Politics Is One Thing and Politicking Another

By Elio Delgado Legon

HAVANA TIMES — Politics are an art form; politicking is a serious crime against the people of a nation. Politics are used to serve the people and to defend them; politicking is used to rob them, not only financially, but of their dreams and hopes too.

The term “politicking” was invented by Cubans a long time ago to allude to what was going on the country, with many political parties, whose leaders used to take each other apart, with accusations – true or false, it didn’t matter – they insulted each other, they slandered each other and they told voters that they would resolve the country’s most pressing issues just to win their votes.  Then, afterwards, they would forget about their campaign promises and would commit themselves to their fundamental objective which is why they really fought to get into power: to accumulate large sums of money which they stole from taxpayers, who had nobody to turn and complain to.

When in the middle of this great dumping ground, a party and honest leader arose, who really wanted to work on improving the country (there was only one in Cuba), a coup d’etat took place which sunk the country into a bloody dictatorship. That’s why an armed revolution was needed to get rid of this dictatorship, and its impact was so great, that political parties and their politicking were wiped out, like dinosaurs.

The Cuban Revolution took on the task of creating a democratic system, where the Cuban people would be able to participate the most they could. However, they would participate directly, not via political parties, who we can definitively say never answered to the people’s needs, but to national or foreign oligarchies and their needs. When they finally got into power, they forgot about the Cuban people.

Participatory democracy was created, where the population is the one to nominate their leaders in open neighborhood assemblies without the intervention of any political party. Municipal representatives are put forward and chosen every two and a half years and provincial representatives and National Assembly legislators are chosen every five years. Finally, the National Assembly, representing the people, chooses the State Council and its president.

Personally speaking, this is the most democratic system that exists in the world, as it isn’t interceded by money, or economic interests of any kind, as these political roles don’t receive any kind of financial compensation at any of these three levels, they only receive their salary which comes from their workplace.

This political system isn’t perfect, maybe we need to make a few tweaks here and there, but it was analyzed and discussed with the Cuban people and 98% of voters approved it in a referendum. They also proposed and approved the socialist nature of the political and social system in our Constitution as irrevocable. Therefore, it can’t be compromised or negotiated in any way, nor can it be questioned and much less receive proposals so that it returns to Capitalism and a multi-party system, promising the people that the Revolution’s achievements will not be affected.

You would have to be very naive, or malicious, to claim that a return to Capitalism or a multi-party system would respect the Revolution’s accomplishments, which are obvious and nobody can deny them, not even the most steadfast of our enemies. In a capitalist society here in Cuba, healthcare would become just another commodity, just like education, culture and sports. They would no longer be rights of the people, because they would be very expensive and would also become private businesses.

To all the naive, and especially the malicious, people out there, don’t waste your time dreaming of the Cuban people turning themselves over to this scum of politicking again. The Cuban people have a sound guardian that will never let them be betrayed, like what happened in the Soviet Union, and that guardian is the Cuban Communist Party.