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> He believed in freedom > I detest the hypocrisy I see in many (not all) western commentators. A counterexample: this photo was taken in NYC after the most r

> He believed in freedom > I detest the hypocrisy I see in many (not all) western commentators. A counterexample: this photo was taken in NYC after the most recent US presidential election: http://i.imgur.com/DcVbqAm.jpg http://i.imgur.com/DcVbqAm.jpg It's a picture of someone standing in front of Trump Tower holding a sign that says "You're not my president. Fuck you." Can you imagine someone getting away with that in Castro's Cuba?

csomar 10y ago
Do you have palpable proof that holding such a sign in Cuba will lead you to trouble? I'm genuinely asking. Not from the US and just today found out (by curiosity) where Cuba is.
- GunboatDiplomat 10y ago
  There's the old parable >"In the USA, you can stand in front of the White House in Washington, DC, and yell, "Down with Reagan!", and you will not be punished. Equally, you can also stand in Red Square in Moscow and yell, "Down with Reagan!", and you will not be punished.
  - Koshkin 10y ago
    Actually, you still could be punished, being an independent political activist.
- iiiggglll 10y ago
  It's likely that the Castro regime's defenders will dismiss any sources I provide as "western propaganda", but these are a good place to start: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Cuba#Contemporary_Cuba https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Cuba#Contempor... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship_in_Cuba https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship_in_Cuba https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2016/03/six-facts-about-censorship-in-cuba/ https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2016/03/six-fact... I do not know about a specific instance of someone holding up a sign like the one in the photo I linked to, but I also sincerely doubt anyone in their right mind would attempt such a thing. The closest recent example I can find is someone painting the names of the Castro brothers on a pair of pigs and being thrown in prison for it (in 2015): http://www.newsweek.com/cuban-protest-artist-el-sexto-you-have-keep-it-406988 http://www.newsweek.com/cuban-protest-artist-el-sexto-you-ha... Far worse things happened during the early days of the revolution. I was going to link them but I changed my mind because I don't want to weaken my point. Freedom of speech is far stronger in a place like the US than in a place like Castro's Cuba.
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paradite 10y ago
I understand you point on freedom of speech, but in this case I don't see it as something to be particularly proud of. Maybe Americans value their rights more than anything else, but to me as a Chinese citizen, this is both laughable and disrespectful.
- iiiggglll 10y ago
  > Maybe Americans value their rights more than anything else I certainly do, but sadly not every American agrees. There are many "law and order" types who would have that person arrested and beaten if they could. Fortunately our rights are still intact, even after all this time. People can do such things without fear. Far from being "laughable and disrespectful", I consider it a sign of a healthy, functioning society. "Dissent is the highest form of patriotism", as the saying goes.
  - paradite 10y ago
    Very interesting and fascinating response for me. I wish I had more of discussions like this here.
    - Lordarminius 10y ago
      The true issue is not the "rights" of American citizens in their own country (thats of no concern to most people around the world) but how the US government systematically and perennially denies other people these same "rights" or "rights" of their choosing. That is the point. Leave other people alone to determine their own fate and destiny that's what the world asks

csomar 10y ago

Do you have palpable proof that holding such a sign in Cuba will lead you to trouble? I'm genuinely asking. Not from the US and just today found out (by curiosity) where Cuba is.

GunboatDiplomat 10y ago
There's the old parable >"In the USA, you can stand in front of the White House in Washington, DC, and yell, "Down with Reagan!", and you will not be punished. Equally, you can also stand in Red Square in Moscow and yell, "Down with Reagan!", and you will not be punished.
- Koshkin 10y ago
  Actually, you still could be punished, being an independent political activist.
iiiggglll 10y ago
It's likely that the Castro regime's defenders will dismiss any sources I provide as "western propaganda", but these are a good place to start: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Cuba#Contemporary_Cuba https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Cuba#Contempor... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship_in_Cuba https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship_in_Cuba https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2016/03/six-facts-about-censorship-in-cuba/ https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2016/03/six-fact... I do not know about a specific instance of someone holding up a sign like the one in the photo I linked to, but I also sincerely doubt anyone in their right mind would attempt such a thing. The closest recent example I can find is someone painting the names of the Castro brothers on a pair of pigs and being thrown in prison for it (in 2015): http://www.newsweek.com/cuban-protest-artist-el-sexto-you-have-keep-it-406988 http://www.newsweek.com/cuban-protest-artist-el-sexto-you-ha... Far worse things happened during the early days of the revolution. I was going to link them but I changed my mind because I don't want to weaken my point. Freedom of speech is far stronger in a place like the US than in a place like Castro's Cuba.

deleted 10y ago

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paradite 10y ago

I understand you point on freedom of speech, but in this case I don't see it as something to be particularly proud of. Maybe Americans value their rights more than anything else, but to me as a Chinese citizen, this is both laughable and disrespectful.

iiiggglll 10y ago
> Maybe Americans value their rights more than anything else I certainly do, but sadly not every American agrees. There are many "law and order" types who would have that person arrested and beaten if they could. Fortunately our rights are still intact, even after all this time. People can do such things without fear. Far from being "laughable and disrespectful", I consider it a sign of a healthy, functioning society. "Dissent is the highest form of patriotism", as the saying goes.
- paradite 10y ago
  Very interesting and fascinating response for me. I wish I had more of discussions like this here.
  - Lordarminius 10y ago
    The true issue is not the "rights" of American citizens in their own country (thats of no concern to most people around the world) but how the US government systematically and perennially denies other people these same "rights" or "rights" of their choosing. That is the point. Leave other people alone to determine their own fate and destiny that's what the world asks