by StarmanSkye » Thu Nov 10, 2005 6:04 pm
Good Gawd ...<br><br>I'm as disgusted by Bolton's dismissive, contemptuous attitude that shows absolute intolerance of even discussing the topic of Cuban trade blockade, as I am at the US White House and Congressional 'leadership' that has essentially waged such a multi-generational vicious trade-war against the people of Cuba as a kind of object-lesson 'revenge' -- which surely must show most of the world how stupid, petty, mean-spirited and vulgar US policymakers are. Someone on this board recently commented that the trade-sanction reflects spiteful organized-crime interests who resent their loss of business opportunity.<br><br>Considering the American PTB hostility to and aversion to genuine free elections (c/o an informed, engaged electorate) and authentic free trade and economic/Trade Unions, Bolton's criticism of Cuba rings absolutely false, the epitomy of Head-Up-Ass hypoicrisy.<br><br>From the article:<br>"The Bush administration said the resolution was an attempt to shift blame for Castro's shortcomings and that the General Assembly should not deal with the question. <br><br>``The United States trade embargo is a bilateral issue and should not come before the General Assembly,'' U.S. envoy Ronald Godard said. ``If the people of Cuba are jobless, hungry or lack medical care, as Castro admits, it is because of his economic mismanagement, not the embargo.'' <br><br>Godard said the U.S. would ease restrictions on trade and travel after Cuba allows ``free and fair'' elections and the formation of independent trade unions. <br><br>U.S. Exports <br><br>He said the U.S. since 1992 has licensed $1.1 billion in sales and donations of medicine and medical equipment to Cuba. In the past five years more than $5 billion in U.S. farm commodities have been exported to Cuba, he said. <br><br>Envoys from the European Union, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Malaysia, Mexico, North Korea, Russia, South Africa and Vietnam spoke against the embargo before vote. <br><br>``The European Union believes that critical engagement with the Cuban government, alongside dialogue with wider Cuban civil society, is the most effective way to promote peaceful change in Cuba,'' U.K. envoy Paul Johnston said in a speech on behalf of the European body. <br><br>``Never before, as in the past 18 months, was the blockade enforced with so much viciousness and brutality,'' Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque said. ``There has been a hysterical, unprecedented escalation in the enforcement of new and aggressive measures, including the threat to use military means against Cuba.'' <br><br>Roque said the embargo has cost Cuba $82 billion in lost income during the past 42 years. <br><br>He said Cuba would ultimately overcome the ``the helpless haughtiness of President Bush, which has taken him farther than anyone else in this madness.'' <br><br>*****<br>American *Leadership's* (what an oxymoron, eh?) hostile attitude toward Cuba, and intolerance of alternative economic/political systems, reflects an utter lack of consideration, compassion or respect for 'ordinary' working-class people, who end up suffering the most from militant and exploitive US policies as well as Trade Sanctions (as the estimated million Iraqis which died as a result of the US-enforced 11-year economic blockade there, and countless millions-more children and elders who suffered malnutrition and lack of medicines and clean-water, etc.<br><br>That a majority of the American public apparently either aren't concerned or aware of the terrible consequences of such policies is a sign of how uninformed, disengaged and/or disconnected they are from what our 'leaders' do in our name. Isn't this a symptom of serious failure? Can anyone convincingly argue that trade sanctions actually encourage or bring-about political/economic reform more in-line with ideals of social justice. I mean, that's the apparant premise, but blowhards like Bolton don't even want this to be a topic of public debate.<br><br>But perhaps, and ironically, the Cuban people seem to have developed incredibly resourceful skills, conservation ethos, and strong community networks in response to the challenge provided by the US economic blockade -- In a future of declining cheap-energy resources and increasing emphasis on localized self-reliance and sharing (and practical problem-solving), the Cuban people may be in a stronger (and healthier) position than otherwise.<br><br>Starman <p></p><i></i>
