Posted on 08/03/2006 8:48:45 AM PDT by blitzgig
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What to do now?
How about this: Treat it as an opportunity. Use the change of facts to announce a change of course. Declare the old way over. Declare a new U.S.-Cuban relationship, blow open the doors of commerce and human interaction, allow American investment and tourism, mix it up, reach out one by one and person by person to the people of Cuba. "Flood the zone." Flood it with incipient prosperity and the insinuation of democratic values. Let Castroism drown in it.
The American economic embargo of Cuba is 40 years old. It has been called ineffective--it did not produce Fidel's downfall. It has been called effective--it kept the squeeze on, demonstrated what communism reaped and reaps. In any case it was right to deny a monstrous regime contact with, and implicit encouragement from, the American democracy.
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If he is actually ill, why not arrange it so that the last sounds he hears on earth are a great racket from the streets? What, he will ask the nurse, is that? "Oh," she can explain, "they are rebuilding Havana. It's the Hilton Corp. Except for the drills. That's Steve Wynn. The jackhammer is Ave Maria University, building an extension campus."
Imagine him hearing this. It would, finally, be the exploding cigar. That's the way to make his beard fall off.
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Congress could repeal Helms-Burton, and the administration could flood the zone, drowning Castroism in it. This could yield a great public good not only for the people of Cuba, and America, but the world.
(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...
Why is Peg so sure this would happen if the US dropped its embargo against Cuba?
Until we are certain that Cuba is a free and democratic society, ending the embargo will only prop up the regime.
Trade with Cuba is nothing but an ex-im insurance scam and has nothing to do with the free market.
Not sure, but it's something to think about. Maybe it would, maybe it wouldn't.
The plan has already been revealed. The US will go back into Cuba proper and put the Russians and ChiCom out of business by outbidding them on contracts.
Why do communist countries have familial monarchies? These tyrants for life are as disgusting as the European brutes.
She's shilling for the companies that want to do business there. Fidel is not going to wake up one morning and discover Hilton hammering up a hotel outside his window. He is going to control any investment and make sure it isn't of a type that will undermine his rule. That should be obvious.
Let's strive to put Castro's filthy ideology where it should have gone long ago--on the ash heap of history.
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Such a grand idea, but so many liberal socialists in America and Europe would be soooo upset with such an idea...the destruction of 'Castroism' would be like cancelling the Koran for Islamics for them... :-)
(bring it on!!)
China has plenty of contact with the American democracy (via Wal-Mart, Target, etc.), yet they are still our sworn enemy and their government still is one of the most repressive on earth. Obviously the horse has left the barn with respect to the Chinese government, but I'd prefer to keep the squeeze on Cuba until they purge every last vestige of communism.
Kill Cuban communism, then smoke legal Cuban cigars.
Puh leeze. She might be "shilling" for free enterprise, which anyone who appreciates it would do.
No one is going to invest in Cuba until they have reasonable assurance that their investments won't be "appropriated" in the name of the "people".
Powerful republican business interests want to do business with Cuba. They are as disgraceful as the libs on that subject. The idea that Castro is going to let in US capitalism in a way that undermines his power is preposterous. He will trade in a way that helps numero uno.
Exactly, China has held onto it's communist power whikle modernizing and becoming a worse enemy. The time to trade with Cuba is when it is not a communist enemy that will link up with Chavez, China, etc.
Or Mexico which is as corrupt (NOW) as Meyer Lansky and the Mob ever made Havana..
One taste of the magic of the free market in, say, a corner grocery store, can be enough to start a full scale, dictatorship overthrowing revolution.
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