One can analyze at length how one, seeing the world, transforms into the other, seeing the world we want to see. There are varied predictors and indicators of the phenomenon. One is the the commitment to a closed, systematic ideology, especially reinforced either by supernatural belief or a fixed animus. We see this in the dogmatic anti-Castro community’s unyielding opposition, even after 50 years of policy failure, to any change in that policy, and even the refusal of its members to recognize that some good might come from any act by Castro. In another of yesterday’s fine Atlantic posts, this time again from Jeffrey Goldberg, we read how resistive the fanatics are to believing that, whatever Castro’s motives, his recent comments on Jews and Israel are beneficial. Here a member of Venezuela’s Jewish community, until now poorly treated by Hugo Chavez, writes to Goldberg.
I understand that anti-Fidel people are saying that his statements of affection for Jews and his statements of hostility toward anti-Semitism were cynical and about politics and the need for international respect, but from our perspective this does not matter. Fidel’s words against anti-Semitism changed the way the government here talks to us and protects our institutions. The leader of our country showed us a lot of respect in our meeting, and we are glad the Cuban ex-president said the words that he said to you. It is difficult for Americans to understand (I also spend a lot of time in Miami) that Fidel is respected greatly in Latin America and in Venezuela. If he had said something hostile to our position, it would be terrible for us. With God’s help, we will survive as a community in Venezuela.
via How Fidel Castro Helped Venezuela’s Jews – Jeffrey Goldberg – International – The Atlantic.
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