Cuba. I got in an argument recently with a born again Christian. She accused me of being gullible. She said that I don’t know anything about the package called Fidel Castro. She listed some real derogatory attributes of the gentleman. She told me (born again Christians get their info from the Mr. Jesse Helms and friends group) all about bondage in Cuba (flies in the face of God), and dishonesty (flies in the face of God), and killing people (state executions) who don’t agree with him (flies in the face of God).
Now I don’t know all the innards of Mister Fidel’s business. Who knows, maybe under his skin he is the low down lying sleazy scumbag she says he is. After all, the man is a lawyer. And we know that they can argue both sides of a matter…and on principle take the side that is paying the heftier fee!
There is an important point the born again Christian sister has not deliberated on, that she cannot ignore. Yes, there is a major fly in her ointment. You cannot measure a man in bondage with the same yardstick you use to measure a free man. Fidel and his people live under the barrel of a gun…embargoed, bombarded with propaganda and threats, invaded, assaulted by the powerful Americans. Cuba is a state at war…for all these years.
No, you cannot compare the Cuban system with a free system because ever since the Cuban Revolution, America, the most powerful nation on the planet, has had them under siege.
I expect that all Cubans, including Fidel, being that they are human beings like the rest of us, would want to go listen to Sparrow sing in Trinidad and watch the damned Yankees play ball in new York. Unfortunately, there are certain deprivations when you are at war. I expect that all Cubans, being that they are human beings like the rest of us, would like a heavy coating of creamy butter on, and a thick piece of Dutch cheese with, their Johnnycake. Unfortunately, there are certain austerities when you are at war.
The knowledge I have of Cuba is that they didn’t want to go there. The knowledge I have is that the enemies of the glorious Revolution pushed Fidel there. The Cuban Revolution did not get a chance. If the Revolution had been given a chance and they insisted on being as repressive as she says they are, I might share the position of the sister.
The guilty party here I believe is the American Religious Right. I laud the Religious Right for their determination to lead us on the straight and narrow path. But their militancy in the name of United Fruit and American Imperialism, that is not from Christ.
Finally, I want to say something about America…and the bomb. American stewardship of the bomb in our hemisphere has been wanting. From their vantage they can do great good. Instead, they have used the bomb to wage an unholy war against Cuba (most of the world thinks so!), encouraged belligerent Guatemala in its unfair claim to our land (the whole world thinks so!), and propped up despotic governments in Haiti, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and other places in the Americas in the past. Because of poor American stewardship of the bomb, others in our hemisphere are now aspiring.
We don’t want any more bombs in our part of the world. For that position to be maintained, America has to walk closer to Christ…and further from the old warmongering prophets.
Santa Rosa R. There is at least one other Santa Rosa in Belize. It is situated along the Southern Highway in the Stann Creek District. Maybe when we refer to the renegade Santa Rosa we should call it Santa Rosa R, to differentiate it from the legitimate Santa Rosa S.C.
Folklore Foundation. I couldn’t get the terms I wanted for my last novel, the Curse of the Hnf, so I decided to self-publish. The Folklore Foundation generously loaned me some money for that project. The Folklore Foundation has a revolving fund, administered mostly by Mr. Mick Craig. The way it works is that when you pay back, they fund another local writer. So, it is absolutely critical that they get their money.
I have not paid the Folklore Foundation to date. The Hnf is a very juicy book but I have not made a lot of sales. The truth is that I have not tried hard enough. I thought that selling cheap would make do, but it hasn’t. The most important real about this business, is that you know people in the Ministry of Education. I don’t know any. The second most important real, is that you know teachers. I know very few.
Most (almost all) writers are people who have spent their lives eating and sleeping and dreaming of writing the great book. I have had other dreams. I learned that I loved writing by accident…literally. Now, I write every day, improving my craft.
The Folklore Foundation money is guaranteed, but I have asked them to hold off on my backers (I don’t want anyone to pay for me) until I have arranged sale for a property at a fair price. The asset is dear to me, but when you owe you should pay. The Folklore Foundation (the last time we spoke) has graciously agreed to hold off for a while. I was busy working on another novel so I have not been active enough in fulfilling my obligations. The novel is complete now so I will be going full speed in getting up to date with the Foundation.
Sliding. There’s a good country sliding. The kidnapping of Derek Aikman, the sabotage of Mose’s vehicle, and the physical attack on Rufus X…We used to be a good country. Then we went far right (greedy) capitalist.