My Neighborhood Candidate Selection Meeting

Miguel Arias Sanchez

Illustration by Carlos

HAVANA TIMES — There was recently a meeting to choose the candidate/s for my district’s representative (el delegado), in my neighborhood of Guanabacoa, one of Havana’s outlying municipalities.

Very few people came out for the 8 p.m. gathering, maybe 20 more or less. The TV prime time soap opera is much more appealing than a meeting. Nobody wanted to be elected, people put candidates forward and  one by one these rejected the nominations. All of them claimed to have serious personal issues for not taking on the position. Given this situation, the same person who has been our representative for many years now was chosen, a retired militaryman.

At the moment the woman sent by the Communist Party to oversee the meeting announced the outcome something fell from the sky and landed on her.  The stench filled the place and quieted people’s applause for the new/old representative.

I was in the bathroom, the cries made me jump; I wrapped myself in a towell and went running to the window and could witness all of the hysteria: Traitor! Traitor! The person who did this is a traitor, they won’t destroy the Revolution or manage to do anything, just rejection… She was taken to someone’s home until she walked out calmer and cleaner. The meeting had finished, in the end, the objective had already been met, the representative would continue on in his role.

Various suspects were arrested but they were let go the next day because in the inquiries and until today, the authorities were unable to prove who threw that rotten egg.

22 thoughts on “My Neighborhood Candidate Selection Meeting

  • I think a condemnation of the crimes of Stalin is not an example of confusion, but is rather an indication of clear-sightedness.
    Even when Stalin was being lauded in Hollywood, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_to_Moscow, there was a clear-sighted minority who raised their voices in condemnation.

  • Yes, it is the same Raphael Stephen-Pons.
    There is no surprise in different members of the CPUSA having different views upon Stalin. The political extreme left wing regularly displays confusion about ‘real’ or ‘true’ socialism. They endeavor to excuse its excesses, repression and incompetence by saying that those practicing it were not really pursuing socialism and indeed fail to be able to illustrate where ‘true’ socialism has actually been practiced.
    Stephen-Pons dismisses ‘Stalin Breaker of Nations’ by Robert Conquest as “propaganda”. But it is difficult to find a book that has – as is the case with ‘Stalin Breaker of Nations’ a twelve page index and six pages of bibliography.
    The New York Times which can hardly be described as right wing (ask Donald Trump(f)), said of the book:
    “A superb portrait of the man who terrorized his country for thirty years and inflicted the Cold War on the rest of the world.”

  • Now Stephen-Pons, that is not for you to determine, but if you have cause to believe that Miguel Arias Sanchez is not telling the truth and that Havana Times is publishing a falsehood, say so. How about your membership in the CPUSA, you sought my basis for saying so and I provided it! So come on, admit the truth. I don’t have a video of you joining the CPUSA, only your own recorded statement, does that make it untrue? Eye witness reports are eligible as evidence under the law.
    You may admire the silly non-contributive commments of CErmle. To me as I have previously commented, he is like a wart, just a nuisance contributing nothing, but birds of a feather……..!

  • Once again, you paint yourself in such eloquent and fittingly monosyllabic economy – how can I possibly top that?

  • Nope.

  • If that’s what you wish to believe, feel free to add it to your exhaustive list of delusions.

  • Apparently, I touched a nerve and you are unravelling. Please continue.

  • Like I need to appear intelligent to a person who is always commenting “how I cannot tolerate you people, I am just so mad and tough” fucking hell you are probably a 5’3 multi millionaires in Florida getting ready to rape the Cuban people if the embargo ever gets lifted

  • Let me remind you Raphael Stephen-Pons of the article published in ‘The American Spectator’ of March 31, 2017. Written by Joshua Delk and Paul Kruger with the heading:
    Communists and Socialists Rally Under ‘Trump Resistance’

    In the comments upon that article one reader wrote:
    “This article had finally pushed me to join the CPUSA thx!”
    The name given by that reader was Raphael Stephen-Pons.

    Are there two of you?

    Secondly, have you or have you not dined at the University of Pennsylvania with one Beatrize Stephen-Pons?

  • You are trying WAY too hard to appear intelligent, which only tends to light the aura of your insecurities bright as a supernova. Certainly don’t believe the bit about Penn one iota.
    You are a queer one though; strike me as an antisocial outcast lashing out at convention. When you were but a wee Bolshevik, did the other children refuse to play with you?

  • Well, its not factual. Its just an eye witness account, he didn’t take a video of it so there is no evidence to what he said (not saying that means its incorrect). But, you are incorrect in saying its factual

  • No Joseph Marti, its that Carlyle MacDuff just says adhominems and repeats things that are literally untrue of me, she says that I am a member of the CPUSA, I am not. She said I go to the University of Pennsylvania, I don’t. And she mentions other things that I don’t no where she got the idea from

  • Well Stephen-Pons, if you think I am stalking you, just think about the justified fears that the people of East Germany had with the Stasi and the people of Cuba have with the CDR. Communism in practice preys on the people and encourages a tell tale society.

  • Whats the matter Stalin? Can’t take it? You are low-hanging fruit. Carlyle, for his credit, is patiently trying to legitimately engage with you – which is more than I can muster. Stop whining.

  • 1. I don’t support the Cuban government, I just support its sovereignty and independence.
    2. Why do you stalk me?

  • it’s the system you support as an opponent of democratic choice.

  • One thing I take away from this report is that at least at the bottom level, participating in government offers very little material privilege. If there were some privilege to be gained, wouldn’t more people want the job?

  • nice

  • Here you go again CErmle with your mindless comments upon a factually reported meeting.

  • Pure fiction.

  • Ah, yes. I can imagine selection meetings for the neighborhood Chivato can be quite entertaining….

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