In 1979 David Halberstam’s book, The Powers That Be, claimed that the major media had “stopped following the news and was now making the news. “An account of the rise of the modern media as an instrument of political power,” reads the jacket. Cuban regime defectors report that this became one of Fidel Castro’s favorite books. Not that he learned anything from its pages; simply that he received smug confirmation for something he’d plumbed decades before Halberstam.

Things have changed. And though MSM agencies with Havana bureau’s still perform for Castro like trained seals, bloggers (and the new media in general) are increasingly vexing the Castro regime. Reuters, AP, and CBS might clutch the regime’s hand-out sheets and eagerly transcribe them. Upon hearing Castro’s whistle, ABC, NBC and the AP might come running, their tongues out and their tails wagging.

The Cuban-American bloggers at Babalu Blog, on the other hand, watch the clown-show with bitter mirth while rubbing their hands. Ed Mc Mahon never lobbed it over so temptingly for Johnny.  Babalu blog founder and guiding light Val Prieto along with managing editors Alberto de la Cruz and George Moneo were recently interviewed by Dr Helen Smith of Pajamas TV. And as much fun as they have with this venture, you’ll see that their mission amounts to more than eye-poking.  Much of the best reporting on (and from) Castro’s fiefdom is by Spanish language bureaus. Among Babalu bloggers’ tasks is to scour these stories, and translate the juiciest morsels into Red state English for U.S. consumption. (more…)

The U.S. is the great enemy of mankind! Against those hyenas there is no option but extermination!… If the nuclear missiles had remained (in Cuba) we would have fired them against the heart of the U.S. including New York City!…. We will bring the war to the (U.S.) imperialists enemies’ very home,   to his places of work and recreation. The imperialist enemy (the U.S.) must feel like a hunted animal wherever he moves! Thus we’ll destroy (the U.S.!)  The solutions to the world’s problems lie behind the Iron Curtain. The victory of socialism is well worth millions of atomic victims! We must keep our hatred against them (the U.S.) alive and fan it to paroxysms!

That was Ernesto “Che” Guevara , in his message to the Tri-Continental Conference, Havana 1966.

“I’m like Che Guevara with a bling on!”

That was Rapper Jay-Z,  whom President  Obama  recently invited to sit under the U.S. Presidential Seal in the same White House that Jay-Z’s hero  craved to incinerate with nuclear missiles.

OK, fine, Obamabots and MSM……? Perhaps you don’t object to having, as an honored guest of our White House, and sitting under your nation’s very Presidential Seal, a sympathizer with a Stalinist who craved to incinerate your nation? That’s one thing.

But how about having, by special invitation to the White House by your president, and sitting under your presidential seal — a “useful idiot?” (more…)