Cubadebate

La Jornada February 06, 2004

Syllogism: an argument containing two premises from which a
conclusion is derived; i.e.: "The United States maintains
an economic blockade on Cuba; such blockade influences all
aspects of life in Cuba." Besides the propositional
context..., what valid conclusion is obtained from both
premises? In school, we learned that a syllogism
constitutes a tautology because its conclusions are
rigorous.

There are two categories of syllogism: hypothetical and
disjunctive. Hypothetical: "if Cuba submits, the revolution
dies. Cuba submitted; therefore the revolution died".
A disjunctive syllogism contains a major argument sustained
by a major premise: "if Cuba submits, the revolution
betrays its principles and dies." It also contains a minor
premise which either affirms or denies the disjunctive:
"it hasn't betrayed them, therefore it hasn't died".

We also learned what a dilemma means: an ambiguous
proposition that contains two axioms and two premises,
which function is to combine the hypothetical and the
disjunctive arguments; i.e.: "Socialism without democracy
is not socialism. Cuba is socialist, but not democratic;
therefore, Cuba is neither socialist nor democratic".
Aristotle, however, cautioned that a dilemma must be
demonstrated.

Interesting? It depends. If we rationalize like a feverish
desert-dweller stranded in the arctic, the tedious task of
discerning reality and falsehood is therewith exonerated.
Of course there would not be a dilemma, but rather a
self-inflicted hallucination. Therapy recommends
cross-referencing, examining sources and a small
polycosanol pill (PPG), daily which Cuban health officials
prescribe to adults and the elderly suffering of
hypercholesterolemia, regardless of ideology.

Those on the left who don't take PPG, reckon the levels of
freedom and democracy in Cuba discriminating the social
achievements from the injuries exerted by the embargo. In
the field of Information Science, for instance, such
achievements would remain at the margin of the
contravention against the stipulations of the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU) that the United States
performs in order to provoke internal subversion.
Therefore, Cuba cannot export or resell the software
produced within its borders, but rather it must purchase
licenses, updates and technological transfers through third
party countries, with the subsequent increase in prices and
delays.

The Helms-Burton Act of 1996 upset the creation of a
partnership which would produce fiber optics, coaxial and
data transmission cables. In 2003, the Department of
Commerce denied an export license to a California agency
wishing to donate 423 computers to hospitals and clinics in
the island. The Cuban internet connection lacks the
adequate bandwidth to satisfy national demand. The blockade
forces the use of expensive, slow bandwidth and satellite
transmissions, easily avoided if a fiber optics cable ran
between Cuba and Florida.

To what valid premise obeys the omission of such
prohibitions? Is there a dilemma between "free speech"
(ambiguous proposition) and the premises and axioms
regarding egregious losses which U.S. imperialism occasions
Cuba in the areas of basic and wireless telephony,
electronic commerce, electronic mail and internet access?

"Communication, information and education are now available
to everybody and anybody who can afford a computer and an
internet account". The person who wrote this lives in
Nicaragua, a country where a scarce 0.04 percent has
internet access. With a population of 11 million, there are
480,000 users in Cuba (4.3 percent), according to the ITU.
There's a similar percentage in Mexico (4.6) and in Russia
(4.2). In the Summit of the Information Society (sic), an
African delegate said: What are we talking about? In my
country we have 0.16 telephones for each 100 people!

Notwithstanding the cost of international connectivity,
Cuba uses the internet in a rational, creative and orderly
manner. Instead of prioritizing the residential and
corporate markets (an endeavor which belongs to
telecommunication companies and international providers),
the most dynamic development of Cuban Information is
dedicated to social, cultural, educational and health
issues. Every kid and youth in the country has access to
computers, even the elderly and children in daycare.

Yet, a marxist in slippers dares to scold the Cuban
government for implementing mechanisms which guarantee that
the users pay. On the other hand, I would admit that using
the internet to copy music and refuse to pay constitutes
piracy; it would also be illegal that a person working at
an office or a university used the internet for personal
gain. But when Cubans sell internet accounts in the black
market, stealing them from the government, it constitutes
freedom. Isn't everything supposed to be free in a
socialist and democratic revolution?