08 April 2008

Victory At Last!

The Cuban Revolution, yes, the one that started 50 years ago and is still struggling to hit its stride, has won. So says Cuban Vice-President Carlos Lage:

"Double morality, prohibitions, a press that doesn't reflect our reality like we want, unwanted inequality, deteriorating infrastructure are all war wounds, but they are from a war we have won,"


I grew up hearing all about the triumphs of the revolution-there were so many! But those must have just been warm-ups up to now. Because now, they have really triumphed.

The revolution has won its ideological war against the US-brought the beast to its knees, they have. It triumphed against Cubans in exile who must have had a parade down la calle ocho waving white flags to surrender their dreams of decency and democracy.

Cuba has wounds, alright, deep, gaping wounds, but they were self inflicted and not by friendly fire either. They were caused by a madman who was hell bent on committing suicide by super-power and take the rest of “his family” with him in a final hail of bullets and fire. They are war wounds inflicted by Fidel Castro on his own people, in the name of an omnipotent and omnipresent yet indifferent enemy, to instill in the Cuban people the same hatred and nihilism that he felt.

So it’s time to “declare victory and go home” a-la Aiken. Only there’s no home to go to. The home has been destroyed, made ruins.

Fifty years of misery and struggle, of death and destruction, of suffering and separation, all for nothing, all to begin again, only now, at the bottom.

The script is being written as we watch. Saint Fidelis-who held the Northern Wolf at bay all those years, was forced to undertake radical and brutal measures to protect the holy city that was held in siege by the mighty empire-an empire whose only purpose was to destroy him for he was the heart and soul of his people. Some of the measures caused wounds and the ensuing blood and pain, but the empire forced him to take such radical and drastic measures.

But, the empire failed. Although the madman is no more, the empire didn’t vanquish him. He faded into a comfortable death bed-winning his final battle by successfully bequeathing his Kingdom and thus thwarting the empire’s plans.

Now that the war has been won, the reconstruction can begin in earnest-(hopefully not with an Argentinean Ernest), in baby steps, little by little, gadget by gadget.

Maybe in another fifty years or so…

Don’t get impatient. Rome wasn’t built in a day, you know.

1 comment:

Fidel pro democracy said...

I tell you this people will say anything but the truth, this is the Lage that many think will be the leader of the changes in Cuba?