Just to keep 'em guessing
I know, I know. It's ridiculous. And weird. What am I doing writing for the Tribune?
I'll explain the irony to my younger readers. Three years ago, one of the Tribune's editors wrote a year-long column under the pseudonym of "Brandon Chudleigh" which espoused the virtues of machismo, sexual violence, objectification, and the lesser intellectual status of women. The Tribune is a publication of the Students' Society, so I-as a neophyte campus politico-tried to use the alleged accountability measures of that relationship. I demanded that the Tribune stop printing content that made many SSMU members feel unsafe, harassed, and oppressed. The Tribune refused to take responsibility and apologize for their actions. Instead, they hid behind the shroud of "editorial independence" and continued to ridicule and insult McGill students.
At election time, while running for SSMU vice-president external, I informed the Tribune that until they started to act like a real newspaper, I wouldn't treat them as one. I even refused to respond to their questions. Of course, I promised that this would change once they started acting more professionally.
Fast forward three years. Three Tribune editorial boards have come and gone, all of whom took seriously the task of producing McGill's de facto centre-right newspaper. And while the Tribune and I inhabit opposite sides of the political spectrum, I've gained an enormous amount of respect for their dedicated (and overworked) writers and editors. So, when asked if I would be the token leftist on the opinion page, I jumped at the opportunity.
Tokenism and human progress
That's how this column was born. Its title-Historia Me Absolvera-indicates what I plan to do in this biweekly space. The name comes from Fidel Castro's first public address, later published as his first book. It translates to "history will absolve me," and means that while the actions and positions of many forward-looking people are described as radical, fringe, insane, and (these days) terrorist-supporting, history has vindicated them. On issues ranging from global warming to anti-Semitism, feminism to gay rights, and five-day workweeks to bans on child labour, the "Left" (for lack of a better term) has always been the vanguard of human progress. And it has always been the "dignified," "proper," and "moderate" (i.e. reactionary) elements of our society who have stood in the way, using bigotry, misinformation, and character assassination to prevent any real progress.
I will be bold. I will be intelligent. I will make ludicrously broad-sweeping assertions. And I will entertain. In short, using reason, rationality, pragmatism, and (of course) wit and charm, I will demonstrate that-for lack of a better cliché-the Left has always been right.
Coming out swinging
Fidel Castro is currently dying. For all we know, he's already dead. Will history absolve him?
Our Western educations and supposedly free media tell us that Castro will be "accurately" remembered as a despot, a tyrant, a homophobe, and a megalomaniac. But for the majority of the world's citizens, Castro will be remembered for his steadfast dedication to human liberation, to meeting the basic necessities of life, and to fighting injustice wherever it arises.
My friends, I leave you with this wonderful over-generalization, to be explored in depth in my next column: Fidel Castro has brought more objective good to the world than any other figure of the 20th century, living or dead.
Spring Break
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 20
Henry Gomez
posted 9/30/08 @ 8:25 AM EST
First of all, even if you don't consider the thousands that Fidel Castro has murdered or the tens of thousands who have died trying to flee, you can't argue with the fact that in 1958 there were six million Cubans living on the island and today there are two million living off of it (with millions more wanting to leave). (Continued…)
Val Prieto
posted 9/30/08 @ 8:30 AM EST
Mr. Silvernman,
I suppose I could barrage you with facts and data regarding fidel castro's "objective good," including a list - a very long one at that - of all the people having personally received castro's "objective good" and as a result are now at peice six feet under, but what would be the point? The given in your equation is wrong, and thus, no matter how many numbers you crunch, your answer will never be true. (Continued…)
Jose R Lopez
posted 9/30/08 @ 9:13 AM EST
You have to be Insane! Fidel took a Stable and Prosperous Cuba(Yes Under A Corrupt Despot like batista)
In 1959 which was one of if not the most advanced Country in the hemisphere including the United States,
And Ruined the Economy. (Continued…)
K Carmichael
posted 9/30/08 @ 9:19 AM EST
Indeed! The Cuban Diaspora caused by Fidel has injected some of the hardest working, brightest entrepreneurs into the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia and Central and South America. (Continued…)
George Utset
posted 9/30/08 @ 11:07 AM EST
"Fidel Castro has brought more objective good to the world than any other figure of the 20th century, living or dead."
I have read many stupid things written by people who have never lived, for even one day, under Castro's totalitarian regime, but this has to be among the top three. (Continued…)
Nolan
posted 9/30/08 @ 12:35 PM EST
Oh look, here comes to Babalu crowd; who expect us to believe the stranglehold of the giant next door and it's embargo have nothing to do with Cuba's economic woes; and how even with them Cuba has one of the lowest levels of malnutrition in the world; compare that to their peaceful "democratic" neighbors in the Caribbean and Central America, if only Cuba could be such a paradise!
Keep on shouting in the name of human rights while you harbor and embrace mass murdering terrorist Luis Posada Carriles; don't worry, it's only a matter of time before you can take your land back!
el papi
posted 9/30/08 @ 1:35 PM EST
"Fidel Castro has brought more objective good to the world than any other figure of the 20th century, living or dead."
Hahahaha, oh man that's really funny! You have got to take your show on the road! I'll bet you make it to the finals on "Last Comic Standing", maybe not win, the fat guy in the dress and blonde wig seems to have a lock on the win, but. (Continued…)
Elena Maza
posted 9/30/08 @ 3:06 PM EST
"Fidel Castro has brought more objective good to the world than any other figure of the 20th century, living or dead."
That's hilarious! I'd like to invite you to be a "guest" at a real Cuban jail: there's one right next door to our base in Guantanamo. (Continued…)
David Sandoval
posted 9/30/08 @ 4:08 PM EST
Mister Silverman,
Although fighting for "human liberation, [..] meeting the basic necessities of life, and [...]fighting injustice wherever it arises" are certainly laudable goals, I must vehemently protest that Castro is the champion of these virtues. (Continued…)
Max
posted 9/30/08 @ 10:33 PM EST
I will only respond to one of these comments by saying that anyone who is currently stationed at Guantanamo Bay has the tiniest of legs to stand on in addressing any sort of human rights issue. (Continued…)
Post a Comment