This is a response to a Facebook posting from Cubans in Miami that seem to cherish ridiculing those of us that disagree with them. The original posting – in Spanish – appears at the bottom of this posting.
I am responding to this comment trail in English because English, after all, is the official language of the United States. I also don’t want to be accused of posting subversive or conflicting or controversial messages in Spanish – and then having ICE come to my door and ship me off to some foreign gulag, without due process or recourse whatsoever even though I’ve been a bonafide naturalized citizen for over fifty five years. (But of course, you would not report me. Or would you? I hear that the State department is now “Chivatos” on steroids).
It is simply amazing how it is some of the very same people that reaped the benefits of the USA’s past history of benevolent attitude towards people coming from other countries that write the comments below.
It is perplexing and challenging to understand how, after being quiet in the old country in order to reap the benefits of a university education and avoiding the draft, some of these very same people are now screaming “rah rah USA” and slamming the door shut to others.
It is shameful that these very same people after being rescued by others that risked their lives to bring them to the United States, and living off the dole of family and friends for years – and benefiting from Medicaid to take care of old parents – now it is these very same people that want the drastic cuts without caring if others will suffer.
It is sad to see Christians – and more specifically Catholics – that choose to stay in the “eye for an eye” mentality of the Old Testament and simply avoid reading out loud the Beatitudes or Mary’s Magnificat.
Especially during this Holy Week, it is repulsive to see Catholics staying on the vertical post of the cross where everything is about the direct exclusive relationship between the individual and God, and totally avoid the horizontal post of the cross which embraces all of humanity with the love, tenderness, and hope – as our Pope exults. (Indeed, may I suggest you read his new book, Hope). (I am the first to fall way short in this endeavor; certainly a sin of omission and to that I confess).
In the last century and a half – and more specifically since World War II – humanity has advanced philosophically, theologically, and politically to the recognition that we are one global family; where one hurts everybody hurts. And yes, it is the responsibility of those of us that live in the materially wealthy and affluent world – particularly the mere 4% of us who make up the world’s population that live in the USA – to empathetically and compassionately help financially and accompany physically (and spiritually) those in the margins of society, victims of hate, and casualties of authoritarian dictatorships.
Have we gotten it all right in my lifetime during the last seven decades? Absolutely not! Is there room for substantial improvement in the resulting economic globalization? Absolutely yes! Do we have to address the increasing and obscene wealth gap between the richest 5% in the world and the other 95% at the bottom? We must!
Make no mistake about it. The USA has been the primary benefactor of this global economic system. And yes: some of these benefits have been achieved through the exploitation of other people and the support of dubious governments and their cronies. We are not the victims. We are the instigator.
Have we – the USA – been taken advantage of? Of course! Let’s correct that not by dismantling the system, but by addressing the root causes in sensible dialogue, not dictatorship.
Now we have a President and an Administration that wants to revert back to the “good old days” when the USA went at it alone. Except they want to do it overnight without regard to diplomacy, alliances or treaties.
Except they want to do it without Congressional approval, without regards to the exuberating pain caused throughout the world, including to farmers in the USA, and with the iron fist of cruelty.
Trump supporters choose to disparage, insult and silence – rather than argue the issues on the economic merit with – those of us that disagree. All is okay as long as they parrot their leader Trump. They don’t dare contradict him publicly, or at least offer constructive criticism to differentiate between the messenger and the message.
Have you asked yourself: Who benefited from the recent stock market downturn? Who made the billions buying low and selling high? Is there any doubt in your mind – for real – that this was an orchestrated ploy to help his friends and family?
Have you asked yourself: What are seven billionaires doing in the President’s cabinet? Who are they looking after? You? I. Don’t. Think. So.
These folks are looking to create a capitalist oligarchy that benefits them, and use you and me – and the rest of the 95% of people in the US and the world – as pawns in their chess game, chasing profits by “whatever means necessary”.
What they are doing to dismantle the government has nothing to do with efficiency. It has everything to do with creating a bureaucracy that will be at their beckoning call; a bureaucracy small enough to control and frightened enough to never say no.
I thank you for the comment that sparked me to write this piece.
And I pray – yes, I do that too (it’s supposedly to the same God as yours) – I pray that this discourse will not shatter friendships or family ties beyond repair.
Indeed, if you’d rather not hide behind your written words and talk it through civically, let’s have a conversation. Send me a note and we will talk.
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ORIGINAL FACEBOOK POSTING
El mundo está en shock: el dueño de la fiesta y sus camareros han decidido dejar de servir gratis
Durante décadas, Estados Unidos compró a todos, sostuvo déficits colosales y mantuvo a flote la economía global, mientras otros países disfrutaban de la comodidad de exportar sin restricciones y de ventajas injustas.
De hecho, el ascenso económico del régimen comunista chino es, en gran medida, resultado directo de la política comercial estadounidense.
Ahora que Trump propone reciprocidad en los aranceles —una medida que busca reindustrializar el país y recuperar empleos—, el capital especulativo entra en pánico, las bolsas se desploman y los parásitos geoeconómicos se desesperan.
Pero, en el fondo, el pánico no se debe al supuesto “caos económico”.
Se debe al fin de la fiesta gratuita.
¿La mejor manera de explicarlo? Una caricatura:
Imagina una fiesta lujosa en un gran salón.
¿Los invitados? Los países del mundo.
¿El anfitrión y los camareros? Por supuesto, Estados Unidos.
Durante décadas, esos camareros sirvieron champán, caviar y exquisitos aperitivos —todo a crédito o incluso gratis.
Los invitados brindaban, bailaban, aplaudían la generosidad americana… y todavía se quejaban de la temperatura del vino.
Hasta que, un día, el dueño de la fiesta se cansó.
Ordenó a sus camareros cobrar un precio justo.
Se quitó el esmoquin, se puso una chaqueta de mezclilla, tomó el micrófono de la banda y anunció:
“A partir de ahora, cada quien paga lo que consume. Y si quieren vender aquí, también tendrán que comprar aquí.”
El salón quedó en silencio.
Los especuladores dejaron caer sus copas.
Los burócratas escupieron el foie gras.
La orquesta de los mercados financieros perdió el ritmo.
De pronto, el anfitrión y sus camareros pasaron a ser “los villanos”.
Pero en el fondo, todos sabían que la fiesta se había vuelto insostenible.
Solo que nadie quería ser el primero en marcharse.
La justicia, cuando llega, suele incomodar a quienes siempre vivieron del privilegio y a costa de otros.
Pero quizá ha llegado la hora de que el mundo aprenda a pagar su propia cuenta.
Y hay que decirlo: Trump fue honesto desde el inicio. Ya en su campaña anunciaba que esta fiesta a expensas de Estados Unidos se acabaría.
Lo más surrealista —y casi cómico— es ver a los ideólogos de izquierda amenazando con “represalias”.
Es como un mendigo que se queja porque su benefactor ha reducido las donaciones, debido a que su familia creció y sus gastos también.
El mendigo exclama indignado:
“¿Vas a hacer recortes… ¡con mi dinero?”
Ese es el nivel de cinismo que el mundo está presenciando hoy.
#tequierograndetosagua