A few messages about the prominent display of the Cuban flag at the Durham Miners' Gala, and about the Cuban and Venezuelan platform speakers. Well, I am as critical as anyone of the regime in Cuba. But the Americans have blinked first, so the Cubans have effectively won.
Cuba is rather like the Big Meeting itself, or that event's partner newspaper, the Morning Star, both of which were realistically expected to disappear a generation ago, yet each of which instead sails on in ruder health than ever.
Cuba is rather like the Big Meeting itself, or that event's partner newspaper, the Morning Star, both of which were realistically expected to disappear a generation ago, yet each of which instead sails on in ruder health than ever.
Yes, there is abortion on demand in Cuba. There is also abortion on demand in the United States. There is no such thing in Venezuela, where, at the insistence of the late President Hugo Chávez, abortion is illegal in all circumstances except to save the life of the mother.
Chávez also wrote a specific definition of marriage as only ever the union of one man and one woman into the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic, and there is no recognition of any kind of same-sex union in Cuba.
But in the United States, the only body competent to recognise anything as a constitutional right so recognises the right to same-sex marriage, as well as the right to an abortion without restriction at any stage in pregnancy.
Whereas any state support for Catholic schools would be as unconstitutional in the United States as it is in Cuba, in Venezuela such subsidies are paid to the Church's universities, colleges, and over 700 schools. A good many years ago now, there was some fuss over a suggestion that Religious Education be removed from normal school hours. But that never came to anything, and no such removal has occurred.
As to the Cuban flag itself, it is notable that that has never been changed. Its resemblance to the flag of the United States is no more a coincidence than are the similarities among the flags of several Slavic countries, or than are the similarities among the flags of several Arab countries, or than is the Union Flag in the corners of the flags of Australia and New Zealand.
But there has never been the slightest alteration, not even an East German or Romanian-style imposition of a Communist symbol in the middle. That star could easily and obviously have been turned red. But it never has been. Think on.
Chávez also wrote a specific definition of marriage as only ever the union of one man and one woman into the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic, and there is no recognition of any kind of same-sex union in Cuba.
But in the United States, the only body competent to recognise anything as a constitutional right so recognises the right to same-sex marriage, as well as the right to an abortion without restriction at any stage in pregnancy.
Whereas any state support for Catholic schools would be as unconstitutional in the United States as it is in Cuba, in Venezuela such subsidies are paid to the Church's universities, colleges, and over 700 schools. A good many years ago now, there was some fuss over a suggestion that Religious Education be removed from normal school hours. But that never came to anything, and no such removal has occurred.
As to the Cuban flag itself, it is notable that that has never been changed. Its resemblance to the flag of the United States is no more a coincidence than are the similarities among the flags of several Slavic countries, or than are the similarities among the flags of several Arab countries, or than is the Union Flag in the corners of the flags of Australia and New Zealand.
But there has never been the slightest alteration, not even an East German or Romanian-style imposition of a Communist symbol in the middle. That star could easily and obviously have been turned red. But it never has been. Think on.
Amnesty International notes nothing has changed in Cuba, the place George Galloway (to his enormous discredit) has repeatedly praised as a socialist paradise.
ReplyDelete""Government critics continue to be imprisoned; many are beaten and tortured. Restrictions on freedom of expression is widespread. The government curtails freedom of association and assembly.
Cuba's human rights record was assessed under the UN Universal Periodic Review. Cuba adopted some broad undertakings but rejected most of the recommendations relating to the protection and promotion of civil and political rights""
That is the regime that the Left loves.
Think on that.
It wouldn't take long on here to find how critical I am of the regime in Cuba.
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