Chatterbox: Fidel Castro, Book Critic - Foreign Policy magazine buffs a dictator's image.***
Foreign Policy has spiffed itself up lately, and as a result the magazine is much livelier and thought-provoking than it used to be. Gibney notes, correctly, that running Castro's review does not imply any sort of endorsement. "We'd run a movie review by Kim Jong-il if we felt it might shed some useful light on his thinking and personality," Gibney says. (Next month: Idi Amin reviews
The Lovely Bones!) On reflection, Chatterbox can't really dispute that it's interesting to learn what dictators do in their spare time. But that doesn't let
Foreign Policy off the hook. A movie review by Kim Jong-il couldn't enable any widespread belief that Kim is some sort of philosopher-king, because no such belief exists. It's different, alas, with Castro. Many people think of Castro as some sort of Latin Papa Hemingway, and the publication of this review will only encourage them to go on believing it.***
The Three Amigos Castro - Human Rights and Latin Anti-Americanism *** Washington must make clear that being "anti-gringo" just on principle cannot continue in the age of international terrorism. Behavior should cost in terms of how many benefits one can expect to continue from Washington. Opposing the United States on matters of American security should have a cost in that regard, and Washington should impose it. Mexico, Chile, Brazil, and Argentina should be convinced that the cost is real and immediate.***