A Washington Post editorial calls it “coddling Cuba” and asks, “why do the members of Congress rushing to befriend the Castros ignore the island’s pro-democracy movement?”:
Half a dozen members of the Congressional Black Caucus spent hours huddling with Fidel and Raúl Castro in Havana this week as part of a swelling campaign to normalize relations with Cuba. “It is time to open dialogue and discussion,” Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) told a news conference in Washington after their return. “Cubans do want dialogue. They do want talks.” Funny, then, that in five days on the island the Congress members found no time for dialogue with Afro-Cuban dissident Jorge Luis García Pérez.
This is quintessential hypocrisy. These Democrats, who belong to a segregated, for-blacks-only Congressional club (your tax dollars pay for it), played toady to the Castro family – what the Economist calls Cuba’s “white gerontocracy” – while ignoring the serious plight of Cuba’s black population.
This is not only hypocritical, it’s downright immoral. These caucus members are part of the shrill Black Grievance Chorus that sings so incessantly in the public square. They are all about entitlements, growing governments with minority set-asides, affirmative action, and the usual sleazy tactics that have come to represent their adversarial approach to American culture.
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Yet they have the gall to play kissy-face with the infamous Castros, leaders of the most segregated country in this hemisphere. Cuba’s population is majority black and yet they are systematically excluded from the top levels of Cuba’s culture. The Castros are race snobs and always have been. Though that is the least of their sins – yes, there are worse things than racism – it is nonetheless a deeply disgusting crime against Cuba’s black people.
The US Congressional Black Caucus has just proved again its mendacity and foundational opportunism with this stunt of visiting Cuba and sucking up to the white Castros while ignoring the terrible condition blacks suffer in that miserable hell hole of a country.
The editorial goes on to explain the struggle of one Cuban black civil rights activist:
Mr. García, better known as “Antúnez,” is a renowned advocate of human rights who has often been singled out for harsh treatment because of his color. “The authorities in my country,” he has said, “have never tolerated that a black person [could dare to] oppose the regime.” His wife, Iris, is a founder of the Rosa Parks Women’s Civil Rights Movement, named after an American hero whom Afro-Cubans try to emulate. The couple have been on a hunger strike since Feb. 17, to demand justice for an imprisoned family member. They are part of a substantial and steadily growing civil movement advocating democratic change in Cuba — one that U.S. advocates of detente with the Castros appear determined to ignore.
This Congressional group is a blot on our nation. They segregate, they play the race card, and some of them have the worst reputations for dishing out pork and helping themselves to the national treasury. Charlie Rangel is a prime example of sleazy, unethical behavior. If he were a white Republican, he’d have long ago been booted out of Congress:
On September 24, 2008, the House Ethics Committee announced an investigation into Rangel’s alleged failure to report rental income or pay taxes on a beach rental property in the Dominican Republic, allegedly living in multiple rent-subsidized apartments in New York City while claiming his Washington, DC home as his primary residence for tax purposes, alleged use of congressional stationery to solicit donors for a public policy institute in his name at City College, and other alleged questionable activities.
But Charlie Rangel is powerful. He’s the chair of the Congressional Ways and Means Committee and he’s not going to be leaving that seat any time soon. Being black and Democrat in Congress means never having to say you’re sorry, not even when they catch you with $100,000.00 in bribes stashed in your home freezer.
Not every African American elected to Congress has joined the Caucus, but decliners are rare. J. C. Watts told them “no thanks” and so he was automatically an Uncle Tom. But then J.C. was a conservative Republican so he wouldn’t have fit in, anyway. He retired from Congress after several terms – I think Washington burned him out, not to mention the aimless drift of the Republican Party. Look for him to resurrect in Oklahoma when he takes a run at the governor’s race next time around.
The Congressional Black Caucus is morally repulsive. It ought to be disbanded on Constitutional grounds, but don’t hold your breath. Come to think of it, no wonder they gushed over the Castro brothers. They recognized them as kindred souls.
As for the Afro Cubans who wilt under the Regime? Well, too bad for them: the Black Caucus only takes on what it can use to its advantage.
So if they think a unilateral move to relax the restrictions on Cuba will serve their purposes – and they must, or they wouldn’t have made this gushing publicity tour – the Black Caucus must have figured out some advantage for themselves.
They sure didn’t serve Obama’s interests as he goes to the Fifth Summit of the Americas next week:
The congressional pressure, and that by leftist Latin American presidents who have been streaming to Cuba in recent months, is very likely to undermine President Obama, who has promised that “liberty” would be at the center of his Cuba policy. Mr. Obama is expected to announce a relaxation on travel and gifts to family members by Cuban Americans before next week’s Summit of the Americas, and he has said he is open to dialogue with the regime. But he has also said that the lifting of what remains of the U.S. trade embargo should be linked to steps by Cuba toward democratic change.
It sure makes you wonder what motivated the Black Caucus’ bowing and scraping to the Castros. Is Obama facing a House rebellion by the brothers and sisters?
Hat tip: Fausta’s Blog
A lot of people are swallowing the idea this is a Congressional Black Caucus agenda item.
You are taking the bait. All the members on the trip are from the Congressional Progressive Caucus and this is their baby.
Mike Honda sure isn’t a member of the CBC for example.
They are just using the name of the CBC for political cover to keep their Toga clean.
Also anyone aware of Cuba would know that Blacks are treated as second class comrades there.
The left hand is trying to keep you from watching what the right hand is doing.
Interesting. Czech Republic focused on helping dissidents in Cuba and Bielorussia, but I have never heard of blacks as a disadvantaged group.
Cuba might be compared to Iran as well. Those enthusiasts overthrowing Reza Pahlavi or Batista had no idea what regime would come next.
Eating grass and fighting US is their raison d´etre. Creating and feeding a priviliged class as well.
A Spanish historian claimed that Castro is a combination of Franco and communism.
The body guards of Chavez are from Cuba. Cubanese were also hated in Africa – the only black soldier resource for USSR “camp of peace”.
Castros private property – the whole island – was sold as a communist project to the Western audience.
Off Topic:
The roof! The roof! The roof is on fire!!!
The rood!?? Not the roof, the fricking poorest country in Europe!!
MOLDOVA IS ON FIRE. Please, REPORT ON IT GOV!
It apeares the youth has *finally* revolted against the local post Soviet bad man (this was one really bad man) in a just-like rose revolution.
This time, the US interests had little to do with that and it has already a name: The Twitter Revolution because the young use twitter to comunicate. This is a revolution we all should support:
1st) Kick a “Sovietic Socialist” leader out of an Eastern European land.
2nd) Incorporate Moldova into Romania (yeah I know, E.U….)
3rd) End the war and incorporate Transnistria into (?) the Russ (East Slavic World).
Russia and Romania are playing their moves to bring down that failed multicultural Sovietic State that Moldova is. The E.U. and the ONU as well as the OCDE are siding with the Communists. How amazing. Report on that that I am eager to know more, and discuss it with clever people…
If you go to the Web site of the Black Caucus and click on “Member Info,” it becomes evident that this group is something of a paper bag party — a term St. Petersburg Times columnist Bill Maxwell explains here.
Cubans are racist? R-E-A-L-L-Y!??
Castro!?? Come on!
“Cuba’s population is majority black and yet they are systematically excluded from the top levels of Cuba’s culture.”
Cubans say Cuba is 65% white, I can’t contest that number.
But, blacks are “excluded” from top levels of Cuban Culture!??? Here and in Spain, that is definetly not the case.
And the blacks, once you insist to see this as “racism”, live much better with Communism in Cuba than they ever lived.
““The authorities in my country,” he has said, “have never tolerated that a black person [could dare to] oppose the regime.””
Exactly because the regime has since the beggining been so pro black. Few blacks fought in the mountains but they were the ones who won the most. The blacks who do not align with Communism in Cuba will be seen as people who spit in the dishes of the one who has fed them. In Cuba, whites against Communism are evil fascists; blacks agains Communism are persons who cannot say “thank you”.
DayTrader said…
A lot of people are swallowing the idea this is a Congressional Black Caucus agenda item.
You are taking the bait.
Two points here: (1) that the Black Caucus was willing to have itself used remains disgusting, considering their purported raison d’etre. (2)Here, the Progressives have stepped severely on Obama’s toes immediately prior to his appearance at the Summit of the Americas, thus diluting his message on liberty and his plan to look like the Great Black Hope at the Summit.
It would be interesting to know why they blindsided him with this. As Obama has said to them before, “brother, I keep score”.
This one is on the tally sheet for sure.
Russia and Romania are playing their moves to bring down that failed multicultural Sovietic State that Moldova is.
Actually, Afonso, Romania is not involved in any way at any official or less official level in what is called “the Twitter Revolution”. Of course, our TV channels brodcast live and non-stop the events, the popular emotional response is high – the images with thousands of youth in central Kishinev waving Romanian flags and shouthing “I am proud to be a Romanian, death to Communism” are touching for the common people – but our politicians seem to be surprised by the events and my impression is they don’t know how to deal with them. They wait for the reaction of the US and the EU and all of them have a standard statement: “We care about the events in a country so related to us by language and culture, but we don’t support violence of any kind… we hope the democratic conditions in Moldova will improve, but we don’t want to be involved in the internal affairs of a sovereign state… etc.”
So, no, at least regarding Romania, it doesn’t play any moves and it doesn’t have any plan, in spite of the public emotion. It’s like a situation in which somebody declares eternal love to you (the youth of Moldova), but you don’t feel exactly like being involved in a love affair.
“It’s like a situation in which somebody declares eternal love to you (the youth of Moldova), but you don’t feel exactly like being involved in a love affair.”
Oh Armance, that’s the worst. Especially… because what goes around, comes around.
Hm… let’ not get personal, shall we?
What really matters is that I think your analogy is not quiet *the one*.
I think that what happens in Romania is more that the love declaration was not in the best moment: It’s awkward and embarassing but it’s not that you don’t want to get involved… It’s just the timing that could never had been worse.
What I have followed is mainly a Lusophone Russian based Communist (let’s call it) “thing” and some people there say that the Romanian authorities are behind the “violence”. Of course, what they say is not exactly reality.
But I think this is of first importance to Romania, and Romania will have to do something sooner or later… to make a stand. But Romania is found stuck by the E.U. and other likewise entities that stand for the Communists (I heard they are not really Communists but they are those old bad Sovietic Socialists with nothing to due with the likes of Putin or Saakashvili).
Damn! Just deal with Russia: You unite with Moldova and Russia with Trans Dniester… that’s what will happen in the long term, it’s better it happens soon with little to no bloodshed.
Very nice to know your opinion Armance, do you know any place you could recommend for me to know what’s happening!? The MSM pratically does not report it here, they are too busy talking about football and earthquakes in Italy…
What do you feel about incorporating Moldova up to the Dnister river into Romania? What does the average Romanian think? And, if you know, what about the average Moldovan*?
*What a silly answer, of course they want to get free of what untill now have been the Moldovian elites and want to ingress in the European Union.
Armance, what I’ve followed had this to say:
“Last night, the President, Vladimir Voronin, said he would use force in case the protestors tried to penetrate the governmental buildig, he then EXPELLED THE ROMANIAN AMBASSADOR and reestablishment the system of passports between Moldova and Romania, ACUSING BUCHAREST OF BEING BEHIND THE DISORDER IN CHISIANU.”
So, it is true that the source I quoted usually manipulates the truth and are batalantly anti-European (real Europe) Civilisation. They are the enemy, but it is also true that that source rarely invents the news.
And it seems that the Moldovan authorities are reacting as if Romania tried to annexate Moldova.
What I have followed is mainly a Lusophone Russian based Communist (let’s call it) “thing” and some people there say that the Romanian authorities are behind the “violence”. Of course, what they say is not exactly reality.
This is usually the Russian and the Moldavian authorities’ standard version, but it’s not only incorrect, it’s laughable. Romania is so careful not to bother anyone, from Washington to Moscow, that it wouldn’t get involved even when it’s absolutely necessary.
And about the situation in general it’s such a long discussion, and I’m afraid this is not exactly the best thread.
But here you have a Romanian news site in English, with lots of news from Kishinev and the reactions in Bucharest:
http://english.hotnews.ro/
So, it is true that the source I quoted usually manipulates the truth and are batalantly anti-European (real Europe) Civilisation. They are the enemy, but it is also true that that source rarely invents the news.
And it seems that the Moldovan authorities are reacting as if Romania tried to annexate Moldova.
The Moldovan Communists are nuts. They blame Romania whenever there are some troubles in Moldova, we sort of got accustomed to it and make fun of it, because they are afraid of the sympathy Romania has among their young people. But the fact that many young Moldovans consider themselves Romanians (which they are) and are influenced by the Romanian media and culture doesn’t mean Romania is somehow involved in what is happening there. Actually the only involvment that we had is that after 1989 all our governments had a policy of granting thousands of scholarships in Romania to the Moldovan students, and a generation of Moldovans sympathetic to Romania was formed. Again, it doesn’t mean we are somehow directly involved.
I don’t have anything much to disagree with you about on this post, Dymphna, except the following statement:
It ought to be disbanded on Constitutional grounds, but don’t hold your breath.
There is nothing unconstitutional about a group of elected representatives forming a legislative caucus based upon race. And it isn’t unconstitutional to fund and support them either – because the Supreme Court would undoubtedly find that the formation of such a caucus is a “political question” that is not within their judicial scope of review.
But I do agree that they are certainly morally repulsive.
As for Cuba, Obama’s attempts to play kissy-face will fail, not because of any U.S. actions, but because the Cuban dictators themselves will scuttle any rapproachment to try and bolster their fortress political mentality at home. Castro’s actions during the Carter administration (Mariel expulsions) and Clinton administration (shooting down the plane) are prime examples of this.
One more point – Cuban apologists always tout the jump in literacy under Castro. Literacy is in the regime’s best interests, especially if the only reading material provided is the dreck in Granma and similar publications. It’s easier to indoctrinate people if they can read, and you only let them read what you give them.
Not sure where you got your demographic information about Cuba but it’s wrong. According to the CIA – World Fact Book Cuba’s population breaks down thus:
white 65.1%
mulatto and mestizo 24.8%
black 10.1% (2002 census)
And the CBC doesn’t care a bit about the struggles of blacks. Who do you think is one of the biggest backers of amnesty for illegal aliens in the US in spite of the fact that blacks are disproportionately harmed by illegal immigration? The CBC. Why? Because they want to develop a coalition of ‘people of color’ to outnumber whitey. This is numbers game to them. They think whites will some how join them in humiliation if we are reduced to minority status. We might kick ourselves in the rear but I doubt we’d be humiliated. The CBC has seen the demographic future and they want to stake their claim to their piece of the power pie asap.
Yet another group of perpetually aggrieved whiners who are unable to accept or confront America’s astonishing creation of wealth.
Too effing bad, you losers. Suck it up and piss off, if you would please be so very kind. The Che T-Shirt crowd has enough accomplices as it is, thank-you-very-much.
Armance, thank you once more for your Romanian perspective.