And Now, A Word From Our Despot

Fidel Got Game

I’ve recently entered the world of journalism. So far, it’s been a bit of a whirlwind:

The deadlines.
The information overload.
The broadcast news girls.

It’s blowing my mind.

One thing I’ve found really enjoyable is the fact that I can read news in Latin American periodicals that no one can easily find (let alone translate) here in the States. Case in point:

Fidel Castro regularly writes in Cuba’s national newspaper, La Granma. Of course, this is a state-run paper, and anything in it should be taken with a grain of salt. That said, an editorial from this quaint little island’s quaint little despot is nothing short of fascinating.

His column is titled ‘Reflexiones del Compañero Fidel’: Reflections from Comrade Fidel.

Fidel, dear comrade that he is, has written his most recent article, ‘Para el honor, Medalla de Oro,’ reflecting on the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.

I was pleased to find in this article that Fidel, much like myself, was appalled by the officiating in these Olympic games. ‘Wow,’ I thought, ‘Fidel and I have more in common than I originally believed. I no longer feel so awkwardly offended by his government officers’ overbearing presence on my visit to Havana -- which, if any US official asks, is purely fictional.’

But then I went on to read about which injustices he happened to find so appalling.

Fidel first addresses the actions of Cuban tae kwon do Olympian Ángel Valodia Matos. If you don’t recognize this name -- here’s a refresher:

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/891018/

For the record, Homeslice here was disqualified for taking too much time to recover from an injury. You can see the clock. Time doesn’t lie. He did, in fact, take too much time. And he was disqualified. I don’t know. Perhaps I’m wrong. Perhaps referees give you some leeway to get back on your feet for this type of thing. I don’t pretend to know the intricacies of competitive tae kwon do.

Neither does Fidel. But he does flat-out disregard the event’s rules in favor of rhetoric:

“… Ángel Valodia Matos - Olympic champion from the Sydney games eight years ago - whose mother died while he competed and won the gold medal 20,000 kilometers from his country. Surprised by a decision that seemed totally unjust to him, he protested and kicked the referee. They had tried to buy his own trainer, he was inclined* and outraged. He couldn‘t contain himself.”

Really, man? Did you watch the tape? Even if ‘they’ really had tried to buy Matos’ trainer (something I wouldn‘t argue against for a second after watching these games), how did he not take liberties with the time allotted him to recover? Where is your argument that he wasn’t, in fact, disqualified?

“He protested and kicked the referee.”
Oh. Okay.
“He covered his mouth and sneezed.”
“He offered to buy her a drink.”

How can you state that so matter-of-factly?

Matos kicked a referee in the face. A Swedish referee, no less. Have you ever met a Swede you didn’t like? I defy you to find a Swede worth even a cupped ear.

So, yeah. Matos was expelled from international competitive tae kwon do for life, which does seem a bit extreme to me -- being expelled for acting too aggressively in an inherently aggressive sport. His trainer was expelled for life as well. And that’s ridiculous. I wish Fidel had put his two cents in on this one.



In any event, Castro procedes.

He says that judges robbed two Cubans in boxing matches, neither of which I saw. But I did see those guys fight earlier, and couldn’t put it better than Fidel myself: ‘they fought with dignity and valiance; they attacked constantly.’ Perhaps they were robbed of these medals. Perhaps not. Fidel says a Korean was treated similarly in a fight of his own.


After this Castro gives a spiel on the Cuban athletes’ valiant efforts in lovely form. And he’s damn right. There were plenty of Cuban athletes who performed well during this summer‘s Olympics. I love the ethic of Cuban athletes; how they can grow to be such masters with little to no funding behind them. They seem to grow into these exalted abilities simply for love of their respective games.



Fidel also has some rips against the world’s biggest little Super Power. My home. The U.S. of A.

I’ll spare you his rants on commercialism, but I will say he somehow managed to incorporate one into a paragraph on baseball, leaving open implications on what that has to say about the U.S.

Yeah.

This coming from the guy who tried to join the majors in his younger, less-revolutionary days.


He also lauds the Brazilian volleyball team that ‘overwhelmingly defeated’ the U.S. team and ‘gained primacy.’

Well, yeah. I’ll concede that one, Comandante.


Fidel didn’t comment on what I believed to be the real injustices in the games. The Chinese gymnasts that were clearly not 16? I mean, come on. I heard about terrible scores in other events as well, but nothing was worse than this injustice. And, after reading Fidel’s arguments, I don’t think I’d be able to argue for these unnamed events without a strong, strong dose of Americentrism. Perhaps it’s best I don’t. Perhaps it would have been best if he hadn’t.



Anyway. I hope you can read Spanish. This is a rich article, and it’s always enjoyable to listen to out-of-touch politicians of his or Bush’s ilk.


Let me end this with a nice little paragraph of Fidel gazing with hope to future Olympic games:
‘Let’s prepare ourselves for important future battles. Let us not leave ourselves coaxed by the smiles of London. In London there will be European chauvinism, corrupt officiating, the buying of muscles and minds, a cost that cannot be paid, and a strong dose of racism.’

Bien dicho, old man. Well said, indeed.







-----Some words may sometimes be difficult for me to translate directly. If that is ever the case, I will take whatever liberties I find necessary to make the word intelligible within its context, mark it with an asterisk, and add it to the end of my “thing’s” entry for anyone to translate on his/her own-----


*predispuesto