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May 23, 2004
Sunday Song: Guantanamera
I've been thinking a lot about that song this week. Not just because May 19th was the anniversary of the death of Jose Marti, who wrote the poem, and not just because that bay at Guantanamo is now etched in history as a prison without any reasonable definition of justice (like the right to due process, the right to be charged with a crime, habeas corpus.) I've been thinking about it because I've been thinking about Jose Marti's "Manifesto of Montecristi" which he wrote and published on 1895 along with Maximo Gomez.
I couldn't find the text online but basically, they proclaimed the equality of all races, proclaimed Cuban independence, declared that white people were welcome, and indeed invited, to join the struggle for independence and equality (even though they materially benefited from the slavery and colonialism) but also that black people's participation in this movement was crucial since it was largely their freedom and liberaton on the line.
I'm sure we'd find many complications and subtleties if we dug into the history of the Cuban independence movement and I'm sure people can point out how I'm oversimplifying things.
But it just all seems so different, so much more crisp and clear than today's world.
Here we have a democracy at home, however imperfect it may be, but we also have world's most powerful military deployed in more than a hundred countries around the world engaged in occupation and imperial force projection. On the other hand, you have an adversary that is willing to kill thousands indiscriminately and, seemingly, without remorse.
Where is the side that is moral but also serious and powerful? Can moral, reasonable people everywhere escape this straitjacket -- this straitjacket of being limited to attempting to curb the violence inflicted by powers on "their side"?
By the way, I hate that song. I've been thinking about it, not listening to it. I heard it so many times in so many pretentious settings that I just cannot stand it. Sorry Jose.
Maybe we'll have some good new songs when we have a good new movement.
Posted by zeynep at May 23, 2004 07:15 PM
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» online poker from online poker We do have more civil liberties (e.g., freedom of speech) than a lot of folks in the world. Dr Bob Jensen of the U of texas says that we have an obligation, as citizens of the empire, to use our freedom to speak out, criticize, rally, fight!!--against the oppressive actions of our country's government and institutions. I enjoyed hearing Guantanamera at a very unpretentious setting, a barbeque joint outside of Austin, TX, with a group of masters track runners from mexico who had come up to run in a meet with us other middle-aged "athletes" in Austin. We all sang along, and enjoyed being "under the same sun." Posted by: leslie at May 26, 2004 05:02 PM
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