Obama And Raúl Castro Thank Pope For

[dennisr]

The policy is, if you are in our back yard and point missiles at us, then you will suffer grevious consequences. That's the policy. Cuba was an example to the local countries that surround the USA that you do not mess with the USA.

Hmm...and the nuke missiles the USA placed in Turkey on the Soviet border in 1961 had nothing to do with the Cuban crisis? Did the USA expect the Soviets to just turn a blind eye and play dead? This stuff works both ways I think: ...." if you are in our back yard and point missiles at us, then you will suffer grievous consequences."
It is like our shit does not stink.

 

[steveinbsas]

Whether you or anyone else choses to agree or not, Castro's government was the government of choice for the majority of the cuban people. Batista and the military had long since denied the people their democractically elected govt.

People tend to make bad choices when exposed to unregulated criminal govts running countries for the benefit of their cronies, foreign govts and expoitative foreign corporations.

Perhaps you could provide some quotes from Castro's campaign speeches, before he was democratically elected. It might be enlightening to see what he promised the Cuban people prior to taking office...and how well he kept his promises.

Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin were once very popular with a "majority" of the people of Germany, Italy, and Russia.

Look where that got them (and the cost measured by the number of lives destroyed).

"Democracy" without limitations on those who are "elected by the majority" never results in a government that is good for the people, including most of those who "voted" for the "leaders" who exercise power over them.

The US travel (and trade) embargo is not the reason behind the suffering of the Cuban people, but dollars going to Cuba will help perpetuate it.

Even Americans suddenly vacation there by the tens of thousands, Cuba will still be a repressive country and the average citizen will not benefit by much, if at all. Lifting the travel embargo alone will simply will put dollars into the hands of those already in power.

Until those presently in power are overthrown in a non-democratic coup (and a new government is formed that recognizes the rights of the individual), the average Cuban will still be living in squalor on $2 a day.

And it won't be the fault of the USA.

 

[Dublin2BuenosAires]

Perhaps you could provide some quotes from Castro's campaign speeches, before he was democratically elected. It might be enlightening to see what he promised the Cuban people prior to taking office...and how well he kept his promises.

Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin were once very popular with a "majority" of the people of Germany, Italy, and Russia.

Look where that got them (and the cost measured by the number of lives destroyed).

"Democracy" without limitations on those who are "elected by the majority" never results in a government that is good for the people, including most of those who "voted" for the "leaders" who exercise power over them.

The US travel (and trade) embargo is not the reason behind the suffering of the Cuban people, but dollars going to Cuba will help perpetuate it.

Even Americans suddenly vacation there by the tens of thousands, Cuba will still be a repressive country and the average citizen will not benefit by much, if at all. Lifting the travel embargo alone will simply will put dollars into the hands of those already in power.

Until those presently in power are overthrown in a non-democratic coup, the average Cuban will still be living in squalor on $2 a day.

And it won't be the fault of the USA.

Did we really just invoke Stalin, Hitler and the usual suspects to attack Castro? That is fairly pathetic and quite frankly enormously disrespectful for any number of reasons.

I think Castro's government was disastrous, I do not believe in Socialism however what I trying to help you understand is that when a government like Batista steals power through a military coup the ripples are generational and the results are generally a violent lurch to the other extreme.

Simply put, Batista is too blame for the ills of Cuba (you can read if you like, I am not here to give you a history lesson) and in the 1950s the USA what should have happened is that the USA embargoed Batista and forced him out to be replaced by a democratically elect leader. So actually Steve, the USA created the little cantankerous monster in their backyard through their own skewed values and hopelessly panicked ideological stance. So no, you don't get a pass there. Actions have consequences Steve. Bad decisions even more so. Just like US interference in Chile, we know what Kissinger and co got up to down there, don't we Steve.

I don't think even you could sit there bare faced and tell us that the Bay of Pigs didn't prolong the life of this isolated dictatorship, please?..could you? No fault for the US there? Get a grip.

Typically enough, the took the foaming at the mouth ideologically paranoid decision to back a dictator and continue with the racket.

It's laughable then to see poeople rampaging on about a dithering isolated socialist govt, comparing them to the greatest war criminals in world history. It's as funny as it is crass.

 

[scotttswan]

Did we really just invoke Stalin, Hitler and the usual suspects to attack Castro? That is fairly pathetic and quite frankly enormously disrespectful for any number of reasons.

I think Castro's government was disastrous, I do not believe in Socialism however what I trying to help you understand is that when a government like Batista steals power through a military coup the ripples are generational and the results are generally a violent lurch to the other extreme.

Simply put, Batista is too blame for the ills of Cuba (you can read if you like, I am not here to give you a history lesson) and in the 1950s the USA what should have happened is that the USA embargoed Batista and forced him out to be replaced by a democratically elect leader. So actually Steve, the USA created the little cantankerous monster in their backyard through their own skewed values and hopelessly panicked ideological stance. So no, you don't get a pass there. Actions have consequences Steve. Bad decisions even more so. Just like US interference in Chile, we know what Kissinger and co got up to down there, don't we Steve.

I don't think even you could sit there bare faced and tell us that the Bay of Pigs didn't prolong the life of this isolated dictatorship, please?..could you? No fault for the US there? Get a grip.

Typically enough, the took the foaming at the mouth ideologically paranoid decision to back a dictator and continue with the racket.

It's laughable then to see poeople rampaging on about a dithering isolated socialist govt, comparing them to the greatest war criminals in world history. It's as funny as it is crass.

 

[Matt84]

A step in the right direction, even if done solely to weaken the Republican Hispanic vote (like the nomination of a non white for president before the other party had the chance. They did the same with the first Catholic president. All political nothing philosophical).
Now they should make peace with North Korea, support the Kim dynasty and allow that nation to heal.

The policy of neither invading/liberating a country or leaving it alone and respecting it with all its differences, is a waste of time and life.

 

[Dublin2BuenosAires]

A step in the right direction, even if done solely to weaken the Republican Hispanic vote (like the nomination of a non white for president before the other party had the chance. They did the same with the first Catholic president. All political nothing philosophical).
Now they should make peace with North Korea, support the Kim dynasty and allow that nation to heal.

The policy of neither invading/liberating a country or leaving it alone and respecting it with all its differences, is a waste of time and life.

What has Cuba got to do with North Korea?

I should thank you for this little gem, never has one little backslash contained so much meaning

• "invading/liberating"

I certainly agree that some folks on the American right believe in rootin' tootin' invadin' and liberatin´ much more than they do in those silly old concepts like "respecting differences".

Sometimes the long game is the only game in town.

 

[pauper]

Shall we go out to celebrate?

 

[Matt84]

North korea is the only other nation being molested by the USA for no reason at all except for being a relic of a long concluded conflict or power struggle.
Neither Cuba or North Korea would have had the need to oppress their subjects so much without the constant and very real Damocles sword of America hanging over them for decades.

 

[Matt84]

I certainly agree that some folks on the American right believe in rootin' tootin' invadin' and liberatin´ much more than they do in those silly old concepts like "respecting differences"

I accidentally "liked" your post when i dont, not even ironically. I just wanted to take you up on this little gem you provided.

Are you suggesting the American Left is for honestly respecting differences? When on the subject of foreign relations I only hear them proselytizing Representative Demoncracy with religious fervor upon innocent foreign usually benign tyrannies.

 

[Johnny]

Looks as though Wall Street, that bastion of capitalism, is extremely overwrought at the prospect of much improved relations with Cuba.