Local (Hollywood) “progressives” who had to ignore their hero Fidel Castro’s jailing gays as some kind of “minor cultural flaw” will now have to do some “green” rationalizing. The Caudillo is apparently going to be drilling for oil someplace even George Bush is forbidden to go – forty-five miles off the Florida coast. Fausta has a roundup. Gentlemen, start your Priuses.
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Never mind that the old tyrant hasn’t faced a contested election in over 45 years.
(cue liberal whining) “But they have a high literacy rate!”
You completely underestimate the rationalization capabilities of the Castro defenders. In this case, their strategy is obvious: “The wicked Bush administration and it’s predecessors have impoverished the Cuban people with an evil embargo and left them no other choice. They *have* to drill for oil in the ocean.”
For the record, I think the embargo is counter-productive. I think we ought be building for the day when the Castro brothers shuffle off the stage. The more the Cubans see the rest of the world and get economic ties to it, the less likely they are to allow another brutal replacement of Castro.
But if it were not for the embargo, the leftists would come up with something, anything, to allow them to stick to their delusions. If they ever looked in the mirror one day and considered the clear fact that they’ve been wrong about the effects of socialism and communism their whole lives, they would experience a psychological meltdown of Horowitzian dimensions. And very few of them are strong enough to get through that.
Roger:
“It’s a Latin thing.” Yes, those silly Latins, they don’t want freedom, they want their big daddy to take charge and tell them everything to do and how to do it. They don’t want the right to vote, to assembly, to freedom of religion, the right to leave the country, the right to make films critical of their government, they just want to be fed, given a house, and free meds. Those gentle latins don’t want any of the intellectual freedoms that Stone makes his living and riches from, they just want Big Pappi to treat them like well fed farm animals and they don’t want to be bothered with all that freedom of thought and action stuff. What a racist Stone is. His words are almost the same as the most radical supporters of the Imperialists he derides. Those Africans don’t want freedom, they just want a father figure(dictator) to take care of them.
Stone should remember that Stalin was hailed as the great father. Yeah, it’s a Russian thing, they want that big paternal figure to rule them. Individual freedom is just an anglo thing. The rest of the world is just to stupid to handle the rights and freedoms that Stone enjoys. Why strain their little minds with these complicated things. Three hots and a cot, thats all they want.
All governments suck, but Castro’s is just all teeth and no rhythm.
Roger,
I am appalled at your insensitivity!
Drilling for oil can only be evil if Texans are somehow behind it.
Smiling fish and sea turtles will thrive in the vicinity of these Cuban/ Venezuelan rigs.
Happy Cuban children will be well fed, and Fidel will live for thousand years!
Viva la Revolucion!
Ché good; Bush bad!
Jamie Irons
Sorry. My attempt to use the HTML for the e with acute accent in “Che” produced a monstrosity.
Kind of like Guevara himself.
“Doctor” Guevara.
Jamie Irons
Jamie:
You are right. The fish in American waters don’t die because of chemicals, they voluntarily kill themselves to protest the capitalist running dog system of oppression and profit. They are the glorius vanguard of the water worlds that will shame all profit war mongers into abandoning their repressive raping of the land and will lead them to the glories of a marxist world. Only then will they give up their hunger strike and show the world that Communist oil drilling is good for the oceans because of their correct dialectic thinking.
Work on reducing our dependence on oil. Than Venezauala’s investment as well as Cuba’s, would be a waste. We are not the only ones that use oil, but if we did’nt import, the price would not be $65.00 plus.
Plainslow: I’m not familiar with your screen name and I’ve made this mistake before so I’ll attempt to clarify before responding:
Are you mocking liberal thought processes, or are you introducing yourself as someone whose thought processes deserve to be mocked?
Tim, I agree with Plainslow in that we must reduce dependence on foreign oil, and would like to see aggressive measures towards that, including offshore drilling and/or Alaskan drilling, plus long-range measures into other energy alternatives.
While the price of oil might not be reduced at least a reduction of the amount of money paying for terrorism would be worthwhile.
ìFor the record, I think the embargo is counter-productive.î
Agreed. I am all for Fidel Castro drilling for oil. Moreover, I hope that he is successful! It is my staunch belief that a higher standard of living for the Cuban people will more rapidly bring about the end of Communist rule. We also indirectly benefit if Cuba puts more oil onto the worldís markets. This will inevitably lower our own gas bills.
Don’t forget the health care.
And the beaches.
—
I told my hubby that I will be gambling in Cuba before I die.
Who would have thought? It’ll be interesting the effect on southern FL when he dies. Will Hugo step in to maintain control?
On a note of more concern, it seems Hugo’s rattling sabers at the Dutch Antilles. Regional hegemony, big, bad US, etc.
We also indirectly benefit if Cuba puts more oil onto the worldís markets
Possibly, assuming that Hugo’s not the one getting the money. The articles I linked to in my post indicates that Cuban oil production would be under Venezuelan control.
On a note of more concern, it seems Hugo’s rattling sabers at the Dutch Antilles. Regional hegemony, big, bad US, etc
Possibly also a way to test EU resolve.
Fausta: I also agree that we should try to reduce our use of oil (the phrase “reduce our dependence on foreign oil” exposes ignorance of the function of markets in the person using the phrase); however, that’s not the point of this thread or of Plainslow.
Roger:
The way Stone accepts the imprisonment of the Cuban people, the complete lack of artistic freedom in Cuba ia stunning. He ignores the proven restriction of Human Rights and goes out of his way to rationalize everything Castro did. He says that President Bush would kill hijackers so castro isn’t so bad. He ignores the fact that if someone wants to leave America they can just go to the nearest airport or greyhound station and leave.If any U.S. citizen wants to leave they don’t have to hijack a plane or risk their lives on a homemade raft. They don’t have to worry about their families being put in prison or harrased by the state police if they decide to leave.They can even take whatever they have with them. Cuba is a prison where the citizens can’t leave unless the Castro says si and Stone tries to make equivelency arguments as if their is no difference. Stone lives in the pretend world where he ignores the complete lack of freedom in Cuba and praises this dictator and makes excuses for him. “It doesn’t feel like a Stalinist state.” No elections, no freedom of expression, no freedom of assembly, atttack Castro in print and you go to jail and your paper gets shut down.You have to risk your life to escape. Textbook example of a cult of personality government. How close to have to get? Stone and his compatriots struggle to find examples in America of the “chill winds of censorship” and then ignores the hurricane of political repression in Cuba. What a joke. And how sad that so many Americans swallow his agit-prop. A argument for the end of the embargo against Cuba can be made without making Castro into a saint. Stone enables Castro to continue his repression of the people of Cuba by lying for Castro. The next brave soul that goes to prison for telling the truth about Castro can thank Stone for being Fidel’s PR flak in the west so Castro can continue his actions.
Tim
Never looked at it that way. The name references my computer abilities.(and spelling)
But since Jimmy Carter was president, I’ve felt we need to figure a way to end our dependence. Had we done much more towards that end, we would’nt be paying the worlds most dangerous nation $65.00 or so a barrel, giving them enough money to aid our enimies, and gain nuclear technology.
65$/bbl oil will do that, Plainslow. When the cost of getting oil out of the Alberta tar sands is $25/bbl but the cost of pumping oil in Saudi Arabia is $1/bbl, the Saudis always had the capability to force others out of the market. Until they couldn’t meet worldwide demand. Now the other producers can get in and make a profit which will drive prices down.
Until we drill in ANWR and off the coast of Florida, we’re just not serious about this. There is no need to legislate mileage standards for cars/trucks/SUVs. People see expensive gas and make their decisions accordingly. Some people need to carry large things frequently and need a big vehicle. Why should some bureacrat in Washington decide he can’t have one? I drive a Honda Civic because I have to spend my money on something else (taxes, kid’s education, house, retirement savings.)
The best thing the government could do would be to kill off the botique gas blends and get out of the way. Everything they touch is screwed up. Example #1, education. What nation do you suppose spends the most, per capita on education and finishes consistently near the bottom in Math and Science? Case closed.
MarkD,
Well said.
Instead of legislation about what things we can’t freely do, the government could provide incentives for people to follow a particular path. I think the tax breaks for hybird/green vehicles makes a good example. If Bush is serious about dumping oil, all he has to do is promise the first American car company that produces alternative fuel cars for the masses a 50% tax break for 10 years.
We’d all be driving Bio-Diesel in 2 years.
How dare Oliver Stone take part in a show trial. He was playing with the lives of those people and not only didn’t he care, he actually enjoyed it. After all it is not every day that one gets to play Supreme Ruler. It appears that there is no level to which a person like Stone would not stoop to show his support for the Leftist dictators of this world. If there were justice in this world he would end up being tried by the very same prisoners he so cavalierly abused by acting as a stooge for Castro.
Richard:
As much as Stone and some of his like minded friends on the left preach about loving freedom and individual liberty their love of Castro betrays their actual feelings on these subjects. They are comfortable with dictators as long as they are leftist. Stone would have no problem setting up the same system here in the United States as long as his buddies were in control. Stone would love to be in total control of the arts in America. His ego would allow him to crush oppossing ideas because his contempt for the foolish public is so complete that he would be able to justify artistic repression because he would know that these silly common folk are not smart enough to make their own choices. There is a reason why so many on the left were willing to support Stalin and his repression. Because they hate those people that they feel superior to and the leftist crown of power fits them to a tee.
When the pig dies who knows what will happen?
I say there is a better than even chance that there will communists hanging from every tree on the island. One has no idea of the hatred against the regime there really is.
Cuba has relations with the rest of the world. The embargo is meaningless insofar as purchasing goods.
It’s the lack of free spending Yankee tourist that is hurting Fidel. Hates America but loves the Yankee dollar. Ask any local merchant in the Caribbean if they want any tourists other than Americans in their stores. Unless it’s a duty free store the answer is almost always no. Europeans are notoriously cheap and waste their time. Only American tourists spend besides the locals.
Here is a simple cynical solution to Castro’s dollar problems and our illegal alien and criminal problem.
Pay him to take them off our backs. 2 grand per illegal per year, 5 grand per gang member per year and 10 grand per convicted felon per year. One thing Castro can do well is run a prison. While it lasts it’s a win-win. He gets the Yankee dollar without the Yankees and we solve our problems by outsourcing to the lower cost jailer and welfare provider. Castro is the hero of the left and a hero to the Latin American populace. Hell with all that cash flow he might be a sport and let the Cuban people eat. Just a thought.
CubanBob,
I’m a secure the borders advocate, but you can’t be serious about sending illegals to Communist Cuba. That’s like the death penalty for shoplifting. Some punishment is merited, but Cuba…
I do wonder what sort of knots the liberal media would twist themselves into. On the one hand, the US is being inhumane, deporting the poor illegals. On the other hand, Cuba is an island paradise, with great medical care. Those are some editorials I’d love to read!