Posted on 02/04/2016 12:12:26 AM PST by Olog-hai
Can an authoritarian regime convert to democracy by itself? The historical record isn't encouraging. In the absence of a popular uprising, it is rare for tyrants to voluntarily retire. The military junta of Burma has promised to relinquish some power to an elected government, but it has not yet delivered. China's party-state shows no inclination to try. Russia's strongman is reversing what incipient democracy existed.
This goes to the core of why President Obama's opening to Cuba seems to be failing to live up to its declared goals. When the end to a half-century of hostility was announced in December 2014, the proclaimed U.S. purpose was to "unleash the potential of 11 million Cubans," to "engage and empower the Cuban people," and to "empower the nascent Cuban private sector," among other things. [...]
Yet there is scant evidence so far of a sea change in Cuba -- perhaps because Mr. Obama continues to offer the Castro regime unilateral concessions requiring nothing in return. Since the United States has placed no human rights conditions on the opening, the Castro regime continues to systematically engage in arbitrary detention of dissidents and others who speak up for democracy. In fact, detentions have spiked in recent months. The state continues to monopolize radio, television and newspapers. ...
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
‘...perhaps because Mr. Obama continues to offer the Castro regime unilateral concessions requiring nothing in return.’
Sounds a little like Iran.
And every place else, for that matter.
obama’s foreign policy works about as well as his domestic policy.
That is, not at all.
But, hey, we did get to send him and his family on some really, really expensive vacations, so we’ve still got that.
“Mr. Obama continues to offer the Castro regime unilateral concessions requiring nothing in return.”
You all watch! Obola will give Guantanamo back to Cuba before he leaves office, just like Carter did with the Panama Canal. Right now, he’s emptying out the prison of Muzzies to help his “brother Muslims” while he makes the place ready to give up.
So why does Trump back Obama’s failed Cuba policy?
http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/08/politics/donald-trump-cuba-diplomatic-opening/
Trump is Mr Single Payor 2000.. I mean govt funded healthcare. There aren’t many democrat positions he doesn’t hold. As usual, he will spew rhetoric, but in the end he isn’t a constitutionalist. But he is.. The only democrat who can win.. The dealmaker himself.
Obama's concessory initiative has nothing to do with the Cuban people or democracy.
Its real purpose is twofold: To discountenance 50 years of U.S. foreign policy and its advocates and demoralize their followers (us), on the one hand, and on the other, to destroy George Bush's favorite pickling-jar for jihadi dead-enders who are beyond all human reach, by dispossessing the United States of a nonterritorial place to hold such jihadis beyond the reach of Communist lawyers and high-priced defense-bar pleaders of the ilk of F. Lee Bailey, Johnnie Cochrane, Lanny Davis, Plato Cacheris, and Robert "Uncle Bob" Bennett.
The idea that there was anything but malice and serious, impeachable mischief behind Obama's actions is pathetically ingenuous and unworthy of people who've had 100 years to learn the nature of the social disease that has been rasping the guts out of European civilization and American society, and which now is entrenched in the White House.
“Autocrats everywhere must be watching with envy Castro’s good fortune.”
Only if they’re Marxist or Muslim autocrats. He destroyed a number of semi-secular ME autocracies and is very much to opposed to any that seem to be more on a capitalist order (one of the things he hated about Mubarak, who was trying to move his country in the direction of secularism and a freer economy).
Obama did nothing but breathe new life into monkey-glands Castro, who it seems will never die - but his regime was, and it was being forced to moderate a bit, until Obama came along and revived it.
Surprised this is in the WaPo.
Obama has stepped in just as Venezuela ran out of gas.
The Castro regime will do amazing things when Obama gives them Gitmo.
First black president, nothing else mattered or matters.
And his record is safe from critical review in academia as well.
New territory for casinos.
Since when has the Compost been advocating democracy?
Ever since Lenin had been advocating it, I would say. In his earlier writings, he always talked up democracy, since what was to become his Communist Party was first named the Social Democratic Labor Party of Russia. As soon as he gained absolute power, he switched the rhetoric to so-called “democratic centralism” and the “dictatorship of the proletariat”, of course.
It’s remarkable for the Compost to get this far, either way.
Yes, sounds like there's been some slippage -- some retroinfiltration by actual Americans. Time for a purge.
Wonder if the Post will erect a statue of Obama in their lobby? Maybe they can put it out front, where the readership can admire it as they drive by. Or better still, put his likeness on the masthead of every issue, like the Soviet newspapers used to do with Lenin and Stalin. "We are true to your legacy, O noble Osagyefo Comrade Obama!! Forward!!"
Do I need a tag ?
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