National Review, off the reservation (Updated)

There’s a stir going on because of a comment in the group blog of the conservative magazine National Review, where Mark Krikorian said that “continuity in Cuba’s government, along the lines of Vietnam or China, is probably the least-bad outcome for the United States.” Ouch. A provocative (and debatable) view based on a specific (and debatable) concern about use of Cuban territory for drug trafficking.

Penultimos Dias ran a strong letter to the magazine’s editor, Rich Lowry. Lord knows what Lowry thinks about “continuity,” but his view on Cuba policy, expressed four years ago, is as follows: “I think the Cuba policy is an anachronism, and I don’t support the embargo. I think, if it would have been lifted a long time ago, Cuba would be, you know, an American resort town, more or less, probably.” Ouch again.

Update: It gets worse: Mark Falcoff weighs in there today playing footsie with the idea of normalized relations with Cuba, citing Reagan envoy Gen. Vernon Walters: “If we had full diplomatic relations with Castro, he would be no more important politically than the president of the Dominican Republic.”