Saturday, May 7, 2011

Criminalization of the Internet in Cuba

Yenisel Rodriguez Perez: I graduated in socio-cultural studies and I
like anthropology. I'm a member of the Haydee Santamaria Collective and
the Critical Observatory, initiatives for critical thought and action.
My daily actions are inspired by the aim of every individual and
workplace participating in the design of their own social reality. I
promote cooperative work and self-management solidarity. I belong to a
generation that must reconstruct civic culture in Cuba, that's why I am
writing at this site.

Criminalization of the Internet in Cuba
May 7, 2011

The Cuban state and government have deployed a mass media campaign to
politically criminalize the Internet. The argument is that it is part of
one of the strategies for political intervention by the United States
into Cuban affairs.

Once again the logical fallacy is being applied, according to which
there exist only two political positions in the country: leftist
anti-imperialism of the socialist brand (though actually statist
nationalism) and the extreme right position that favors annexation by
the US.

Based on the ideology of the false dilemma, they've constructed a
performance in counterpoint between the well-known dissident blogger
Yoani Sanchez and a blogger defending the regime (an angelical
nationalist blond). According to the line of the media campaign, these
two sides represent the political positions of Cuban cyberspace. The
"good guy," of course, they define as the angelical blogger upholding
the regime.

Nevertheless, we know that the Cuban political situation is much more
diverse and complex than that presented by this false dilemma. For
example, there exist online spaces such as Havana Times, where the
diversity of opinions goes beyond ravenous annexationism and cheap
nationalism.

HT is a vehicle, in my very personal opinion, of a common interest for
generating democratic consensuses on the principal problems that affect
our country. Free of the doctrinal complicities of the Cuban regime and
with no ties to financial contracts of the empires to the north, its
bloggers hold diverse political opinions when it comes time to formulate
and publish their ideas.

I personally know social democrats, anarchists and communists of the old
guard (to borrow from the old phraseology) to only mention three classic
molds. Nevertheless, I don't fail to recognize that political positions
exist that are not included in the debates presented by Havana Times.

Therefore, how can one define from the ideology of the false dilemma the
diverse lines of Havana Times? This is an indispensable question around
which plenty of debate could be generated.

In any case, the new government offensive against debate in cyberspace,
that some of us Cubans have access to, is worrisome. It is an orthodox
assault by the regime that is taking advantage of the difficult
international situation to settle some of its old accounts before an
international opinion dizzied in the face of war.

In the present political conjuncture we need the unity of all of us
Cuban bloggers who don't accept the reductionist duality promoted today
under the ideological fallacy of the false dilemma. Prior to any
authoritarian assault against the new socio-virtual networks, we must
consolidate our forums for debate.

http://www.havanatimes.org/?p=43076

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