Brian Latell Demonizes Fidel on C-Span 2
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Brian Latell Demonizes Fidel on C-Span 2
Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit
"Latell states Raul is an alcoholic and questions how he would lead in a
crisis. I have no idea if Raul is an alcoholic or not. Frankly, I don't
care. I am more concerned about Bush's alcoholism than the possible
alcoholism of Raul."
sent by Joan Malerich - Nov 13, 2005
Brian Latell Demonizes Fidel on C-Span's "Book TV"
Author of "After Fidel" Spins Wild Tales about Cuba
I just watched the C-Span 2 "Book TV" with Brian Latell, author of "After
Fidel. Latell is an ex-CIA agent and professor at Georgetown University.
Well, I imagine most of you can predict the flavor of his commentary....
Progressives should write, call or e-mail C-Span to let the station know
they are aware of of Mr. Latell's manipulating the truth with the idea of
brainwashing the US public to accepting a military invasion of Cuba. The
e-mail address for "Book TV" is boo...@c-span.org.
The following are just a few of the misrepresentations and outright lies
Latell propagated:
1. Fidel "resented" his father--just exactly how does Latell know this and
why is this important in regard to the sovereignty of Cuba and US invasion
plans of Cuba?
2. Latell: Fidel promised elections and Fidel lied.
Truth: Cuba has the most democratic elections possible. They are based on
the truly grassroots municipal elections, where areas are divided into
groups of approximately 300. The Communist party is NOT allowed to nominate
candidates nor interfere in these elections. No money nor campaigning is
allowed. Two to eight run for each delegate position. Candidates post in
public places their resume with their picture. The community knows if they
have worked on issues such as education, housing, healthcare etc. A delegate
must have over 50 percent of the vote to be elected. If no delegate gets
over 50 percent, there is a run-off of the top two candidates until one does
receive over 50 percent. ALL are subject to recall and all must report back
to their community what they have done and are doing to fulfill their
promises. These municipal delegates serve as the base of delegates for the
provincial elections and the National Assembly of the People's Power
elections (NAPP).
The NAPP is composed of over 600 people from all walks of life--farmers,
clerical, service-level workers, intellectuals, artists etc. It is the
legislative branch of the government. The NAPP elects a Council, which
nominates candidates for President. Fidel is always nominated and wins. So,
what is wrong with that??
Before the Revolution, there was a huge infant mortality rate (some reports
show it at 60%), a high rate of illiteracy, the poor could not afford
college, there were homeless etc. Now, Cuba has a lower rate infant
mortality rate than the US, has almost 100% literacy, has universal
single-payer healthcare, no homeless etc. Fidel was instrumental in reaching
and maintaining these accomplishments.
Why not Fidel? Why should the U.S. care who is president of Cuba? One thing
you can count on is if the overwhelming majority of Cubans wanted Fidel out,
he would be out tomorrow. The fact is the overwhelming majority of Cubans in
Cuba support Fidel and support their revolution.
3. Latell tells a story of Fidel making Raul kill a Cuban in Mexico shortly
before the revolutionaries left on the Granma for Cuba. From whom did Latell
get this story? Was it from a US-supported counter-revolutionary? How does
Latell know he has all of the "facts"? Documented facts are NOT part of
Latell's account in any part of his presentations. In fact, Latell has
served as a spokesman for the Cuban American Exile Miami terrorists and
seems to take what they say as "fact."
4. Latell says at one point that these stories have never been told before.
Now, doesn't that make one wonder why? Actually, most have been told
before--by the exile terrorists. Latell goes on and on about how Fidel
committed heinous acts of violence and even states that possibly Fidel has a
"gene in him for violence."
5. Latell claims that Fidel and Raul competed with each other to see who
could perform the most executions. The first question to ask, of course, is
where did Latell get this information. This could come only from the
opposition.
6. Latell states Fidel is failing cognitively and physically and suffering
from the early stages of dementia and physical problems. This is what the
exiles have said for years, yet Fidel was quite lucid when interviewed by
Oliver Stone in "Comandante" and "Looking for Fidel." I am sure he has
slipped from his prime, but haven't we all? Could one reason for the US
media censoring Stone's "Comandante" and "Looking for Fidel" be that the US
moneyed "powers that be" do not want the US public to see and hear Fidel, to
see and hear reality?
7. Latell states Raul is an alcoholic and questions how he would lead in a
crisis. I have no idea if Raul is an alcoholic or not. Frankly, I don't
care. I am more concerned about Bush's alcoholism than the possible
alcoholism of Raul.
The following are answers from the Question and Answer Part of the program:
8. Latell: Fidel is a narcissist and scores 100% on psychological tests for
narcissism. I am sure Fidel is aware of his talents, as are most leaders.
This labeling of narcissism is absurd. If that label has to be used, it
should be placed on the planners of mass murders such as Kissinger. Latell
also claims Fidel is psychopathic.
9. A member of the audience asks about Raul's sexual life--another example
of the US public's idiotic obsession with personal details, rather than
political facts.
Latell answers that he does not discuss Raul nor Fidel's sexual lives, but
Latell goes on to discuss the paternity issue of Fidel and Raul and claims
that they had different fathers and says this explains the difference
between Fidel and Raul's physical appearance and character. Latell claims
he found hidden-away information that supports they may have different
fathers.
What in the hell does it matter if they do or do not have different
fathers??? Has the US public sunk so low that they need to know of this
possibility to justify an invasion of Cuba and a demonization of Fidel?
10. Question on the Chavez/Fidel connection: Latell goes on and on about
Fidel talking to Chavez all the time--every day on the telephone. Latell
says Chavez is no Fidel--that he does not have the intelligence of Fidel,
but he has Fidel on the telephone everyday. Of course, no mention nor honor
is given to the fact that Chavez/Venezuela and Fidel/Cuba worked in unity
for the welfare of the people, to provide social programs--healthcare and
literacy programs especially--fair trade agreements that support the people
and TELESUR, the South American TV station that allows Latin Americans to
see themselves in all their colors, instead of black and white CNN style
reporting. Latell is smart enough to know the public may not accept his
demonization of Chavez, so he tries to paint Chavez as mentally inferior and
thereby easy prey for Fidel's evil genius.
11. Adriana Bosch, who did the propaganda film, "Fidel Castro," which PBS
broadcast several times, asks if there is a third man in line. Latell
responds that the Castro brothers cannot see a third person and that both
are dangerous.
The truth that Latell avoids: Many have been trained for leadership.
Probably the most important is Minister of Foreign Affairs, Filipe
Perez-Roque, who is one of the youngest Ministers of Foreign Affairs in the
world. He and several other people have been groomed for leadership,
including the presidency.
12. Question on where does Alarcon (Ricardo Alarcon, President of the
National Assembly of People's Power) stands in all of this.
Latell answers: "...Alarcon is insignificant" and says that Raul holds
Alarcon in contempt. The truth is that Alarcon is a very significant figure
in Cuban politics. He is a brilliant man and widely respected and loved by
the overwhelming majority of Cubans. I do not know if Raul holds him in
contempt, though I strongly doubt that he does. What exactly is the Latell's
source for his claim? He doesn't say.
13. Answering another question about what would be the difference in Cuba/US
relations if Raul became president, Latell goes on about hypothetical
situations. Most outrageous of all is his claim that Fidel never would
cooperate with the US, especially not in intelligence. He goes on to
criticize Cuba for harboring fugitives from justice.
Think back to the summer of 1998, when the US pretended they wanted to share
intelligence with Cuba. Cuba responded by inviting top FBI officials to
Havana and gave them over 1000 pages of documents, tapes and videos gathered
by Cuban intelligence, that showed US terrorism against Cuba. The FBI
thanked the Cubans and said they would get back to them within two-three
weeks. They never got back to Cuba but instead arrested the Cuban Five, who
were nonviolently infiltrating the Cuban-American exile terrorists groups,
so they could report back to Cuba about terrorist actions being planned from
US soil.
The Cuban Five were ANTI-terrorists. As Fidel stated, had the US cooperated
with Cuba, it may have been possible to prevent the terrorist attacks of
September 11, 2001, as many of the hijackers were in Miami. One thing Cuba
does have is excellent intelligence. They have to have this, as they do not
have nuclear weapons nor the huge military of the Empire. They have to be
able to defend themselves by some means.
Regarding Cuba harboring criminals or fugitives from justice: Ask what the
US is doing harboring Posada Carriles and his Cuban-American
fellow-terrorist, Orlando Bosch, who conspired to blow up the Cubana
Airlined in 1976 that killed 73 innocent people. Of course, Posada and Bosch
are only two of the thousnds of Cuban exile terrorists inside the US, most
residing in Miami, Florida.
14. Latell repeats the lie that Fidel bragged and fantasized about the
possibility of shooting Khrushchev when Fidel was on a hunting trip with
Khrushchev. Adriana Bosch, the Cuban Exile and producer of the propaganda
film "Fidel Castro" said this was a true story.
Anyone who watches the documentary film, "Fidel: The Untold Story," by
Estella Bravo, will see Fidel telling this story. He was not bragging nor
fantasizing. It was told with humor and in context. Of course, PBS has never
broadcast "Fidel: The Untold Story."
There are other outrageous remarks made by Latell. However, the above is
enough to consider and keep in mind should you watch this absurd propaganda
parading as the truth on C-Span 2's "Book TV." I imagine it will shown at
least a couple more times today, Sunday, November 13.
Please watch it, and then contact C-Span 2 regarding Latell's presentation.
Ask C-Span why they have never broadcast Estella Bravo's "Fidel: The Untold
Story," or Oliver Stone's two documentaries, or why they have never
interviewed Jane Franklin, author of "Cuba and US: A Chronological History."
The e-mail address for "Book TV" is boo...@c-span.org.
Joan Malerich
*
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