at a Jackson Browne concert a few years back a guest came on stage and some things were said about Cuba. The Guest was his friend Carlos Vareala and he was a brilliant performer. I just found this letter from Browne published in the New York Times.
Published on Monday, March 22, 2004 by the New York Times Songs of Cuba, Silenced in America by Jackson Browne
LOS ANGELES — Carlos Varela, the great Cuban singer-songwriter, applied for a visa to come to the United States to sing his powerful, amazing songs. He had concerts planned in Miami, New York and Los Angeles. Our government turned him down.
Visas have been denied to other Cuban artists because their visits are "detrimental to the interests" of our country. In essence, the government says that if Carlos Varela plays concerts in the United States, the money he makes would go to Fidel Castro. This is untrue. In Cuba, renowned artists keep much of what they earn, because the government does not want them to leave the country and live somewhere else. Yet, the Bush administration used the same reasoning to keep Ibrahim Ferrer, of the Buena Vista Social Club, and Manuel Galbán from attending the Grammy award ceremony in Los Angeles last month. (Both men won awards.)
It also forced the postponement of concerts by the Spanish flamenco master Paco de Lucía because he plays with Alain Pérez Rodríguez, a Cuban-born bassist. I congratulate the State Department on finally determining that Mr. Pérez is not "detrimental to the interests" of our country, although those of us who were able to reschedule and hear him play this month know that he is a truly dangerous man.
In a profound way, our government takes on the role of oppressor when it tries to control which artists will be allowed access to our minds and our hearts. We may think we are isolating Cuba with our embargo and our travel restrictions, but it is we Americans who are becoming isolated. People travel to Cuba from Australia, Britain, Canada, Italy and Spain — countries we consider staunch allies.
United States foreign policy toward Cuba is unpopular in America, and for good reason. It stops Americans from traveling to Cuba and Cubans from coming into the States. It stops us from sharing medicine with the ill and restricts our ability to sell food to the hungry. This policy is an outdated relic of the cold war and exists only as a political payoff to Republican-leaning Cuban-American voters in Miami.
The policy of punishing Cuba works only when Americans see the angry face of Cuban repression. But in the face of Carlos Varela, and the language of his music, Americans would not find the mask of a demon, but hear the aspirations of people just like themselves.
Perhaps the most prominent paradox here is that Carlos Varela is known not only for his talent, but also for his courage to speak out through his songs, many of which have been interpreted as critical of the Cuban government.
While these young Cubans respect the accomplishments of their leaders, they are ready, indeed impatient, to run their own affairs. They want freedom for themselves and independence for their country. They want the new Cuba to be created by the Cuban people, not by the United States.
I believe in justice and human rights in the United States and abroad. I am saddened by the treatment by the Cuban government of the political dissidents in their country. I long for the day when there is freedom for both Cubans and Americans to travel in both directions across the Straits of Florida without undue interference by their governments.
I want this freedom not just for artists but for all people, American and Cuban, who live each day in the hope for a just and prosperous future. Giving Carlos Varela a visa to sing in America would be a good way to begin.
haha cheers Belle - just a word of caution to go with number 7 - make sure you dress said toddler in the correct gender clothes as doing otherwise could have long lasting traumatic consequences
i would want to see the engine room and would have millions of questions about their technology and methods of travel, their society structure and how they think, what they hope to achieve and by which means and why they keep themselves hidden from the majority of mankind
There once was a guy called Dwaine, Who was completely immune to pain. Just for a laugh He would do something daft Like hammer a nail through this brain.
There was a young man called Joel Who fell in a cereal bowl. He found a seat On a shredded wheat And attempted an eskimo roll.
A guy from the Mediterranean - He tried to eat a Geranium. But when the guy turned his back, The plant, it fought back, And burrowed up into his cranium.
There was a girl called Jade Who purchased a hand grenade. The threat of a killing Would make men more willing When Jade tried to get herself laid.
There was a young man called Garf Wo couldn't resist having a laugh. One day, another guy Was wearing a tie.. So Garf, he cut it in half.
i do my third yr of social studies with John Moores in sept and at the moment am just doing not much - should have finished this time but fell foul of the local loop unbundling in this area in jan which meant i had no internet just when i should have been working on my dissertation - and the comp broke too at the same time so i just figured it wasnt meant to happen and deferred
dont think so really, just the usual rules of politeness apply - if you have been on other forums you will know the basics anyway - my rule for me is to think at least twice before hitting the submit button
yep - i spose you are right - the rules are pretty basic here which is a good thing I feel - they dont interfere too much in whats said and done till somebody starts reporting stuff - shame
I think theres maybe a lot to be said for people spreading out around the world, looking at different cultures and points of view, learning to live beside each other etc.
Governments are like traffic lights to my mind, the traffic flow regulates itself without them and if it wasnt for all the silly wranglings of governments we would all be left to get on with it peacefully and without wars
from what i have seen recently I think they are pretty OK and you would prob get a good explanation if you mailed them - not that Im in favour of authority dont get me wrong
i was reading up on netiquette yesterday and realised how frustrating it can be for people trying to get to the bottom of stuff in a semi serious thread and people come along blowing kisses n stuff
so I have decided not to do it ever again - I was quite ashamed of myself really when I realised that all over the WWW it is considered one of the worst forms of bad manners. SIMILAR TO WRITING IN CAPITALS
I will look for the escape hatch in future or something similar
this must make the time you can spend with her really special, each and every moment of it to be treasured and added to the book of a lifetime of memories - the times you do have together are so precious
I reckon you have to just shake the feeling off, do something, cos if its gonna happen its gonna happen and worrying wont make a ha'porth of difference
trish123 Forum Posts (13,724)
why cos of yr legs?
shame on me 
RE: The US embargo against cuba...
at a Jackson Browne concert a few years back a guest came on stage and some things were said about Cuba. The Guest was his friend Carlos Vareala and he was a brilliant performer.I just found this letter from Browne published in the New York Times.
Published on Monday, March 22, 2004 by the New York Times
Songs of Cuba, Silenced in America
by Jackson Browne
LOS ANGELES — Carlos Varela, the great Cuban singer-songwriter, applied for a visa to come to the United States to sing his powerful, amazing songs. He had concerts planned in Miami, New York and Los Angeles. Our government turned him down.
Visas have been denied to other Cuban artists because their visits are "detrimental to the interests" of our country. In essence, the government says that if Carlos Varela plays concerts in the United States, the money he makes would go to Fidel Castro. This is untrue. In Cuba, renowned artists keep much of what they earn, because the government does not want them to leave the country and live somewhere else. Yet, the Bush administration used the same reasoning to keep Ibrahim Ferrer, of the Buena Vista Social Club, and Manuel Galbán from attending the Grammy award ceremony in Los Angeles last month. (Both men won awards.)
It also forced the postponement of concerts by the Spanish flamenco master Paco de Lucía because he plays with Alain Pérez Rodríguez, a Cuban-born bassist. I congratulate the State Department on finally determining that Mr. Pérez is not "detrimental to the interests" of our country, although those of us who were able to reschedule and hear him play this month know that he is a truly dangerous man.
In a profound way, our government takes on the role of oppressor when it tries to control which artists will be allowed access to our minds and our hearts. We may think we are isolating Cuba with our embargo and our travel restrictions, but it is we Americans who are becoming isolated. People travel to Cuba from Australia, Britain, Canada, Italy and Spain — countries we consider staunch allies.
United States foreign policy toward Cuba is unpopular in America, and for good reason. It stops Americans from traveling to Cuba and Cubans from coming into the States. It stops us from sharing medicine with the ill and restricts our ability to sell food to the hungry. This policy is an outdated relic of the cold war and exists only as a political payoff to Republican-leaning Cuban-American voters in Miami.
The policy of punishing Cuba works only when Americans see the angry face of Cuban repression. But in the face of Carlos Varela, and the language of his music, Americans would not find the mask of a demon, but hear the aspirations of people just like themselves.
Perhaps the most prominent paradox here is that Carlos Varela is known not only for his talent, but also for his courage to speak out through his songs, many of which have been interpreted as critical of the Cuban government.
While these young Cubans respect the accomplishments of their leaders, they are ready, indeed impatient, to run their own affairs. They want freedom for themselves and independence for their country. They want the new Cuba to be created by the Cuban people, not by the United States.
I believe in justice and human rights in the United States and abroad. I am saddened by the treatment by the Cuban government of the political dissidents in their country. I long for the day when there is freedom for both Cubans and Americans to travel in both directions across the Straits of Florida without undue interference by their governments.
I want this freedom not just for artists but for all people, American and Cuban, who live each day in the hope for a just and prosperous future. Giving Carlos Varela a visa to sing in America would be a good way to begin.