"At the height of the Cold War, the Nicaraguan Contras successfully fought to secure their freedom and block the spread of Communism. Today these freedom fighters need our help. Many former Contras are small-scale coffee farmers who produce high quality beans but struggle to break even because of low coffee prices. Your purchase of Contra Café allows these farmers to earn the livelihood they deserve." Some of the proceeds from Contra Café are donated to provide scholarships for the children of American soldiers who have been wounded or killed. The coalition which overthrew the Somoza dictatorship in Nicaragua was fighting for a just cause; but the Nicaraguan revolution was perverted by Communist tyrants who betrayed the principles of the revolution. In a five-part history of Nicaragua, I explain how the Contras were fighting to establish democracy. The freedom-fighters succeeded, thus achieving the goals of the original revolution.
If I drank coffee, I'd drink Contra Coffee:
Haven't I heard this excuse before somewhere?
On the other hand, quite a few of your colleagues joined in subsidising the Contras in other ways. That particular subsidy might have been packed in coffee grounds.
Amazing how that fallacy continues to haunt otherwise intelligent minds.
Their goals were quite different, their means were regrettably similar. The Sandanistas wanted power so they could could in indefinite perpetuity arrogate to themselves and whatever caudillo was in charge them the sole exercise of political power, the Contras were fighting--and sometimes murdering--for the goal of a working democracy in which the electorate could vote them out of office.
The truth of this is seen in the multiparty elections which have taken place after the Contras saw that the Sandanistas were willing to lay down their arms and be voted out of power, a condition made possible by the steadfast opposition to the Sandanistas the Contras provided. Nicaragua would be a hellhole people fled from when possible, like Cuba, if the Sandanistas were still in charge.
Yours, TDP, ml, msl, &pfpp
To which Bolivar wrote:
"What a truly marvelous gesture to help those poor coffee farmers by providing scholarships for the children of American soldiers who have been wounded or killed. It just warms my heart."
To answer the criticism which he possibly implies from the Contra Cafe website FAQ
Is Contra Café certified Fair Trade Coffee?
No. Contra Café is not certified Fair Trade coffee. However, Contra Café does pay its producers more than the established Fair Trade price. Fair Trade pays $1.26 per pound for conventional and $1.41 per pound for organic coffee. Contra Café pays $1.50 per pound for a mix of conventional and organic coffee. More importantly, Contra Café donates a portion of profits back to the cooperative for development projects.
And it's good tasting coffee too.
Yours, TDP, ml, msl, &pfpp