Thank you for your question, David. I do not at all share the perspective of Maria Isabel Alfonso. Rather than getting into a point-counterpoint with her article, which strikes me at times as sheer invention, permit me to make some general observations.
When I seek to understand a society, my approach is personal encounter. That is, I listen to voices in high and low places, seeking to understand what they understand and believe. It is a critical listening, that is, I do not hesitate to formulate in my own mind what I take to be the defects of the other’s understanding, based on my own knowledge and experiences. But I give priority to persistent and patient listening.
In this process of personal encounter in Cuba, I have learned that the Cuban leadership (the Party, the government, the National Assembly, and prominent persons in major institutions) possess a very solid understanding of the history of Cuba and its current challenges as well as the challenges and contradictions of the world. I have learned that the leaders, for the most part, have a very high level of commitment to the nation and to the wellbeing of the people, which is a key factor in maintaining political stability in spite of economic difficulties. And I have learned that internal and external criticisms reflect a very limited understanding of Cuba and the world.
As a retired person with a modest but regular pension, I am free to live almost anywhere that I desire. And as a person married to a Cuban woman, the laws and regulations of both Cuba and the USA allow me to spend as much time as I desire in Cuba. Before returning to the USA on June 29, 2024, I had spent the previous eleven consecutive months in Cuba, living with my wife in an apartment building in Central Havana. During that experience, I did not find concerns among the people of supposed political repression. What I found was a very serious economic situation, reasonably understood as a consequence of the intensification of the blockade since 2017. And I observed a determined and well-thought-out effort by the Party and the government to address the situation, which the people by and large saw and appreciated. By far, the strongest manifestation of “opposition” is emigration, which has been significant in the last few years as the economic crisis unfolded.
Charles - are you able to comment on the recent NACLA article - CUBA Three years after 11 J.
Always appreciate your insight
Thank you for your question, David. I do not at all share the perspective of Maria Isabel Alfonso. Rather than getting into a point-counterpoint with her article, which strikes me at times as sheer invention, permit me to make some general observations.
When I seek to understand a society, my approach is personal encounter. That is, I listen to voices in high and low places, seeking to understand what they understand and believe. It is a critical listening, that is, I do not hesitate to formulate in my own mind what I take to be the defects of the other’s understanding, based on my own knowledge and experiences. But I give priority to persistent and patient listening.
In this process of personal encounter in Cuba, I have learned that the Cuban leadership (the Party, the government, the National Assembly, and prominent persons in major institutions) possess a very solid understanding of the history of Cuba and its current challenges as well as the challenges and contradictions of the world. I have learned that the leaders, for the most part, have a very high level of commitment to the nation and to the wellbeing of the people, which is a key factor in maintaining political stability in spite of economic difficulties. And I have learned that internal and external criticisms reflect a very limited understanding of Cuba and the world.
As a retired person with a modest but regular pension, I am free to live almost anywhere that I desire. And as a person married to a Cuban woman, the laws and regulations of both Cuba and the USA allow me to spend as much time as I desire in Cuba. Before returning to the USA on June 29, 2024, I had spent the previous eleven consecutive months in Cuba, living with my wife in an apartment building in Central Havana. During that experience, I did not find concerns among the people of supposed political repression. What I found was a very serious economic situation, reasonably understood as a consequence of the intensification of the blockade since 2017. And I observed a determined and well-thought-out effort by the Party and the government to address the situation, which the people by and large saw and appreciated. By far, the strongest manifestation of “opposition” is emigration, which has been significant in the last few years as the economic crisis unfolded.