[Marxism] Fidel Castro Letter to Barack Obama, full text

[Red Arnie via Marxism]

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[Source:  http://en.granma.cu/cuba/2016-03-28/brother-obama  Downloaded 28
March 2016, 8:35 PDT]
Brother Obama

We don’t need the empire to give us anything. Our efforts will be legal and
peaceful, because our commitment is to peace and fraternity among all human
beings who live on this planet.

Author: Fidel Castro Ruz  |
inter...@granma.cu

march 28, 2016 12:03:14

The kings of Spain brought us the conquistadores and masters, whose
footprints remained in the circular land grants assigned to those searching
for gold in the sands of rivers, an abusive and shameful form of
exploitation, traces of which can be noted from the air in many places
around the country.

Tourism today, in large part, consists of viewing the delights of our
landscapes and tasting exquisite delicacies from our seas, and is always
shared with the private capital of large foreign corporations, whose
earnings, if they don’t reach billions of dollars, are not worthy of any
attention whatsoever.

Since I find myself obliged to mention the issue, I must add - principally
for the youth - that few people are aware of the importance of such a
condition, in this singular moment of human history. I would not say that
time has been lost, but I do not hesitate to affirm that we are not
adequately informed, not you, nor us, of the knowledge and conscience that
we must have to confront the realities which challenge us. The first to be
taken into consideration is that our lives are but a fraction of a
historical second, which must also be devoted in part to the vital
necessities of every human being. One of the characteristics of this
condition is the tendency to overvalue its role, in contrast, on the other
hand, with the extraordinary number of persons who embody the loftiest
dreams.

Nevertheless, no one is good or bad entirely on their own. None of us is
designed for the role we must assume in a revolutionary society, although
Cubans had the privilege of José Martí’s example. I even ask myself if he
needed to die or not in Dos Ríos, when he said, “For me, it’s time,” and
charged the Spanish forces entrenched in a solid line of firepower. He did
not want to return to the United States, and there was no one who could
make him. Someone ripped some pages from his diary. Who bears this
treacherous responsibility, undoubtedly the work of an unscrupulous
conspirator? Differences between the leaders were well known, but never
indiscipline. “Whoever attempts to appropriate Cuba will reap only the dust
of its soil drenched in blood, if he does not perish in the struggle,”
stated the glorious Black leader Antonio Maceo. Máximo Gómez is likewise
recognized as the most disciplined and discreet military chief in our
history.

Looking at it from another angle, how can we not admire the indignation of
Bonifacio Byrne when, from a distant boat returning him to Cuba, he saw
another flag alongside that of the single star and declared, “My flag is
that which has never been mercenary...” immediately adding one of the most
beautiful phrases I have ever heard, “If it is torn to shreds, it will be
my flag one day… our dead raising their arms will still be able to defend
it!” Nor will I forget the blistering words of Camilo Cienfuegos that
night, when, just some tens of meters away, bazookas and machine guns of
U.S. origin in the hands of counterrevolutionaries were pointed toward that
terrace on which we stood.

Obama was born in August of 1961, as he himself explained. More than half a
century has transpired since that time.

Let us see, however, how our illustrious guest thinks today:

“I have come here to bury the last remnant of the Cold War in the Americas.
I have come here to extend the hand of friendship to the Cuban people,”
followed by a deluge of concepts entirely novel for the majority of us:

“We both live in a new world, colonized by Europeans,” the U.S. President
continued, “Cuba, like the United States, was built in part by slaves
brought here from Africa. Like the United States, the Cuban people can
trace their heritage to both slaves and slave-owners.”

The native populations don’t exist at all in Obama’s mind. Nor does he say
that the Revolution swept away racial discrimination, or that pensions and
salaries for all Cubans were decreed by it before Mr. Barrack Obama was 10
years old. The hateful, racist bourgeois custom of hiring strongmen to
expel Black citizens from recreational centers was swept away by the Cuban
Revolution - that which would go down in history for the battle against
apartheid that liberated Angola, putting an end to the presence of nuclear
weapons on a continent of more than a 

[Marxism] Fidel: We don’t need the empire to give us any presents

[Jeff via Marxism]

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[Fidel staying sharp; I'm afraid I can't say the same for his brother. - 
Jeff]


http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/28/fidel-castro-obama-cuba-trip

Fidel Castro rails against 'Brother Obama' after US president's trip to 
Cuba


 Country’s former leader responds to
 Obama’s visit with long letter in
 state media, saying: ‘We don’t need
 the empire to give us any presents’

Fidel Castro has responded to Barack Obama’s historic trip to Cuba with 
a lengthy and scornful letter that recounts the history of US aggression 
against Cuba and reasserts its independence with a warning to the 
American leader that “we don’t need the empire to give us any presents”.


The 1,500-word letter published in state media, titled “Brother Obama”, 
was Castro’s first response to the president’s three-day visit last 
week, in which the American president said he had come to bury the two 
countries’ history of cold war hostility.


Speaking in Havana, Obama said it was time for the two countries to look 
forward “as friends and as neighbours and as family, together”.


But in his letter Castro dismisses Obama’s comments as “honey-coated” 
and said that Cubans “ran the risk of having a heart attack on hearing 
these words from the president of the United States”.


The former president writes that Obama is asking them to forget “a 
ruthless blockade that has now lasted for almost 60 years,” as well over 
half a century of US aggression against Cuba including the decades-long 
trade embargo against the island; the 1961 Bay of Pigs attack and the 
1976 bombing of a Cuban airliner by anti-Castro exiles which killed 73 
people.


Obama did not meet – or mention – the 89-year-old former ruler during 
his three-day trip but met several times with his 84-year-old brother 
Raúl Castro, the current Cuban president.


Obama’s visit was intended to build irreversible momentum behind his 
opening with Cuba and to convince the Cuban people and the Cuban 
government that a half century of US attempts to overthrow the communist 
government had ended, allowing Cuba to reform its economy and political 
system more quickly.


Fidel Castro writes of Obama: “My modest suggestion is that he reflects 
and doesn’t try to develop theories about Cuban politics.”


Castro, who led Cuba for decades before handing power to his brother in 
2008, was legendary for his hours-long, all-encompassing speeches. His 
biting letter reflects that style, presenting a sharp contrast with 
Obama’s tightly focused and forward-looking speech in Havana last week.


The letter opens with descriptions of environmental abuse under the 
Spaniards and reviews the historical roles of Cuban independence heroes 
José Martí, Antonio Maceo and Máximo Gómez.


Castro then goes over crucial sections of Obama’s speech line by line, 
engaging in an ex post facto dialogue with the American president with 
pointed critiques of perceived slights and insults, including Obama’s 
failure to give credit to indigenous Cubans and Castro’s prohibition of 
racial segregation after coming to power in 1959.


He also blasts Obama for ignoring the extermination of native peoples in 
both the US and Cuba, not recognizing Cuba’s gains in health and 
education, and not coming clean on the US role in helping apartheid 
South Africa obtain nuclear weapons.


“My humble suggestion is that he reflects [on the US role in South 
Africa and Cuba’s in Angola] and not now try to elaborate theories about 
Cuban politics,” Castro says.


Castro does, however, acknowledge Obama’s good intentions. “In a certain 
way I wish to say that Obama’s conduct was correct. His humble origins 
and natural intelligence were evident,” he writes.


In the letter Castro also takes aim at the tourism industry in Cuba, 
which has grown further since Obama’s rapprochement with Raúl Castro in 
December 2014. He says it was dominated by large foreign corporations 
which took for granted billion-dollar profits.


The focus on US-Cuba business ties appears to have particularly rankled 
with Castro, who nationalised US companies after coming to power in 1959 
and establishing the communist system into which his brother is now 
introducing gradual market-based reforms.


The Obama administration says re-establishing economic ties with the US 
will be a boon for Cuba, whose centrally planned economy has struggled 
to escape from overdependence on imports and a chronic shortage of hard 
currency.


In response Castro writes: “No one should be under the illusion that the 
people of this noble and selfless country will renounce its glory and 
its rights, and the spiritual wealth that is has gained with the 
development 

[Marxism] Along the Malecón: New State Department program targets Cuban youth

[michael a. lebowitz via Marxism]

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http://alongthemalecon.blogspot.com/2016/03/new-state-department-program-targets.html 







   Friday, March 25, 2016


 New State Department program targets Cuban youth



Just three days after Barack Obama left Cuba, the State Department today 
announced a $753,989 community internship program targeting "young 
emerging leaders from Cuban civil society."
Non-profit organizations and educational institutions are invited to 
submit proposals. The deadline is May 20. The first awards are expected 
to be given in late July or early August.
The State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs plans to 
manage the program, aimed at financing two- to four-month professional 
development programs "which will fuel the participants’ development of 
action plans for nongovernmental community activities in Cuba."

The announcement states:
"Cuban civil society is not formed into well-established organizations 
that would typically be found in a society with a strong democratic 
tradition. Through participation in the program, participants will 
develop a set of leadership tools and skills to manage and grow civil 
society organizations that will actively support democratic principles 
in Cuba."

The announcement is below:

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The United States Department of State’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere 
Affairs (WHA) announces a Notification of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to 
support the Community Internship Program for Cuban Youth. Subject to the 
availability of funds, WHA intends to issue an award in an amount not to 
exceed $753,989 in FY2015 Economic Support Funds for a project period of 
three years. The anticipated start date for this activity is August 2016 
and WHA intends to support one award as a result of this NOFO.



WHA invites U.S. nonprofit organizations and U.S. educational 
institutions to submit proposals for the Community Internship Program 
for Cuban Youth, which will support the participation of young emerging 
leaders from Cuban civil society in a two- to four-month professional 
development program. The program will include specialized training and 
an internship with a nonprofit organization in the United States, which 
will fuel the participants’ development of action plans for 
nongovernmental community activities in Cuba. Cuban civil society is not 
formed into well-established organizations that would typically be found 
in a society with a strong democratic tradition. Through participation 
in the program, participants will develop a set of leadership tools and 
skills to manage and grow civil society organizations that will actively 
support democratic principles in Cuba.


WHA reserves the right to fund any or none of the applications submitted 
and reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal budgets 
in accordance with the needs of the program and the availability of 
funds. The authority for this NOFO is found in the Foreign Assistance 
Act of 1961, as amended. The CFDA Number for this funding opportunity is 
19.750.


This NOFO consists of this cover letter plus the following sections:

I. Funding Opportunity Description
II. Award Information
III. Eligibility information
IV. Agency Contacts

The complete solicitation package includes the mandatory Proposal 
Submission Instructions, which includes Application and Submission 
Instructions and Application Review Information.


Eligible organizations interested in submitting an application should 
read this NOFO thoroughly to understand the project sought, the 
application submission requirements and evaluation process.


This funding opportunity is posted on Grants.gov and may be amended. See 
the Application and Submission Instructions for further details. 
Potential applicants should regularly check the website to ensure they 
have the latest information pertaining to this NOFO.


Any questions concerning this NOFO should be submitted in writing via 
email to the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs at whagra...@state.gov 
by May 6, 2016 [Subject line “Community Internship Program for Cuban 
Youth” and your organization name]. Responses to questions will be made 
available to all potential applicants through an amendment to this NOFO 
and posted on Grants.gov.


Francisco L. Palmieri
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary
Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs
U.S. Department of State

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

BACKGROUND

U.S. foreign assistance for Cuba seeks to empower Cubans to freely 
determine their own future by increasing human capacity, promoting 
community level engagement, and expanding civil society networks. Since 
1996, the 

Re: [Marxism] Fwd: Story of cities #6: how silver turned Potosí into 'the first city of capitalism' | Cities | The Guardian

[Shalva Eliava via Marxism]

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I highly urge Marxmailers to follow up this Guardian article with some of Jason 
Moore's work:

http://www.jasonwmoore.com/uploads/Moore__Silver__Ecology_and_the_Origins_of_Modern_World__2007_.pdf

http://www.jasonwmoore.com/uploads/Moore__Potosi_and_the_Political_Ecology_of_Underdevelopment__2010_.pdf


> Date: Mon, 21 Mar 2016 09:14:27 -0400
> Subject: [Marxism] Fwd: Story of cities #6: how silver turned Potosí into 
> 'the first city of capitalism' | Cities | The Guardian
> From: marxism@lists.csbs.utah.edu
> To: shalva.eli...@outlook.com
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> 
> 
> 
> http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/mar/21/story-of-cities-6-potosi-bolivia-peru-inca-first-city-capitalism
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[Marxism] Left's candidate in Peru moves into 3rd place

[Juan Fajardo via Marxism]

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Veronika Mendoza, the leftist Broad Front (Frente Amplio) candidate for 
President in Peru's upcoming April 10th general elections, has moved 
into 3rd place according  to the latest poll numbers from the IPSOS agency.


Mendoza, who has been drawing large crowds everywhere she tours in the 
country, has been slowly but steadily rising in the polls, and with 12% 
she has passed Alfredo Barnechea, of Accion Popular (which is usually 
classed as "center-right"), who polls at 11%.


The 1st and 2n places are still held by Keiko Fujimori -who leads the 
party founded by her father, the jailed former dictator, Alberto 
Fujimori- with 32%, and Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, a pro-big business 
technocrat, at 16%.


Peru's electoral rules dictate that if no candidate receives an absolute 
majority of the popular vote, there is a second round election between 
the top two vote getters.


It is thus not inconceivable that by election day Mendoza could surpass 
Kuczynski's votes and come in 2nd in the general election, and move on 
to the run-off election.


As it is, this is the closest that a candidate of Peru's left has come 
to winning the Presidency since the candidacy of Alfonso Barrantes on 
the United Left (Izquierda Unida) coalition's ticket in the 1980s.


Poll results:
https://redaccion.lamula.pe/media/uploads/4109d9d7-d955-409d-956d-e0700fab0bbe.jpg

Background article:
http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Peru-Leftist-Presidential-Candidate-Veronika-Mendoza-Surges-20160322-0039.html
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[Marxism] Fwd: Bring on the Crackup: Hoping for a Trump–Sanders Election

[Louis Proyect via Marxism]

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Very long but interesting article that puts the emphasis on class.

http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/03/28/bring-on-the-crackup-hoping-for-a-trump-sanders-election/
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[Marxism] Fwd: Overthrow by Pragmatism: Obama’s Cuban Strategy

[Louis Proyect via Marxism]

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http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/03/28/overthrow-by-pragmatism-obamas-cuban-strategy/
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[Marxism] Fwd: The Search for New Physics at CERN | Boston Review

[Louis Proyect via Marxism]

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The Standard Model has been the consensus theory in physics for roughly 
forty years. It tells us that the visible world is made of a small set 
of fundamental particles, and it tells us how those particles work and 
interact. If the hints in the CMS and ATLAS data are vindicated—and 
that’s a big “if”—then particle physics would enter a new era. Our 
fundamental theory of the natural world would need to change, and no one 
knows quite how. This chance, however slight, has driven the 
extraordinary response among physicists to the announcement of the ATLAS 
and CMS results. Everyone wants to be part of what would be the biggest 
news in our field—perhaps the biggest scientific news—in nearly a half 
century.


So what is this Standard Model? What exactly are these experiments? And 
what did they see that got so many physicists so worked up?


full: 
http://bostonreview.net/editors-picks-books-ideas/matthew-buckley-search-new-physics-cern

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[Marxism] The Spanish Civil War and the possibility of an uprising in the Rif

[Andrew Pollack via Marxism]

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http://www.europe-solidaire.org/spip.php?article33657
The Spanish Civil War and the possibility of an uprising in the Rif: A
first hand testimony on the negotiations between the Moroccan nationalist
movement and the Spanish authorities
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[Marxism] Fwd: History News Network | Committing Crimes In Our Name

[Louis Proyect via Marxism]

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Robert Justin Goldstein's  convincing, disturbing, and impressive new 
book, Discrediting the Red Scare: The Cold War Trials of James Kutcher, 
The Legless Veteran(Kansas) reminds us that Kutcher fiercely resisted 
the government, and finally won his battle. But for Goldstein, professor 
emeritus at Oakland University, the persecution  and ultimate redemption 
of James Kutcher would be forgotten.



full: http://historynewsnetwork.org/blog/153749
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[Marxism] Fwd: How the Syrian Revolt Became Armed - The Daily Beast

[Louis Proyect via Marxism]

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Excerpt from "A Burning Country".

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/03/28/how-the-syrian-revolt-became-armed.html
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Re: [Marxism] Sanders clobbered Clinton in Washington primary

[Louis Proyect via Marxism]

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On 3/28/16 6:02 AM, Greg McDonald wrote:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/in-theory/wp/2016/03/25/the-sanders-democrat-is-paving-the-way-for-the-radical-left/

In spite of comparing socialists to Milli Vanilli fans (WTF is that all
about? I would have referenced some old died-in-the-wool folkies
myself), the Jacobin editor makes a few good points. Interesting to see
this in the WP.


Yeah, they're carrying John Bellamy Foster also, another Marxist 
infatuated with the Sanders campaign:



https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/in-theory/wp/2016/03/23/is-democratic-socialism-the-american-dream/


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[Marxism] James Connolly: Ireland's greatest revolutionary

[John Passant via Marxism]

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James Connolly: Ireland's greatest revolutionary

The Easter Rising was isolated and defeated. Though the rebels succeeded 
in taking over key locations in Dublin and declaring an Irish Republic, 
the rebellion was suppressed after six days of fighting. Its leaders, 
including Connolly, were captured, put on trial and executed.


But Connolly was correct in thinking that the crisis of the war could be 
channeled into revolt. In 1917, 10,000 workers rallied in Dublin to show 
their support for the Russian Revolution, and that year marked the 
beginning of a radical upsurge in Ireland that lasted until 1923.


James Connolly was an exceptional working-class fighter and 
anti-imperialist and his ideas and actions continue to be a source of 
inspiration today.


http://enpassant.com.au/2016/03/28/james-connolly-irelands-greatest-revolutionary/

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Re: [Marxism] Sanders clobbered Clinton in Washington primary

[Greg McDonald via Marxism]

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/in-theory/wp/2016/03/25/the-sanders-democrat-is-paving-the-way-for-the-radical-left/

In spite of comparing socialists to Milli Vanilli fans (WTF is that all
about? I would have referenced some old died-in-the-wool folkies myself),
the Jacobin editor makes a few good points. Interesting to see this in the
WP.
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