USIS Billboard: What exactly is their point????
What exactly is their point????
Occasionally I stop by to check out what the US Interest Section (USIS) electronic billboard in Havana says… just out of curiosity… and only when I am in the neighborhood….and every time I come away ticked off… (you can visit their website to read the latest billboared drivel too)
Previously sent I wrote about the billboard messages during the Manu Chao concert several weeks back…
But in case there is anyone out there who doesn’t know about the USIS electronic billboard, it is the USIS attempt at broadcasting its nonsense to the Cuban people directly. The billboard spans the entire fifth floor of the building and is a story high. It constantly flashes “messages” to anyone who bothers to pay it any attention. Many times the messages are outright provocative and there have even been calls to action and promises of US support of such actions. INCREDIBLE….
Well, today I am especially frustrated by two “news headlines,” as they called them, that are the epitome of selective information sound bites and divide and conquer, respectively….. the two follow:
Selective information sound bites:
LA ORGANIZACIÓN PANAMERICANA DE SALUD ENCONTRÓ EN CUBA UNA TASA ALARMANTE DE SUICIDIOS. ENTRE LOS AÑOS 2000 Y 2005, OCURRIERON EN CUBA 18.1 SUICIDIOS POR CADA 100,000 PERSONAS. EN COMPARACIÓN, URUGUAY MOSTRÓ UNA TASA DE 15.9 Y GUATEMALA DE 1.9.
The Panamerican Health Organization found in Cuba an alarming suicide rate. Between the years 2000 and 2005, 18.1 suicides per 100,000 individuals occurred. In comparison, Uruguay’s rate was 15.9 and Guatemala was 1.9
OK SO WHAT IS WRONG WITH THAT??? Sure, the figures are correct…
But, what is it trying to say???? What is the point? All it really says is that Cuba has a higher suicide rate during this period than Uruguay and Guatemala. But what is it insinuating? Why run this factoid on their billboard? Are they trying to say that life is so bad in Cuba, far worse than Uruguay and Guatemala, (which by default of being presented in this way, make the reader place the two as possible-range markers).
Why didn’t they compare it to
France: 17.7
Finland: 22.7
JAPAN: 25.3
Or how about
Russian Federation: 41.2
Lithuania: 45.8
Belarus: 35.6
Or even better yet: since the US interest section is officially the United States Interests Section of the Embassy of Switzerland in Havana
We could reasonably expect them to compare Cuba’s suicide rate to that of
Switzerland: 18.25
Or hey what about IRAN: 0.3
Maybe they are trying to warn of an INCREASE in the suicide rate in Cuba?? NOPE
The numbers above are taken from a table on the WHO website and are mostly from the 1998-2000, Cuba’s figure in this table is from 1998 and it is even HIGHER: 18.3
So, what exactly is their point???
Divide and conquer:
EL COLEGIO MÉDICO DE BOLIVIA PIDIÓ AL GOBIERNO QUE PRESCINDA DE LOS 600 PROFESIONALES CUBANOS QUE PRESTAN SERVICIOS EN EL PAÍS, PORQUE SUS COLEGAS BOLIVIANOS ESTÁN DISPUESTOS A TRABAJAR EN LAS MISMAS CONDICIONES.
The medical school of Bolivia asked the government to reject the 600 Cuban professionals loaning their services in the country, because their colleagues are willing to work in the same conditions.
REALLY? Since when? Since just right now, evidently.
And are they trying to say that only 600 doctors are needed in the country? Does the Cuban doctors' presence prevent the doctors coming out of this school to join up with the Cuban doctors on their mission? It didn’t in Venezuela…. As Venezuelan doctors who were REALLY willing, DID join the Barrio Adentro mission. Why would it in Bolivia?
This is just an attempt to attack the new relationships of cooperation that are developing in the south.
But why broadcast this to Cubans? To convince them that they are not wanted or welcome in the outside world because their way of life is unacceptable? Or to show them that those damn Bolivians are ungrateful for their efforts and solidarity? Left as is there are many ways that this can be taken by the average Cuban who might look up at the billboard while walking the ocean wall, all of them basically saying “Bolivia is not your friend.”
Insidious and despicable.
Fortunately, most Cubans are not so gullible. And most everyone completly ignores the USIS billboard….
Occasionally I stop by to check out what the US Interest Section (USIS) electronic billboard in Havana says… just out of curiosity… and only when I am in the neighborhood….and every time I come away ticked off… (you can visit their website to read the latest billboared drivel too)
Previously sent I wrote about the billboard messages during the Manu Chao concert several weeks back…
But in case there is anyone out there who doesn’t know about the USIS electronic billboard, it is the USIS attempt at broadcasting its nonsense to the Cuban people directly. The billboard spans the entire fifth floor of the building and is a story high. It constantly flashes “messages” to anyone who bothers to pay it any attention. Many times the messages are outright provocative and there have even been calls to action and promises of US support of such actions. INCREDIBLE….
Well, today I am especially frustrated by two “news headlines,” as they called them, that are the epitome of selective information sound bites and divide and conquer, respectively….. the two follow:
Selective information sound bites:
LA ORGANIZACIÓN PANAMERICANA DE SALUD ENCONTRÓ EN CUBA UNA TASA ALARMANTE DE SUICIDIOS. ENTRE LOS AÑOS 2000 Y 2005, OCURRIERON EN CUBA 18.1 SUICIDIOS POR CADA 100,000 PERSONAS. EN COMPARACIÓN, URUGUAY MOSTRÓ UNA TASA DE 15.9 Y GUATEMALA DE 1.9.
The Panamerican Health Organization found in Cuba an alarming suicide rate. Between the years 2000 and 2005, 18.1 suicides per 100,000 individuals occurred. In comparison, Uruguay’s rate was 15.9 and Guatemala was 1.9
OK SO WHAT IS WRONG WITH THAT??? Sure, the figures are correct…
But, what is it trying to say???? What is the point? All it really says is that Cuba has a higher suicide rate during this period than Uruguay and Guatemala. But what is it insinuating? Why run this factoid on their billboard? Are they trying to say that life is so bad in Cuba, far worse than Uruguay and Guatemala, (which by default of being presented in this way, make the reader place the two as possible-range markers).
Why didn’t they compare it to
France: 17.7
Finland: 22.7
JAPAN: 25.3
Or how about
Russian Federation: 41.2
Lithuania: 45.8
Belarus: 35.6
Or even better yet: since the US interest section is officially the United States Interests Section of the Embassy of Switzerland in Havana
We could reasonably expect them to compare Cuba’s suicide rate to that of
Switzerland: 18.25
Or hey what about IRAN: 0.3
Maybe they are trying to warn of an INCREASE in the suicide rate in Cuba?? NOPE
The numbers above are taken from a table on the WHO website and are mostly from the 1998-2000, Cuba’s figure in this table is from 1998 and it is even HIGHER: 18.3
So, what exactly is their point???
Divide and conquer:
EL COLEGIO MÉDICO DE BOLIVIA PIDIÓ AL GOBIERNO QUE PRESCINDA DE LOS 600 PROFESIONALES CUBANOS QUE PRESTAN SERVICIOS EN EL PAÍS, PORQUE SUS COLEGAS BOLIVIANOS ESTÁN DISPUESTOS A TRABAJAR EN LAS MISMAS CONDICIONES.
The medical school of Bolivia asked the government to reject the 600 Cuban professionals loaning their services in the country, because their colleagues are willing to work in the same conditions.
REALLY? Since when? Since just right now, evidently.
And are they trying to say that only 600 doctors are needed in the country? Does the Cuban doctors' presence prevent the doctors coming out of this school to join up with the Cuban doctors on their mission? It didn’t in Venezuela…. As Venezuelan doctors who were REALLY willing, DID join the Barrio Adentro mission. Why would it in Bolivia?
This is just an attempt to attack the new relationships of cooperation that are developing in the south.
But why broadcast this to Cubans? To convince them that they are not wanted or welcome in the outside world because their way of life is unacceptable? Or to show them that those damn Bolivians are ungrateful for their efforts and solidarity? Left as is there are many ways that this can be taken by the average Cuban who might look up at the billboard while walking the ocean wall, all of them basically saying “Bolivia is not your friend.”
Insidious and despicable.
Fortunately, most Cubans are not so gullible. And most everyone completly ignores the USIS billboard….
posted by alba at 9:41 PM
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