CapitalistMarks

Obama makes nice . . . why the fear?

Posted on 24. Apr, 2009 by scott in political munglings

Why are O’reilly, Beck and other right-wing pundits so upset over President Obama’s ’sort’ of invitation to Cuba?? Why do these same people rail on his shaking hands with Venezuela’s Chavez?? Or his failure to publicly censure Nicaragua’s Ortega for his diatribe on American interference in Central and South American affairs/politics (it was awful, but sadly it also was based on a lot of awful things we have done in the region over the years … who created Panama so we could get the canal?? Wasn’t the Panamanians, amigo).

Can these TV talking heads be wrong?? Ya got me there bro.? These guys must know what they are doing and saying, right?? Wrong, baby.? They only want to sell books and drop-kick the ratings.? Once again they are NOT doing or saying what is best for the country or the world . . . just themselves and their networks.? To be frank, I can’t stand to watch the ‘blindered’ idealogists and I wish others would stop too.? It would be a better world.

Oh, and by the way, need I remind you that the left-wing whackos are not any better (is MSNBC really owned by GE?? Ahh, I almost forgot the GE’s CEO Jeff Immelt is an Obama supporter and of course who could forget how many contracts GE has, or is bidding for, with the government or that the stock has fallen up to 80% under Immelt’s apt management?? Oh, crap there I go again, forgive me what was I talking about?)

How about Cuba?? I have written about this before (even used the same great picture of the ‘revolutionary’ leader) and advocated to normalize relations with our neighbor then (in early January, a? few months before Obama’s ‘invitation’).? I am encouraged now.

I think it is great that our President does not seem inclined to flex his muscles (speaking metaphorically here–I mean gosh he is skinny and couldn’t possibly bench more than 50 pounds).? Only the bullies in my old nieghborhood ever had to prove themselves by pushing the little guys around.? The really confident ‘players’ had no problem being friends with everyone.? If you are confident and right, well you simply don’t have to be threatening.

America is strong (the most powerful military might in the world), we are influential (virtually every other nation wants our attention/money), we are wealthy (even in these difficult times are GDP is much greater than any other nation), we are educated (with the best Universities in the world–where doctoral candidates from other? countries come to be educated), and we should be confident and not arrogant.? Right more often than wrong.

I applaud our President, even though I did not vote for him.? Overall he has my vote of approval so far.? No President will succeed in every venture.? No President will fail all the time either (though? I must admit it seems the late President Bush certainly pushed the envelope in this respect).? So, I will accept Obama’s mistakes (i.e. the first 60 days of his handling the financial crisis was abysmal) and concentrate on his successes.

One of these is his relatively humble (focus on the word relatively here) and non-confrontational approach at the recent summit of the Americas.? Of course Cuba was not invited and hasn’t been for years, but Obama seems to recognize the insanity of this decades old policy.?? Cuba is our neighbor.? They are not a threat and could easily become our friends (or at least our associates in capitalism– don’t forget the great communist ‘threat’ of China is a super-duper supporter of our style of capitalism).? Twenty years ago, who would have thought we’d be buying stuff at COSTCO that comes from Vietnam today?

How can anyone really take Fidel Castro seriously?? Look at the picture above.? Is that the picture of a bully or a retired bull-rider (after being thrown and trampled far too often)?? Come on you right-wing idealogues, Cuba has only 11,000,000 people for crying out loud.? There are only 4 million men of military age and most of them have to work too hard for a living — if they aren’t underemployed (not unemployed–thier government’s ‘official’ stats show an unemployment rate of only about 1%!).? Thier GDP of around $100 billion isn’t much more than a few times California’s budget deficit this year. Should we really worry about Cuba you nut cases?

Cuba needs our help, our example, not our mistrust or abuse.

I’m glad the President is making travel and remittances easier for Americans with Cuban connections.? He needs to do more.? Unilaterally.? The more Americans there are visiting Cuba, the more Cuba’s people will find out how nice we can be, how well we are doing compared to them and how democratic government can free up resources.

That goes for other Latin-American countries too.? The more inviting we do, the less threatening we are, the more aid we can provide (without conditions), the less strident we are in our political rhetoric . . . well the more doors will open.? Works in my neighborhood, works anywhere (did someone wise like Goethe say that?).

Thanks, for not being the bully, Mr. President.? Thanks for not acting like you have to ‘lord’ it over our less fortunate nieghbors.? Thanks for extending the hand of friendship.? Thanks for not sticking your chin out and taking offense at the trivial words of leaders who don’t know any better.? Pretty soon they will all learn that they don’t have to deal with that Bush guy or his combative ‘posse’ anymore and will start to trust you.? Man, do I look forward to that day.

End the embargo, NOW!

Viva, Cuba!? Can’t wait ’til the beaches there are opened to ALL Americans!

Can the 51st state be far away?? Whoops, that’s going way to far.? Or is it?

thanks to flickr’s factor for the photo

Tags: caban embargo, cuba, fidel castro, free trade, President Obama, raul castro