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24 de Mayo, 2008
Risky but Right.
Categorized under Gobierno , Latin America | Tags: Castro, Cuba, John McCain, Obama
IT'S MOVES LIKE THIS that impress me with Obama. Politically risky but Right. It's a sign that he does mean to make some real changes. And to my mind, this is one for the better. Because it's about time we started talking about being humane with Cuba. This chokehold and slow aggression of the Sanction creeps me out, whether it's on Cuba or on Iraq. You don't punish an entire people like that. That doesn't fit in with what I see as right, no matter what your goal is. That is simply immoral.
Illinois Sen. Barack Obama plunged boldly into these uncharted political waters Friday when he called for "direct diplomacy, with friend and foe alike" in a speech to the Cuban American National Foundation, a group that has become more moderate in recent years but remains a bastion of anti-Castro sentiment.Obama said he would "turn the page" on half a century of policy that isolates Cuba.
He acknowledged the political risk he was taking. Many of the wealthiest and most influential Cuban Americans still embrace a strategy of trying to starve the Castro-led regime into submission.Cuban Americans, who comprise the most politically active and wealthiest constituency in this battleground state, traditionally have voted for the candidate with the hardest line against their homeland. [...]
Jorge Mursuli, the 47-year-old founder of the national Hispanic civic engagement group Democracia USA, says now is "a moment in time" when Cuban Americans are receptive to a new message like Obama's.
His late parents made him promise to take care of an elderly aunt in Cuba - something he is forbidden by U.S. law from doing, because the 2004 tightening of sanctions restricted remittances to parents, siblings and children.
Obama also said he would repeal restrictions on how much money Cuban Americans can send to the island and how often they can visit family.
"This is something so basic, so guttural, so core that it transcends any ideology. How dare the government get between me and my mother's dying wish," Mursuli said.
When Obama told his audience, "I know what the easy thing is to do for American politicians," he was recalling successful presidential candidates' promises to maintain a hard line against Cuba. He said Arizona Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, had done just that when he vowed at a town hall meeting in Miami on Tuesday to maintain a status quo in policy toward Cuba.
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Comentarios (7)
John H. Farr dijo:
Amen, brother. Amen, amen. This 62-year-old white bastard sees the same things in Obama that you do. No other politician in America could have done what he just did.
Palabras por John H. Farr spat forth on el 25 de Mayo, 2008 at 12:11 AM
Maegan la Mala dijo:
But didn't he say he would keep the embargo? I don't know, I'm just not buying his "change" when it comes to Latin American policy when he wants to keep something that clearly hasn't worked.
Palabras por Maegan la Mala spat forth on el 25 de Mayo, 2008 at 04:06 AM
nezua
dijo:
i agree with you. the embargo should be lifted. he said in 2004 he believed it should be ended. lately he has pulled back on that. i am happy that he wants to ease travel and money restrictions. but the embargo should be lifted. but that's what pressure from voters is about. we have to organize and pressure them on what we want. and we ought to.
Palabras por nezua
spat forth on el 25 de Mayo, 2008 at 06:37 AM
peasant dijo:
I would like to see the demise of our current definition of "diplomacy" where we require complete compliance with all our demands before we will agree to discuss the demands. I think Obama would end this arrogant stupidity.
We're using this same old tactic in Iran. "Dismantle your nuclear power plants and only then we will discuss your need for nuclear power generation." Then, when they do not, the old school diplomats (and the media) can say "See there! Iran doesn't want discussions!"
Or our "diplomats" will go from arrogant stupidity to the absurd, as in Iraq. "Prove you don't have any WMD!" (Logic 101 tells you this is not possible but hey, Iraq tried!) Iraq's proof, by definition, could not and would not be accepted, ergo Saddam is hiding them!
The same has happened in Cuba. The embargo was never about what was best for the people of Cuba. It was about the control of resources, control of the government, and capital. I was around when Batista was overthrown and even at a young age was awakened by the quick change in our press and governmental attitudes. Castro was praised, his revolution was praised, the overthrow of Batista was lauded as Batista's bad laundry was aired. All that changed, very quickly, when it became apparent that Castro was not going to be a puppet of the US government and submit to its corporate control.
The story is getting old, so yes, it is time to turn the page. Whether we as a nation will ever have a government that will allow other sovereign nations to have their independence, or continue with our economic and military empirialism, I do not know. I do know that we need to reign ourselves in and quit treating the world like it is our private piñata.
Palabras por peasant spat forth on el 25 de Mayo, 2008 at 07:42 AM
RC dijo:
I already decided to vote for Obama in the primary, but this is just icing on the cake. Maybe I will get to move to Santiago de Cuba before I die. I hope readers here are following Generacion Y, a great blog from Cuba. This is SO exciting. In truth for me, this is the most important speech Obama has yet given.
Palabras por RC spat forth on el 25 de Mayo, 2008 at 11:16 AM
Kai Chang
dijo:
Interesting. I had a completely different take on that speech, which I'll briefly share here, with respect: I took Obama's belligerence toward Chavez as a signal that he intends to pursue the ongoing neo-colonialist war in South America, especially against the Bolivarian movement, including of course Cuba, via Colombian and other proxies a la Operation Condor. The stage for military escalation under the guise of the war on terror has been set with the attacks on FARC and the laptop incursion ploy. In fact Obama's stature might even enable to get away with even more blatant military aggression than the despised Bush administration, and we know that all presidents feel compelled to shoot missiles in order to prove their "toughness". Of course Obama will be slick, hitting high notes in his speeches and making superficial "humanitarian" concessions around the edges, but the fundamental policy posture which I read into his platform involves either a continuation or an escalation of corporatist neo-imperialist exploitation and oppression in the region, a posture which his backers among Wall Street's international financiers are looking forward to as it will open increased regional investment opportunities.
Peace.
Palabras por Kai Chang
spat forth on el 26 de Mayo, 2008 at 07:43 AM
nezua
dijo:
well, i was going by this one article when i wrote this, i'll admit.
i just got a hold of al giordiano's breakdown of the speech, and i'm more apt to agree with you on many points. i just need to finish reading it.
and i agree, the lines about chavez are tired and part of the same ole. i dont appreciate it. i plan to write a more thoughtful post after digesting more information. thanks for your comments, bro.
but i cant help appreciating his stance toward cuba as quoted here. its a move in the right direction.
Palabras por nezua
spat forth on el 26 de Mayo, 2008 at 08:20 AM