Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Potts and Kettles Are Both Prieto

I have a new appreciation for Reinier "Gusano" Potts. Character assassination, like murder, is one of the fine arts. So DeQuincey thought and so "Gusano" proves (the Babalunian who reads the NYRB will appreciate that). I have never to my recollection, however, singled him out before for praise or censure. Now I shall do both.

When Val outed Killcastro on Killcastro's own blog, he literally called out his name. Gusano does not. He neither uses Killcastro's moniker or his real name, or his baby or his nickname. He doesn't mention him at all. Yet, in all respects, his attack is as savage and calculated; and, of course, as craven as Val's Prieto's. With one difference: it flies over a lot of people's heads because it does not have the clarity of a stabbing at midday which Val's effort does. Still it's muted but telling references are there for anyone who cares to think.

"Gusano," ostensibly, praises Yoani Sánchez's courage for blogging under her own name in Cuba and excoriates himself as a coward for blogging anonymously for many years from the safety of the U.S. Frankly, I was surprised. Not at the fact that he once belonged to the Tribe of the Anonymi but because I thought that no real person could be named "Reinier Potts." That had to be his pseudonym. But since he attests that "Reinier Pott" is his real name I have to take him at his word.

Because Reinier Potts now chooses to blog under his own name does not mean that bloggers who don't are cowards. Can't he understand that there are perfectly legitimate reasons for blogging anonymously which have nothing to do with whether someone is a coward or not? In fact, I should think that it would take a great deal of humility, not cowardice, to blog anonymously and forgo the tribute of one's own words. I know that I would not be able to send my words into the world as orphans and I can only imagine that one who does must do so under a very great compunction which overrides even self-love or pride. Only the love of others could compel such a renunciation.

Every man has the right to expose his own life as he sees fit. No man has the right to expose the life of another. Killcastro blogged under a pseudonym to protect his family in Cuba. It is his right and his duty so to do. And, ultimately, it is his choice. No one has the right to second guess him or to overrule his decision. Since he bears the responsibility he should also set the boundaries. It is not Val Prieto's right or anybody's right to supercede Killcastro's judgment, much less to threaten his life or his family's by making a disclosure which it is not theirs to make.

Whether Reinier Potts has contempt for Anonymous bloggers is immaterial. What matters is whether he would do what Val did. That question, of course, he evades as Val did his responsibility. An attack on "anonymous bloggers" (with one specifically in mind), accomplished from behind Yoani's skirts, is so much easier. This is exactly what Val himself did when he hid behind Ziva's to justify his terrorist attack on Killcastro. Both are alike despicable for it.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Val=chivato

Anonymous said...

OMG, this guy keeps going on and on and on with this garbage.
Doesn't he know that no one, except his 3 regulars here, really cares about his love affair gone sour with Val Prieto and Babalu?
While young Cubans are risking jail appearing live on Oscar Haza's program two days in a row, this guy continues his whining and crying about his three obsessions in life: Val, Henry and Babalu.
No wonder this place is as quiet as a cemetery.
Manuel, the best way to kill Babalu is for you to ask Val for permission to become a host writer there. LOL

Fantomas said...

agree with anonimo de 10.43 pm

Esto parece un cementerio

Manuel A.Tellechea said...

anonymous:

A day before he booted me, Val asked me to write a guest post about Elenita. Of course, I declined since it was never my desire to become one of their merry band of mancampers (or whatever they call themselves). Val's invitations are rarely refused and no doubt my refusal contributed to his sudden (and otherwise unexplicable) ire against me.

But that is ancient history, and I, at least, have moved on even if you, obviously, can't.

In case you haven't noticed the threads at RCAB are long and copious. Babalu's have very few comments hitched to their posts. That's because they have succeeded in alienating most of their commenters, not counting those they ousted because of their political beliefs.

It is Babalú that is sinking every day, and not just to lower depths of immorality but structurally and institutionally.

Envy is also undoubtedly a problem, but it doesn't flow from me but towards me.

Fantomas said...

In case you haven't noticed the threads at RCAB are long and copious

mat tu estas obsecionado con los comments. Que carajos son los comments, 2 o3 people wrtting stupid things every single day, a buch of anonimos que son la misma persona con diferentes nicknames.

A quien le importa eso, LOS BLOGS NO SE MIDEN POR LA CANTIDAD DE COMENTARIOS QUE TENGAN..ESO JAMAS

MIRA A JOANI TIENE COMO 800 COMENTARIOS por post , y eso no lo hace un great blog ni nada por el estilo

Manuel A.Tellechea said...

fantomas:

The green monster has reared its head from inside you. Swat the infamous thing!

Comments don't matter?

I should hardly expect you to think they do. Still, it is curious that you declare a national holiday at your blog whenever anybody leaves a comment there. At your blog that's considered a UFO."

Fantomas said...

oye engañastes a todo tu publico dijistes que en tu aniversario sacarias tu stats del site meter, tal parece que los stats son tan bajos que te da pena publicarlos

te endendemos mat , ahora si lo entendemos

gracias anyway

John said...

I wonder what he thinks of Ziva -- you know that's not her real name either! Is she a coward then? No! She has legitimate reasons to hide her name, just as Killcastro does, as does any one else who has something precious to lose by publically speaking out against castro's Cuba. I want to say that it is a tacit slap at KC.

And on the topic of handles, I once again changed my handle. It is no longer "mi tres cubano." I never liked how it rang, and after a confusion at KC's blog, I decided to change it.

Paz

Manuel A.Tellechea said...

Fantomas:

Did you miss it, fantomas?

On March 29, the 1st anniversary of RCAB, I opened the Sitemeter for one day and one day only. Did you neglect to look? Perhaps, since I did not so much as mention the anniversary because I was to busy upholding Killcastro's right not to be outed while you insisted that Val did nothing wrong.

I sincerely regret that you will have to wait till next year to see my stats.

You know what, fantomas, I am going to give you another chance. God knows you don't deserve it given your recent conduct, but I will be magnanimous to you out of that great pity I have always felt for you and all who are mentally-challenged.

My original promise to you was made upon your good behavior. Of course, you did not fulfill your side of the bargain; you never do. This time, however, you must if you wish to obtain what you desire.

Let me see the "new and improved fantomas" for three consecutive days and on Sunday you you shall have your heart's desire.

I should especially like to see you be nice to Longfellow.

Humility alone can obtain what you desire. Proceed accordingly.

Anonymous said...

Ah, i just woke, and guess what? Yes, VAL is still a Chivato!!!

Anonymous said...

It is interesting to note that neither Val, nor Henry have bothered to comment about this topic on their own blog.

As a side note, i am sure if Val or Henry has an opportunity they will surely provide the Cuban government with the names and addresses of her, and her family.

Manuel A.Tellechea said...

John:

He will be a chivato for the rest of his life. Once that stench sticks to you it doesn't go away.

Anonymous said...

From Manolo Coy'nPaste: But that is ancient history, and I, at least, have moved on even if you, obviously, can't.

How can you say that it is ancient history and that you have moved on WHEN ALL YOU DO IS TALK ABOUT VAL PRIETO AND BABALU!
Man, you are on denial. Your obsession with another blog that booted you out has killed your own blog.
I sincerely tried to help you out, but honestly, you need professional help. I have to think that there is more to the story of you and Babalu.
I cannot believe that one person would become so obsessed just because he was kicked from an Internet blog. Or maybe your ego is even bigger than we thought.
Get a life dude!

nonee moose said...

Is this the same Gusano you speak of, MAT?

http://lacontrarevolucion.blogspot.com/

Hmm.

Manuel A.Tellechea said...

anonymous:

It appears that you have an obsession with me. One which, incidentally, is not productive of anything.

Exposing Babalú is a small part of RCAB but a big part of the interest it has generated. I have no problem with that.

Manuel A.Tellechea said...

noone:

You have tried nobly but failed to create an active link in the Comments Section.

Manuel A.Tellechea said...

P.S.: Yes. There can be only one "Reinier Potts." Although, come to think of it, there might be a "Senior" and a "III," too.

nonee moose said...

The link was not the important thing, MAT. I am technologically challenged, and it is time I own up to it and accept it as part of my healing process.

Still, I have read some of Potts' commentary on his blog and he didn't strike me as "the type". What do I know?

So, does hypocrisy need intent to have weight? Or is it a venial sin, needing only acknowledgement of the error and an effort to avoid such in the future? My sense is there are two types of it as well. That which is practiced maliciously for gain, and that which results from ignorance or laziness.

Sandra said...

Fantomas,

I can't believe I'm actually addressing you, but I'd have to say that maybe you should improve your own blog. The writing sucks ass. Your lack of command of both English and Spanish make you incomprehensible. Out of curiosity sometimes I visit your blog for all of 20 seconds--that's all I can take.
If el asno chivato can post about his ugly kitchen, the MAT can criticize/obsess all he wants because he also writes excellent blogs about Cuba.
El asno-chivato "appears" to write about Cuba, but upon further analysis he really is only writing about himself.

Vana said...

So Gusano hides behind the skirts of a woman to critizise KC and CB, in effect he's as vile as Val, to make chivato feel good he's taken his side, I don't care under what name anyone blogs, as long as they give me quality news, KC and CB do just that! when I go there I learn something of what is happening in Cuba, not how they remodled their kitchen or any such nonsense.

Manuel A.Tellechea said...

noone:

I had high hopes for the new crop of babalunians and believed that they might be able to elevate the tone and content of Val's blog; but all of them are unconditional to him and are now even beginning to imitate him. This in order to have an audience of 2000-3000 daily readers.

Manuel A.Tellechea said...

Ana:

If fantomas devoted only one tenth of the time to his blog that he does to mine, abajofidel wouldn't be a better blog but at least it would not be an abandoned one.

Fantomas said...

Ana

I can't believe I'm actually addressing you, but I'd have to say that maybe you should improve your own blog. The writing sucks ass. Your lack of command of both English and Spanish make you incomprehensible.

English is my second language it will always be. Ahora tu decirme que escribo mal en español eso no te lo puedeo creer ni te lo puedo permitir. Eso es una gran falacia

Mat dijo
If fantomas devoted only one tenth of the time to his blog that he does to mine, abajofidel wouldn't be a better blog but at least it would not be an abandoned one.

Mat yo no estoy compitiendo para ganar ningun premio to be a better blog or a worse blog
Lo mio es denunciar salga como salga , raw , crudo, directo, sin pelos en la lengua. Y dejame decirte que so far it has been a Super Success story . Site meter does not lie. Sorry

Go ahead make your numbers visible under the sitemeter logo like most blogs have it. Cual es tu miedo a enseñarlo? Por ahi hay gente que casi llegan a los 3 millones..

lol

iam not interested in seeing your stats anymore, thanks but no thanks

lol