On its main page, Yahoo! leads with a big news item (photo included), informing us that 16-year-old Elian Gonzalez speaks out. Not once does AP writer William Weissert inform us that, the young Mr. Gonzalez can only speak out with permission of Cuban authorities. Given the nature of the government that rules the island where he currently resides, likely offers their talking points in order to secure a better life for himself and family.
In this article, we learn nothing of the squalid living conditions in Cuba–and how because of his prominence, Mr. Gonzalez surely has a higher standard of living than most of the unfortunate denizens of that island.
We read, “The younger Gonzalez was celebrated as a hero and his father, a restaurant employee, was elected to parliament.” Um, elected to parliament? To the average reader that suggests that the elder Gonzalez gained such popular acclaim that he was swept into office by a wave of patriotic sentiment. Not exactly. The Communist Party handpicked him to run in an uncontested election where its candidates always win.
Wonder why Mr. Weissert failed to mention that?
We read of an
. . . event was organized by Cuba’s Council of Churches, which includes all major Cuban religions except the Roman Catholic Church, and was held at the Episcopal Santisima Trinidad Cathedral in Havana. The council staged a celebration in the same church days after Gonzalez’s return in 2000.
Wonder why Mr. Weissert failed to mention that this is not an independent organization, but is, in fact, controlled by the Cuban Communist Party.
When the younger Gonzalez returned to Cuba, Weissert breathlessly reports of another wave of patriotic fervor:
. . . men, women and children jammed the road from Havana’s airport, cheering, waving Cuban flags and throwing flowers as the motorcade carrying them passed.
He forget to mention that those citizens didn’t have make choice in the matter, being required to participate by the authorities in this totalitarian nation.
In short, this article makes it appear that there was a groundswell of popular and religious support for the return of Mr. Gonzalez when all there was a stage-managed events designed to enhance the power of the Communist State. And yet another Western reporter falls for the charade.
Hand Mr. Weissert and Yahoo! the Walter Duranty award.
Fell for the charade, or was complicit in the charade?
He forget to mention that those citizens didn’t have make choice in the matter, being required to participate by the authorities in this totalitarian nation. ??
much choice. Thanks for catching that, rusty. Since fixed.
He’s practically got a gun pointed at his head in Cuba. Damn shame he literally had a gun pointed at his head in the U.S.
Thanks Janet.
Should’ve used the obligatory “Dammit Janet!”.
But, doesn’t a young boy of 5 yrs, belong with the custodial parent whom he’s known forever instead of with distant relatives he’d never met, prior to his mother abducting him and taking him out of state/country?
Gender of the parents reversed in the US, the absconding parent would be doing hard time by now, yes?
You think thats bad, read the comments, when the story broke i saw nothign but pro-castro bs.
A recent Radio Derb related the comments by some poobah at the UN commenting (positively) that she didn’t see much obesity in North Korea and that people walked and bicycled instead of driving.
Useful idiots.
There was something strange in the article which appeared on Yahoo´s site. Elian had a press conference with foreign reporters. I don´t know what Elian was trying to say, of if something was lost in the translation. when he said of his relatives in Miami that they did do enough to help him. As I recall the family went to court to maintain custody. When the decision went against them they kept appealing until the District Court ruled that he had to be in the custody of his father. Janet Reno was all to willing to comply.
Yahoo is the worst, so leftist and biased in their reporting. I said as much in a comment to this particular story; also, that it was especially nauseating following their fawning, glowing tributes to Elena Kagan.