The Conspiracy Theorists

The Conspiracy Theorists
July 14, 2012
Armando Chaguaceda

HAVANA TIMES — Over the past several day there have appeared in various
blogs from the island, and in their international replicas, accusations
pertaining to the counterrevolutionary, conspiratorial and mercenary
character of different cultural and media projects – including Havana Times.

The casual repetition of the attack has generated indignation and alarm
among those of us who participate in this medium. This has led to a
series of personal and collective responses that are seeking to curb or
reverse those accusations and their possible effects.

Here is mine.

Those defamatory posts must be read not only for what they write but
also in the context in which they were written. The universal gravity of
any personal defamation is seen compounded now by the anonymous
character of some of the allegations, and — in the Cuban context — the
lopsidedness of the resources that exist between those who are
unleashing their diatribes and their targets.
The first ones (under personal signatures or pseudonymous) presumably
have the sponsorship or approval of institutions and official points of
views. The second group must count on inexhaustible moral arguments and
the solidarity of decent people of very limited legal resources.

All of this operates in a context where the prerogatives of the state —
and the state's underlings — usually prevail over the guarantees and
rights of citizens, communities and sometimes meritorious officials and
institutions committed to legality and human dignity.

Those public prosecutors of cyberspace are a clear expression of the
"conspiratorial" phenomenon, in which — under a deformation of the rules
and content of public and ideological debate — rumors are substituted
for arguments, defamation for ethics, and police logic for ideology.

By confusing the diversity of opinions for a conspiracy planned and
plotted from some "command post," the "conspiracy theorists" are doing
nothing more than searching for others in the mirror that reflect their
modes and motives for interpreting and commenting on the situation that
surrounds them.

Having vetoed (or castrated) independent thinking and autonomy, the
conspiracy theorists believe that everyone is of their same condition
and, therefore, their interpretation is that we HT columnists follow the
same logic of that brilliant work by Eduardo del Llano: Brainstorm.

In that short film, mediocrity, dissimulation and lack of initiative
characterized the exercise of neutered journalism, in a clear reflection
of the appalling conditions that hinder the development of a press such
as Cuba's.

In this way, contrasted with the richness and even the contradictions
that fill up the columns of HT, these individuals expand their paranoia
(and amplify it to their captive audiences) presenting as conspirators
these ordinary citizens exercising their right, enshrined in the
constitution, to express themselves freely, without agendas or concealed
sponsorship.

There's another feature that attracts the attention of those who accuse
us: their apparent overlooking of the problems and processes of our
country and the world in the face of the obsessive priority of
presenting supposed "evidence" and "proof" about those voices that upset
them.

As it's known, among the HT columnists are written posts relating to a
host of national and global issues — existential or political concerns,
sports and the environment, gender and artistic issues — as a sign of a
healthy open-mindedness, where the emphasis and priorities of each
columnist are complemented by the interests and views of the others, not
to mention comments from our readers.

This creates a rich setting for dialogue that usually is not appreciated
by extremists, who wish to portray the island and the world as a
paradise or hell, depending on their interests.

Instead, it appears that our detractors live in a world and, especially,
in a country where all the problems afflicting the people have been
solved. They also think that their neighbors and fellow citizens also
live as they do.

Flowing from their logic, problems of the everyday lives of each citizen
should be subordinated to geopolitical calculations and the peculiar
vision that supports the ever changing raision d'etat (reason of the state).

If there's an outbreak of an epidemic, if there's a water shortage or if
the transportation situation is worsening — to cite only a few examples
of everyday stress — the "conspiracy theorists" maintain that none of
these situations are relevant to their fellow citizens.

The priority is to make every Cuban understand that conditions in other
countries are worse, and that these problems are the fault of external
factors. Yet when things can no longer be concealed, the goal is to at
least minimize public exposure so as to "not to give weapons to the enemy."

With ideological debate and assessments absent, the nature of the
"conspiracy theorists'" posts exposes them as thematically biased
products and, apparently, tele-guided drones.

In their model of the press, their personal agendas merge in a slightly
dissonant script, in which many actors play the same character with
almost identical lines.

The conspiratorial chorus in which there exists emulation, within the
framework of a production plan of injuries, it seems to nourish itself
from the airs of competition and efficiency being experienced by the
country within the so-called "updating of the model."

If the cultivators of "conspiranoia" persist along this line, there
won't be any problem – we won't join in the competition.

If they want to continue their slander, through cliques or circulars,
against those of us who practice — as chroniclers or citizens — our
always personal and unfinished commitment to the truth, let them go
ahead and do it.

But I hope they understand that they will face our responses, personal
and concerted, in all the public and legal settings available.

http://www.havanatimes.org/?p=74332