RE: Political kidnapping of 6-year-old Cuban Elian Gonzalez

Cameron Brooks writes:

"I never made any excuses for Castro in the previous post I made....."

Let me remind you of your words:

"Are you attributing the problems that Cuba has faced to Castro...?"
followed by "Castro is not the issue."

Castro isn't the issue and the problems of Cuba should not be attributed to
him....but you made no excuses for him?  While I appreciate the nice chuckle
I had at that double-talk, I do hope you recognize its transparent
dishonesty.  I don't mean to sound like a rabid Miami anti-Castroite (I'm
not),  and I was just using your quote to epitomize a style of politics, not
personally attack you.  At the same time, if you're not aware of Castro's
repression, you're deliberately shutting your eyes.  Here are a few places
you might want to visit for information:







I think these sources should enlighten you as to the ongoing rights
situation in Cuba, and should also answer Colin Cavell's somewhat disjointed
post to Beatty which, I believe, asserts that having a system of law is the
same as what has come to be known as "the rule of law." It's quite obvious
there are plenty of laws which are applied in Cuba, thank you very much,
just as a reading of these sources makes clear there is not rule of law. The
distinction is so basic that the head spins to think one even has to note
it.

And, of course, you're right, Castro is no Stalin, and I wouldn't put him in
that boat by a long shot. But his repression goes beyond the minor bit of
repression of freedom of expression which you allow. He is a repressive
dictator by most any standards. His record on political and civil rights is
quite bad, and his record on economic and social rights is far more
ambiguous than you recognize - though that is quite an intricate subject. In
any case, my final word on this is that the U.S. certainly bears plenty of
responsibility for its indefensible policies toward Cuba and their
ill-effects. More immediately, under international law and treaty law (and
moral law, in my opinion) they have an obligation to return the kid to Cuba
(though the nationalist mobilization by all parties around this issue is
telling).  Castro, however, bears responsibility for his actions and for
many of Cuba's problems. The history of excuse-making for supposedly
"leftist" rulers is a sad one, and one which I hope will not continue but,
if this conversation is any indication, this hope is futile.


Anthony Chase