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The
Antithesis of Michael Moore: Real Courage
in Cuba
By John Mendez. American
Thinker. May 19, 2007.
 There's
been much made recently about the vaunted
Cuban medical system since propagandist
Michael Moore traveled to Havana with 9/11
heroes in tow searching for "free"
health care. It's Mr. Moore's idea of a
clever way to criticize America and the
capitalist system he exploits so brilliantly.
Of course, it never actually occurred to
him that while he was "free" to
film in Cuba there were political prisons
suffering in Castro's gulags simply for
doing exactly what Moore thinks is his sole
universal right; speaking out. A big mouth
coupled with a small mind is a dangerous
combination.
That Moore would use his craft to spew
the Castro party line isn't surprising when
you consider they are both geniuses at hypocrisy
and self-promotion. Castro supposedly wanted
power in order to depose a dictator and
re-establish the "power of the people,"
but nearly five decades later without an
election, he has become one of history's
most despicable tyrants, the full indictment
of whom won't be known until the inevitable
fall of his particularly vehement brand
of communism in Havana. Moore, for his part,
pretends to care about social issues so
long as he makes bundles of cash; only pathologically
anti-American leftists don't seem to notice
or care.
Unfortunately for Moore, the totalitarian
regime's misinformation machinery doesn't
work quite as efficiently as it did when
Castro was at the helm. So Thursday morning,
in the middle of Moore's defiant defense
of Castro and his "accomplishments,"
Raul, perhaps in one of his notorious drunken
stupors, ordered the detention of Gorki
Aguila. For those unfamiliar with the Cuban
punk rock scene, which would mean just about
everyone, Mr. Aguila is the outspoken lead
singer of "Porno for Ricardo,"
a punk rock band profiled recently by CNN.
(That CNN would air any internal criticism
of Castro is in itself incredible).
Gorki, an unlikely threat to the state,
had the gumption to criticize the Cuban
system so longingly worshipped by Michael
Moore. Yet unlike Moore, who gets to challenge
a former senator and likely presidential
candidate to debate, Gorki gets a prison
term. I guess the US system isn't quite
so terrible after all, Mr. Moore.
So now that Mr. Moore has decided to immerse
himself into Cuban politics debate, when
will he and the rest of the activist American
left begin calling for the release of Gorki
Aguila? The short answer is "never."
Our elitist protesters are nothing more
than self-serving narcissists who can only
dream of having the courage of a Gorki Aguila.
Speaking out against America is cheap and
easy but is far from courageous. America
doesn't have a secret police or nasty little
military to anchor a leader's repression
regardless of the disturbed claims from
an unhinged left to the contrary. Courage
means facing consequences; real consequences
not simply a dip in the popularity scale.
So despite the self-aggrandizing calls
from a George Clooney to "keep making
courageous films," these faux activists
are cowards. While Clooney may ask for help
in Darfur, he doesn't dare criticize the
biggest accomplice to the tragedy, China.
He understands fully that the consequences
of criticizing the Chinese government might
mean a ban on his movies; so he walks a
fine line instead calling on President Bush
to "stop the genocide" as if the
US had any control. But such is the modus
operandi of the "courageous" Clooney
who has always been outspoken and quick
to criticize the US, where, of course, there
are no consequences. So will George Clooney
speak out for the release of Gorki Aguila
and other political prisoners in Castro's
prisons? Not likely, at least not unless
Raul cozies up to the wicked "big oil"
cabal and its cohort, the CIA. Until then,
the brave Clooney will take a "courageous"
stand and rid the world of the evils of
the ruthless paparazzi. Good luck with that,
Captain Courage.
Perhaps Dixie Chick Natalie Maines will
step up and demand for Gorki Aguila the
same freedom she enjoys. Surely she must
appreciate that criticizing your government
is a fundamental right, if not for every
citizen, at the very least for artists like
her. There but for the grace of God go you,
Natalie. His lyrics of protest are not much
different than your own. Gorki is in prison
merely for suggesting to others not to choose
communism (as if Cuba had "chosen"
communism). Luckily, or predictably, your
nemesis was an American president and not
the Castro brothers who would not have taken
it well had Gorki made a similar suggestion
of "shame" for their leader. Weak
record sales and low attendance figures
are the least of his worries.
Code Pinkster Cindy Sheehan won't dare
criticize Castro and his minions for incarcerating
Gorki for simply speaking his mind. Cindy
apparently believes it's okay for her to
stage very long, very public protests outside
an elected official's home and call for
his execution but a Cuban resident, somehow
her inferior, must shut his mouth or have
it shut for him. What is even more hypocritically
appalling is that Cindy must think that
her loss of a son is much more tragic than
the losses of "The Ladies in White"
who she refused to meet with or even acknowledge
on her recent publicity stunt to the island
prison instead choosing to embrace the man
responsible for the murder and imprisonment
of their loved ones. Cindy Sheehan and Code
Pink have a greater solidarity to a heartless
repressor of human rights than to the mothers
of his victims. So don't wait for Cindy
or the "elitist communists" of
Code Pink to denounce Gorki's imprisonment
and call for his release, he and his opinions
like the many lives of the relatives of
the "Ladies in White" mean nothing
in their political end game.
Regrettably, we will not hear a single
American "activist" call for the
release of Gorki Aguila or any other Cuban
political prisoner for that matter. Regrettable
because Gorki Aguila is just like them;
an activist artist. Yet, unlike our Hollywood
elite, Gorki faces real consequences. There
is no courage without consequences and Gorki
Aguila has shown more courage in a single
interview than Michael Moore, George Clooney,
Natalie Maines and Cindy Sheehan have shown
in a lifetime.
Gorki Aguila is courageous; they are cowards.
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