Cuba's Post-Castro Future

{Transition Is Near}
{Again Pitting Miami vs. Havana}

     Chuck Gomez is a former Emmy award-winning journalist who is now a notable playwright. He is shown here in 2012 in a hospital room recovering from quadruple bypass heart surgery, but he is healthy now and just returned from an insightful visit to Cuba. In a long article this week {Feb. 11th}, published internationally by The Huffington Post/The World Post, Chuck detailed his observations of the island that has always been very dear to him. I would advise everyone to dial up that article online and, if so, you will be rewarded with an honest appraisal of Cuba in this pivotal year of 2016 as President Obama, in the closing months of his two-terms in the White House, tries to normalize relations with Cuba and, in fact, has already made monumental strides, such as reopening embassies in Havana and Washington for the first time since 1961 and even slicing doggedly into the cruel U. S. embargo of Cuba that has existed since 1962. But the Batistiano-dictated U. S. Congress will continue to fight Obama all the way and in this presidential election year a Batistiano-loving Republican like Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio or Ted Cruz might very well, unfortunately, be elected the next President. Since the Cuban Revolution in 1959, remnants of the transplanted Batista-Mafia dictatorship have dictated America's Cuban policy as well as the Cuban narrative in the U. S. Thus, rarely do Americans get access to an unbiased view of either Cuba or U.S.-Cuban relations. But Chuck Gomez is a rare bird and his article this week began with these gripping words:

             "I returned from a magic-carpet-ride-of-a-trip to my parents homeland -- Cuba. I felt a mixture of optimism and sadness. I felt optimism that renewed relations between the U. S. and Cuba could bring changes for the Cuban people who have suffered so much for so long. And I felt sadness for what has been allowed to dissipate in this once splendorous land -- the tropical paradise of our collective dreams. A faded Havana -- her cloak now in tatters, her visage emaciated -- greets visitors. Crumbling facades in pastel hues look like they may simply disappear in the sea. The sea that separates us. But along the Malecon seawall, in the laughter of young people, there is a sense of hope..."

       Chuck Gomez used this photo to illustrate his aforementioned article, especially that heart-wrenching sentence that bears repeating: "But along the Malecon seawall, in the laughter of young people, there is a sense of hope." If, indeed, the young people of Cuba have hope, I believe it depends on how earnestly they support their young, influential leader -- Cristina Escobar. She, to my reckoning, is the only force that can enable her young-adult generation of Cubans on the island to predicate Cuba's post-Castro future. If they fail, that future will be predicated by Miami Cubans, a right-wing U. S. Congress, and by a possible viscerally anti-Cuban Republican -- Bush, Rubio or Cruz -- replacing President Obama in the White House. Therefore, assuming that Ms. Escobar is that significant {I think you can make that assumption}, permit me to provide some profiles of her.

      The most important contemplations right now about Cuba's impending post-Castro future probably resides in the crucial thoughts of Cristina Escobar. She is Cuba's top broadcast journalist and, at age 28, she is hugely influential on the island with the young adults. She is fiercely determined that her generation of Cubans on the island, not Cubans and their acolytes in Miami or Washington, will predicate Cuba's post-Castro future. Brilliant as a television anchor and awesomely intelligent, Cristina strongly supports "The revolution that Jose Marti tried against Spain and the revolution Fidel Castro led against America and the Mafia." Widely sought after by U. S., regional and international journalists, you can observe her views, expressed in Spanish and English, on YouTube and in the recent Tracey Eaton interview you can hear her say, "I don't want the U. S. to bring me democracy." If democracy is in Cuba's post-Castro future, she wants only Cubans on the island, not in Miami and Washington, to make that decision. She is, in fact, as adamant about Cuba's sovereignty as...Jose Marti and Fidel Castro. In that endeavor, there are a lot of young-adult Cubans on the island who will support her...come what may, and a lot will come from Miami and Washington.

      Cristina Escobar is a superstar broadcast journalist. She is Cuba's main news anchor and also a prime host of the island's popular Round Table nightly program. Highly educated and fluent in English as well as Spanish, she is an expert on Cuba's international relations, especially with the United States. As such, she is overwhelmed with requests to interview her. But she is quite busy with her programs on Cuban television. The banner above promotes Cristina's regional news program in English on the Telesur network. Her journalistic travels include visits to California in 2014 and Washington in 2015. In the U. S. capital to cover the last Vidal-Jacobson diplomatic session, Cristina made history and headlines when she fired six pertinent and pro-Cuban questions at a White House news conference hosted by President Obama's chief spokesman Josh Earnest. Her brilliance, and perhaps her audacity, impressed Washington's most famed veteran journalists, including NBC's Andrea Mitchell who made it a point to congratulate the new face of Cuba. Cristina graciously surprised Andrea Mitchell with this reply: "Thank you so much. I have admired you as a broadcast journalist all my life." If someone from Miami or Washington like Marco Rubio or Ted Cruz are not the future faces of Cuba, Cristina Escobar will remain the face of Cuba for years to come. She is bound and determined that she and her generation of young Cubans on the island will "save and improve on the revolution." She defiantly says, "I don't want the U. S. to bring me democracy." You can hear her say such words on two newly posted videos on YouTube based on interviews journalist Tracey Eaton managed to obtain on a January trip to the island. She doesn't need Teleprompters, which she doesn't even use as a television anchor. To know Cuba, you need to know her. In the Eaton interviews you will note she speaks forcefully and eloquently about Cuba and the U. S. as long as the cameras keep rolling. But beyond all that, it's Cristina Escobar's camaraderie and influence with Cuba's young-adult generation that probably gives her the edge...over even Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz...to remain the new Face of Cuba. 

       When she is not on television as Cuba's most popular news anchor, Cristina Escobar is mostly with her friends. This photo shows them after a hike to the top of Cuba's highest peak, 7,200 feet atop Turquino Peak to visit the Jose Marti statue. That's Cristina in the lower-central just above the left shoulder of her friend Lisandra Farinas who is wearing the green blouse and hat. Cristina is hunched down at the right elbow of the kneeling and hatless Jorge Hernandez Alvarez. If Cristina has her way, and well she might, young Cubans like these will decide Cuba's post-Castro future, an impending event as Fidel approaches his 90th birth and Raul is almost 85. It may come down to Cristina...or Miami and Washington.

       Still atop Turquino Peak, can you spot Cristina? That's her in the sunglasses third from the left right above the girl wearing eyeglasses and the green hat. Cristina's friend Lisandra Farinas is at the top in the red blouse pointing up at the Marti statue. Outings with friends like these "refurbish my engine," she says.

         Cristina Escobar with young friends discussing Cuba's future. That's Cristina in the upper-left holding her right hand up to her hair. Lisandra Farinas is sitting in the lower-left right beside the young man.

 Christina, on the left, is shown here attending a graduation ceremony. 

In the black dress beside Cristina is Dalia Delgado.

Cristina, in the upper-center, swimming with friends.

That's Patricia Sanchez Peres on the right.

Cristina in the front-center in white, with Claudia Fonseca Sosa on her left.

Cristina Escobar relaxing at home in Havana.

C

Cristina Escobar, cover girl.

Cristina Escobar, anchorwoman.

YouTube image of Cristina during last month's Tracey Eaton interview.

Cristina critiquing her taped newscast.

Cristina emotional during this heartbreaking street interview.

Cristina Escobar, a bit sad.

Cristina, smiling for a studio photograph.

Cristina, a pensive studio photograph.

Cristina, a satisfied smile.

Cristina, bashful when studio photographer complimented her "naturalness."

Cristina being interviewed by CCTV America.

Cristina being interviewed by Telesur network.

Cristina, stopped for an interview.

Cristina, in pink in the first row, is happiest when with her friends.

Cristina, getting primed to conduct an interview for her newscast.

Cristina getting ready to conduct that interview.

Cristina, conducting on-set interview with Professor Jorge Hernandez.

Cristina asking Josh Earnest one of her six questions at the White House.

Cristina stopped for an interview after the historic White House news conference.

{Unfazed in the Washington parking lot, this is on YouTube}

Cristina, back in Havana as the island's telegenic news anchor.

Cristina, studying her notes before the camera's red light comes on.

The face of Cuba's future, maybe.

If it's not Cristina's, it likely will be these.

She's a long-shot, but also a formidable one.

Cristina: "Cubans in Miami and Washington must never dictate to us Cubans."

{If Cuba has a future, it's Cristina Escobar}

If she loses, Cuba and America both lose.

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FEEL THE BERN, Please

The U.S., Media, and Democracy
{Saturday, February 13th, 2016}

       This is Bernie Sanders. He was born with reddish hair 74 years ago in Brooklyn, New York. He is a Jew. He is also a socialist. And he hates America's money-crazed, bought-and-paid-for political system. He is also, as money-crazed Hillary Clinton now admits, a serious Presidential candidate. I mention him in these terms for this reason: Fox News, the right-wing propaganda machine that is working hard to elect Republican Marco Rubio, is apparently not familiar with Bernie, who this week won a smashing victory in New Hampshire's first presidential primary of 2016. Jimmy Fallon is the satirist and host of The Tonight Show on NBC-TV. Wednesday night this week Fallon showed videos of two high-profile Fox anchors who apparently are not familiar with Bernie. Megyn Kelly called him "Bernie Sandals." Bret Baier called him "Bernie Sandwiches." I kid you not! I assume Megyn Kelly, right after her huge new book deal, had just bought some expensive new footwear and Bret Baier probably was just hungry. Anyway, As Jimmy Fallon expected when he showed those videos, I and millions of others literally laughed out loud. But we sincerely hope Fox News will learn his last name by the time President Bernie Sanders takes over the White House. Propaganda machines or not, the precipitous descent of the U. S. media is no laughing matter, as this very endless presidential campaign so vividly reveals.

      Today -- Friday, February 12th -- this political cartoon is flashing around the U. S. in USA Today and hundreds of other newspapers. It originated in the Los Angeles Times via the Pulitzer Prize-winning pen of David Horsey. It points out that even young women, who would love to finally see a female American President, prefer the elderly male Bernie Sanders because...they believe he is not bought-and-paid-for.

       In the American political arena -- where billionaires, pundits, and propagandists rule -- there is no way that Bernie Sanders could possibly be a serious threat to become President of the United States, is there? Well, yes, there is. Two generations of Americans since the end of World War II in 1945 have allowed their democracy to become a bought-and-paid-for platform for corporate and individual billionaires. It appeared that a Supreme Court ruling in 2010, which permits unlimited political donations from shady billionaires, had put the final nail in democracy's coffin in the United States. But, lo 'n behold, along comes a young generation of Americans, both male and female, who apparently want to save America's democracy, which would entail reclaiming it from the clutches of the billionaire Hedge Fund and Wall Street usurpers who have purchased it. America's fed-up young-adult generation wants democracy back. And that's why Bernie Sanders, and Donald Trump for that matter, have defied every prediction made by the pundits.

Bernie, nearing 75, is too old to be President of the United States.

Bernie is a Socialist, which disqualifies him from being a U. S. President.

Bernie...OMG!!...wants a "Political Revolution."

       Bernie believes that the nation that is #1 in billionaires should not also be #1 in childhood poverty and also should not be #1 in income and wealth inequality. The greedy billionaires who oppose Bernie and aim to keep the status quo, which also means expanding and exacerbating their extreme greed, supposedly had purchased the entire two-party political system in the United States after first easily purchasing the U. S. Congress. But Bernie, and the crude non-politician Trump, apparently don't know what "supposedly" means. Therefore, there appear to be enough democracy-lovers in the United States, especially Bernie's prime constituency of young-adults, who want to reclaim their democracy from cruel billionaires.

    Bernie's acceptance speech in New Hampshire Tuesday night.

          In New Hampshire Tuesday Bernie Sanders overwhelmed the presumed Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton 60% to 38%. The voters clearly favored anti-billionaire Bernie over Clinton's rich connections.

       But the image of CNN pundits like Amanda Carpenter also reveals why so many American democracy-lovers are totally fed-up with a bought-and-paid-for political system. The biggest applause Bernie Sanders got in his acceptance speech Tuesday night was when he said that the results in New Hampshire "should send a message to the corporate media." Amanda Carpenter is typical of what the media -- television and print -- has evolved into, which is a vast propaganda machine funded by the corporate billionaires who own all the broadcast networks. CNN is a middle-of-the-road outfit, neither right-wing like Fox nor left-wing like MSNBC. But like the rest of the U. S. media, CNN is shaped by billionaire corporate owners who prefer, when it comes to news, propaganda machines. That's why CNN stresses biased pundits like...Amanda Carpenter. She began her punditry career with the right-wing Washington Times and then wrote an obligatory and self-proclaimed "Right-Wing Conspiracy..." book. She then became the Communicators Director for right-wing extremist Ted Cruz. So, as an insult to Americans and to democracy, CNN presents Amanda Carpenter and many like her as their "Political Analysts" that Americans are not supposed to believe are totally and self-servingly biased, in her case for Ted Cruz. That makes even middle-of -the-road CNN nothing more and nothing less than a propaganda machine. AND THAT'S WHY, IN HIS ACCEPTANCE SPEECH, BERNIE GOT THE LOUDEST APPLAUSE TUESDAY NIGHT WHEN HE ASSAILED "THE MEDIA." 

       While Amanda Carpenter is CNN's propagandist for Ted Cruz, Ana Navarro, also disguised as a political analyst, is CNN's propagandist for first Jeb Bush and secondly Marco Rubio, both of whom she has worked for from her base in Miami. Exposing the U. S. media as a propaganda machine is, perhaps, one of the greatest achievements of Bernie Sanders, probably ranking right below his exposure of billionaires as the biggest threat to the American democracy that he and his young-adult constituency are trying to reclaim.

       Bernie is still a long-shot in his bid to become the next U. S. President. But his eloquent wisdom and decency has revealed his abiding love for democracy and his visceral dislike for the self-serving billionaires who have purchased it and, with their unlimited Super Pacs, intend to maintain ownership of the precious gift that Americans were bequeathed by the Founding Fathers. Bernie Sanders, with the like-minded and brilliant democracy-lover Elizabeth Warren as his Vice President, could possibly become President even at his age and with a vast army of billionaires as his enemy. In his New Hampshire acceptance speech Bernie said, "We must save this nation and this democracy from right-wing Republicans." If he, followed by Elizabeth Warren, can do that, he will have made his mark on history...and in a good way.

In other words:

       If Bernie can keep Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio or Jeb Bush out of the White House in 2017, the right-wingers and their vast armies of billionaire donors will have felt the bern in defense of America's precious democracy, one that a handful of vile billionaires should be allowed to vote in but not purchase like its a prized mansion. The February 9th edition of USA Today featured a full-page "analysis" of the top 21 billionaires intent on putting the likes of a Cruz or a Rubio or a Bush in the White House in 2017, because it is well known that those three -- unlike Bernie Sanders and even the crude non-politician Trump -- are bought-and-paid-for. That huge USA Today article is entitled "Meet The Super Rich Driving Election," in case you want to see the 21 billionaires intent on purchasing the presidency instead of just being voters.

      Cuba is merely an island but right-wingers controlling America's Cuban policy since the 1950s have used Cuba to harm the worldwide image of the United States more than with any other single topic. A Bush or a Cruz or a Rubio in the White House in 2017 would not only continue that image but expand it, unmindful of anything except the handful of billionaires that bought-and-paid for them. These unseemly billionaires -- such as the 21 listed in Tuesday's USA Today -- unwittingly spawned the alternative candidacies of Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump. However, even after the messages sent this week by the voters in New Hampshire, don't underestimate the power or the determination of the right-wing billionaires who believe the U. S. should be an oligarchy owned by them, not a democracy that serves its decent people.

      While Cuba, indeed, is only an embargoed island -- and a very poor one -- it also has a vastly over-sized status on the world stage. That is because Cuba says more about the United States than it says about Cuba. And what it says is...the right-wingers who control America's Cuban policy don't give a damn what the rest of the world says about it. But they care a whole lot about the billionaires who bought-and-paid for them.

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