Cuban Myths Will Test Obama (Obama to bring change to Cuba, too)

WSJ ^ | 12/27/08 | DAVID LUHNOW and JOSé DECORDOBA

[raybbr]

When Barack Obama takes the oath of office on Jan. 20, he will become the 11th U.S. president since Fidel Castro came to power on Jan. 1, 1959. Indeed, Fidel was already in charge when Mr. Obama was born. That the Cuban regime has lasted half a century just 90 miles from U.S. shores -- and nearly two decades after the end of the Cold War -- is remarkable. It is a testament to the comandante's political genius, to the cruel effectiveness of totalitarian repression and to Washington's ham-handed approach to the island.

It is also a testament to the power of myths. The Cuban regime survives partly because of the historical narrative that it has sold to the outside world and to its own people. This narrative could be summed up as a David versus Goliath story, with Cuba playing the role of the rock-slinging shepherd and the U.S. that of the heartless giant. Washington feeds this myth by maintaining an economic embargo on Cuba that gives the regime a ready-made excuse as to why the revolution has failed its people.

---

The election of Mr. Obama -- a young black man committed to reinventing politics -- poses a major challenge to Cuba. It shatters the myth cultivated by Cuba's ruling clique that the U.S. is a racist, exploitative country. Cuba is a majority black country with few blacks in positions of power.

During his campaign, Mr. Obama promised to loosen some restrictions in U.S. policy towards Cuba, allowing Cuban Americans to send more money to their relatives and visit them with more frequency.

[raybbr]

Gotta help me out. Why would Obama want to change Cuba into a more free and democratic society while at the same time make the U.S. more like Cuba?

Cubans are hoping for freedom and capitalism and yet over fifty percent of American voters voted for LESS democracy and more socialism.

Am I being sarcastic? Only partly.

[Mikey_1962]

A single death will change Cuba, after that it will look like the DDR after the wall fell.

[WorkerbeeCitizen]

But Cuba already had change - didn’t they?

[Tarpon]

Well I think you don’t understand change all that well. The change will be to remake the USA into Venezuela so we can’t bother Cuba no more.

Trickle up poverty, that’s Obammunism change.

[Popman]

I may be in a minority opinion here, but I thinks it's high time we lifted the embargo against Cuba.

Castro is most likely dead or will be very soon. His brother is making small steps to having Cuba more open, better than more oppression, regression

Certainly the last 50 years hasn't worked to free the Cuban people.

[RipSawyer]

Am I being sarcastic? Only partly.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

UHH, no...as far as I can tell you are just stating the facts, I don’t even see it as partly sarcastic. Am I missing something?
As for the reason Obama would want to do this, it is the essence of simplicity, he hates America and the doofuses who elected him.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

There is the small matter of private property taken by the Castro regime.

[docbnj]

The article argues (quoting Cubans) that the regime fears lifting of the embargo. I agree. They fear it, and will not allow it. If we try to drop the embargo, they will put restrictions in place to make the change work to their benefit. This is what was done in Eastern Europe under communism. You could travel there and spend money, but it was at artificial exchange rates: the tourist was ripped off by the regimes. Their own people were severely restricted in foreign travel outside the East Bloc, and those who were allowed out were reliable propagandists who left their children (effectively hostages) back home.

[sgtyork]

Several time over the years the US tried to reduce the sanctions on cuba only to have Fidel provoke further tensions. The US is part of his ruling technique. That is why this artical referring to ‘hamhanded’ diplomacy makes it sewage laden propaganda. The poor Cuban people...

[docbnj]

The article argues (quoting Cubans) that the regime fears lifting of the embargo. I agree. They fear it, and will not allow it. If we try to drop the embargo, they will put restrictions in place to make the change work to their benefit. This is what was done in Eastern Europe under communism. You could travel there and spend money, but it was at artificial exchange rates: the tourist was ripped off by the regimes. Their own people were severely restricted in foreign travel outside the East Bloc, and those who were allowed out were reliable propagandists who left their children (effectively hostages) back home.

[alloysteel]

It is not Fidel’s genius that has preserved his form of stern puritanistic socialism on this island nation for fifty years.

It is the ineptitude of various US leaders, who have tried to make a half-hearted invasion gone horribly wrong (Bay of Pigs), it is abasing ourselves to the blackmail from Fidel’s “protectors”, the erstwhile Soviet Union, it is from trying to salve our consciences by being “nice” to Fidel on countless occasions, when niceness was not called for, it is from “benign neglect” of the festering sore that is a source of further subversion of the Western Hemisphere, and it is the tacit support given to one of the last Stalinist regimes left over from the Cold War.

The overtures coming from the nascent obama regime are just more of yet another different kind of ineptitude.

[Popman]

There is the small matter of private property taken by the Castro regime.

I lived in South Florida for a period and understand it's a HUGE issue down there.

Personally, IMHO, if you left the island for a better life 50 years ago, your claim to property gets weaker.

Ultimately, the courts will need to divide that baby

[WellyP]

Just to stir the pot and to refresh everyone’s mind, please read this:

http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2008/10/how-could-stanl.html

[Don Corleone]

Cubans are hoping for freedom and capitalism and yet over fifty percent of American voters voted for LESS democracy and more socialism.

My people could put Kyouber right again in 6 months.

D.C.

[pepsionice]

I’m pretty much in agreement...end the embargo. It never showed any results and is more of a joke...we deal with Vietnam and China...so why not Cuba?

[troy McClure]

My father had a Sugar mill that was seized by Castro.

Because it was stolen 50 years ago doesnt diminish the fact that it was stolen.

I want it back.

[Popman]

...so why not Cuba?

Any political party would be committing suicide for the couple hundred thousand Cubans in South Florida would not be very happy. A very powerful political segment in Florida politics

Though, I think Obama is an empty suit, he is probably the only one who could pull off ending the embargo simply because he isn't an evil white politician.

[Ax]

While stationed in Havana 1993-1997, we were assigned a house by the U.S. Diplomatic Mission there. It was a big house on the corner of First Avenue and 30th Street. It had been owned by a successful Cuban and was confiscated by the revolutionaries. The house, and others like it, were administered by CUBALSE (Cuba in Service to Foreigners). CUBALSE leased the properties back to the mission at outrageous rents. Our house cost $3000 a month and Fidel laughed all the way to the bank.

If the rightful owner ever does make it back, I hope he gets to reclaim it.

[jmaroneps37]

The Guantanamo picture is getting clearer and uglier
http://www.collinsreport.net

November 28th, 2008
By Kevin “Coach” Collins

The Russians have started the push that might come to shove and the heat has been turned up on Barack Obama. Because of the sagging price of oil, the Russians have to do something or watch their country slip into anarchy. They need a crisis to move oil prices back up and Cuba is a very handy place to ferment one.

They are probing Obama for weakness with President Dmitry Medvedev’s just concluded four country visit to South America.

He stopped in Peru and Brazil but his real targets were Venezuela and Guantanamo Cuba.

In oil rich Venezuela Medvedev talked with America hater Hugo Chavez, basically as a pot stirrer, but Cuba was his main concern.

The Castro brothers are sitting on a piece of land that the Russians, now more than ever, find very interesting.

Yesterday the Czech Republic approved our offer to build them a missile defense system and this infuriated the Russians. They know we understand their long range plans to reestablish Eastern Europe as a Russian slave colony and they are willing to answer our challenge to their dreams. The problem for us is our challenge will be made by a poodle against a Russian bear. Medvedev went to Cuba to get a Guantanamo as a nuclear missile base to blackmail us with.

The signs are there. Castro wants to meet Obama on “neutral territory” and is suggesting Guantanamo as the site. Castro will be measuring the windows for Vladimir Putin’s new office.

The Russians will wait until their useful idiot friends in America’s Left pressure Obama into closing the prisoner of war facility on Castro’s island and then just walk in and set up shop.

This will give them a perfect counter to the Czech missile defense system. It will also end badly for America.

This situation demands a strong American administration. Unfortunately we don’t have one, thanks to the millions of fools who voted without knowing the facts. The Collins Report will watch this one and provide further information as it becomes available

[Hop A Long Cassidy]

>>>if you left the island for a better life 50 years ago, your claim to property gets weaker.

I think the mention on appropriation of assets referred to forced nationalization (confiscation) of properties from Americans and American companies.

If you give in, then Somalia, and every other Tom, Dick and Harry country might confiscate some too.