31 July 2007

Believe It...

... Or Not

It don't really matter to me, baby,
You believe what you want to believe,
You don't have to live like a refugee.
(Don't have to live like a refugee)
.
So Little Raulito got up on the podium in Camaguey on July 26 and told his subjects that things in Cuba sucked because they were inefficient, lazy thieves and that if they mended their ways, soon there would be milk for everybody just like there used to be back in the middle of last century.

But his speech was mostly propaganda bait for the foreign press. He once again offered the United States a hook-laden “Olive Branch” provided they too would mend their wicked, wicked ways.

And of course, the press is swallowing the olive branch-bait, hook, line and sinker.

Today in the Palm Beach Post we have an editorial:

Base a new Cuba policy on reality, not belief

The editors of PBP “believe” that current US policy towards Cuba hinged on the belief that chaos would engulf Cuba after Fidel Castro’s death and since Castro hasn’t died but in reality successfully handed power to his younger brother, it’s time to make a deal with Raul.

Excerpt:

Perhaps more disappointing than the lack of change on the island is the intransigence of U.S. policy toward it. The Bush administration was wedded permanently to embargo politics when the hard-line exile vote helped to give the president Florida, and the Oval Office, in the disputed 2000 election. The policy of economic sanctions, which for more than four decades has failed to shift the balance of power in Cuba, is less important to the administration than maintaining the GOP's balance of power in Florida. Making life even harder on the Cuban people, and their relatives in Florida, has become the acceptable price of catering to political bases.

After all, the editorial continues,

China has a human rights record at least as deplorable as Cuba's during the past three decades, but much of the U.S. economy runs on imports from China and purchases by China's central bank of America's debt. And not even the most anti-Castro congressmen suggest a Cuba-like policy for China.

I like it when relativists, who don’t really believe in anything – thus their infatuation with Castro- throw reality out there as if reality was an objective and concrete “thing” that they haven’t subjectively interpreted through their own belief system.
.
So let’s examine the reality that the Palm Beach Post Editorial board chooses to “believe”
.
Raul Castro wants to sincerely wants negotiate :
No. They will not negotiate or give an inch not now, not ever, because they have nothing to loose by mainting their position and holding the Cuban population hostage. You see, they believe in power and will not voluntarily give any of it up. They will never sit down with the US until the US suspends the sanctions commonly referred to as the “embargo.” –Until the US capitulates and accepts their position. “Believing” otherwise requires and act of Faith.
.
What works with China, will Work with Cuba:
China would have never opened its doors to the outside world under Mao, neither will Cuba under the Castros. The US managed, through commerce, to introduce the free markets into China, where there is now – gasp!- private property, McDonald’s and freaking WalMarts, something that obviously turns the stomachs of the egalitarian MSM “journalists”.
.
The American economy, does not need Cuba. It has functioned and grown very well without Cuba’s help, thank you very much.
.
Negotiating with Raul now, would just legitimize his despotic regime and allow him to continue to hold the Cuban people as hostages. Perhaps the editors at The Palm Beach Post believe that having their slave laborers only a few miles away would enrich their lives by providing cheap rum and cigars for their parties in Boca and West Palm Beach.
.
And…as far as those hated, hard-line exiles driving US policy:
… Simply a Cubanophobic Myth. If that were the case, the Marines would have landed in Havana 35-40 years ago and this blog, this post and the PBP editorial wouldn’t exist, and neither would most of South Florida…
.
… Or at least, that’s what I believe.


It don't make no difference to me, baby,
Everybody's had to fight to be free,
You see you don't have to live like a refugee.
(Don't have to live like a refugee)

10 comments:

Mambi_Watch said...

"as if reality was an objective and concrete 'thing' that they haven’t subjectively interpreted through their own belief system"?

While at times hard to put your finger on, we don't need to think of "reality" as some intangible and amorphous "thing."

There are many ways we make sense of the world, and that doesn't mean that "reality" is uniform or unique. The real world is made of several views and perspectives that may even appear to contradict each other.

But, that's why he have modes of inquiry and investigation. Methods by which several people can come to agreement on certain phenomena.

In the case of Cuba, there's a simple rationale that opposes current US policy: five decades of isolationism appeared to have failed to achieve a certain outcome. This is a fact that can actually be tested, and it has been studied very thoroughly.

But, how can you convince someone about something when there are no results to study? Such as the success of the US embargo.

That's a reality that counters simple human reason.

On the other hand, the embargo may be intangible "thing." Like Jaime Suchlicki once wrote: The embargo is psychological.

I agree.

Gusano said...

outcome? ever wondered what the desired outcome of the embargo was/is?...hmmm....saying wether it has failed or not would require one to "believe" the government's "stated" motives. no thank you.

Mambi_Watch said...

Then you accept the editorial saying: "maintaining the GOP's balance of power in Florida" is the aim of the embargo.

Why do you accept such a scam?

rsnlk said...

Right on, Gusano.

Gusano said...

no, MB I don't believe that,sorry that's just a rationalization for Cubanophobia - a sort of paranoia/envy that seems to afflict non-Cubans.it's not either /or. there could be some hidden gov't agenda as to why the "embargo" such as it is is still in place. Besides i don't see any scam in any interest group empowering themselves in the political process. it speaks volumes for democracy.

Val Prieto said...

Excellent post, Gusano. The fact that Mambi watch is here doing spin and damage control proves you pretty much hit the nail on the head.

Mambi_Watch said...

Cubanophobia "hit the nail on the head"? Ha!

First, I apologize Gusano if I read too much into your initial reply. I won't assume what you position is, so lets review your post.

From your reading of the PBP editorial you have concluded that the editors believe:

- "Raul Castro wants to sincerely negotiate."

On the contrary, the PBP NEVER says this, you only assume from your reading. The PBP mentions Raul's "olive branch" but does not describe what Raul's personal feelings are. Those are YOUR attributions. On the other hand, the PBP says: "The longer the United States isolates itself, the less prepared the United States will be to help the Cuban people seize that day."

The PBP argues that the US should change its policy and negotiate. It has nothing to do with Raul or his sentiments. Raul could have offered nothing and the PBP would still make this argument.

- "What works with China, will Work with Cuba."

Again, this is not the PBP's argument, it is YOURS. The PBP makes a clear point about the inconsistent application of a HUMAN RIGHTS requirement for normal relations with Cuba, in comparison to China's.

The PBP does not say to use the same method on Cuba as with China, but rather to point out the flaw in US policy towards Cuba.

- "And... as far as those hated, hard-line exiles driving US policy."

Your false and extreme attributions of others are very revealing. Your unique term "Cubanophobia" is very creative, but quite absurd.

Security mobilization in order to control mass movement seems standard procedure to anyone. But, somehow its "cubanophobia" to you when it involves Cubans.

How ironic and contradictory that preparations for mass celebrations in Miami were supported by Manny Diaz, a Cuban. And, also the preparation for a mass exodus of maybe 500,000 rafters was an idea of UM's Andy Gomez, a Cuban!

A Cuban with Cubanophobia? Come on.

Mambi_Watch said...

Oh oh, I responded THREE times to this post. According to Prieto logic, that must mean you hit the nail on the head THREE times!

Way to go Gusano!

Gusano said...

MW:

As usual, we have no common ground, well maybe on Gomez.

My conclusions on the editorial are not false or disingenuous.

The PBP is proposing that we accept Raul’s offer to negotiate. Why would you accept an offer from someone who isn’t sincere? They must obviously believe that the other party wants to negotiate, which I “believe” to be false-a simple analysis of his “offer” will show that. Otherwise, you’re negotiating for negotiations sake..what good is that?

The PBP’s argument is that since we have ignored China’s human rights problems, we should do the same with Cuba. My point is that we would have never done that under Mao just like we haven’t done it under the Castros.

They surmise that the reason that American foreign policy is different is because you have a bunch of politically active spics in South Florida who are mucking things up by participating in the political process. That’s just racist.

If I want to label the fact that the gov’t spends untold taxpayer dollars to prevent some imaginary mass migration “cubanophobia” that’s my choice.

The one thing I don’t do is say that you’re a liar or that you ideas are absurd.

The whole point of the post is that everybody believes what they want to believe, myself included, and that everybody has to fight to be free, Cubans included. But people who don’t see things in black and white, like you know I do, will argue that things are gray an relative and that there are many ways to look at an issue…except the Cuban-Exile way..that’s just black and white dyed in the wool totally wrong….

Cubanophobia

Anonymous said...

Everyone needs something to believe im. I believe I'll have another beer