Five Years Later
I was just browsing over at Drudge Report and found Drudge's piece on Elian Gonzalez. For those of you who don't remember Elian's epic, Wikipedia has a briefly recap of the story. Drudge reports that 60 Minutes is working on a piece about Elian five years removed from the custody battle that took place in May and June of 2000.
Drudge's piece reports that the 11-yr. old Gonzalez is now considered a hero in Cuba. Recently Gonzalez "graduated" from elementary school and Cuban dictator, Fidel Castro, attended his graduation. While Gonzalez's Miami-based relatives claim this was an obvious propaganda piece, Elian has stated that he considers the Communist dictator a friend and a "father." What will be truly interesting is how the 60 Minutes piece will turn out. I fully expect the 60 Minutes piece to be a celebration of how well Elian has been treated in Cuba and how good it was that Elian was returned to Cuba.
Is it just me, or do Gonzalez' statements sound entirely like the product of his indoctrination? You have to know that Elian, because of what happened in Miami 5 years ago, was treated to the absolute best that Cuba has to offer after his return to Cuba. You know that Castro's advisors have been milking this situation since Gonzalez returned to Cuba. It was the best propaganda investment Cuba could make. Treat Elian like a little Communist prince and he'll be the best possible PR campaign we could ever want.
During the height of the Communist era, the "classless" Soviet Union was a divided society. Despite its claim to being a "workers' paradise," the Soviet Union had political elites that lived lives that would inspire reality shows today. The Soviet political elite had access to the best groceries, automobiles, health care, cultural events, etc. They lived the pampered life. From about the 1950s onward, anyone who made the bright lights shine graciously on the Soviet Union was also lifted into this elitist class -- e.g., Gary Kasparov, Olympic athletes, Cosmonaughts, etc. Cuba has the same system of patronage today and the shining example of this system is Elian Gonzalez.
So, sit back, have a cold drink handy, and bask in the glow of the wonder that is Cuba and Elian Gonzalez.
Drudge's piece reports that the 11-yr. old Gonzalez is now considered a hero in Cuba. Recently Gonzalez "graduated" from elementary school and Cuban dictator, Fidel Castro, attended his graduation. While Gonzalez's Miami-based relatives claim this was an obvious propaganda piece, Elian has stated that he considers the Communist dictator a friend and a "father." What will be truly interesting is how the 60 Minutes piece will turn out. I fully expect the 60 Minutes piece to be a celebration of how well Elian has been treated in Cuba and how good it was that Elian was returned to Cuba.
Is it just me, or do Gonzalez' statements sound entirely like the product of his indoctrination? You have to know that Elian, because of what happened in Miami 5 years ago, was treated to the absolute best that Cuba has to offer after his return to Cuba. You know that Castro's advisors have been milking this situation since Gonzalez returned to Cuba. It was the best propaganda investment Cuba could make. Treat Elian like a little Communist prince and he'll be the best possible PR campaign we could ever want.
During the height of the Communist era, the "classless" Soviet Union was a divided society. Despite its claim to being a "workers' paradise," the Soviet Union had political elites that lived lives that would inspire reality shows today. The Soviet political elite had access to the best groceries, automobiles, health care, cultural events, etc. They lived the pampered life. From about the 1950s onward, anyone who made the bright lights shine graciously on the Soviet Union was also lifted into this elitist class -- e.g., Gary Kasparov, Olympic athletes, Cosmonaughts, etc. Cuba has the same system of patronage today and the shining example of this system is Elian Gonzalez.
So, sit back, have a cold drink handy, and bask in the glow of the wonder that is Cuba and Elian Gonzalez.
Posts
