Cuba's New Law Censoring All Forms Of The Arts

If you thought Cuba was getting a little less dictatorial with the passing of the Castro dynasty, and that there might be some hope for change, think again.

The Cuban commie government led by Miguel Díaz-Canel apparently has passed a law censoring artistic expression in all art forms. Decree Law 349 was allegedly established to prevent offensive, vulgar or mediocre [whatever the heck that could be] works, but it is substantially more far reaching than that. You actually have to get permission from the government to show your work in public and private spaces. It also has to pass cultural and revolutionary muster or your project could be shut down.

Some of the no-nos that could get you busted:

a) Use of national symbols that contravene current legislation; b) pornography; c) violence; d) sexist, vulgar and obscene language; e) discrimination due to skin color, gender, sexual orientation, disability and any other harm to human dignity; f) that attempts against the development of childhood and adolescence; g) any other that violates the legal provisions that regulate the normal development of our society in cultural matters.

In other words, pretty much anything and everything.

Government sponsored artists have no issue with 349, however there has been a backlash by independent artists, and as a result the government has said it will consult with those opposing the decree to see how it should be "rolled out".

Ever since Decree Law 349 was first published in July in the government’s Gaceta Oficial , there has been plenty of pushback on the island and abroad and a flurry of meetings between government cultural officials and artists, who are still hoping for modifications. The law requires prior government approval for artists, musicians, writers and performers who want to present their work in any spaces open to the public, including private homes and businesses.

But beyond that, it also proposes fining painters and other artists who commercialize their art without government permission. Among the more chilling provisions is the prospect that “supervising inspectors” could review cultural events and shut them down if they don’t believe they meet government standards. Individuals or businesses hiring artists who don’t have prior approval also can be sanctioned.

In addition to shutting them down, they can also seize their personal belongings. Not that there would be much to confiscate from someone in piss-poor Cuba.

And if you want to sell your art? You have to get government approval for that too, although that probably has more to do with the government wanting a piece of the pie rather than artistic control. After all, anyone working for a foreigner during Castro's reign had to pay the government in U.S. dollars and the employee would then get paid in Cuban pesos.

And like a good commie country, some of those protesting have been detained. I wouldn't expect anything less.

More detailed info here.

Other sources:  Miami Herald , Reuters

Sony Pictures Hackers Holding Sony Hostage- Remove All Traces Of "The Interview" From Internet

According to CNN'S Brian Stetler, the anonymous hackers emailed Sony Pictures congratulating them on caving, and are now basically holding them hostage. Since Sony pulled their film "The Interview", the hackers will no longer release more breached data. That is, as long as they behave and cooperate- which means removing any snippets of the film from the Internet. So we can assume Sony will begin sweeping YouTube and forcing people to remove anything related to the film. No more snippets. The leaked death scene will be gone soon.

Part of the email:

It is very wise that you have made a decision to cancel the release of the interview. It'll be very useful for you...

...We still have you sensitive and private data. We ensure the security of your data, unless you make additional trouble.

[snip]

Now we want you never let the movie released, distributed or leaked in any form of, for instance, DVD or piracy.

And we want everything related to the movie, including its trailers, as well as its full version down from any website hosting them immediately.

The beginning of the end.

Fools.

Source: Gizmodo

Leaked Death Scene From "The Interview"

Sony Pictures has set a terrible precedent by pulling its Kim Jong-un comedy "The Interview." What next? Are we going to cave every time we're threatened by a bunch of hackers/terrorists?  This kind of capitulation will ultimately lead to the demise of freedom of expression.

This was apparently a stupid movie, but in a free country I should have the right to waste my money on a silly film if I so choose, but in this case I won't.

Are we now going to censor ourselves with all creative endeavours because we're afraid we'll ruffle the feathers of  commies and Islamic radicals.  I can see it now- no more films about the Middle east, either.

We know North Korea was behind the Sony hack, they've been bitching about the release for a long time. They called it an "act of war" back in June. Who else would have a vested interest in preventing its release? And what hypocrisy. This was simply a Hollywood-made movie, North Korea has created state-sponsored propaganda films showing the bombing of the White House, and calling for nuking the Yankees.

And the caving has already started. Paramount Pictures just canceled the showing of "Team America- World Police." The film featured Kim Jong-un's equally evil dad Kim Jong-il.

At least three movie theaters that planned to show "Team America" say Paramount Pictures has canceled the 2004 comedy from public screening.

Cleveland's Capitol Theatre, Dallas-Fort Worth's Alamo Drafthouse and Atlanta's Plaza Atlanta wrote that Paramount pulled the movie on Thursday.

"This was a weird coincidence for us," Dave Huffman, director of Marketing at Cleveland Cinemas, which operates the Capitol Theatre, told the Huffington Post. "We had the film booked all the way back in October as part of our midnight cult series and it was scheduled to play June 20, 2015. We got an email shortly after 1 p.m saying the film was pulled from release."

Some theaters, like the Alamo Drafthouse, had planned to show "Team America" in the wake of Sony canceling "The Interview."

Since we won't be seeing "The Interview" any time soon, here's a link to the leaked death of Kim Jong-un on YouTube. Not sure how long it will remain, however.

It's a sad day for creative expression.

Vietnam Targeting Bloggers And Government Critics

You don't hear much about Vietnam these days, but just like Islamic Republics and other Communist countries, there is little to no freedom, and zero tolerance for political dissent.

According to Human Rights Watch, there have been a spate of arrests and attacks on bloggers and  critics of the Vietnamese government. In a statement on its website, HRW is calling for their release.

Human Rights Watch called for the immediate and unconditional release of recently arrested bloggers Truong Duy Nhat and Pham Viet Dao, as well as internet activist Dinh Nhat Uy, and an investigation into allegations that police assaulted internet activists Nguyen Chi Duc, Nguyen Hoang Vi, and Pham Le Vuong Cac, whose security the authorities should protect.

“Vietnam’s strategy of repressing critics big and small will only lead the country deeper into crisis,” said Brad Adams, Asia director. “The latest arrests and assaults on bloggers show how afraid the government is of open discussion on democracy and human rights.”

Many of the arrests have come under Vietnam Penal Code article 258, one of several vague and elastic legal provisions routinely used to prosecute people for exercising their right to freedom of expression. Recent cases of arrest and assault include the following:

On May 26, 2013, Ministry of Public Security officers arrested blogger Truong Duy Nhat for “abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the State, the legitimate rights and interests of organizations and/or citizens,” according to the Vietnamese newspaper Thanh Nien. The arrest at his home in Da Nang of the 49-year-old followed his posting on his popular “A Different Perspective” blog of a call for the resignation of Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and ruling Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, blaming them for leading Vietnam into worsening political and economic difficulties.

HRW is also asking "donors and trading partners" to

“..  stand with those in Vietnam struggling for their rights and make it clear that no one should be arrested or assaulted for their opinions."“They should insist that the only future for countries trying to develop and modernize is a free and open society in which the authorities accept that criticism is a normal part of the political process.”

Good luck with that!

Read the whole statement here, along with reports of other incidents of persecution.