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GRANMA INTERNATIONAL<br>
Havana. April 2, 2008<br><br>
<a href="http://www.granma/" eudora="autourl">http://www.granma</a>.
cu/ingles/ 2008/abril/ mier2/14carta- fidel.html<br><br>
Letter from Fidel to the 7th UNEAC Congress<br><br>
Dear Miguel Barnet and all the other UNEAC members:<br><br>
I cannot be with you in the debates. I am aware of the concerns of<br>
some of the organization' s members above all yours, Miguel due<br>
to my traditional presence at the congresses of our writers and<br>
artists.<br><br>
Nevertheless, as a modest contribution to the meeting, I wish to<br>
express certain concerns that come to my mind, accustomed to posing<br>
complicated questions, although not always with the calm and the
time<br>
that I now have available by obligation. I shall be brief, succinct<br>
and limited to a very few observations.<br><br>
Modern human beings are no less egotistical than the Greeks of<br>
Plato's era. On the contrary, those of today are subjected to a<br>
torrent of publicity, images and influences more than ever
before.<br><br>
Within socialism one cannot exclude the formula that each person<br>
should contribute according to his or her ability and receive<br>
according to his or her work. Where do the resources come from in a<br>
society to offer services that are essential for everyone's life,<br>
whether or not they are producing goods or economic services? One's<br>
contribution to society cannot escape from a proportional, but never<br>
equal part of what one is capable of creating. Taxes are imperative<br>
and cannot be simply proportional. There comes a time, given their<br>
implications, that they can become almost the totality of what<br>
is created.<br><br>
Direct taxes have liquidated left-wing governments in Nordic and
other<br>
European countries. There is nothing more unpleasant. Collecting<br>
surplus value from services exported, aside from those provided free<br>
of charge in the international sphere by tens of thousands of<br>
compatriots, is not only fair, but more understandable than directly<br>
taxing a growing proportion of personal income, like a blow to the<br>
chest demanding your money or your life.<br><br>
The incentives implemented not just in hard currency in order to buy<br>
on the market, but also in many highly effective forms of a social,<br>
human and family content, do not incite the individualism and<br>
selfishness that lead to the negation, in the most diverse
disguises,<br>
of the society that we are aspiring to create.<br><br>
I listened to the speeches made this morning, a number of them<br>
excellent in their expression and content. While I was writing and<br>
revising this message, I listened to you all. Your words, Miguel,<br>
constituted a clear sword thrust at those corrupt individuals who,<br>
for personal gain, pocket a slice of that surplus. They have to be<br>
hit "with the fury of the slave hand at his opprobrium," like
the<br>
tyrant. I have quoted the words of one of Martí's Versos
Sencillos.<br><br>
I ask myself, can the methods used to run a grocery store create the<br>
consciousness required to attain a better world? It would make no<br>
sense to talk about revolutionary consciousness if developed and<br>
globalized capitalism, anticipated almost 100 years ago, did not<br>
exist.<br><br>
The consciousness of human beings does not create objective<br>
conditions. It is the other way around. Thus we can only talk of<br>
revolution.<br><br>
Beautiful words, necessary as the bearers of ideas, are not enough;<br>
what is needed is profound meditation.<br><br>
Two days ago, an article in the foreign press referred to 30 great<br>
inventions that have transformed the world: compact discs, GPS's and<br>
DVD's, cell phones, faxes, the Internet, microwaves, facebook,<br>
digital cameras, electronic mail, et cetera, et cetera.<br><br>
The quantity of dollars that would be involved and in part is<br>
already involved in the sale of each of those products accumulates<br>
so many zero's in the hands of the transnationals that it is<br>
unintelligible. Worse still: each one of them will be replaced by<br>
another, more effective invention and even the secrets of a couple<br>
taking on a park bench can no longer be guaranteed.<br><br>
Does the kind of existence promised by imperialism make any
sense?<br><br>
Who are the ones ruling people's lives? Can mental and physical<br>
health even be guaranteed, given the as yet unknown effects of so<br>
many electronic waves for which neither the human body or mind has<br>
evolved? A UNEAC congress cannot fail to address these thorny
issues.<br>
Many people will say: `that's fatalism.' I would answer, `No,<br>
fatalism is not posing the problem.' I don't even want to bother you<br>
with these lines.<br><br>
The climate is changing as a consequence of the irresponsible
actions<br>
of humans. The equilibrium has been broken.<br><br>
I have mentioned to you only some of the questions that, observing
the<br>
realities of the world, are passing through my mind.<br><br>
I very much enjoy seeing the advances of our people in different<br>
fields,advances that other societies free of cruel blockades and<br>
mortal threats have been unable to achieve, including in relation to<br>
the struggle for environmental conservation.<br><br>
That provokes the hatred of our adversaries. I have seen articles in<br>
eminent organs of the capitalist press that attack us like a pack of<br>
hounds. They talk about our country as if we were beggars and<br>
starting from zero, and not a nation with a minimal level of<br>
education that has not been achieved by the most developed
countries,<br>
excellent health indicators and social security that is maybe too<br>
high, as I thought when a Congress delegate spoke justly of those
who<br>
grossly mistreat certain social property, and who called for us<br>
to fight against habits that our society repudiates.<br><br>
The adversary is committing serious errors and demonstrating<br>
astounding stupidity in its battle against the objective truth. Just<br>
recently, Yankee companies contracted for their services on the<br>
orders of the Yankee government deprived hundreds of thousands of<br>
Swedish citizens access to the Rebelión web site on the Internet,<br>
which publishes news on Cuba. They simply cut their access<br>
arbitrarily. They are incapable of understanding that interest in<br>
Rebelión is multiplying and the battle of ideas between Cuba and<br>
the empire is intensifying.<br><br>
Please excuse me, dear compañeros, if I have extended myself.<br><br>
I am observing the empire and its sinister plans.<br><br>
Starting from our healthy, patriotic and internationalist efforts in<br>
the manual and intellectual tasks that we carry out every day, I<br>
would dare to affirm: everything that ethically fortifies the<br>
Revolution is good, everything that weakens it is bad.<br><br>
A strong embrace for all of you.<br><br>
Fidel Castro Ruz<br><br>
April 1, 2008<br><br>
6: 44 p.m.<br><br>
Translated by Granma International<br><br>
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