tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359982.post3060392638140054675..comments2023-10-06T07:28:21.803-04:00Comments on Cuban-American Pundits: Essays from a Cuban-American Perspective: The flipside of the "che" coin.Val Prietohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15857729823069869008noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359982.post-71631063012240495362007-03-09T19:23:00.000-05:002007-03-09T19:23:00.000-05:00First of all, let me say that I have not read all ...First of all, let me say that I have not read all of the comments above. I read your original post and as such am replying to said post. <BR/><BR/>I couldn't agree with you more. As a muchachita, my parents did not allow me to see the movie Scarface and I saw no part of it until well into my 20's. I saw bits and pieces of it at that point and I was insulted enough that I have yet to see the knittingnursehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11441051513207658894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359982.post-16427514195026729552007-03-06T01:29:00.000-05:002007-03-06T01:29:00.000-05:00Let me jump into this conversation really quickly ...Let me jump into this conversation really quickly just to point out that though Tony Montana is a fictional character his image represents one of Cuban cocaine corruption that many percieve to be a reality and Cuban-American stereotype here in the US (and in Cuba). Whether el guardia rural is right, or not,<BR/>the image is still very much present. Scarface is a fictional character that has John R.https://www.blogger.com/profile/15102679238040463702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359982.post-25807661077202711372007-03-05T22:59:00.000-05:002007-03-05T22:59:00.000-05:00It is not libel because it is the truth. Yes I cou...It is not libel because it is the truth. Yes I could go into details about what I know but let's just say I choose not to to protect the parties involved. All I will say I medal signed by then LTG Michael Hayden, USAF and those are my credentials. In the case of certain Cubans I would say yes it has bettered their lives at some cost though. Such as the example I wrote about in my previous post. El Guardia Ruralhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05957820515445473716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359982.post-16275107516432042422007-03-05T13:52:00.000-05:002007-03-05T13:52:00.000-05:00el guardia rural:If you "can't confirm anything," ...el guardia rural:<BR/><BR/>If you "can't confirm anything," then don't libel Cuban exiles, whom George Gilder has called "the most successful immigrants in the history of this nation of immigrants." If drug-trafficking hasn't bettered the condition of African-Americans and other Hispanics, then certainly it was no factor in the success of Cuban-Americans.Manuel A.Tellecheahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08637085685599554349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359982.post-34775773737043343002007-03-05T12:12:00.000-05:002007-03-05T12:12:00.000-05:00Hey in the 80's a lot of people in Miami were on t...Hey in the 80's a lot of people in Miami were on the take and directly or indirectly benefited from the immense drug trafficking that went on. I know its wrong to cast a whole group in a negative light. While not all Cubans are drug dealers, a good portion of the cocaine traffic in Florida and California in the 80's was facilitated by Cubans. Just to point out the degree that Cubans were involvedEl Guardia Ruralhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05957820515445473716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359982.post-60626387364744544332007-03-05T08:46:00.000-05:002007-03-05T08:46:00.000-05:00While I don't doubt that what you say is possible ...While I don't doubt that what you say is possible I don't see why I have to "man up" about it. I personally don't know any drug dealers nor have I known any. It's just another way of casting an entire group of people in a negative light (as if we didn't have enough of that already). It's convenient that they never "got to the top."<BR/><BR/>I denounce drug dealers whether they are Cuban or not.Henry Louis Gomezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03167391252653145914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359982.post-34264529435354838872007-03-05T08:17:00.000-05:002007-03-05T08:17:00.000-05:00Let's get this straight and I'm telling you from e...Let's get this straight and I'm telling you from experience. I have a relative that has over 20 years invested with the LAPD. In the 80's the LAPD had a Cuban task force. This was due to the large number of Cubans that were cocaine cowboys. I also know of people who made large amounts of money in the drug business and now are filthy rich after investing the money in legitimate businesses where a El Guardia Ruralhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05957820515445473716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359982.post-22685756853743479602007-03-04T23:18:00.000-05:002007-03-04T23:18:00.000-05:00Manuel,You seem to be responding to comments I nev...Manuel,<BR/><BR/>You seem to be responding to comments I never made. I never said that Batista's government had ties to the mob, and I never said he personally knew Lansky (the family I referred to and did not name was not Lansky's - I can't remember the name of the family now actually... just the other details of the anecdote).<BR/><BR/>All I said was that I am reluctant to believe that Batista Mizzoubanazohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02258886365480712975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359982.post-71291969231251132232007-03-04T15:06:00.000-05:002007-03-04T15:06:00.000-05:00mizzoubanazo:This is apparently one of those myths...mizzoubanazo:<BR/><BR/>This is apparently one of those myths that will not die. Batista's government had no ties to American mob. In fact, Batista did not even know Meyer Lansky personally, much less had any "business" connections with him. In its heyday, the mafia had dozens of American congressmen and even senators in their pockets. They were a tolerated presence in most American cities, Manuel A.Tellecheahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08637085685599554349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359982.post-91334319745836428532007-03-04T01:37:00.000-05:002007-03-04T01:37:00.000-05:00Actually, Manuel, I'm reluctant to believe Batista...Actually, Manuel, I'm reluctant to believe Batista didn't have relationships with the mob.<BR/><BR/>Pre-Castro Cuba was by no means "run" by the American mafia as the regime would have people believe, but mob ties to Batista's government are not a secret.<BR/><BR/>In fact, I was recently talking to a Catholic priest who told me about a (former) mob family he is close to. They took him down to theMizzoubanazohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02258886365480712975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359982.post-71482855593630536502007-03-04T00:46:00.000-05:002007-03-04T00:46:00.000-05:00Henry:I congratulate you for your knowledge about ...Henry:<BR/><BR/>I congratulate you for your knowledge about Cuba. You know more than Alex of SOTP and he lived there 24 years. However, there are some things that you should take for granted even if you never lived in Cuba. On such thing is that we were once a civilized country which was not run by the mafia.Manuel A.Tellecheahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08637085685599554349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359982.post-19023860371871018942007-03-04T00:35:00.000-05:002007-03-04T00:35:00.000-05:00Henry:There are also those who believe that Batist...Henry:<BR/><BR/>There are also those who believe that Batista kept wild animals on his estate and fed the rebels to them [the same thing was said of Machado]. I hope that your answer to this other canard won't be: <I>"As for what Batista fed to the panthers, I have no earthly idea."</I>Manuel A.Tellecheahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08637085685599554349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359982.post-48386279954972741172007-03-04T00:19:00.000-05:002007-03-04T00:19:00.000-05:00Coño Manuel cut me some slack. I am 37 years old....Coño Manuel cut me some slack. I am 37 years old. I was born in Philadelphia and have never set foot in Cuba yet I know more about the last 48 years than probably 90% of Cubans. Please excuse me that my knowledge doesn't go back even further. <BR/><BR/>You still haven't said "Henry you are right, the phone in the movie was given to the Batista character by a corporate type not a mafioso, I Henry Louis Gomezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03167391252653145914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359982.post-1684921067061796172007-03-04T00:13:00.000-05:002007-03-04T00:13:00.000-05:00As for who Batista actually did and did not meet w...<I>As for who Batista actually did and did not meet with, I have no earthly idea.</I> — Henry<BR/><BR/>Disappointing, Henry. The kind of answer that I would expect from Alex of SOTP.<BR/><BR/>Our country was not a den for the mafia and Batista would no more have concerted with mafiosi than would have Eisenhower. This is not something that you need to investigate or search your soul about. Do not Manuel A.Tellecheahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08637085685599554349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359982.post-69842357598840909492007-03-03T19:52:00.000-05:002007-03-03T19:52:00.000-05:00Manuel,My point was about the film. The person th...Manuel,<BR/><BR/>My point was about the film. The person that gave Batista the phone in the film was the representative of an American telecommunications company not a member of the Mafia.<BR/><BR/>As for who Batista actualy did and did not meet with, I have no earthly idea.Henry Louis Gomezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03167391252653145914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359982.post-79720080552505630752007-03-03T19:46:00.000-05:002007-03-03T19:46:00.000-05:00Henry:I don't think a gold telephone would make mu...Henry:<BR/><BR/>I don't think a gold telephone would make much sense under any circumstances. Still, there was such a phone and it was presented to Batista the day after the abortive assassination attempt by U.S. Ambassador Gardner.<BR/><BR/>Batista, of course, had no connections to the mafia; he never met with mafiosi; and was certainly not their pawn. The scene in the film is meant to imply Manuel A.Tellecheahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08637085685599554349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359982.post-78632127267870111762007-03-03T10:42:00.000-05:002007-03-03T10:42:00.000-05:00I have to correct you Manuel. The golden telephon...I have to correct you Manuel. The golden telephone was not presented by mafiosi in the movie. I remember the scene well and it was a gift from International Telephone and Telegraph. A gold phone coming from the mafia wouldn't make sense. The purpose of the scene was to show who the real power brokers in Cuba were. That's why mafiosi were present in addition to bigwigs from corporate America.Henry Louis Gomezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03167391252653145914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359982.post-72921885301064782152007-03-03T09:20:00.000-05:002007-03-03T09:20:00.000-05:00In the Godfather II there is a famous scene where ...In the <I>Godfather II</I> there is a famous scene where the mafiosi present to a delighted Batista a solid gold telephone. That actually happened, but not as presented in the film. It wasn't the mafiosi who presented the gift but U.S. ambassador Arthur J. Gardner the day after the failed attack on the Presidential Palace, where terrorists from the "July 26th Movement" tried to kill Batista, his Manuel A.Tellecheahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08637085685599554349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359982.post-21530159390231322512007-03-02T20:54:00.000-05:002007-03-02T20:54:00.000-05:00Mambi Watch,Say hello to my little friend!"Reject"...Mambi Watch,<BR/><BR/>Say hello to my little friend!<BR/><BR/>"Reject"<BR/><BR/>Oh and I amost forgot.<BR/><BR/>Kiss my hard line Cuban-American ass.Henry Louis Gomezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03167391252653145914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359982.post-87509227702895520472007-03-02T20:23:00.000-05:002007-03-02T20:23:00.000-05:00Actually the original Scarface movie made in 1933 ...Actually the original <I>Scarface</I> movie made in 1933 chronicled the life of an Italian gangster played by Edward G. Robinson. Just as Pacino was an Italian playing a Cuban, Robinson was a Jew playing an Italian.Manuel A.Tellecheahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08637085685599554349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359982.post-44990966312821791012007-03-02T18:22:00.000-05:002007-03-02T18:22:00.000-05:00Gusano,Amen brother! And I think I'll join you wit...Gusano,<BR/><BR/>Amen brother! And I think I'll join you with a beer.John R.https://www.blogger.com/profile/15102679238040463702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359982.post-67077418430337785022007-03-02T17:58:00.000-05:002007-03-02T17:58:00.000-05:00nah, Depalma just likes to make violent mobster mo...nah, Depalma just likes to make violent mobster movies. <BR/><BR/>carface was;t one of his best.IMHO.<BR/><BR/>but you made think that guevara's legacy is men that are totally materialistic for whom the ends justify the means. In that sense thay are the same coin.<BR/><BR/>man philosophizing is hard.need a beer. thank God beer is all veg!Gusanohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09338808907114840043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359982.post-34933087531987109072007-03-02T17:11:00.000-05:002007-03-02T17:11:00.000-05:00Nicolas, mr. guevara is certainly more dangerous b...Nicolas, mr. guevara is certainly more dangerous because of the historical ties, but image does have a tendency to perpetuate myth. And at least some of the American mentality here in Chicago buy into the that the Cubans in Miami are all gangsters. <BR/><BR/>In wonder if it is that different than the fictional Italian character Vito Corlione from the Godfather. Any Italian-American (or anyone whoJohn R.https://www.blogger.com/profile/15102679238040463702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359982.post-59976158719419955232007-03-02T15:56:00.000-05:002007-03-02T15:56:00.000-05:00Manuel, maybe you're right. I'm reminded of the ly...Manuel, maybe you're right. I'm reminded of the lyrics to Billy Joel's song "Angry Young Man"...<BR/><BR/>In any case, whether it is anger or sadness, I would say that the Che image is the only one of the two (Che/Scarface) that gets any sort of significant emotional response from me.<BR/><BR/>I guess maybe it'll piss me off til I age a bit.Mizzoubanazohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02258886365480712975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12359982.post-15101105492747883212007-03-02T13:51:00.000-05:002007-03-02T13:51:00.000-05:00"The earnest, honest, and sincere way in which tho...<I>"The earnest, honest, and sincere way in which those kids will tell you they admire Guevara makes my blood boil, as I'm sure it does yours."</I> — Nicolas<BR/><BR/>Perhaps because I am much older than you, Nicolas, it <I>does not</I> make my blood boil, but inspires an infinite sadness in me to think how those kids have been ill-served by their parents, the educational system and the culture Manuel A.Tellecheahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08637085685599554349noreply@blogger.com