Rand Paul’s Cluelessness on Cuba

Townhall.com ^ | December 26, 2014 | Humberto Fontova

[Kaslin]

Now where have we previously heard Senator Rand Paul’s cliché-fest that constitutes his rebuttal to Senator Marco Rubio on Cuba sanctions?

Well, from The Council on Foreign Relations to the New York Times and from Hillary Clinton to The Congressional Black Caucus—and that’s for starters. And oh, we also heard it repeatedly from every single one of the KGB-trained Cuban spies convicted by U.S. juries recently.

“The embargo is Castro’s best friend,” Clinton chanted to an extremely friendly audience at the Council on Foreign Relations back in June while citing and promoting her book Hard Choices.

The sanctions give “Castro an excuse for his economic failures…blah…blah” goes this hoary cliché. “So he secretly favors it.”

First off, if Castro “secretly favors the embargo,” then why did every one of his secret agents campaign secretly and obsessively against the embargo while working as secret agents? Castro managed the deepest and most damaging penetration of the U.S. Department of Defense in recent U.S. history. The spy’s name is Ana Belen Montes, known as "Castro’s Queen Jewel" in the intelligence community. In 2002 she was convicted of the same crimes as Ethel and Julius Rosenberg and today she serves a 25-year sentence in Federal prison. Only a plea bargain spared her from sizzling in the electric chair like the Rosenberg’s.

Prior to her visit from the FBI and handcuffing, Ana Belen Montes worked tirelessly to influence U.S. foreign policy against the embargo. The same holds for more recently arrested, convicted and incarcerated Cuban spies Carlos and Elsa Alvarez and Kendall and Gwendolyn Myers. All of these worked tirelessly to influence U.S. policy against the “embargo”– while working as secret agents.

In fact, few U.S. foreign policy measures in recent history have been as phenomenally successful as our limited sanctions against the Stalinist Robber-Barons who run Cuba. First off, for three decades the Soviet Union was forced to pump the equivalent of almost ten Marshall Plans into Cuba. This cannot have helped the Soviet Union’s precarious solvency or lengthened her life span. Secondly, the U.S. taxpayer has been spared the fleecing visited upon many others who reside in nations who eschew “embargoing” Cuba.

“But the embargo hasn’t worked,” continues the talking points that appear on the anti-embargo teleprompter. “After half a century the Castro regime still stands. So why should we continue this failed policy?”

Please excuse (genuine) Cuba-watchers for rolling their eyes when—like clockwork--this false premise kicks-off every embargo debate. To wit:

In January, 21, 1962 at Punta del Este Uruguay U.S. Secretary of State Dean Rusk gave a speech to the Organization of American States recommending the members join the U.S. in voting for an economic embargo of Cuba. In this speech there is not a single word--or even an inference--that regime-change was the embargo's goal. Indeed, Secretary Rusk went out of his way to stress that this was not the embargo's goal. "The United States objects to Cuba's activities and policies in the international arena not its internal system or arrangements."

Per-capita-wise, Cuba qualifies as the world’s biggest debtor nation with a foreign debt of close to $50 billion, a credit–rating nudging Somalia’s, and an uninterrupted record of defaults.

In 1986 Cuba defaulted on most of her foreign debt to Europe. Seven years ago France’s version of the U.S. government’s Export-Import Bank (named COFACE) cut off Cuba’s credit line. Mexico’s Bancomex quickly followed suit. The Castro regime had stuck it to French taxpayers for $175 million and to Mexican taxpayers for $365 million. Bancomex was forced to impound Cuban assets in three different countries in an attempt to recoup its losses.

A bit later we heard from another Castro sucker: “The Cuban regime has a long track record of failing to pay back our loans,” lamented South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Trade & Industry, Geordin Hill-Lewis. “In 2010, South Africa had to write off R1.1 billion in bad Cuban debt, and on Friday we wrote off another R250 million in bad debt. The time has come for South Africa to invest in strategic partnerships that deliver prosperity for our people.”

So U.S. taxpayers, if it’s true that “political pressure” by a “powerful” and sinister cabal of Cuban-American Republican string-pullers maintain the so-called embargo—then, well…you are quite welcome! Glad we could help…y’all come back now!

Naturally the little matter of why the embargo was enacted in the first place never appears on the anti-embargo teleprompter. To wit:

in 1960 stormed into almost 6000 U.S. owned businesses (worth almost $ 2 billion at the time) and stole them all at Soviet gunpoint. A few American business-owners resisted. One of these was Howard Anderson who owned a filling stations and Jeep dealership (not a casino or brothel, which were relatively rare in pre-Castro Cuba, by the way.) I’ll quote from Anderson v. Republic of Cuba, No. 01-28628 (Miami-Dade Circuit Court, April 13, 2003). "In one final session of torture, Castro's agents drained Howard Anderson's body of blood before sending him to his death at the firing squad."

The Inter-American Law Review classifies Castro’s mass burglary of U.S. property as “the largest uncompensated taking of American property by a foreign government in history.” Rubbing his hands and snickering in triumphant glee, Castro boasted at maximum volume to the entire world that he was freeing Cuba from "Yankee economic slavery!" (Che Guevara's term, actually) and that "he would never repay a penny!"

This is the only promise Fidel Castro has ever kept in his life. Hence the imposition of the Cuba embargo, not that you’d know any of this from the mainstream media.

The burglarized (and often brutalized) American owners filed those property claims against Castro’s regime with the U.S. government. They’re worth $7 billion today--and must be settled before the so called embargo is lifted. This settlement provision for lifting the embargo was codified into U.S. law in 1996 by the Helms-Burton act, which means only Congress can lift the embargo, obviously after a vote. But the votes are not there.

Shouldn’t Rand Paul know this?

In 1967 libertarian icon Murray Rothbard seemed highly bereaved and aggrieved to hear of Che Guevara’s whacking. Here’ his encomium to the Stalinist who outlawed private property under penalty of torture-chamber and firing-squad:

“Che is dead, and we all mourn him. Long live Che! Why? How is it that so many libertarians mourn this man?...What made Che such an heroic figure for our time is that he, more than any man of our epoch or even of our century, was the living embodiment of the principle of Revolution… we all knew that his enemy was our enemy–that great Colossus that oppresses and threatens all the peoples of the world, U. S. imperialism.”

Ron Paul regards Murray Rothbard as one of America’s “greatest men” and “greatest heroes of freedom.” Rand Paul, considers it an honor to have met Murray Rothbard and a “privilege” to have once driven him to the airport.

So let’s hope simple “cluelessness” motivates Rand Paul’s comments on Cuba. Let’s hope the motivation is not something more troublesome.

[Reno89519]

Obama created a successful distraction by normalizing relations with Cuba. Our past 50 year policy was a failure, most Americans don’t care about Cuba, now millions of refuges can go home, and Obama got a great conservative-distractor that sidelines protest over amnesty, Obamacare, and traitor Republicans. Sadly, a spectacular success on Obama’s behalf.

[Moleman]

Cant believe I agree with something Oboma did. Of course The Pope brought it together :-)

[SandRat]

Just like his Daddy.

[Vendome]

So let me see if I get this straight:

Uh, we can sell American products to China but Cuba? Well, why China? Their human rights, crookedness and flying a red star on their state flag are less abusive?

Vietnam? Sure, we cluster bombed them and gave em a delicious serving of Agant Orange but, Cuba? We effed up the invasion of them so we are going to punish them for our hesitation?

Venezuela? The United States is their most important trade partner in a variety of areas, most importantly oil.

We are their biggest customer.

Additionally, and here is rub or truth to the lie about sanctions and demonstrates the canard of keeping Cuba’s head underwater:

“President George Bush, in 2006, waived the economic sanctions that would normally accompany such a designation, because they would have curtailed his government’s assistance for democracy programs in Venezuela.”

***Oh now, really?***

But, sanctioning a pip squeak nation and ensuring 8 million souls remain abandoned on their spiritual Island Prison, why that’s just different.

Evo Morales, President of Bolivia, enjoys trade with the U.S. of $1 billion or more.

Putin ain’t hurtin. **Not that any reporters of the former USSR are saying and if they did, they would drink a nice cup of duterium, while dinning in a hotel in London.

Pakistan? Egypt?

Oh but, not Cuba...

I respect you Humberto but, this ain’t flying the common sense flag or using deductive reasoning.

[ZULU]

He is a clueless idiot when it comes to foreign policy.
Hope he is never nominated.

[Fester Chugabrew]

How can Cuba settle the 7 billion it owes when it is broke? The net effect of an embargo is to stifle economic prosperity, no? Maybe, contrary to Rusks iterations we *should* make regime change a priority.

[BeadCounter]

Drudge just reported, Cartel claims kidnapped Border agent. This will be a story here in minutes I’m sure, I’m still reading it. Off-topic, yes, I know.

5 minutes ago, Drudge had no headline at all, just their banner.

[ansel12]

The cartels won’t like dealing with Delta and Rangers if it comes to that.

[BeadCounter]

I’m thinking now, it didn’t happen, drudge gets people pumped up: http://www.valleycentral.com/news/story.aspx?id=1141227#.VJ2P2ADE8

All on-duty officers accounted for, now they are checking the off-duty officers.

Good posts as always Ansel12.

[ansel12]

Thanks for the update, I guess we will have to just see if it turns out to be a rumor or not, but if this kind of thing starts, and I’m sure it will at some point in the future, I sure hope we crush it instantly.

One thing that we absolutely cannot tolerate is American law enforcement and their families coming under threat, from local sheriffs to Border Patrol, we should make it clear that normal rules and limitations will not apply in dealing with that sort of escalation by the bad guys.

[1Old Pro]

The burglarized (and often brutalized) American owners filed those property claims against Castro’s regime with the U.S. government. They’re worth $7 billion today--and must be settled before the so called embargo is lifted. This settlement provision for lifting the embargo was codified into U.S. law in 1996 by the Helms-Burton act, which means only Congress can lift the embargo

7 Billion is chicken feed. Owners would galdly make deals to re-enter the Cuban market. The takings is a crime, but it's the murders that are unforgivable. There is blood on the hands of the Castro's and they should be tried for murder, not negotiated with.

[HiTech RedNeck]

To Fontova it’s personal.

I think our greatest policy problem today is not a Cuba problem, it is a Heaven problem.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Funny they would have to check, shouldn’t a family be squawking? Loud?

[BeadCounter]

http://www.therealcuba.com/

[Wuli]

Rand Paul’s support of detente with Cuba is like how Jeb Bush supports Common Core, the facts and details don’t matter, the image & perception, maintained by being ignorant of the details, are all that matter. Paul thinks he can ignore the reality of Castro’s government and its history just as Bush thinks the content of the Common Core curriculum is irrelevant to qualifying it as a good policy.

[Dqban22]

Rand Paul and Obama support torture in Castro’s prison island.

ARMANDO VALLADARES

Painter, poet and writer, Valladares suffered 22 years in Castro’s dungeons as political prisoner of the Cuban Communist regime. Valladares received the Liberty Award from de Pen Club and adopted by Amnesty International as a prisoner of conscience. He was liberated thanks to the intervention in his favor by the President of France, Francois Mitterand.

Valladares served on the administrations of Ronald Reagan and George Bush Sr. President Reagan, after reading Valladares’ prison memories “Contra Toda Esperanza”, he appointed him as head of the U.S. Delegation to the United Nations Commission in Human Rights in Geneva.

Due to Valladares’ successful intervention, the Cuban regime was condemned for the first time by the Commission for its gross violation of human rights. Ronald Reagan awarded Valladares the second highest civil decoration of the United States, the Presidential Medal. He was also honored in receiving the Superior Award, which is the highest distinction given to diplomats by the Department of State.

The Valladares Foundation defends the children rights. He is the author of Alma del Poeta, Desde mi Silla de Ruedas, El Corazón Con Que Vivo y Cavernas del Silencio.
According to Valladares: “During those years, with the purpose of forcing us to abandon our religious beliefs and to demoralize us, the Cuban Communist indoctrinators repeatedly used the statements made by some representatives of the American Christian churches. Every time a pamphlet was published in U.S., every time a clergyman would write an article in support of Castro’s dictatorship, a translation would be given to us, and that was far worse for the Christian political prisoners than the beatings or the hunger. Incomprehensible to us, while we waited for the embrace of solidarity from our brothers in Christ, those who were embraced were our tormentors.”

[Dqban22]

Obama’s Latest Welfare Queens—the Castro Brothers

Townhall.com ^ | January 2, 2015 | Humberto Fontova

The vital codified sanctions prohibit outright tourism to Cuba by U.S. citizens and the purchases of Cuban products by U.S. entities. Obama’s relentless loop holing allows almost unlimited cash remittances from people in the U.S. to Cuba plus travel to Cuba for family visits, educational and cultural exchanges and a multitude of other specifically licensed activities under the rubric of “people to people” travel. This rubric’s rationale is to channel the interaction of Americans to the Cuban people, rather than to regime officials.

But amazingly, (except to everyone familiar with Castroism) under this arrangement every American visitor to Cuba is closely chaperoned and mentored by regime officials (tour guides.) These guides (as anyone half-way familiar with communism should know) are tasked by the Stalinist regime with relentlessly evangelizing on the “glories of Cuba’s healthcare, education and on the wickedness of the U.S. blockade blah…blah.” As if the visiting Americans don’t get enough of that from the U.S. media and their professors.

Bottom line: under Obama’s loop holing thus far the cash flow –from the U.S. to Cuba (remittances, travel expenses) is estimated at $4 billion annually—whereas during the 1970’s The Soviet cash-flow to Cuba was estimated at $3.8 billion annually. And last year well over half a million people visited Cuba from the U.S. —whereas during the 1950’s an average of 200,000 people visited Cuba annually from the U.S.

The further loop holing announced last week will license even more forms of “non-tourist,” “people-to-people” and “educational” (i.e. indoctrinating) travel from the U.S. to Cuba and further raise the cap on cash remittances from U.S. citizens and residents to Cuba. Much of the cash making up these remittances, by the way, comes on the U.S. taxpayers’ dime.

You see, the U.S. issues 20,000 visas to Cubans annually. And amazingly (except to everyone familiar with Castroism) the Castro regime is in charge of which Cubans get them. So Castro’s apparatchiks make sure to issue the exit permits to the type of “refugee” who will get to the U.S. via comfy commercial flight and immediately start sending a portion of his U.S. refugee welfare benefits back to his family Cuba, where the regime promptly skims off 20 percent in various “transaction fees.”

Then the “refugee’s” family spends the rest in regime- owned stores or deposits it in the regime’s Central Bank, between the “refugee’s” frequent visits back to Cuba on the HUGE Obama-opened “family-travel” loophole. On these frequent visits the “refugee” spends most of the rest of his U.S. welfare benefits.

In brief the U.S. is issuing refugee visas to Cubans who the Castro regime makes sure aren’t political refugees by any stretch of the term. Then the U.S. pays these de-facto regime-collaborators “refugee” welfare benefits which mostly benefit the Stalinist regime. The entire time these refugees” are automatically on the fast track to U.S. citizenship..
So has the mainstream media informed you that among the most notorious “Welfare Queens” under Obama’s almost universally –hailed (especially by “taxpayer champions” like Jeff Flake and Rand Paul)) are the Castro brothers? Didn’t think so.

The whole article

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3242967/posts