Castro Strikes Back

[livius drusus]

I missed this when it happens, but apparently Bush talked some smack in a recent speech to Florida law enforcement types about Cuba encouraging prostitution and sex tourism. Castro was not amused. (http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5526645/) Given that Bush's source seems to have been an online version of a Dartmouth undergraduate's paper, I can see why Castro might be a tad put out.

From the article:

On Monday Castro demanded evidence for the attacks on his country. Castro questioned, “How it is possible that such unspeakable, foul slander is hurled against Cuba?”

The answer, said Castro, comes from inside the mind of the president —the subtitle to a book by psychoanalyst Dr. Justin Frank, called “Bush on the Couch.”

Castro quoted Frank, who delves into Bush’s professed bout with alcoholism and argues that his history of untreated alcohol abuse could impair his judgment.

Bush, charged Castro, could be having a difficult time “distinguishing between relevant and inconsequential information.”

I haven't heard of this book and I suspect it's comprised of little more than groundless speculation, but I must say I find Castro's use of it to rebut Bush's creative quoting quite poetically just.

[Dlanod]

Castro overthrew a corrupt dictatorial government and his initial agrarian reforms affected US corporate interests. The new Cuban government expropriated lands owned by foreign companies and offered to pay for them with high paying 20 year bonds. Most companies worldwide accepted this offer. The US corporations felt they weren't being fairly compensated even though the values for their properties were the same ones they used to determine property taxes. Embargoes were imposed and idiocy has evolved and expanded on both sides ever since.

Our embargoes of Cuba have been SO effective over the last 45 years! Free movement of Americans to and from Cuba would do more to de-stabilize Castro's regime than anything that has been tried to date.

- Donald

reference: The History of Cuba (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Cuba)

[livius drusus]

Our embargoes of Cuba have been SO effective over the last 45 years! Free movement of Americans to and from Cuba would do more to de-stabilize Castro's regime than anything that has been tried to date.

Agreed, and the latest travel restrictions on Cuban Americans are even more counterproductive and nonsensical than the traditional embargo.

reference: The History of Cuba (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Cuba)

Very interesting summary. Thank you for posting it.

[livius drusus]

The administration refuses to retract (http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=1E3DD4F0-C8A6-42A4-A4E354BC8AFCC320) the allegations, although for some odd reason, I don't see them mentioning that Dartmouth guy's paper in their statement.

[Farren]

Cuba continues to be one of Africa's main sources of medical expertise in the worst-hit AIDS infected regions in the world. Thanks Fidel, or whoever the fuck is responsible.

[Dingfod]

All they've got is a college paper a dozen years old? And they keep sticking with that? Castro is right, Cuba is going to be invaded next. Why in the world would we attack Iran, a country three times larger with a population three times larger than Iraq, a country we seem to be having a bit of a hard time controlling, when there's easy pickings 70 miles from Florida?


Warren

[Dlanod]

Cuba continues to be one of Africa's main sources of medical expertise in the worst-hit AIDS infected regions in the world. Thanks Fidel, or whoever the fuck is responsible.

I'm not sure I understand what you are suggesting. Is it that Cuba is responsible for the AIDS epidemic in Africa? Or that Cuba is providing faulty or inadequate information on how to deal with the crisis? I would appreciate some elaboration and perhaps some citations from you.

A quick web search shows that Cuba has one of the lowest infection rates in the world and was one of the first countries to take AIDS seriously as a problem. They have done this without access to 50% of the world's new medicines (due to the US blockade) and have acheived tremendous increases in life expectancy for people infected with this virus. They are providing anti-viral drugs at cost and free medical expertise to the poorest countries and those with the highest incidence of infection.

Castro may have some awful human rights abuses on his record, but I don't believe his country's attitude towards HIV/AIDS should be included.

References:
Cuba: Is It a Model in HIV-AIDS Battle? (http://www.globalpolicy.org/socecon/develop/aids/2003/12cuba.htm)
Lage’s Speech on AIDS to UN General Assembly (http://www.iacenter.org/cuba_aids.htm)

- Donald

[Dingfod]

I think farren was actually thanking Fidel, or Cubans that were responsible for helping. I don't think anyone thinks the source of AIDS in Africa was Cuba. The US, maybe, but Cuba? ¡No!


Warren

[Dlanod]

I think farren was actually thanking Fidel, or Cubans that were responsible for helping. I don't think anyone thinks the source of AIDS in Africa was Cuba. The US, maybe, but Cuba? ¡No!


I always did have a hard time figuring out the nigh-on-to-infinite different contextual uses of the word fuck. It gets my vote for the most over-used and most useless word in the English language.

- Donald

[Dingfod]

Fuck is meaningless and overused? WTF, I mean... what the fuck? Fuck, fuck sure as fuck isn't fucking being fucking overused except by fucking idiots like me. And, by that fucking Alec fucking Baldwin in that fucking movie, The Cooler. In it, that fucking obnoxious fuck is just fucking over the fucking top, the fucker. Don't ever fucking tell me the fucking word fuck is fucking overused. See what you fucking started now?

Kind of loses it's shock value after a while, doesn't it?

Actually, I can see how you might have interpreted farren's remark as you did, but I was looking at the overall context of his post and just didn't agree. However, I might be wrong, Cuba was on the other side of a conflict involving troops from South Africa in Angola. But, I doubt that colors farren's view of Cuban doctors' contribution to fighting AIDS in Africa. Unless I am wrong. Then I'll be wrong.


Warren

[Clutch Munny]

Given that Bush's source seems to have been an online version of a Dartmouth undergraduate's paper, I can see why Castro might be a tad put out.


Maura Reynolds, LA Times, quotes the author of the undergrad essay, now 24. He points out that (i) this was not a quote from Castro and (ii) the quote from Castro of which it is a corruption is in fact a very clear expression of Castro's intolerance of prostitution and human trafficking.

Two main points: not a quote; opposition to prostitution.

On Monday... [a] White House spokeswoman defended the inclusion, arguing that it expressed an essential truth about Cuba. "The president's point in citing Castro's quote was to highlight Castro's morally corrupt attitude to human trafficking," spokeswoman Claire Buchan said.

Ah, bringing dignity back to the White House...

[livius drusus]

Maura Reynolds, LA Times, quotes the author of the undergrad essay, now 24. He points out that (i) this was not a quote from Castro and (ii) the quote from Castro of which it is a corruption is in fact a very clear expression of Castro's intolerance of prostitution and human trafficking.

Indeed. I read the author is mighty pissed about having been misquoted and torn out of context to such an absurd degree.

Ah, bringing dignity back to the White House...

Butter would not melt in their collective mouth. Shameless; the Bush administration is utterly shameless.