Two Overseas "Journalists"

Two Overseas "Journalists" / Fernando Dámaso
Fernando Dámaso, Translator: Unstated

For some time two journalists – one, a Cuban based in Miami, and the
other, a French Canadian based in Havana, each appearing in one of the
national publications with a daily circulation – dedicate themselves to
reviling Miami and the Cubans who live there. They refer to the city as
an enclave of anti-Cuban mafia terrorism and its inhabitants as mafiosi
and terrorists. The arguments put forth in their articles, which more
closely resemble broadsides, are puerile and primitive, mixing a few
accepted facts with fantasy, fiction, gossip and mental lucubration, all
in the unfiltered prose of yellow journalism.

Let's consider the Miami-based journalist, who never fails to delight us
with one of his profound and illuminating articles. These days he
unleashes attacks on the market economy, freedom of the press and
multi-party government. His justifications seem to have been borrowed
from one of those manuals on economics and politicsby the Sovietsthat
proliferated so widely in the era when they were our older brothers.
Perhaps it was an article intended for the recent Aquelarre Humor
Festival but was mistakenly delivered to the wrong address.

I should point out that this Miami based journalist has decided not to
be report from Havana but makes the sacrifice of residing in enemy
territory where, because of the daily violence, he must arm himself,
travel with a bodyguard and seek out psychiatric care in order to be
able to deal with the stress of feeling he could be attacked an any
given moment. Faced with this horrible situation,I imagine that, in
addition to the fee he receives for the articles he writes, he must also
receive some sort of hazardous duty pay. Having to risk one's life every
day is no easy thing.

Since he has decided not to reside here and continues to make the
sacrifice of living over there, it would be desirable if, at least at
some point, he took a lookin situ at how difficult life is for people
who live without a market economy, freedom of the press or multi-party
government. I believe that it is only in Cuba and North Korea where none
of these three things exist, and only China and Vietnam that do not have
the last two. In the world's other countries all three exist to a
greater or lesser degree. To try to lecture Cubans over here while
enjoying the benefits ofa market economy, freedom of the press or
multi-party government over there is, as we say,not very ethical.

July 17 2012

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