Don’t Call Me a Traitor, Because I’m Not

Don't Call Me a Traitor, Because I'm Not
October 22, 2012
Rosa Martinez

HAVANA TIMES — All around the world people are writing stories and
articles on the internet telling about their lives and those of others,
as well as discussing what's happening in their neighborhoods, provinces
and countries.

Cubans are one of the few peoples on the planet who can't do this
freely, at least not the way we'd like.

Firstly, the vast majority of Cubans have the misfortune of not having
internet access. Secondly, when we write about our island, it seems
we're obligated to be either for or against the government, no other
position is accepted.

This means that if you harshly criticize the socialist regime that has
ruled here for more than 50 years, you'll find immediate support from
the anti-Castro folks abroad, regardless of what you say is being half
true, half false or simply fabricated.

Likewise, those people who for some reason — political or not — write
posts criticizing capitalism and praising the achievements of the Cuban
Revolution are often doomed to hearing insults and curses.

For some time, Havana Times and it writers (some of them) have been
branded "hirelings of the empire."

I won't stop to explain to our readers that we're a self-funded site,
(one that doesn't receive funding from the US or Cuban governments), as
the editor has explained previously in interviews.

What I do believe is worth recalling is those people who write logs for
this site are only interested in telling their stories, which may be the
same ones as thousands upon thousands of other Cubans, or they may be
shared by only a few. The point is that these stories and articles
express the reality of Cuba – something that's not found in the official
Cuban media or in the "independent" sites of right-wing extremists.

Obviously some of our contributors have pro-capitalist ideas, though we
also have some who advocate socialism – people like me.

I support socialism now and I'll always support it …I'm not ashamed of
that. Though I've never lived under capitalism, I know that it isn't the
solution to the human misery around us.

Clearly I'm not so blind or naive to believe that our model is the one
that will solve all the problems of our society — assuming there's a
system that can do that — but I am confident that the updating of the
model can accomplish that.

And if this doesn't occur, I'm even more confident that the Cuban people
will be able to find their own way, with the help of all of us – those
on the right and on the left, those who trust in Raul and those who
don't, those who trust only in themselves and those who don't trust anyone.

As a Cuban, I want to be able to talk about not only the positive
aspects of my country, but also its shortcomings when I deem this necessary.

I want to give my opinion about how to achieve a more equitable society
that's more developed economically, as well as to criticize the
weaknesses of the revolution, if by doing so I can help I strengthen the
system.

This is something that I want to do and that needs to be done, but
without those who believe themselves to be "revolutionaries" calling me
a traitor – because I'm not.

http://www.havanatimes.org/?p=80678