Noam Chomsky wrote:
Take Cuba. A very large majority of the U.S. population is in favor of establishing diplomatic relations with Cuba and has been for a long time with some fluctuations. And even part of the business world is in favor of it too. But the government won’t allow it. It’s attributed to the Florida vote but I don’t think that’s much of an explanation. I think it has to do with a feature of world affairs that is insufficiently appreciated. International affairs is very much run like the mafia. The godfather does not accept disobedience, even from a small storekeeper who doesn’t pay his protection money. You have to have obedience otherwise the idea can spread that you don’t have to listen to the orders and it can spread to important places.
And with Cuba it’s explicit in the internal record. Arthur Schlesinger, presenting the report of the Latin American Study Group to incoming President Kennedy, wrote that the danger is the spread of the Castro idea of taking matters into your own hands, which has a lot of appeal to others in the same region that suffer from the same problems. Later internal documents charged Cuba with successful defiance of U.S. policies going back 150 years – to the Monroe Doctrine -- and that can’t be tolerated. So there’s kind of a state commitment to ensuring obedience.
Last edited by KEN-JENNINGS (2008-02-19 00:41:31)
Good Riddance...Ailing Cuban leader Fidel Castro said on Tuesday that he will not return to lead the country as president, retiring as head of state 49 years after he seized power in an armed revolution.
Castro, 81, said in a statement to the country that he would not seek a new presidential term when the National Assembly meets on February 24.
“To my dear compatriots, who gave me the immense honor in recent days of electing me a member of parliament … I communicate to you that I will not aspire to or accept — I repeat not aspire to or accept — the positions of President of Council of State and Commander in Chief,” Castro said in the statement published on the Web site of the Communist Party’s Granma newspaper.
The National Assembly or legislature is expected to nominate his brother and designated successor Raul Castro as president in place of Castro, who has not appeared in public for almost 19 months after being stricken by an undisclosed illness.
Cigar CityMoo? Si! wrote:
Let's smoke a cigar in celebration
I sincerely hope that this brings about real freedom for Cubans.Andy Garcia wrote:
He still has a lot of supporters out there. Some people think Castro is a savior, that he looks out for the kids and the poor. It's a bunch of hogwash. In the 45 years since Castro came to power, Cuba has been in the top three countries for human rights abuses for 43 of those years. People turn a blind eye to his atrocities.
And for Americans who want to travel to Cuba.Kmarion wrote:
I sincerely hope that this brings about real freedom for Cubans.
If you take basic human nature out of the equation...and the fact that there are hundreds of other countries in the world that are open to trade with Cuba, yet their economy still sucks.Varegg wrote:
without the blockade Cuba would have been the perfect socialistic society.
No doubt. Although Ybor City here in Tampa is pretty close..lol.KEN-JENNINGS wrote:
And for Americans who want to travel to Cuba.Kmarion wrote:
I sincerely hope that this brings about real freedom for Cubans.
I bet they will announce his death on Easter, like Jesus.FEOS wrote:
Who wants to bet that Raul wrote the letter and that Fidel will "die" within the next few weeks without having been seen in public since his "resignation"?
Jesus died the Friday before silly.sergeriver wrote:
I bet they will announce his death on Easter, like Jesus.FEOS wrote:
Who wants to bet that Raul wrote the letter and that Fidel will "die" within the next few weeks without having been seen in public since his "resignation"?
US trade policy setting the standard for other western countries sure had some impact on Cuba, for a country to be open to trade with western countries is essential for their economy.FEOS wrote:
If you take basic human nature out of the equation...and the fact that there are hundreds of other countries in the world that are open to trade with Cuba, yet their economy still sucks.Varegg wrote:
without the blockade Cuba would have been the perfect socialistic society.
Cuba's situation is not the fault of US trade policy...it is the fault of Cuba's government. And no one else.
Isn't Easter the death and resurrection of Jesus? Whatever. They will announce it around Easter.Kmarion wrote:
Jesus died the Friday before silly.sergeriver wrote:
I bet they will announce his death on Easter, like Jesus.FEOS wrote:
Who wants to bet that Raul wrote the letter and that Fidel will "die" within the next few weeks without having been seen in public since his "resignation"?
Actually, the US still trades with Cuba. The embargo is/was a spite move for nationalization of certain business ventures and for defiance of American spheres of influence and punishes private citizens of both countries more than the governments. People are also still allowed to send remittances back to Cuba as far as I know.Varegg wrote:
US trade policy setting the standard for other western countries sure had some impact on Cuba, for a country to be open to trade with western countries is essential for their economy.FEOS wrote:
If you take basic human nature out of the equation...and the fact that there are hundreds of other countries in the world that are open to trade with Cuba, yet their economy still sucks.Varegg wrote:
without the blockade Cuba would have been the perfect socialistic society.
Cuba's situation is not the fault of US trade policy...it is the fault of Cuba's government. And no one else.
I'm no fan of dictatorship and Castros monstrosities against his own populace so don't get me wrong on this one ...
Bahh you make it sound like the rest of the world is the US pawn. The EU and other Latin American countries still, on their own accord, vote against Cuba. Mostly because of human rights issues.Varegg wrote:
US trade policy setting the standard for other western countries sure had some impact on Cuba, for a country to be open to trade with western countries is essential for their economy.FEOS wrote:
If you take basic human nature out of the equation...and the fact that there are hundreds of other countries in the world that are open to trade with Cuba, yet their economy still sucks.Varegg wrote:
without the blockade Cuba would have been the perfect socialistic society.
Cuba's situation is not the fault of US trade policy...it is the fault of Cuba's government. And no one else.
I'm no fan of dictatorship and Castros monstrosities against his own populace so don't get me wrong on this one ...