UPDATED: Google, Cuba Journal and the Politics of Hate

Previous title: Google, Cuba Journal and Hatred Towards Cuban Exiles

Google claims the following as its policy on free speech and "hateful material":

"Blogger strongly believes in freedom of speech. We believe that having a variety of perspectives is an important part of what makes blogs such an exciting and diverse medium. With that said, there are certain types of content that are not allowed on Blogger. While Blogger values and safeguards political and social commentary, material that promotes hatred toward groups based on race or ethnic origin, religion, disability, gender, age, veteran status, or sexual orientation/gender identity is not allowed on Blogger."

Yet this is how Cuba Journal referred to Cuban exiles in its September 8, 2009 post (5:48 PM):

"These idiots have been living in the United States for fifty years, and have yet to learn to respect printed opinions which do not agree with their narrow mindedness."

This is utterly disrespectful of Cuban exiles and encourages others to hate and despise them.

Would this language be acceptable in Google Blogger if it were referring to any other ethnic group? Would it be it fine by Google's standards for a blogger to refer to Jews, Blacks, Mexicans or some other ethnic minority as "idiots" or by any other derogatory term?

How about 'gusanos' (worms),'monkeys', 'scum'? These are all terms employed by Cuba Journal to refer to Cuban exiles in its posts. Indeed, Cuba Journal is nothing less than an importer of Castro's politcs of hate into the United States and the Internet. There's hardly any difference between its speech and that of the Cuban tyranny exhorting followers to persecute those who dissent while publicly and loudly calling them 'worms'. Persecuted they then are and with the full brutal force of the regime backing the persecutors.

Given its public policy on hate speech how can Castro's and Cuba Journal's politics of hate possibly be acceptable to Google?

Or is it only acceptable to Google when it's directed at Cuban exiles? Or by someone such as Cuba Journal who represents himself as one?

Google must surely know that hate speech is protected by the U.S. constitution's first ammendment in most cases. Perhaps that's why it doesn't mind violating its own policies.

Now that most communication has been internationalized through the Internet Castro and others who specialize in war through hate speech must be delighted. Repress at home and build hate momentum towards exiles abroad. Google blog search and Google blogger will take care of the rest with the help of Cuba Journal and Castro's network of U.S. supporters.

When I last checked (September 11) Google ranks Cuba Journal as the 4th most relevant blog if one types the keyword 'Cuba'.

Furthermore, Cuba Journal's foregoing hate blurb, camouflaged as a post on free speech is easily accecible on Google's blog search engine while mine, "Van Jones, Free Speech and Cuban Exiles", was blocked until September 10.


Updated September 11, 2009 from Argentina.

Related:
Van Jones, Free Speech and Cuban Exiles

Google, the Mainstream News Media, Blogs and Cuba : What I thought was not so crazy after all