User:Zleitzen

CSB This user is a member of WikiProject Countering systemic bias. This user is from and lives in England     This user is a member of WikiProject Cuba. This user has taught at a university or other institution of higher education.

[edit]  Cuba

Am currently working on expanding information on all Cuban articles from politics to cinema and culture. Unfortunately the unique political status of Cuba in relation to the vast bulk of Wikipedia users means that the political pages are heavy weather. So my desire to dig out old papers I have written about 1970’s Cuban cinema is being waylaid somewhat. Have been able to expand on some of the lesser known aspects of Cuban political culture such as the Christian Democratic Party of Cuba and Democratic Social-Revolutionary Party of Cuba and am at present trying to correlate the various historical articles, specifically involving Cuba-United States relations which is a very interesting topic.

All comers are welcome to collaborate providing they leave their personal paranoias and political biases at the door. Cuba is a country of vast contradictions surrounded by a blizzard of propaganda from all sides, nothing is what it seems, and received prior wisdom is almost always found to be wanting. So the devil is in the detail - encyclopaedic standards should be our goal which will be a major acheivement for such a difficult subject. To give an idea of the complexities, neither Cuban government nor US sources are considered reliable by most users for different reasons, which casts a shadow over 90% of the available material. And at present, even the Wikipedia:Biographies of living persons tag on the Fidel Castro talk page could do with a source.

• Encarta entry on Cuba
• Encyclopedia Britannica entry on Cuba

[edit] Personal paranoias and political biases

Below is an example of what one has to read on occasion when working on Cuban related articles at wikipedia. The below has been posted on my talk page in the past.

"How can you justify this pro-american behaviour?! I can see you are anti-communist, you accuse Castro's government of corruption, yet the country you betray your continent to support is more corrupt than any other! it's digusting!"[1]

And the other side of the same coin

"Why do you have such communist views? Why must you be so impossible? Why dont you just go to China, join the PLA, and "liberate" Taiwan?" [2]

There are many dedicated and really knowledgeable editors on these pages devoted to presenting detailed, neutral, free and well written material for the millions of readers that use the site. However, there are a significant amount of people who don't really know what they are talking about, and thus make their points via accusations and hyperbole. If you have come to this page to complain about an edit I have made. Please check beforehand that you do not fall into that latter camp. Under-graduate ideologues are not very welcome here. The world being a complex and contradictory place, where a vast number of structural causes need to be considered before one even begins to come to some sort of judgement, means that such knee-jerk instincts are usually wrong. And this is not the place for such judgements.

[edit] Che Guevara article

The Che Guevara article is one of the best articles for a prominent controversial figure on wikipedia, (if not the best). Thanks in large part to the work of the long-term editors of that page; Polaris, Jmabel and others, and of course the legendary El Jigue. That article should be given special attention as an excellent advert for the site, as evidence that collaboration and the wiki method can triumph even when dealing with a controversial topic. I recommend that good editors keen to improve wikipedia consult that page for ideas and inspiration for how to improve their own projects. I also recommend that they place it on their watchlists and protect it from occasional misguided editors, who in their zeal to "improve" the page can reduce its credibility considerably, which would be a set back to the site as a whole.

[edit] Fidel Castro article

In contrast, the Fidel Castro is one of the worst articles for a prominent figure on wikipedia. Certainly a self-respecting encyclopedia should contain a decent article on such a subject that is not either pathetic or risible. But relentless attacks by vandals, POV mongers and the plain ignorant on both the article and on the talk page deters any efforts by serious editors for improvement. I use that article as evidence of the major shortcomings of wikipedia, where any editor who knows anything about the subject matter or who shows good faith is simply not given enough protection from partisans with axes to grind. Who would even attempt to nurture a serious article under those conditions? This is a situation I have brought to light on more than one occasion, a couple of long term offenders have been eventually banned but such acts are too little too late. Wikipedia will just have to make do with a prominent article that is in very poor shape, where some of the writing is unreadable and the inaccuracy ridiculous. My last act on that page was to remove a citation stating that Che Guevara (not even Castro) had overseen a programme to place aids victims in camps - in 1965 - that citation had stood for over a year and spoke volumes.

Update: The Fidel Castro article is the 9th most edited page for an individual on wikipedia, one place behind Mohammad and one place ahead of the present Pope. And the 6th most edited article for a living person behind Britney Spears. I find this information staggering and bizarre!

• User:Zleitzen/Cuba history sandbox general points and suggestions
• User:Zleitzen/Cuba constitution sandbox additional info
• User:Zleitzen/LGBT rights in Cuba sandbox

The José Martí Barnstar For excellent work on Cuba-related articles

Cuba-United States relations Women in Cuba Marcelino Miyares Sotolongo Religion in Cuba Cuba and democracy International Committee for Democracy in Cuba Cupet List of Cuba-US aircraft hijackings Hilda Molina Cuba-China relations Elizardo Sanchez Healthcare of Cuba Cuban Democracy Act Philip Bonsal Earl T. Smith Arthur Gardner Cuban relations with the Organization of American States Timeline of Cuban History Manuel Urrutia Lleó Raúl Martínez Battle of Santa Clara Foco

Vilma Espin Guillois Partido Autentico Cuban-Soviet relations President of Cuba Council of Ministers of Cuba José Luis Rodríguez García Council of State of Cuba Cuban National Center for Sex Education Rosa Elena Simeón Negrín Ubre Blanca Prime Minister of Cuba Sebastian de Ocampo Education in Cuba Category:Opposition to Fidel Castro Cuban Art Carta de Cuba United States Ambassadors to Cuba Supreme Court of Cuba Tourism in Cuba Fernando Tarrida del Mármol History Will Absolve Me

Other Pages started

[edit]

British African-Caribbean community

[edit] Some Favourite things

[edit] Music

Here are some great albums which I recommend for anyone reading this!

• Grupo Folklorico Y Experimenta : Concepts in Unity - 1970s collective of Cuban and Puerto Rican styles with a Jamaican playing the Cuban Bata drums and featuring a Brazilian trombone section! Brilliantly eclectic.
• Ivor Cutler : Jammy Smears - A unique voice sadly recently departed. I wrote to him inviting him for tea in the 1980s, but he replied that he was too old, even back then. Very funny man and a genius with both words and music.
• Linton Kwesi Johnson : Dread Beat an' Blood - The poet’s cracking debut album in 1978 describes the events surrounding George Lindo and the irrepressible Darcus Howe’s release from jail - “’im stand up in the court like a mighty lion. ‘im stand up in the court like a man of iron. Darcus out of jail” All set to Dennis Bovell's deep dub reggae backdrop.
• Cachao : Cachao - pulsating, sprawling mid-70s, Cachao López record full of life and abandon. And the best double bass you are likely to hear. Though I imagine that the record is hard to get now. The Cuban Bitches Brew.
• Harry Partch  : Studies (2) on Ancient Greek Scales, for harmonic canon & bass marimba (from "Intrusions") - Odd tones made by Partch’s homemade instruments using this scale, with Partch whispering strange poetry over the top. Totally unique.

[edit] Movies

• Kes - A boy’s life in Barnsley, Yorkshire in the 1960s. By chance I became acquainted with the writer’s brother years after the film was released, whom the boy is loosely based on.
• The Battle of Algiers - The most vivid depiction of political violence put to film. Essential viewing in any era.
• Night of the Hunter - Haunting Robert Mitchum movie, an adaptation of a surprisingly excellent novel.
• The Power of Nightmares - Beautifully constructed, documentary series regardless of whether one buys the unique political message. I have noticed that the film is often misunderstood. The first film carries a 15 second montage of cold war propaganda edited to Brian Eno's Another Green World, which is one of the most extraordinary pieces of editing I have seen.
• Night Mail - Fascinating John Grierson document of British life long since disappeared.
• War Feels Like War A plug for an old friend; Esteban Uyarra's tense documentary following the media scrum in the early days of the Iraq war. Brilliantly edited with an obvious nod to The Battle of Algiers, particularly in the closing moments. [3] Esteban wisely stays out of camera shot throughout thank goodness! Try and get hold of this film if you can. Then write the article on Esteban. I'd be too tempted to add a scandalous "controversies" section out of a sense of mischief! Read more about Esteban here. And read some interviews and other stuff here here and here

[edit] Books

• C.L.R. James : The Black Jacobins - Essential account of the Haitian revolution of 1791-1803. A very important event with an obvious impact on the Caribbean. But it also had unpredictable repercussions in France, Britain, Spain the US and Africa. Not enough is explored on the impact it had on Jamaica and Grenada, and especially Cuba where I believe its impact continues to this day, also its impact among African-Americans shouldn't be underestimated, not least in New Orleans which benefited from the subsequent migration. Perhaps when I tire of the Cuban articles I'll try improving the whole Haiti set.
• Mark Cocker : Rivers of Blood, Rivers of Gold - Thought-provoking account of the destruction of the Aztecs, the exterminations of the Aboriginals of Tasmania and most memorably, the dismantling of the Herero in South West Africa by the German Empire. The account of the latter provides a textbook case of the "spiral of violence" that ensued during the colonial era. Interestingly, the British chronicled German activities in Namibia in the "Blue book" - a notorious denouncement of German imperialism that created the justification for British annexation of the region. The British arrived, announcing themselves liberators of the land from German oppression. But ten years later the white landownership had trebled - and the African majority were residing in small reserves on the most arid land. The Germans, naturally, dismissed the "Blue Book" as propaganda created to further British interests.
• John Simpson : Various biographies and literary accounts - Simpson of the BBC has been farted at by Gaddafi, had drinks with Arkan, advised Margaret Thatcher, chatted with Saddam Hussein, been bombed by the US airforce in Iraq, entered Kabul with the Northern Alliance, was sacked during the Falklands war for breaking the story of the Belgrano, fought with mobs in Tian'anmen Square in 1989, been chased by Cuban advisors in Angola, doorstepped Fidel Castro in Havana, was on the plane with the Ayatollah Khomeini that left France to assume power in the Iranian revolution, and on... and on...
• Hugh Thomas - Cuba the pursuit of freedom. Vast, detailed history of Cuba that provides the backbone of my editing here. First edition was written in 1971, it lacks coverage of the pre-colonial era which was only explored in depth in more recent times. Nevertheless, Thomas, a rather artistocratic Brit, is motivated by historical accuracy rather than more fanciful narratives. Which is very helpful in cutting through the deep fog of Cuba's multi-layered political backstory. I keep calling his book "Cuba the pursuit for freedom" by mistake in footnote sections, I've no idea why.
• Encyclopedia Brittanica - If in doubt, check how the experts deal with a topic. I grew up on these tomes. I remember pouring over colourful maps and articles edited by the wonderful Arthur Mee way past my bedtime.

[edit] Tools of the trade