Breaking News Protests across Cuba against the Cuban Regime

[Gravlen]

A survey of US economists in 2012 went even further, saying that Cuba's economic policies are more to blame for its woes than the embargo, with a supermajority of economists strongly agree or agree, only a small part had no opinion and none disagreed.

I just have to point out that one of the economists who agreed had this to say:

Seems likely, but I know nothing concrete about the Cuban economy. - Angus Deaton, "Agree"

I am amused, if not persuaded

[Asherahan]

The truth has been spoken. All hail the facts!

All Hail the Facts as you say, they should all Hail these other Facts:

The Cuban People in Cuba are unarmed by the eternal Revolution: Listen to the Cuban Americans in good English on the Videos:

The eternal, oppressive, Cuban regime of Cuba, of over 61 Years and counting, has committed violence against it's own Cuban People. All Hail the Facts. No more excuses, denials and support by any world leaders of nations and persons of the world, for the Cuban regime of Cuba. All Hail the Facts:

Depending on how you translate the words - La orden de Combate has been given:

President of Cuba - Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez: The order of Combat has been given, the order of War has been given. The streets belong to the Revolutionaries. We are the Continuity of the Eternal Revolution. How many times do they have to say it to the leaders of the Nations and Persons of the world, in their Faces. We are the Continuity of the Eternal Revolution?

Cuban anti Cuban Regime Protests; Libertad Libertad Libertad - Patria Y Vida - Freedom Homeland and Life:
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=cu ... ORM%3DVDRE

ttps://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=cub ... ORM%3DVDRE

The rulling elite keeping the masses in check through violence? Where have I seen this before.... (Literally every nation irrelevantly of ideology or economics)

[Fahran]

its simply a good friend for our business, who can get cheap labor, since the American people will not accept cheap labor, while Chinese does not really have any choice, they don't have freedom of association, they don't get to defend themselves.

A lot of Chinese people, especially middle-class and urbanized Han Chinese people, seem to be quite happy with the regime. Liberalization has led to economic prosperity, industrialization, and, in many places, a much higher standard of living since the 1990s. Of course, capitalism remains rooted in so-called "creative destruction." A lot of people have been harmed, both in the past and today. But enough people seem to be content, which is why we aren't observing the largest demonstrations in decades against the Chinese government in China proper.

[The Black Forrest]

its simply a good friend for our business, who can get cheap labor, since the American people will not accept cheap labor, while Chinese does not really have any choice, they don't have freedom of association, they don't get to defend themselves.

A lot of Chinese people, especially middle-class and urbanized Han Chinese people, seem to be quite happy with the regime. Liberalization has led to economic prosperity, industrialization, and, in many places, a much higher standard of living since the 1990s. Of course, capitalism remains rooted in so-called "creative destruction." A lot of people have been harmed, both in the past and in today. But enough people seem to be content, which is why we aren't observing the largest demonstrations in decades against the Chinese government in China proper.

What about Hong Kong?

[Fahran]

Maybe, it wants to form a southern bloc against the U.S.
To be honest, I think Mexico should side with the U.S. to be against China.

Mexico is much closer to the US than China in terms of economic exchanges and culture. Beyond that, I doubt AMLO is ambitious or stupid enough to angle for an anti-American bloc in Latin America. I think this is a highly situational decision that isn't altogether surprising given Mexico's political culture and prevailing worldview.

[Insaanistan]

The government should watch out. Afro-Cubans are very active in the protests. As Enrique Patterson said “If the Cuban government were to permit Afro-Cubans to organize and raise their problems before the authorities.. . totalitarianism would fall.”

[Fahran]

What about Hong Kong?

I view Hong Kong as a territory with a somewhat foreign political culture that is being incorporated into China proper at the moment. The demonstrations there were largely in response to the Party imposing itself in the lives of Hong Kongers after a century of British rule and then a period of quite liberal local autonomy - back when the Party was content to leave Hong Kong be.

[Fahran]

The government should watch out. Afro-Cubans are very active in the protests. As Enrique Patterson said “If the Cuban government were to permit Afro-Cubans to organize and raise their problems before the authorities.. . totalitarianism would fall.”

Afro-Cubans organizing against the regime would be a serious blow given they might number as much as 30% of Cuba's overall population. As I mentioned before, I was a bit disappointed in many BLM activists not expressing at least some level of solidarity. A lot of the prominent activists, including BLM (the organization), seemed to side with the regime against protestors. Or play agnostic, which is arguably worse.

[Fahran]

The truth has been spoken. All hail the facts!

It really depends on how we define worse. I don't think it's really ground-breaking to observe that the US, like most countries, engages in realpolitik based on broader geopolitical arrangements. It doesn't really negate the need for reform in Cuba as a matter of practical and moral concern. As I pointed out, this is more of a red herring or an ad hominem than anything, unless we're specifically discussing American policy towards Cuba. Even then, we have to settle on an approach to use when analyzing said policy.

[Austria-Bohemia-Hungary]

Is Guantanamo on UN's meme list of places needing de-colonisation yet?

[Fahran]

Is Guantanamo on UN's meme list of places needing de-colonisation yet?

Given we're talking about decolonizing places in Europe, one would hope so. I don't really see that meme coming to fruition any time soon given the proximity of the US and relations that can be charitably described as on the rocks.

[The Black Forrest]

Is Guantanamo on UN's meme list of places needing de-colonisation yet?

Answer is pretty simple. If some of the outraged countries offered to take the remaining prisoners; I am confident the US would close the place down.

[Fahran]

Answer is pretty simple. If some of the outraged countries offered to take the remaining prisoners; I am confident the US would close the place down.

Permanent POWs do create a serious problem. I suppose one could categorize them as common criminals, but when they're managing to destabilize entire countries with militias and crash the global economy with terrorist attacks that sort of beggars belief.

[The Black Forrest]

What about Hong Kong?

I view Hong Kong as a territory with a somewhat foreign political culture that is being incorporated into China proper at the moment. The demonstrations there were largely in response to the Party imposing itself in the lives of Hong Kongers after a century of British rule and then a period of quite liberal local autonomy - back when the Party was content to leave Hong Kong be.

Ok.

Question: Is it mainly Han Chinese who are seeing the benefits?

[Insaanistan]

Is Guantanamo on UN's meme list of places needing de-colonisation yet?

War crimes, imprisonment without trials and brutal torture are somehow okay if they’re not on our soil.

[Fahran]

Ok.

Question: Is it mainly Han Chinese who are seeing the benefits?

Given Han Chinese are the majority of the population by an insane percentage? Yes. That's not to say that other ethnic groups in China haven't benefitted. That said, we know with a degree of certainty that many ethnic minorities, especially poorer, more rural, and more marginal ones, have tended to be neglected or outright persecuted. The Uyghurs, Tibetans, Hui, and various Mongolian groups demonstrate this rather well.

[Kowani]

Answer is pretty simple. If some of the outraged countries offered to take the remaining prisoners; I am confident the US would close the place down.

Permanent POWs do create a serious problem. I suppose one could categorize them as common criminals, but when they're managing to destabilize entire countries with militias and crash the global economy with terrorist attacks that sort of beggars belief.

i'm not sure anyone in guatanamo bay has the ability to crash the global economy...

[Fahran]

i'm not sure anyone in guatanamo bay has the ability to crash the global economy...

The 9/11 attacks did the trick in the short-term. Some of those still incarcerated at Gitmo were/are members of al-Qaeda or other terrorist organizations. One inmate is believed to have attempted to participate in that attack. But, yes, al-Qaeda's leadership has been damaged pretty badly by the bombings and targeted assassinations.

[Kowani]

i'm not sure anyone in guatanamo bay has the ability to crash the global economy...

The 9/11 attacks did the trick in the short-term. Some of those still incarcerated at Gitmo were/are members of al-Qaeda or other terrorist organizations. One inmate is believed to have attempted to participate in that attack. But, yes, al-Qaeda's leadership has been damaged pretty badly by the bombings and targeted assassinations.

not really sure how the capabilities of an organization that's been gutted over a 20 years period are super relevant to anyone's threat risk today

[The Black Forrest]

Ok.

Question: Is it mainly Han Chinese who are seeing the benefits?

Given Han Chinese are the majority of the population by an insane percentage? Yes. That's not to say that other ethnic groups in China haven't benefitted. That said, we know with a degree of certainty that many ethnic minorities, especially poorer, more rural, and more marginal ones, have tended to be neglected or outright persecuted. The Uyghurs, Tibetans, Hui, and various Mongolian groups demonstrate this rather well.

I am no expert on the Chinese. I though Han was a regional thing versus everybody. I know of the problems of the ethnic groups. Remember reading about how they would send out snipers to “deal” with people going to Tibet.

Some ways they do things right. Moving people off lands for development and giving them better conditions and then horrible things they do for the “undesirables”.

A bad thing I always remembered. I was going to do work in India and had a stop over in China. An immigrant who worked at my company felt he had to tell me that if I get into a situation with the locals; don’t expect anybody to come to my aid.

[Fahran]

not really sure how the capabilities of an organization that's been gutted over a 20 years period are super relevant to anyone's threat risk today

Off-shoots of this organization were committing massacres a few years ago and threatening to take Baghdad. That said, it's more an expression of the power their ideology wields to mobilize folks concerned about the unfeasibility of neoliberalism, the decadence of modernity, and various social and spiritual problems. I think al-Qaeda could become a credible threat again if they found a power vacuum and engaged in successful PR in the Dar-as-Salaam. They aren't THAT hated in many places.

[Fahran]

I am no expert on the Chinese. I though Han was a regional thing versus everybody.

The Han are an ethnic group that comprise around 94% of China's population. They do speak multiple languages and distinct dialects though, so I imagine they're an ethnic group in the same way that Arabs and Igbo are. That is to say they're very close to a meta-ethnicity.

I know of the problems of the ethnic groups. Remember reading about how they would send out snipers to “deal” with people going to Tibet.

The Tibetans and Uyghurs seem to get the worst of it at the moment, though Inner Mongolia has been deliberately settled with Han people and Hui activists have allegedly been tortured and forced to eat pork. A good rule of thumb, based on conversations and research, is that you'll probably be fine if you're middle-class and don't organize in a way that threatens the Party. That might be one element to keeping a population content under a dictatorship, letting them know what will get them tortured or disappeared while giving a lot of people prosperity. Pan o palo. Cuba lacks on the pan.

Some ways they do things right. Moving people off lands for development and giving them better conditions and then horrible things they do for the “undesirables”.

These coerced movements have often been disastrous for farmers and their families. They often have few marketable skills beyond farming, and losing their land without adequate compensation when they were already poor might mean destitution.

A bad thing I always remembered. I was going to do work in India and had a stop over in China. An immigrant who worked at my company felt he had to tell me that if I get into a situation with the locals; don’t expect anybody to come to my aid.

I can't say that's too surprising.

[Kowani]

not really sure how the capabilities of an organization that's been gutted over a 20 years period are super relevant to anyone's threat risk today

Off-shoots of this organization were committing massacres a few years ago and threatening to take Baghdad. That said, it's more an expression of the power their ideology wields to mobilize folks concerned about the unfeasibility of neoliberalism, the decadence of modernity, and various social and spiritual problems. I think al-Qaeda could become a credible threat again if they found a power vacuum and engaged in successful PR in the Dar-as-Salaam. They aren't THAT hated in many places.

somehow, i doubt the ideology that animated al-qaeda is going to disappear because a few radicals (and lets be clear, no one who participated in 9/11-if proven, which is a problem when no one gets a trial-is the kind of person who's going to be radicalizing anyone) are kept in a torture centre halfway around the world

[Conservative Republic Of Huang]

Given Han Chinese are the majority of the population by an insane percentage? Yes. That's not to say that other ethnic groups in China haven't benefitted. That said, we know with a degree of certainty that many ethnic minorities, especially poorer, more rural, and more marginal ones, have tended to be neglected or outright persecuted. The Uyghurs, Tibetans, Hui, and various Mongolian groups demonstrate this rather well.

I am no expert on the Chinese. I though Han was a regional thing versus everybody. I know of the problems of the ethnic groups. Remember reading about how they would send out snipers to “deal” with people going to Tibet.

Some ways they do things right. Moving people off lands for development and giving them better conditions and then horrible things they do for the “undesirables”.

A bad thing I always remembered. I was going to do work in India and had a stop over in China. An immigrant who worked at my company felt he had to tell me that if I get into a situation with the locals; don’t expect anybody to come to my aid.

Han Chinese are over 90% of the population. Minority groups are heavily concentrated in specific areas: Mongols in Inner Mongolia, Uyghurs in Xinjiang, Tibetans in Tibet and a smattering of various groups in Yunnan and Guangxi. Lots of those areas are still Han-majority as well. However, among Han Chinese, there is some diversity, and there are definitely subcultures and subethnic groups.

[Fahran]

somehow, i doubt the ideology that animated al-qaeda is going to disappear because a few radicals (and lets be clear, no one who participated in 9/11-if proven, which is a problem when no one gets a trial-is the kind of person who's going to be radicalizing anyone) are kept in a torture centre halfway around the world

No, but turning those who hold to the ideology loose may well reintroduce soldiers, militants, and, in some cases, leaders back into the fight. Gitmo does hold normal POWs, but it has also held and continues to hold the worst humans the Dar as-Salaam has produced in modern times. I'm inclined to think the majority of them should go before a court martial or be detained as POWs in an indefinite war, albeit without the torture.

We've probably drifted a bit from Cuba though. Really, I don't foresee Gitmo being returned to Cuba any time soon, and I think the demonstrations and ongoing talk of reform from the Party make it a very non-salient issue in most respects.