Politics and Culture

Worthy of support

I joined this group called Bloggers United for Cuban Liberty. It was started, as so many of these things are, by my cubiches at babalublog. And who wouldn't be for Cuban liberty? Well, the Zapatero government in Spain doesn't care a whit about Cuban liberty (Zapatero also didn't care about Iraqi liberty). What does Spain care about? Monkeys. I'm serious and I'll explain below. Anyways, if you want to stop here, I endorse this movement and it's correct to focus special attention on Spain since they can be one of the most effective agents of change in Cuba. Man, what a missed opportunity to improve Cuba! If you want further thoughts not necessarily endorsed by BUCL, read on:

My feelings on Spain:

The Guirado household has always had a good feeling towards things Spanish. My grandparents were immigrants to Cuba from Spain (he still voted in Spanish elections up until his death in 1991 [R.I.P]) and we would be regaled with stories from the Madre patria on many of our visits. My grandfather was a proud and noble man of the type rarely seen in the Western world today. My mami would make my sister Spanish dresses so that she could take Spanish dancing lessons. You get the idea-Guirados positive about Spain.

Now, let's take a look at the last few years.

1. Spain seriously debated giving rights to apes. As much as I like apes (monkeys are cool; some of the others can be nasty, however), this is a bad sign for the once mighty Spanish. Besides the supreme irony of caring more for the freedom of apes than Cubans, what does this signify?

Significance:

It tells me that Spain has lost any sense of natural law or natural rights based on the traditional understanding of the terms. People deserve rights because they're special. Why are they special? Because they have a soul and God said so. By conferring rights to animals because they can make signals with sticks or because they're cute, Spain tells me that emotions rather than coherent philosophy drives Spanish policy.

2. Al Qaeda bombs Spain and they abandon their foreign policy.

Significance:

Obviously, this is the reaction of a country gone soft, to be polite. It doesn't matter whether the Iraqis did it or not; the perception is that Spain blinked. You don't think Al Qaeda sees this as a great victory? Whether in the workplace, the playground, prison, or in international affairs, one has to either stand up when attacked or give somebody an advantage over oneself (prisons have a more colorful term). Spain may run, but it can't hide. Spain has lost, for the moment, the ability to assert itself.

3. Spain allowed gay marriage.

Significance:

You may agree or disagree with gay marriage and not be a bad person- I know most people for gay marriage just want to be accepting and nice, but one has to admit that a country supporting gay marriage is a country more concerned, again, with feelings and less concerned for its future.

4. Spain has one of the lowest birthrates in Europe.

Significance:

See above. A country with a low birthrate will inevitably decline in significance. It tells me that the fun one can have now is more important, again, than the future. A country that wants to become stronger and grow, grows.

5. Cuba.

Significance:

Look, I get it. Zapatero is a socialist. He probably grew up with a Lenin mobile, Castro lunch pail, and Che underoos. It still doesn't make it right.

In summary:

The effect of the above policies combined with a bunch of smaller stuff made me, I don't know, feel less proud of Spain. Instead of my Spanish heritage making up 1% of my combined self-esteem, it now stands at about .7%. Come on, Spain! Make me proud!

One caveat:

One thing on which I may not agree with BUCL are its statements that Spain has always oppressed Cuba (It's funny; it actually sounds like a Marxist criticism). Well, yes. Cuba was a colony and colonies exist to benefit the mother country. Mother countries also don't like to lose their colonies, so they resist freedom movements. That's par for the course and you can't really blame Spain anymore than you can blame Great Britain for the American Revolution. It's as true that Cuba wouldn't be Cuba without the Spanish. So, I would focus specifically on Zapatero's support for Castro, which is the groups main point.