Who is isolating whom?

Sunday’s Miami Herald provides a good roundup of Cuba’s foreign relations in the ten months since Fidel Castro left public view.

For the United States and its goal of isolating Cuba diplomatically, the picture is not much different than it was during the 47 years during which Fidel Castro was in public view: Washington is isolated while others engage. Only now, the difference is that other countries, including our closest allies, are engaging with the purpose of gaining influence among Castro’s successors.

If this were any country but Cuba, President Bush – who backed Vietnam’s accession to the WTO, visited Hanoi, and promotes close relations between the Pentagon and the Chinese military – would be right at their side.