Al Neuharth: Why is China OK, but Cuba 'enemy'?

USA Today ^ | February 22, 2002 | Al Neuharth, USA Today founder

[Cincinatus' Wife]

In Beijing, Bush called China our ''partner.'' Cuba officially is our ''enemy.'' Why?

Because a small number of powerful exiles in South Florida cow our politicians into keeping the crazy Cuban policy. That was designed to castrate Fidel Castro and has failed for more than 40 years.

[avenir]

Like a roaring lion or a charging bear

is a wicked man ruling over a helpless people—Proverbs 28:15

[Congressman Billybob]

Another thread on murderous thugs, and there you are on the side of the thugs. You may be alergic to facts and generally obnoxious, but I'll give you one thing. You're consistent. When there's a leftwing murderer to defend, you're Johnny-on-the-spot.

Billybob

[scan58]

bumping you now and me for later

[1rudeboy]

Good comparison.. Perhaps you should look at the atrocities in China before making it however.

I have. And I do every time before I make a purchase, be it tooth-picks or computers.
Neuharth dances around the answer to his own question in the title, and no one has picked up the answer in this thread.

The reason why China is "OK," but Cuba is the "'enemy'" (interesting, I just noticed that he puts "enemy" in quotation marks, as if that is someone else's word," but "OK" is not in quotation marks, as if he approves of that term) is because China has more clout. It's as simple as that . . . and hardly a reason to lift the embargo on Cuba. Neuharth was so intent on establishing "equivalency" (typical liberal misdirection) because he wants you to disregard the strongest counter-argument to his position.

[Congressman Billybob]

You've outdone yourself in stupidity -- a stunning achievement -- to say the Constitution gives no power to Congress to regulate, tax or prohibit any form of international trade. Congress is given power over "interstate commerce." That phrase does appear even in your leftwing version of the Constitution, does it not?

Trade with Cuba from the United States would have to cross a state line, now wouldn't it?

I submit to the world that Demidog is either illiterate or a moron. Maybe both, but certainly one or the other.

Billybob

[1rudeboy]

When I said ". . . no one has picked up the answer in this thread," I should have said "Until #59, no one had picked up the answer in this thread."

[Jhoffa_]

I don't know this Neuharth and I can't speak about him.

I just think he's right about this.

The reason why China is "OK," but Cuba is the "'enemy'" .. is because China has more clout. It's as simple as that . . .

Agreed.

And I have a problem with that.

..and hardly a reason to lift the embargo on Cuba.

I dissagree. If Cuba is so horrible and we are going to have an embargo on them till they can afford (in cash, resources, labor or whatever) to buy our foreign policy like China has then it's completely inconsistant.

It makes no sense and further it's an shamefull that we would allow ourselves to be bought in the first place.

Who is FEDGOV to tell me where I can travel and where I can't based on their definition of "good commie/bad commie"

Who are they to tell me I can't invest till the country in question cough's up some green to buy them off? And how in the world can we shake a finger at Castro and turn a blind eye to China?

It's insulting and hypocritical. It's embarrassing that we can be bought and paid for like some kind of third world nation, and then have the nerve to turn and claim the moral high ground.

That's your moral equivelancy argument right there.

[Demidog]

We have taken advantage of some of the programs you've put into place, such as the SBA disaster loan plan. We've been monitoring that, and found out that the application is bogged down in the bureaucracy of the system. What can you do to help us, as small business, speed that process, as our window is closing rapidly on us? Thank you for your answer.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, first get your card, and find out why your case is bogged down in bureaucracy. I can't stand bureaucracy. (Applause.) I appreciate the hardworking people who work for the federal government. I appreciate people who care enough to work for the government to make people's -- to do their job. I like that. But what I don't like is systems that get so cumbersome that those who are trying to help you don't get the product out.

I put a good man as the head of the SBA, and I believe that he's doing everything he can to make sure that applications don't get stuck in a system; that hardworking federal employees are able to match their desires to help you with the ability to do so.

Please provide me with your cite for the claim that the Bush administration is cutting down on government handouts to businesses.

[Demidog]

You've outdone yourself in stupidity -- a stunning achievement -- to say the Constitution gives no power to Congress to regulate, tax or prohibit any form of international trade.

I didn't say that. Hope that helps. And even the most dense of people in our government understand that interstate means trade between the states.

[Demidog]

Another thread on murderous thugs, and there you are on the side of the thugs.

You're lying. Hope that helps.

[1rudeboy]

I don't see foreign policy as an "all or nothing" game (but it is a game). Arguments about equivalency do lead to charges of hypocrisy. The Cold War was a perfect example. We attempted to influence the Soviet Union, while never recognizing its annexation of the "captive nations." We engaged in trade, signed treaties, exchanged scholars and athletes, etc., all because the Soviet Union had clout.

Cuba is, in effect, a captive nation. In terms of clout, it is a piss-ant. The notion that the US should not attempt to influence Cuba because of the US' relationship with China is what I find "insulting."

[Jhoffa_]

Well, I have a problem with high toned retoric and finger waggling when we are by definition supporting terrorists and atrocities ourselves (via China) and caling it okay.

I guess we will have to dissagree on this one Rudeboy.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Did I miss anything?

That covered a lot!

[Demidog]

I don't see foreign policy as an "all or nothing" game (but it is a game).

You're right. It's a game in which certain elite members of our government (and society) play with human lives as if they were chess pieces on a game board and discard any charges that they are responsible for the deaths of their "game pieces" by claiming they were doing it for some "higher good" when in fact they are simply tyrants who have no regard for human life.

[Demidog]

And in answer to the question he poses in his article, China has 1.3 billion people, a large army, and neuclear weapons. Cuba does not. We suck up to China (wrongfully) because of that. We don't suck up to Cuba because it is just as totalitarian as China, just as vicious, but is a gnat on the international stage.

So then you agree with the main premise of this article that the two policies are inconsistent even if you think the consistency should be the other way.

[1rudeboy]

You are forbidden to disagree with me. I have placed an anti-disagreement embargo upon you.
Wait, you've been here since 1999. You have clout. I'm confused.

[Demidog]

Find that reference to the Bush administration cutting subsidies of businesses yet?

[Cincinatus' Wife]

It is important to learn that other countries are able to trade with Castro and then to take the next step and wonder why then are Cubans so poor. Why is it that a country with (we're told) an educated population, living on a large fertile carribean island, can't prosper. That should be the question. The answer is, because of communism. How would our trading with Castro change, what Castro's ability to trade with the rest of the world hasn't?

[Jhoffa_]

You are forbidden to disagree with me. I have placed an anti-disagreement embargo upon you.

No sweat..

First, reclassify the "dissagreement" as "technology" and transfer control from the "Energy & Dissagreement" Department to the "Commerce & Technology" Department..

Then say it has to do with space and stuff (use big words, pause allot and develop a wistfull look) and export it to me.

:)

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Find that reference to the Bush administration cutting subsidies of businesses yet?

What is the Post #? I just got back on the site.