Fidel, Obama and us

Although not mentioned in the national press, an intense exchange of ideas is taking place in Cuban society regarding the present political situation, marked by Barack Obama’s presence in the presidency of the United States, by the perception of that phenomenon in public opinion, and by the opinions expressed by Fidel Castro in several articles, especially in his most recent Reflection, titled “Obama’s Speech in Cairo.”

To watch Fidel Castro, a creature predestined to combat imperialism, devote his time to examining — from a positive angle — the performance of an American president is an unprecedented experience. The danger is that some watchers may not understand him or get the wrong impression.

Under Fidel’s direction, a school of thought has been formed in Cuba in the past 50 years whose core is a militant anti-imperialism and whose supporters adopt the precepts and style of the Comandante, although naturally they lack his genius and ability to read reality and act accordingly.

Combined in Fidel, in perfect proportions, are firmness and flexibility, talent and determination, crowned by an unshakeable intellectual and political honesty.

Protected by his irreproachable and consistent revolutionary and anti-imperialist attitude, the Comandante allows himself luxuries that other militants do not enjoy, among them the ability to expose — objectively and without prejudice or passion — an unprecedented political phenomenon that has a name and surname: Barack Obama.

Brought up with the slogans “One cannot trust imperialism one iota” and “Those who believe in the empire’s good faith do not survive their error,” Cuban militants — particularly the most veteran, firm and consistent – find it difficult to assume that there is a U.S. president who acts in good faith and who, as a minimum, deserves the benefit of the doubt.

No one questions Fidel’s lucidity, his ability to stay focused in the most complex political situations, and no one dares to contradict him. No one believes that he can make mistakes. Even those who believe it are willing to follow him, despite any error. Still, those convictions don’t resolve the contradiction.

Cuban revolutionaries have more than enough reasons to deeply hate U.S. imperialism, which they have been battling for 50 years and from which they have received nothing but blows and insults. They express that feeling by rejecting U.S. symbols, mainly its spokesmen, none more conspicuous than the President of the United States.

Nevertheless, due to the novelty of the phenomenon and its importance to the United States, Cuba and the world, Fidel, with his methodical and detailed style, has processed it by running it through the filters of his vast political culture, an overall experience that no other statesman has accumulated, and his fine instinct.

Following the performance of the new American president step by step, minute by minute, word by word and gesture by gesture, with his accustomed lucidity and honesty, Fidel states his points of view, not to demonstrate that he is up-to-date or that he is wise but to guide the militants and the cadres of the Revolution.

Last night and this morning, while I visited or phoned people I know, whose perception of these phenomena I needed to write this article, one of them said to me: “Until now, Obama’s behavior has consisted of words…”

I welcomed those words. They gave me the opportunity to say: “So far as I know, all the political programs, all the doctrines and all the great goals began as ideas and words. No one ever began to build a house from the roof down and few are the leaders who, like Fidel, have seen their words, projects and ideals turn into accomplishments that are expressed throughout a nation, a people and a historic era.”

“Let us give him time,” a source told me. “Maybe Obama will achieve nothing or won’t achieve everything he seeks.”

“Not even Jesus Christ could be measured by that yardstick,” another source said. “He didn’t achieve everything he intended to, either. To do good, the first thing is to want to do good. The rest is up to the circumstances.”

The exercise ended. It was late, and we said good-night to one another with the conviction that, no matter what the issues, there would be other experiences and other battles waged with the same conviction and for the greatest tranquility with the same chief at the helm.