Back in 1959 the Cubans blindly chose change. At the beginning of the communist takeover, the government began targeting various groups of people whose primary transgression was the possession of wealth, later on the reasons varied, but the systematic dismantling of Cuba’s society unbeknownst to many Cubans, had just began. The targeted individuals would either end up with their properties confiscated and their reputations ruined at best, or thrown in jail or executed at worst. The vast majority of the citizenry out of fear, apathy or envy, would watch these injustices in silence and allow the rights of the “escape goats du jour” to be violated with impunity. It wasn’t until they themselves became targeted, that they would experience an epiphany about the regime’s brutal nature.
One of the idiosyncrasies of the Cuban culture is to use humor when faced with serious situations, while at the same time not detracting from the message it conveys. Our cultural propensity for humor, gave way to a new name for the revolution which made its way into the Cuban vernacular (La Revolucion del Callo), Castro’s revolution became known as The Callus Revolution, this name helped describe the phenomenon that allowed previously loyal followers of the regime to become enlighten dissidents overnight, once they too were affected by the repression, in other words once their callus had been stepped on.
Why is this pertinent you may ask? It is pertinent because of the déjà vu effect that I feel when I hear Obama peddle his class warfare rhetoric, and talk about a tax plan that will supposedly target earners of $250,000 a year or more. The lack of outrage from the populace, the eerie passiveness with which a large segment of our population hears this proposal with approval, apathy or satisfaction, reminds me of times past and so I ask. By what right should the government take it upon itself to punish the most productive segments of society? Who gives any politician the right to determine who is rich, or who has too much money? What regards are being given to the efforts that yielded to such wealth? Today the amount is $250,000; tomorrow it will be $200,000; the day after $100,000; and already there is talk about our 401K accounts, a lot sooner than later, our entire society will have a sore callus of their own.
It is precisely during times of turmoil and discontent that free societies need to be the most vigilant, for it is then that they are most susceptible to the siren’s songs of a charlatans. With so many politicians attacking our capitalist society today, and falsely attributing the current economic crises to the failure of the free market, Americans need to reflect on what was it that made us the greatest nation on Earth, and what exactly is the type of change we want, the wise words of my grandmother come to mind, when she use to warn me at times, “Be Careful Not To Throw Out The Baby With The Bath Water” she said, let’s hope that on November 4th, Americans heed her words as well.