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Something
very shady and sinister is happening in the United
States
• Cuban
intellectuals express solidarity with the well-known
U.S. actor
BY
PEDRO DE LA HOZ, —Granma
daily staff writer—
THE
news that Danny Glover has become a target of heavy
attack for questioning White House foreign policy
and for signing the Call to the Conscience of the
World — urging respect for the free determination
of the Cuban people — yesterday generated
denunciations and demonstrations by the island’s
artists and intellectuals in support of the famous
U.S. actor.
 "This
has one name only: introducing the tendency of
fascism," affirmed poet and ethnologist Miguel
Barnet. "McCarthyism has begun to rear its
head," states essayist and art critic Graziella
Pogolotti.
The
New York Times
on Monday (May 19) reproduced an AP dispatch
reporting how some sectors are seeking a boycott of
the Lethal Weapon star and trying to force
the MCI company to sack Glover, the actor in their
commercials, for expressing his views on Cuba and
the war on Iraq.
The
cable recalls that the case against Glover goes even
further than his anti-war activities; he has also
put his name to a two-paragraph statement signed by
160 artists and intellectuals published on May 1 by
the Cuban daily Granma.
To
date, the Call to the Conscience of W has been
signed by more than 3,000 people in 69 countries.
Referring
to the threats to Glover, Graziella Pogolotti added:
"In the 1950’s, McCarthyism was primarily
aimed at Communists, then at pro-Communists, even
crypto-Communists as they were called in those days.
Now this kind of neo-McCarthyism is attacking the
U.S. liberal tradition and the target is any
dissenting voice."
Poet
Carlos Martí warned of the danger of such threats.
"Today it’s Danny; tomorrow it could be
someone else who signed the Not in our Name anti-war
manifesto. This is one more proof of the neo-fascist
elements characterizing the state of things in the
United States: electronic espionage, invasion of
privacy and the exercise of terror on behalf of the
battle against terrorism."
Nancy
Morejón, winner of the National Literature Award,
is a friend of the actor. On discovering that he had
become a victim of neo-McCarthyism, she sent him a
message: "You must know, Danny, that you are
being put to a hard test. Remember the case of that
great singer Paul Robeson or that of Marian
Anderson; so much happened to them for remaining
faithful to their truth."
Film
director Julio García Espinosa considers that
"the best that could happen is for U.S. actors
and those working in cinema to expose the threats
and demonstrate their solidarity with Danny Glover,
because they will be defending themselves. Danny
Glover represents a symbol of what unites us with
the best of that country’s cinematic
culture."
In the
face of U.S. neo-fascism, Glover’s statements have
been extremely clear. He explains that is basically
an extreme nationalism that has the potential to
become manic. When people march and salute the flag,
they should be sure of why they are saluting, as the
idea is to crush any type of opposition. He believes
that something is occurring at this point in his
country, something shady and sinister, and not to
admit that it is occurring in one way signifies
blindness to it.
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