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AGUSTIN BLAZQUEZ |
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A Victory for Tyranny
Agustin Blazquez with the collaboration of Jaums Sutton
Monday, July 29, 2002
It was a despicable vote, reminiscent of the 1980s when the U.S. House
of Representatives and Senate voted against helping the freedom fighters
of Nicaragua as they were winning the struggle against the communist,
Castro-supported Sandinistas.
On July 23, 2002, the Republican-led House voted 262 to 167 in favor of
easing the economic embargo against the Castro regime and letting
American tourists visit the island prison.
Just as it was an obstruction for freedom in Nicaragua in the '80s, this
shameful action is a victory for tyranny in Cuba – especially so close
to the annual "celebration" of July 26, the anniversary of Castro's
murderous attack on the Moncada Barracks in 1953.
This was a terrorist action inspired by Castro's idol, Hitler, and his
insane attack on the War Ministry in Munich on Nov. 9, 1924, which made
him a national figure in Germany. The technique also worked for Castro,
catapulting him to national stature in Cuba.
And now a welcome gift from the U.S. House of Representatives to Fidel.
The preposterous argument used by the pro-Castro lobby and the members
of the House and Senate, that lifting the restrictions and "allowing
American tourists to visit the island will bring freedom and democracy,"
is blatantly contradicted by the experience with China, which today is
certainly no closer to democracy and continues to repress freedom and
violate human rights, and has become extremely powerful militarily.
Nixon's plan to open China misfired because with all the American help
and business deals, instead of collapsing like the Soviet Union, China
has prospered and extended the aggressive nature and pervasive power of
communism.
Castro's Cuba practices tourist and economic apartheid. Ordinary
citizens are not allowed to intermingle with tourists, much less enter
into business or any other kind of partnerships with them. The existing
partnerships are exclusively for Castro's bogus front companies in the
hands of the military and intelligence loyalist elite.
As with tourist service providers, business deals are never with
individual private farmers or businessmen. That's not permitted. All
will be with Castro's front businesses. So the result is reinforcement
of his regime, not help for his desperate citizens.
If it was so easy to understand and take action to boycott and disinvest
in apartheid South Africa to end that abominable regime, why the
insensitivity to the Cubans' suffering and the utter lack of moral
principles necessary for dealing with a tyranny that is more abominable
than the South African apartheid regime?
The same thing can be said about American cooperation in boycotting the
regime of Raul Cedras in Haiti, a much less powerful dictator than
Castro.
But when dealing with Castro's Cuba, the many naïve and uninformed
Americans – thanks to the U.S. media and academia – want to cooperate to
keep the tyranny alive, and to hell with the insignificant and
expendable little Cubans. This double standard is not only shameful but
also a terrible indictment against our society, which no longer seems to
care about the ideals of freedom and democracy for others.
The statement of Arizona's Republican Rep. Jeff Flake is ridiculous:
"This is all about freedom." No, Mr. Flake, it is about lending a
helping hand to prolong the most hideous tyranny in the Americas.
"Our government shouldn't tell us where to travel and where not to
travel." How arrogant of Mr. Flake. Cubans are denied the right to
travel, even inside their own country. As a matter of fact, during the
past 43 dark years, some 85,876 Cubans have died trying get out of the
island prison. You want Americans to visit and have a good time,
ignoring the suffering and the surrounding tourist and economic
apartheid.
The most important goal is for Americans to have the freedom to have a
good time, even if it means trading with the devil and regardless of the
problems it causes others.
Castro's Cuba has for decades been a training ground for international
terrorists. It is recognized as a terrorist country with a long history
of anti-American policies and actions. According to a joint letter from
Secretary of State Colin Powell and Treasury Secretary Paul H. O'Neill
sent to the House prior to the vote, Castro's Cuba "has refused to
cooperate with the global coalition's efforts to combat terrorism,
refusing to provide information about [the] al Qaeda" network and
activities.
Castro's Cuba has flooded the U.S. with spies and agents to infiltrate
everything from private organizations to U.S. Air Force bases, the
Immigration and Naturalization Service and the Pentagon. Castro's Cuba
has killed at least 30 U.S. citizens.
It has been known for years through multiple sources that Cuba has been
involved in research and development of bacteriological warfare to use
against the U.S. The introduction of the West Nile virus into the U.S.
could very well have been sent from Cuba via migratory birds. Ernesto F.
Betancourt's Nov. 18, 1999, Paper, "The Encephalitis Outbreak, Hussein
and Castro: A CIA/CDC Cover-up?" presents a very convincing case.
But no matter the letters the secretaries of state and treasury and
Undersecretary of State John Bolton sent to the House describing the
threat of terrorism from Cuba and its technology to make offensive
biological weapons, those bozos in the House, blinded by their greed and
the tales of incoming gold from Castro's immorality, voted to give a
hand to Castro's sinking tyranny.
Why do we want to flood Castro with U.S. dollars to keep him afloat? Do
we want more problems and an increasing terrorist menace in America? Why
not enter into a nice business deal with Charles Manson, to help him get
out of jail?
And for the farmers that are expecting to make a lot of money in this
parade of fools, they should not hold their breaths to receive any
payments from Castro. Many European countries, and even South Africa,
are not selling to Castro because he does not pay for what he buys. He
owes billions to the rest of the world, and from 1986 he suspended all
payments of his international debt.
It will all boil down to the poor American taxpayer, who will eventually
have to pay for those sales to prevent the collapse of U.S. farmers.
With Castro we all lose.
I see this treasonous vote as clearly anti-American and against the
principles of freedom and justice. But after all, 56 members of Congress
are registered members of the Democratic Socialists of America, which is
the largest U.S. affiliate of the Socialist International. They deeply
resent the U.S., though they pretend to be patriotic and concerned
Americans.
The Founding Fathers did not intend for a failed socialist political
philosophy to be imposed upon the free people of United States.
As long as these members of the House of Representatives and Senate keep
acting without morals and principles, ignoring the suffering of people
who want to live with freedom, dignity, democracy and human rights – as
long as they vote against hope – as far as I am concerned, they do not
deserve the respect they try so hard to obtain.
© 2002 ABIP
*****
Agustin Blazquez is producer/director of the documentaries
COVERING CUBA
COVERING CUBA 2: The Next Generation
COVERING CUBA 3: Elian (upcoming)
and author with Carlos Wotzkow of the book
COVERING AND DISCOVERING
and translator with Jaums Sutton of the upcoming book
by Luis Grave de Peralta Morell,
THE MAFIA OF HAVANA: The Cuban Cosa Nostra
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Augustin Blazquez is a documentary film
producer.
For a preview and information on the
documentary and books
click here:
ABIP
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