REFLECTIONS OF FIDEL
(Taken from CubaDebate)
(Taken from CubaDebate)
THE search for political truth will always be a difficult task, even in
our times when science has placed a large body of knowledge in our hands. One
of the most significant aspects of this scientific knowledge has been learning
of and studying the fabulous power of energy contained in matter.
The discoverer of this energy and its potential use was a peaceful and
good-natured man who, in spite of his repudiation of violence and war, sought
its development in the United States, during the Presidency of Franklin D.
Roosevelt, who was known to have an anti-fascist position, and the leader of a
capitalist country in deep crisis, which he had contributed to saving with
strong measures which earned him the hatred of the extreme right wing of his
own class. Today, this state is imposing on the world the most brutal and
dangerous dictatorship that our fragile species has known.
Cables from the United States and its NATO allies refer to the crimes
committed by these countries and their accomplices. The most important cities
of the United States and Europe are seeing constant pitched battles between
demonstrators and well trained and fed police agents, with armored cars and
protective gear, dispensing blows and kickings and firing gases at women and
men, arm-locking the hands and necks of young and old, displaying to the world
actions being committed against the rights and lives of citizens of their own
countries.
For how much longer will these barbarities continue?
In order not to write extensively, given that these tragedies will be
ever-increasingly presented on television and through the press in general, and
will be like the bread denied every day to those who have least, I will cite a
report received today from an important Western news agency:
"Huge swathes of the Japanese Pacific coastline could be inundated,
with 20-meter-plus (112ft) waves hitting areas from Tokyo down to the
southwestern island of Kyushu, according to the revised calculations of a
government panel.
"A 34-meter tsunami could hit the Japanese coast in the wake of a
massive (Magnitude 9) earthquake, the expert panel said after revising its
worst case scenario projections.
"In its previous projection in 2003 the panel gave a worst case
scenario in which no areas would be hit by a tsunami of more than 20 meters
(66ft).
"The Fukushima plant was designed to resist a 6-meter (20ft)
tsunami, less than half the height of the wave that hit it on March 11,
2011."
But there is no cause for concern. Another cable datelined two days ago,
March 30, can soothe such fears. It comes from a really well known news source.
I will synthesize it in a few words: "If you were a football player, Arab
sheik or director of a large multinational, what type of technology would you
crave?"
"Recently, certain well-known London luxury stores opened entire
sections for technology lovers with fat wallets.
"Million-dollar televisions, Ferrari video cameras and personal
submarines are some of the fetishes to delight millionaires."
"The million-dollar television is the jewel in the crown."
"In the case of Apple, the company is committed to supplying stores
with its new products on the same day as their launch on the market."
"Let’s suppose that we have left our mansion and are already bored
with hanging out with our yacht, limousine, helicopter or jet. We still have
the option of buying a personal submarine or one for two people."
The options continue with rust-proof cell phones, 1.2GHz word processors
with 8G memory, NFC technology for making payments by cell phone. Ferrari
manufactured video cameras."
Compatriots, capitalism really is a marvelous thing! Perhaps we are to
be blamed for every citizen not having a personal submarine on the beach.
It is they and not me who have put Arab sheiks and directors of large
transnationals in the same bag along with football players. At least the latter
entertain millions of people and are not enemies of Cuba. I must clarify that.
Fidel Castro Ruz
April 1, 2012
8:35 p.m.
Translated by Granma International
