Good morning Karen,
Yes, interesting how a crazy event such as Elian's saga has brought the embargo to a greater awareness of the American people. Perhaps, they will now think that ordinary Cubans (not El tio Fidel), are really not that bad.
Common sense and the "win-win attitude" may in the end bring the embargo down, as shown in this comment:
The change is typified by Democratic Rep. Charles Stenholm of Texas, the ranking minority member of the Agriculture Committee and a well-known House conservative. After leading a delegation of his state's farmers to Cuba in April, he declared that restrictions on agricultural sales don't affect Castro.
``We're hurting the Cuban people and American producers,'' he contended.
Yet... the radicals insist...
Opponents, led by the Cuban American National Foundation, warn that approval would bolster Castro's government and eventually lead to the end of the embargo.
Moreover, Emilio Vazquez, deputy director of the foundation's Washington office, insisted that Castro would use U.S. food imports as a ``weapon against his own people,'' by withholding food from those who don't support him.
Sounds like the Knight in the Monty Python movie to me, with all 4 limbs cut-off yelling to his enemy... "Come back you coward and fight !" [with what ? you moron]
Ah ! but the tide is changing...
But the campaign to end restrictions, which has been vulnerable to such arguments in the past, is bolstered by a variety of factors, including the unusual convergence of interests between conservative farm organizations and farm-state lawmakers, on the one hand, and the traditional anti-embargo lobby.
Strange allies in this event taking shape...
Moreover, the staunchest defenders of the long-standing U.S. embargo against Cuba have been battered by their fight over Elian Gonzalez, which has elicited little support among both the general public and Capitol Hill lawmakers.
The anti-sanctions campaign, which has been promoted by U.S. agribusinesses that hope for new, profitable markets in Cuba and other nations, scored a major victory last week when House Whip Tom DeLay, R-Texas, was unable to persuade fellow Republicans to strip the legislation from the House farm bill.
Thank you Mr leader of the radicals, a job well done !!
Yes, times have changed....
Rep. George Nethercutt, R-Wash., the House sponsor of the food and medicine proposal, adopted the same restrictions in the belief this would speed the legislation through the House.
``We wanted to have a bill . . . and a bill that could pass,'' he said.
Nethercutt said there is momentum behind his bill because ``there's a new reflection on the validity of sanctions as an effective foreign policy tool.''
In addition, the Republican said, in post-Cold War America, attitudes about Cuba are changing.
``People are thinking more about American interests rather than what's bad for Castro,'' Nethercutt said.
DUH ! [about time !!!]
A positive outcome after all, from this sad and stupid saga ??
Thatcher of the American Farm Bureau said the farmers' campaign may have also been helped by the media's intense focus on the bitter custody fight over Elian Gonzalez, which brought attention to economic hardships suffered by Cuban people.
``A lot of people have now seen what Cuba looks like,'' she said.
Maybe, "with a little help of our friends", the radicals
Nevertheless, Diaz-Balart and other advocates of a hard line toward Cuba have vowed to continue to fight any move toward easing the embargo.
DeLay and Diaz-Balart hope to block the measure in the House Rules Committee, which controls the flow of bills that go to the House floor.
``We don't think the fight is over,'' Steve Vermillion, an aide to Diaz-Balart, said. ``This is a choice between providing help to terrorist governments or not. . . . This is about dismantling the embargo unilaterally, without any concessions from Castro.''
In other words... screw the American best interest and just oppose by all means possible, including going against common sense...
Well, once again, issues like these really bring out the true colors of the radicals... as rational as the Ayahtolas of the absurd that they seem to be.
hmmm just in time for the elections... It will be interesting how the "balance of power" will shift this time around. Just like a pendulum... Whose turn is it this time ?
Full text: (of the article you brought to my attention.)
herald.com |
