Facts of Life: strategic retreat or a change of mind?
My email to Chris Spannos was sent and replied yesterday, basically Znet has a two person staff, they are overwhelmed with much pressure in their daily work and select articles and other material for placement in the Top Page, without definite criteria. I better quote him here "No set criteria, many factors come into play, often on the fly, under immense pressure, workload, publishing daily, etc."
As per us (sustainers) uploading our work directly to the main page, so that it may have a better chance for our plea be seen by most people who publish on Znet, he did no even understood what I was asking. By looking at demonstrations videos sent to us before and in the link he sent like reply, I understand that a sustainer donating what I can afford now, hold the right to upload material to my-Zspace and pock the noses around, looking material already in Znet, that’s all. Practically there are no chance to write in the top Page.
Basically this exchange proves that there is no conspiracy, intentional blockade of news from the Znet staff does not exist, and that we are contributing not enough.
In order to do what I had in mind, I will have to look for a writer with great credentials, easily recognizable name, interested in our area, willing to be an "andante caballero" and to see and engage the windmills of my dreams (an Eduardo Galeano comes to mind).
But would not this be an influence-trade-like plot?
Beside I have little chance to ever meet Galeano.
Some of my favorite persons are again talking about issues of the area of my interest, for example Amy Goodman, after returning from an Europe trip, has covered in three consecutives days of her TV program Democracy Now, this week meetings at Rio de Janeiro, where all the presidents of America with exclusion of the North American, are working in the integration of the Latin American nations, Raul Castro has been in two of them, giving short declaration including today, offering an exchange of prisoners with the USA, all of which is happening for the first time and is rather exiting.
Marie Trigona on 10/12/ 08 wrote on Znet about the Chicago Republic Windows and Doors Factory, sit-down strike it’s workers have been staging since 5/12/08, making the correlation with the factories and enterprises occupations by the jobless workers in Argentina on 2001, wishing perhaps, that the brave example of those labors could be followed here.
Today Ben Dangl in his essay: Finding Common Ground in Crisis: Social Movements in South America and The US, present a series of events that have happen in South America and which could be used as blueprints for thing to come in the current situation the North American are now, including the plan for the workers reopening the factory Windows and Doors in Chicago, and how pressure from the grass routs movements could be applied on Obama when become the new president.
Of course, there must be other people working and writing on topics concerning South America. With a bit of luck some one could even pick up the topic of Central America and why not Nicaragua, then my whishes will have come through.
For now, we can count with the sober, balanced, and shall I dare to say neutral, summary of news from Nicaragua that Nica-Net publish almost every two weeks.
Nica-Net has being working in solidarity with the "True believers in Sandino Ideals" since the early 80th when it was founded.
I can’t say thing like those for people publishing in Revista Envio. Most of the middle and upper class intellectuals, writing on it, keep showing bias of their privileged position, they frankly maintain and express the opposition points of view.
In conclusion: I still could try to do some other things, like organizing a "group" or opening my on wage page, but judging from my experience as a blogger, the chances of success are close to zero, their need questionable and the effort not warranted.
So, stop writing in my-Zspace the thoughts for the desirability of more coverage of what is happening in the Caribbean area, is consisting with quitting?
I don’t think so, my premise is that one has to do what is capable of doing, as long as is done with the best skills one posses and may add the proverbial "grain of sand" to the people liberation struggle.
Then, I shall not upload these last set of thoughts to my Zspace considering what is written in the concluding paragraphs (or should I?). Instead they most be included in my testimonies-testament, intended as the legacy for my grandchildren.
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