WHPW: First Campaign for President of Cuba "Launched," Biscet for President

Sunday, March 25, 2007

First Campaign for President of Cuba "Launched," Biscet for President

(From the Banks of the Potomac) A few month ago a group of bloggers from around the world, including some in Cuba, collaborated on a web campaign to raise awareness of things happening inside the island.

During that process, primarily led and coordinated by a fellow based in Italy of all place, Asha Nair, an idea was born to begin a recruitment effort at launching the first-ever presidential "campaign" for Cuba once Cuba is allowed to revert to its free status as a democratic country. But, why wait until Cuba is free?

The elites in Miami, Florida and some in Washington, DC have this bizarre plan to elevate the Payaso movement to elected status in Cuba. Some of us said, forget it. That Christian Democratic stuff is socialism wrapped in another beast. Hence, the idea to recruit another effort was born.

Since there are "elections" in Cuba next year, why not find an alternative candidate, say, a child of the revolution, maybe black (but race was not an issue), but most important, had to be against the system. The person people almost immediately came up with was Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet.

Dr. Biscet is the Cuban regime's worst nightmare, but the biggest challenge remains getting the rest of the Cuban people to learn about him. While its done a good job of raising his profile outside of Cuba, our State Department has failed to raise his profile inside of Cuba - where it matters most. Focus people at Foggy Bottom, think outside the box and do more than hold Cuba Commission meetings. Act.

We must use the technology, resourcefulness, and power of the U.S. to help fuel the passion and ingenuity of the Cuban people. Give them a reason to fight. They will do so. Biscet will give them that energy.

In an effort to get our bureaucrats and political people to think more creatively about these issues, a blog campaign has been started by a group of many bloggers. As one of the first "Biscet for President" posts, an old video of a Cuban rock/punk band "Porno for Ricardo" has been added on the main blog site. The band's lead, a fellow named Gorky Carrasco, spent time in jail for his counter-revolutionary music lyrics. The interview and music is worth a look.

Gorky is beyond blunt about ths system, using expletives and music to make his point. He says that "he will rather not play his music than leave Cuba. He will never succumb to the ideological shit that is the Cuban system." There is a lot more. There are interviews with many other rockers with similiar views.

We must tap this, the youth's passion for a better life, for change. That no matter how hard the regime tried with its closed system, the seed's for freedom are present - planted in large part by the U.S. and our fellow right-wing Cuban American friends - and the time has come to take it to whole other level. Gorky's music, and that of many other bands, point to people like Biscet.

So if the Cuban Communist Party really intends to hold its elections, lets given them something to worry about that is not the Payaso movement, but a true freedom fighter, Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet. That is music to all of our ears. Visit the site, here (follow links to the music video and interview).

Posted by From the Banks of the Potomac ... at 3/25/2007 07:51:00 AM