"It is no more disheartening than to see the world of blogs devoted to Cuba where there is often too little exchange of ideas and too much clash of personalities, where one-upmanship often takes the place of enlightenment, where some prefer to assert their own superiority rather than instruct their more information challenged confreres. It is a world rife with mine fields, where the most innocent of comments or even lack of commentary can start a verbal conflagration. Who needs it?" — RSNLK, "The Anguish of a Cuban-American Blogger," Ninety Miles Away... In Another Country, April 5, 2008 [reprinted in Babalú, April 7].
Who needs it?
We all do, especially Cubans on the island. It's called democracy. A messy piece of work, but indispensable for the growth of man and survival of civilization. An echo chamber is not democracy. A Greek chorus is not democracy. The synchronized march of cadres is not democracy. Open discussion and dissent, the unhampered clash of opinions and personalities, the right of you to be you and of me to be me, that is democracy.
And democracy is what can save us, not conformity.
POSTSCRIPT:
This has been long in coming and is a most welcome development at Babalú: a call for renewed conformity brings instead a plea for diversity from Marc R. Másferrer, which all contributors to Babalú would be wise to heed if they wish not to be mistaken for the very thing they decry. Unity is a cohesion of wills, not a melding of minds. When debate threatens unity then unity never really existed. In fact, without debate, real unity is impossible:
Well said, I guess, but I'm not sure anyone cares with the "anguish" we CA bloggers might or might not feel as we do our thing. If it's so hard, just do something else. To whine in public like this is just a wasteful self-indulgence and does nothing to serve our cause.
I don't begrudge your sentiment, but don't lose perspective. Whatever anguish or discomfort or frustration you are feeling is nothing — absolutely nothing — like that felt by people, i.e. Cubans on the island, suffering each day because of the dictatorship. Making the story about us, the bloggers, does nothing to help them, the Cuban people.
We really have no right to complain.
Posted by: Marc R. Masferrer at April 7, 2008 02:29 PM
I disagree, Marc. While you are correct in stating that our lives as compared to those Cubans on the island are vastly different and much, much easier, the frustrations we feel are just as real. the pain we feel is just as real. And, I can tell you from my own personal experience that when one of your own - a fellow Cuban exile - states in no uncertain terms that he or she wishes you to be dead, the pain is twofold.
So youll forgive that, in a blog with 7704 posts primarily highlighting the injustcies that Cubans in Cuba live with on a daily basis, that one post is written to express how we on the fortunate side of the Gulfstream sometimes feel.
Posted by: Val Prieto at April 7, 2008 03:15 PM
Val — I am not denying the pain and frustration are not as real. I have felt plenty of it. But so what? I deal with it and get back to what's really important.
I don't think that's why readers come here or any other Cuban blog. Our "anguish" may help inspire our work, I just don't think people don't want to read about how or why we are torn up personally. I just think it is distracting and as I said above, a bit self-indulgent.
Posted by: Marc R. Masferrer at April 7, 2008 04:15 PM
Val - As for the threats that were made against you, I don't think people come here to read about that either. That's even more reason to not engage with folks who would do something so vile.
Posted by: Marc R. Masferrer at April 7, 2008 04:17 PM
The very last thing I intended was to create diviseness here, nor did I intend it as bellyaching. If that is the way it comes across, I failed in my original intent which was in a roundabout way to plead for more civility among ourselves and a reminder to keep our eyes on the prize.
Posted by: rsnlk at April 7, 2008 04:40 PM
Civility is fine and in fact, preferred, as long as it is not confused with unquestioned conformity. These are difficult issues we deal with, and there is not always unanimity, nor should there be. Revel in the back and forth, for in the end it makes the debate and its conclusions, stronger.
Posted by: Marc R. Masferrer at April 7, 2008 04:52 PM
"the frustrations we feel are just as real. the pain we feel is just as real. And, I can tell you from my own personal experience that when one of your own - a fellow Cuban exile - states in no uncertain terms that he or she wishes you to be dead, the pain is twofold.
ReplyDeleteSo youll forgive that, in a blog with 7704 posts primarily highlighting the injustcies that Cubans in Cuba live with on a daily basis, that one post is written to express how we on the fortunate side of the Gulfstream sometimes feel."
Val weighs in on blogging and as usual is in anguish. Take out the violins.
Do the violinists know, "Cry Me A River?"
ReplyDeleteThe pathos is nauseating
Pobrecito Val, he's so misunderstood.
ReplyDeleteVal is hurt because he was
ReplyDelete"threatened". What about that young kid in Cuba who got is skull bashed in? YOu idiot, val.
Anonymous:
ReplyDeleteVal is hurt also because his "enemies" leave coconuts and dead chickens on his lawn.
Wow Mark told it to the Babalunians, why must Val air his frustations in his blog, or his remodeling jobs, is not about that, is supposed to be about them over there, the ones in the Island Prison who don't have a voice, or so that's how Babalunia began, since then it has taken a turn for the worse.
ReplyDeleteVal's showing off his kitchen reminds me of the Cuban-americans who visited Cuba and took pictures of their fancy cars and big houses to show off to the poor souls who were hungry in the island. Braggarts.
ReplyDeleteVal said: the frustrations we feel are just as real. the pain we feel is just as real.
ReplyDeleteAnd this from the Cuban exile who just finished spending thousands beautifying his kitchen in Kendell.
"threatened" The epitomy of hypocrecy, ladies and gents.
ReplyDeleteWhat possible insults could drive this man to do what he did on my own blog? Before with utter malice and forethought outs me putting my family (and myself) in jeopardy"?
Does he feel threaten NOW? Well CHIVATO pay back is a bitch. But I swore there would be no retaliations. Can not say anything about the 21 year old kid whose head you helped to split open, because he IS coming to the USA. Actually to Miami!
He still doesn’t know that not only you caused him physical harm , but used him as an ongoing joke within your circles.
I can just imagine how many threats you get. And you know why Val ? Because people REAL CUBAN/Americans hate your very soul. Because you are a poser and your agenda is as clear as day. And that is why you constantly moan about your "struggle" about maintaining your blog ( and very cleverly drops the number of posts , just so people DO know HE works) How terribly pathetic. I guess that enough people are tired of your chest pounding and your "Oh god this is so draining, I do not know if continue" ENOUGH man, learn from the really brave , those you tend to call G2 agents, the bloggers in Cuba . Just in passing, comparing any troubles you may have to those in Cuba, puts you in a selfish category heretofore unkown. The "Nemesis of Castro in the Internet" knows NOTHING about Cuba or Cubans. How pathetic, how low can you get Mr. Prieto?
Now READ again your poisoned post on MY blog. See how many threats you dispense. Threats that by the way you do not have the balls to carry through because you have NO BALLS!
So to refresh your memory...This is what the "frustrated one" saw fit to post on a testosterone moment. Clearly now the estrogen has taken over.
This is the post as originally written only my real name was removed
March 26, 2008
I hadn’t come here in months until today and I see that nothing has changed. (KillCastro) the pathetic little whiny bitch shitting on his own and libeling me, ad nauseum, ad infinitum.Let me tell you something (KillCastro), one of these days, youre gonna have to own up to all those disparaging remarks youve made about me in person. On that day you wont have anonymity nor the use of the CAPS key. And on that day we'll see how well you carry those two little raisins you call balls. Up the prozac, man. If youre out, call tellechea, or vana, or whatever sock puppet he's using that day, Im sure he's got plenty.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008 12:20:00 PM
Thank YOU Marc for pointing out what is IMPORTANT, what has always been IMPORTANT, and if this triviality we call Blogging has Mr. Prieto at the end of his rope; just imagine him at a KaSStro concentration camp, cutting Sugar cane while planes fly over dropping lye dust which, when touching wet sweaty skin has a tendency to OPEN FUCKING HOLES ON YOUR BACK!
Oh GOD what a pathetic, self indulgent and insignificant man.
Killcastro:
ReplyDeleteThere is no quality as unattractive as self-pity. Those who have suffered the greatest wrongs, endured the most painful tortures or the loss of those dearest to them, never indulge in self-pity which only weakens us. Their hearts and minds are concentrated on one thing only: obtaining justice. They disregard their own real wounds because tending them only distracts them from the work at hand.
This makes the whining and wailing of a Val Prieto particularly obnoxious and offensive. What does he know about suffering? Clearly, he knows how to inflict it, as he did to you and your family; but he knows nothing about enduring it.
Nor can someone so obsessed with his own trivial pain ever feel an ounce of sympathy for those who have endured and are enduring the most terrible fate that could ever befall a man, which Val was fortunately spared -- the loss of freedom and the degradation of the human condition.
Val reminds me of the self-pitying man that Maceo's mother once upbraided: "If you are going to wail like a woman, give me your pants and you can have my skirt!"
I remember when Val once threatened me. He once sent me with a wordless email, but attached was a large photo, with the Miami Mafia t-shirt.
ReplyDeleteOf course the implied message was that he was a member of the vaunted Miami Mafia, and i should forever shut up about him.
That was several years ago. And as you can see, Val's email forever silenced me!!
:)
The threat Val is citing, was no doubt from Henry after a lover's spat.
ReplyDelete