Saturday, April 14, 2007

Instead of Capitalist Ads Everywhere . . .



Those intimately familiar with my poetry ('The Better Beggar') know I'm not a big fan of the deluge of corporate advertising that surrounds and pervades the life of average Americans on a daily basis. My trip to Cuba has allowed me to experience 10 days in a row with virtually no exposure to corporate billboards, TV or radio advertising, bus-stop ad banners, ad-wrapped buses, or virtually any noticeable type of corporate and 'name-brand' advertising anywhere. Unless, of course, the name brand is socialism and the Cuban revolution. These pictures are just a small sample of what Cubans see all around them. These kinds of messages appear roadside in the cities and countryside, pop up on the sides of buildings seemingly around every corner, and even as grafiti scrawled on the walls of working-class neighborhoods. I don't have time to translate them right now (though will try to add translations later), so if you know Spanish or
have a Spanish/English dictionary . . .

To be explained in a future posting . . .


These are the 'Cuban Five' -- Cubans imprisoned in the United States following what some feel were unfair trials for espionage. Google them.

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