them from ever mixing with the natives, and, on the rare occasions when they did, led them to disinherit and even enslave their progeny.
Val, however, stumbled on a fact which Henry was quick to discern and exploit — if you resurrect the Black Legend, Spaniards will listen. In his latest post on Babalú, Henry Gómez exploits the Black Myth for all it's worth as no has since 1898.
Henry accuses Spaniards of "plundering the new world of all its gold and silver" (there's as much of that stuff there now as there was then) and being "frozen in a psychological state of colonial masters." Why? Because the Spanish government has asserted a claim to the historical reliques on a sunken Spanish galleon which the descendents of Englishmen (of all people!) want to, shall we say, plunder, as their pirate ancestors did 500 years ago. Are the English, then, still "frozen in a psychological state of colonial pirates?" Is the Jolly Roger still synonymous with the Union Jack?
Of course, Henry is not making "war" on the English. These are the people that nurture his American uber Cuban soul.
And this ignoramus and self-described "American-Cuban" named Henry has the temerity to accuse our friend Charlie Bravo of Killcastro blog, who first brought this story to light, of being some kind of poseur because he calls himself "Charlie" instead of "Carlos?"
OK, Henry, here's another lesson in history for you: there really was a historical figure name "Charlie Bravo." His real name was Colonel Charles (not Carlos) Hernández, but he was known by everybody in his day as "Charlie Bravo." (bravo means brave and daring in Spanish). Who was he? The most successful gunrunner in history. For years he almost singlehandedly kept the Cuban rebels supplied with arms in violation of the so-called U.S. Neutrality Act (which allowed U.S. arms merchants to sell to Spain but not to the rebels). Charlie Bravo was indicted dozens of times for violating the U.S. Neutrality Act but always acquitted because of the legal genius of Horatio Rubens, a young Jewish lawyer chosen by Martí to be the legal counsellor of the Cuban Revolutionary Party, and because the American people then actually sympathized with the Cuban rebels (even though their government didn't) and no jury ever found them guilty.
"Charlie Bravo" is actually a symbol of resistance to both Spanish power in Cuba and the U.S. government's attempts to thwart Cuban independence as it waited for the "ripe apple" to fall into its lap.
Of course, Henry would have wanted Charles Hernández (aka Charlie Bravo) to be put in jail because he flaunted U.S. laws, and if Henry had been on one of those juries he surely would have voted to convict him. Such a good American, Henry is.
http://www.babalublog.com/archives/005290.html
UPDATE:
In the "Comments Section," Henry's support for burning the Cuban flag.
28 comments:
Oh well, Manuel, what can I tell you, this will force me to reveal how did I get my knickname, Charlie Bravo back in 1977. I was eighteen, a college student facing my first class of military preparation and combat readiness. I had to select an American sounding radio moniker, and I was supposed to have it selected by the following day. I did. I selected Charlie Bravo to honor the gunrunner who was an important soldier for the independence of Cuba, much to the content of my history versed grandfather.
(Mind you, today many would have considered Charlie Bravo a terrorist, instead of a freedom fighter!)
I had to ad a third letter to it, so I added the letter X for the Christian Cross. It was Xray Charlie Bravo.
I decided to honor Charles Hernandez because we needed men of his caliber, since I saw, and I still see, Kasstro as the worst Captain General of the History of the Always Faithful Island of Cuba. Yes, he's another Captain General, even more bloodthirsty and ruthless than the worst possible captain general of the Crown of Spain in Cuba. At least, those fought Cubans on the battle field, and constructed a country that Kasstro destroyed so badly that an English preservationist told me once that Havana looked worse than London under the Nazi V2s.
I used that nickname XRay Charlie Bravo in the Cuban American Pundits, of which I was a founding member with KillCastro, Henry, Songuacassal and another gentleman whose name escapes me now.
I left because of an argument with Henry who advocates for the freedom of burning the flag as a mean of protest. Both KillCastro and myself left, knowing that somebody who doesn't oppose the burning of the American flag -by virtue of consistency- would not mind the burning of the Cuban flag.
Now, I can't help but to remember that the communist lieutenant who was my military instructor didn't notice the presence of the Cross in my nickname and much less the presence of a real patriot in it.
Oh, by the way, Cuba was referred as the Semper Fidelis in the Latin language documents of the Catholic Church and the Spanish Crown. It predates the motto of the US Marines for a good 200 years. Sometimes one needs to mention history between cups of coffee.....
Note: I had to use the American Military Phonetic Alphabet to make up my radio knickname. Funny enough for the commies, isn't it?
That's where the happy coincidence came, since the Phonetic Alphabet has both Charlie and Bravo.
Which is interesting.... I think is just a coincidence, because they would have never use the name of such rebel in it!
WOW...I had to go to work yeaterday, and was unable to check out Babalu, I was anaware they had attacked Charlie, that is why he's trying to aplogize to him today, how dare him! the American-Cuban, he is so stupid, Val would do himself a real favor by kicking him out, instead he chose to do it to a grat man like Manuel, wonders never cease.
And thanks guys on the history lesson about the first Charlie Bravo I have lived my life totally unaware of it, and thank you Charlie for kicking it to the commies, by selecting that moniker.
Charlie:
I would not have taken Henry for a flag-burner, but by now I should really expect anything from Val & Henry (separately or together).
I frankly cannot think of a single instance in Cuban history when a Cuban burned the Cuban flag. Really, such a thing is inconceivable even in our enemies (who are capable of every other desecration of our country).
To think that Henry would actually defend something that is even beneath our enemies really does leave me speechless and that has never happened to me before.
vana:
I think that Henry pretty such controls everything at Babalú now. Val prefers being second banana with first banana perquisites.
Val has tapped the shallow wells of his inspiration to the lees. There really isn't much for him to say anymore. Someone like Henry must be a godsend to him, and he is even trying to cultivate other Henrys, who say what one may about them, are still the mules of blogging.
Manuel
The first blog I ever read was Babalu, from checking the links I found Killcastro, and there I stayed, one day I noticed Killcastro didn't link to Babalu anymore, I with my Scorpio intuition realized something was a miss, What? I never found out, so I decided to give my loyalty to Killcastro, and only seldom go to Babalu, I go now to read the amount of crap at Babalu so I can have a good laugh, they have really strayed far from their beggining
Manuel, to be honest, I don't think Henry defended burning the Cuban flag, I think that he was actually making an abstraction of what in this country is perceived as "freedom of expression" which is not always well directed or well thought of.
In Cuba, there are dissidents who don't think that the patriotic symbols has to be so revered. I for one was very surprised when Biscet hanged the Cuban flag upside down. To be fair with Henry, he defended the right of people to free speech including flag burning, which horrified me, but that's what happens when abstract thought is taught widely instead of logics and civic.
It's not Henry's fault, as I wrote to him privately in that occasion, it's the damn lack of opportunity that kids have to learn about civics and logic in this country, and that's not their fault. I think that Henry is a much better man than that, he is not a flag burner, I would not say that, he believes that people have the right to express themselves in protest in whatever way they want, to which I don't agree. You are correct in your assertion, he's no flag burner or advocates for flag burning, he believes that it's just part of freedom of expression. I can't believe the same, though. In Cuba, for example, many people don't want to have anything to do with the flag because it has been stolen by kasstro. Horrible, but true.
Charlie:
It's actually much worse than that. Many people in Cuba have been brainwashed into believing that Martí is really the "Architect of [Castro's] Revolution" and hate him accordingly. It will be necessary when Cuba is free to disabuse them of that belief, for rather than the "architect" Martí is the antithesis of the Cuban Revolution.
Yes, Manuel, it's very sad.
People have been brainwashed into notions which are disturbingly close to the veneration of mythological symbols, and rejection of history as much as it was in Nazi Germany or in Soviet Russia.
Kasstro invented a flag, the 26 de Julio rag, but it never took on. So he had to cling to the Cuban flag, until last year when the cross between the North Vietnamese flag and the Jolly Roger was born to the surprise of the youngster in flag duty across the street from the American interest Section where they found themselves rising a black flag with a white star in the center. That flag, I heard, has been informally used by the Praetorian Guard of both kasstros.
We posted about that extensively at KillCastro, when they erected the thicket of masts in front of the USIS.
Vana, again, Henry didn't say that the Cuban flag should be burned or condoned that.... I am an unlikely defender of anyone, but I have to honor the truth.
As I told Manuel, he's much better than that, he's a better man like that, he is no flag burner. I can have a ton of disagreements with the guy, but the truth's to be honored.
Charlie:
Much better than a flag burner. That is certainly one hell of a recommendation.
A flag burner would be the lowest of the low.
That he is not.
By the way, one can't comment from a handheld device on this blog. Which is bad because I am always on the move, and which is good, because spelling can be corrected and it's easier to type on a bigger keyboard!
Charlie:
Actually, a flag burner would not be the lowest of the low. That would be a graverobber and I've never heard Henry's name associated with that activity. In fact, I will go on a limb (excuse the pun) and assert forthrightly that whatever Henry is, he is no graverobber.
These are some testimonials!
no, he is not.
The category of graverobbers is reserved for kasstro and his brother, who literally have robbed all Cubans, dead and alive.
They have a particular circle in hell.
What testimonials?
Charlie:
Well, as character references go these might be the core testimonials, still, you attest that he is not a flag burner and I attest he is not a graverobber. What he in fact is let those who know him better say. For my part, I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt about most things.
There is much on this thread to interest our readers (especially those from BUCL, who generally pass like the Arabs in the night and silently steal away), but I feel that for the benefit of the others I should provide some background information that will help them better to understand the proceedings here.
Henry Gómez has apologized to Charlie Bravo in an e-mail for past wrongs to him and forwarded that apology to Killcastro (whom he has also wronged) with the injunction to both that his apology should not be released to the public, which we shall also honor though not bound to (Henry, whether by happenstance or calculation — but certainly luckily for him — only wrongs men of honor who play by rules which he himself either does not understand or personally ignores).
We are free to say, since it has already been commented here, that Henry had capped his feud with Charlie and Killcastro by calling them "douchebags" on their blog.
Neither Charlie nor Killcastro accepted Henry's smarmy apology, and when they declined to resume their former acquaintance, what did this fine gentleman from BUCL do? He called them "douchebags" again, which itself calls into question the sincerity of Henry's initial apology but is entirely in keeping with the other adornments of his character.
It is Killcastro's belief, which I share, that this unexpected apology was meant to drive a wedge between myself and Charlie and Killcastro, something which Henry actually believe was possible, judging all men by his duplicitous self.
Of course, Killcastro blog and RCAB will continue to expose at every turn the real agenda of Val and Henry's sundry publicity campaigns, whose other purpose, if unintentional, is to subject all Cuban exiles to the ridicule and obliquity which their own pronouncements and actions merit.
Now, go back and read all of the preceeding, and every piece will fall into place.
Manuel, all, I accepted his apology.
I though honored his request of not making it public.
It doesn't mean that I would support his positions or lend a hand to his stances, but the man I have forgiven, in what regards to the offense inflicted on me.
Charlie:
The more I learn about you, Charlie, the surer I become that you are one of those genuinely good souls on this earth, and I hope, for your sake, that no one takes advantage of your innate goodness, though, of course, that is pretty much the purpose that good souls serve on earth. Martí, himself a good soul, put it best for all good souls when he said that he was a carpet for his people to walk on. I intend to write some day — perhaps this week-end — the story of "Martí, the Good Forgiver." The article could just as well be titled: "Martí, the World's Most Betrayed Man (Save Jesus)."
I hope you will be a good influence on Henry again. Henry needs good influences.
Vana send me your email to info@killcastro.com...
Charlie
You truly are a good guy, to forgive privately something he did for all to see, youre a better man than me Charlie, I can forgive, but as I said I gotta love you,
You have humbled me by you actions, and if I got it all wrong I'm truly sorry.
Oh Manuel
Please forgive me for using such foul language in your blog, I was quite upset yesterday, sorry Manuel
Tocororo_frikke:
Thanks. Actually the siboneys were a passive people who lived in man camps, threw stones at their enemies (though there were no glass houses then) and were the cultural dunces of the Indian world (no pyramids for them and barely any stone tools). So, yes, Val could be a descendent of siboneys.
I promise that now you will never again hear Val's name without humming to yourself Lecuona's Siboney as I am doing right now:
Siboney
Siboney yo te quiero yo me muero por tu amor
Siboney al arrullo de la palma pienso en ti
Ven a mi que te quiero y de todo tesoro eres tu para mi
Siboney al arrullo de la palma pienso en ti
Siboney de mi sueño si no oyes la queja de mi voz
Siboney si no vienes me moriré de amor
Siboney de mis sueños te espero con ansias en mi caney
Siboney si no vienes me moriré de amor
Oye el eco de mi canto de cristal
Siboney de mis sueños te espero con ansias en mi caney
Siboney si no vienes me moriré de amor
Oye el eco de mi canto de cristal
No te pierdas por entre el rudo Manigual
I could make you suffer through versions by Connie Francis or Chet Atkins. Instead, here it is courtesy of our enemies in Cuba who had to pay "los derechos de autor correspondientes en la Agencia Cubana de Derecho de Autor Musical según licencia número 246/97." Oh, yeah.
http://www.cubanacan.cu/ESPANOL/MUSICA/musica.asp?idmus=siboney.mid&nrand=5272.796
CORRECTION:
The Siboneys' diet consisted mainly of ants.
There is no way that Val Prieto could be a descendent of the Siboneys except by adoption and there are no Siboneys left around to adopt him.
Vana:
It's OK. Whenever the spirit moves you, let it all out. It won't offend me and might even awaken our adversaries from their perennial stupor.
Thank you Manuel
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