[NYTr] More Liberal/Counterrevolutionary Bilge on Cuba and Obama Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2007 19:37:05 -0400 Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit [More counterrevolutionary bilge from the US mainstream media on Cuba and Barack Obama's Aug 25, 2007 command performance to Miami-Dade Democrats. A revealing LA Times editorial follows the back-and-forth from the CubaSi list. Ironically, it's called "Obama's right on Cuba." Well, they got that correct. He's RIGHT all right; he's sure not LEFT!] Brief summary: Miami counterrevolutionary gusanos: "I hate the Cuban revolution and I love the blockade, but not when it affects ME. I want to travel there, I want to send money to MY relatives there, and I want Cubans to enjoy instant admission to the US of A if they come here illegally. Cuba, No! Bloqueo Si, but Not In My Backyard!" (See how thoroughly Americanized I am!") We can hear the lyrics to Phil Ochs' "Love Me, Love Me, I'm a Liberal" in the background.... Miami-Dade Democratic Party: "We want to get elected. Let's do what the gusanos want and dump the hardline Castro-haters who are out of touch." Barack Obama: "*I* want to get elected. Florida's important! Let's do what Garcia and the Miami-Dade gusanos tell us to! (Carefully... we don't want to alienate everyone else. Do a poll! Give me text that will let me walk on eggshells all the way to the nomination!" LA TIMES and Assorted US Liberals: "We all want to see the end of the Cuban Revolution, Barack Obama included. We Support Obama! We opposed the war in Iraq, too, but thought Saddam Hussein was a BAD MAN. We opposed the US war on Vietnam, too, but thought waving an NLF flag or carrying pictures of Ho Chi Minh was a BAD IDEA." The Cubans of course play it smart, and mildly accept whatever support happens to come their way, no matter how lukewarm or liberal it is -- be it from the likes of Cindy Sheehan or Carlos Lazo. They aren't stupid. The Cubans cannot openly call the likes of Sergeant Carlos Lazo a gusano. But US citizens can, and many of us who support the Cuban Revolution do. -NY Transfer] *** sent by mart (CubaSi) - Aug 25, 2007 [See the end of this post for CubaSi info.] Another reply to more crap posted by Walter. mart ===================== Re: [Cuba SI] LA Times editorial: "Obama's right on Cuba" Oh, I get it. The main factions of U.S imperialism are arguing as to the best methods and tactics to overthrow the Cuban Revolution and we should take sides to support one over the other?? Maybe Obama, at least on Cuba, seems the best of a bad bunch. But remember the company that he's in. They're still a 'bad bunch'....all of them. Quoting the L.A Times article that you posted below - "Sen. Barack Obama"...... "proclaimed that he would be willing to meet personally with such rogue figures as Cuban dictator Fidel Castro." "Rogue figure"? "Cuban dictator"? Oh, wow! How noble of Obama! And what do the use of these phrases tell you about the real ideas and the true, long-term motives of Obama? And he's not even the worst of the Democrats when it comes to U.S foreign policy in general and Cuban policy in particular. The exact words "Rogue figure" and "Cuban dictator" are something that could have come from - and probably previously have come from - the mouth of the 'great decider' George W. Bush himself! It's not a matter of semantics, either - but it is definitely a matter both of opportunism, slander and of tactics. Total bullcrap! And no, Walter, I don't argue as you claim that I and others do, that Cuba would be - quote - "better off poor but pure." I do argue vehemently however, that Cuba (and the world ) would be better off if Cuba remains Socialist! To quote you, Walter, in your own words, "Keep your eye on the prize"! A pox on all the factions of U.S. Imperialism and hegemony! Long live Socialism! mart "Everything is negotiable... everything is on the table... everything except Socialism! " -Bill Kashten, 1909-1993 Late fmr. leader of the Communist Party of Canada *** sent by Walter Lippmann to CubaSi, Aug 25, 2007 [For the first time in the entire history of the Cuban Revolution, U.S. policy toward the island has become an issue in presidential politics. This is unprecedented, and is a good thing which those who want normal relations between Cuba and the United States can only welcome at this time. It isn't necessary to agree with the reasoning given by those candidates for the highest office in the United States to agree that discussion of U.S. policy is a good thing, and an end to the consensus which has dominate U.S. policy toward Cuba for the past 47 years can ONLY be understood as a positive development. What's also vital here is to understand that demographic shifts and their attendant political consequences have now broken the ice. It is not possible in 2007 to claim at the Cuban-American community backs harsh measures against their homeland. Tonight, for the first time in its history, a major United States presidential candidate is having a rally in MIAMI in which he will publicly advocate an end to U.S. limits on Cuban-Americans visiting their homeland and sending money to their families in Cuba. What's NOT to approve of in this prospect? Of course the entire edifice of US policy should be scrapped, and everyone should be free to travel to Cuba and send money to friends and family. Those who don't want to go won't have to go. Some people have recoiled at the calls by Obama, Dodd and others for allowing some or all to visit Cuba due to such calls being framed in terms of how it would be a better way to pressure or overthrow the Cuban government. What do these people expect a U.S. candidate to call for, endorsement of the Cuban Revolution? Some people, writing from the more comfortable location of the United States, are all worked up over the way these calls are framed. Keep your eyes on the prize, please! It seems some seem to think Cuba is better off poor, but pure, so they argue against any steps, however partial, against the blockade. Cuba is not an issue for most people in the United States. It isn't now and never has been. But as the candidates jockey for position, they seek whatever advantage they can against their rivals. Today some have seen a reason, or a political opportunity, in calling for such a change. I'm glad they have done so and hope that, at long last public discussion of Cuba policy will actually occur. So while I'm not endorsing Obama or any of the candidates of either of the dominant parties, I'm glad that this is now a political issue in the United States. It's hard to understand why anyone couldn't see the value of this changed political situation. Walter Lippmann Los Angeles, California *** The Los Angeles Times - Aug 25, 2007 http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-ed-cuba25aug25,0,2951765.story?coll=la-news-comment Editorial Obama's right on Cuba The candidate's call to end the U.S. ban on travel and remittances to Cuba should go even further. Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, determined to cast himself as the Democratic presidential candidate most open to new ideas on foreign policy, raised plenty of eyebrows recently when he proclaimed that he would be willing to meet personally with such rogue figures as Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. But that was nothing compared with the opinion article he published Tuesday in the Miami Herald saying Cuban Americans should have unrestricted rights to travel and send remittances to the island. The other Democratic front-runner, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who portrays herself as the experienced foreign policy realist next to Obama's cowboy diplomat, wasted no time in rejecting Obama's proposal. Her campaign released a statement saying the U.S. stance toward Cuba shouldn't be altered until a post-Castro regime cleans up its act. Republican candidates Mitt Romney and Rudolph W. Giuliani, meanwhile, said Obama's plan would only strengthen Castro's oppressive government. The astonishing thing here is that after the U.S. has tried for nearly 50 years to force a regime change in Cuba by way of economic embargo with no success whatsoever, Obama is one of the few presidential contenders who dares to suggest that it's time to try something different. Some might consider Obama's move courageous given the political power of Florida's Cuban-American community, which helped put George W. Bush in the White House in 2000 and has cheered his efforts to tighten sanctions on Cuba. But the minority of Cuban immigrants who vote Democratic is deeply divided on the travel ban and would like to be able to send more money to relatives at home, so Obama may not be staking out such a bold position after all. Regardless of the political implications, Obama is clearly right -- the only problem is, his proposal doesn't go far enough. The travel ban should be lifted for everybody, not just Cuban immigrants. It is the height of irony that Americans can freely travel to countries such as Venezuela and Iran, which represent genuine threats to our security and economic interests, but not to Cuba, whose government is a threat only to its own people. The ban has done nothing to weaken Castro, but it does keep U.S. tourist dollars out of the hands of Cubans, who might be less inclined to heed their regime's anti-U.S. propaganda if Americans were helping to raise their standard of living. The U.S. shouldn't lift all economic sanctions on Cuba until the island's regime makes progress on democracy and human rights, but policies such as the travel ban and limits on remittances are simply counterproductive. Score one for Obama. =========================== Cuba SI - Imperialism NO! Socialism or death! Patria o muerte! Venceremos! http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cubasi Subscribe: cubasi-subscribe@yahoogroups.com ============================= * ================================================================= .NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems . Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us . .339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org . List Archives: https://blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ . Subscribe: https://blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr