From the President’s address today to the UN General Assembly:
“In Cuba, the long rule of a cruel dictator is nearing its end. The Cuban people are ready for their freedom. And as that nation enters a period of transition, the United Nations must insist on free speech, free assembly, and ultimately, free and competitive elections.”
Update: The speech provoked a walkout by the Cuban delegation.
Free speech, free assembly and democracy in general are great ideals to fight for. We need more of them in Cuba for sure. However, when they come from a person like George W. Bush, all the meaning is lost. This guy is such a hypocrite! He is paying tribute not to Democracy but to his loyal pals in Miami. Still, I'm grateful for his remarks because he is so discredited that what are his real intentions have little possibility to resonate. Who can trust him after these 8 years?
ReplyDeleteSince we seem to be entering a period where even Western news services are remarking at the freedom of speech and assembly on display in Cuba, and competitive elections are coming up, maybe someone can explain what Bush was trying to say here?
ReplyDeleteAnd maybe someone can also explain what is wrong with the Cuban style of elections? It can not be the fact that the President (of the Council of State) is not directly elected, as this is a very common quasi-Parlimentary system that many countries use. It can not be that the Communists control the process, as they have no role whatsoever. It can not be there is no freedom in nominating candidates and electing them, as anyone can be nominated and put on the ballot. So what is wrong? Is it the fact there are no parties calling the shots? Is it the lack of money in the system?
I am no fan of Fidel and think he is no good for Cuba. that said, Bush's remarks were uncalled for and immature, politically. Just b/c you "wish a regime away" doesn't make it true. Bush and his cronies are war-mongering hawks. They have no business lecturing Cuba about elections or free assembly. That is an internal issue to be solved by Cuba, not extranjeros - que ridiculo!
ReplyDeleteOn another note, the war drums were thumping louder and louder from the neo-cons this week. The thinking class needs to be viligant in informing the mass that invasion and military actin are NOT acceptable in Cuba or IRAN. Just b/c we don't like someone, we don't have to "liberate"
May peace and cooler heads prevail.
Please explain this:
ReplyDeleteThose over there at babalu are saying the Cubans are basically babies and cowards for walking out when being offended
Uncommon sense writes:
"And as the Cuban delegation to the United Nations again demonstrated today, as President Bush spoke the words above, the dictatorship in Havana is a band of cowards, too.
... so when Bush speaks an undisputable truth about the regime, its flunkies have nothing to say, except for a few insults, and nothing to do, except to give up the fight, so they pack up their gear and walk out like a bunch of crybabies."
Then we hear that US walks out on IRAN speech.
An advocate of the US walkout claims, "...[no]diplomatic convention requires a country to sit still for personal diatribes against its chief of state..."
So, when Cuban walk out they are "cowards" but when US walks out they are "moral" and principled???
How hypocritical? Can't these people (babalu) see anything outside of their own personal biases/prejudicies?
And they want to be the ones to bring democracy to Cuba? ha!>
What say you?
who in Havana gave the order to felipe to walk out?
ReplyDeleteany guess
There are many of us who would like to ask the Babalu crowd a lot of things, but we are banned from posting. They can not see hypocrisy when it is staring them in the face. That may be their worst vice.
ReplyDeleteAhmadinejad should have walked out on the Colombia U. President's BS.
This is ridiculous. I guess everybody here is the opinion that Bush is the problem, not the regime in Cuba. Sharming! This people are driven by they hatred towards Bush. Cuba? Fine thank you.
ReplyDelete