Hillary's "Feelings" About Cuba and the Castros

[flamingdem]

This editorial in Counterpunch points to the use of "feelings" to claim that Cuba really doesn't want the embargo lifted.

Why the Secretary of State's "Personal Beliefs" Defy Logic
Hillary's "Feelings" About Cuba and the Castros

By NELSON P. VALDÉS

"A few weeks back, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that they are opened to a dialogue with Cuba but that they clearly want to see fundamental changes in the Cuban regime. It is my obligation to respond to Mrs. Clinton, with all due respect, and also to those in the European Union who are asking for unilateral gestures in the sense of dismantling our social and political regime. I was not elected President to return capitalism to Cuba or to surrender the Revolution. I was elected to defend, preserve and continue to perfect socialism, not to destroy it...with all due respect, we tell Mrs. Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State of that country, that if she wants to discuss everything we are willing to discuss everything about here, but about there, too..."

-- Raul Castro, August 1, 2009

"It is my PERSONAL BELIEF that the Castros do not want to see an end to the embargo and do not want to see normalization with the United States, because they would lose all of their excuses for what hasn't happened in Cuba in the last 50 years...I find that very sad, because there should be an opportunity for a transition to a full democracy in Cuba and it's going to happen at some point, but it may not happen any time soon." <1>

So said Hillary Clinton on April 9th.

Personal belief seemingly guides the foreign policy of the Secretary of State. This could save the American public some money. Obviously, there is no need for all the data collection and all the analytical units of the US government.

Let us assume Hillary was correct about her personal assumptions as to what motivates the rulers of Cuba. Should such a conclusion lead her to the use of reverse psychology? Wikipedia tells us: "Reverse psychology is a persuasion technique involving the advocacy of a belief or behavior that is opposite to the one desired, with the expectation that this approach will encourage the subject of the persuasion to do what is desired: the opposite of what is suggested." Hence, the Castros use reverse psychology successfully on the US government, but the State Department does not use the same method.

Hillary is implicitly saying that the Castros are masochists and devious opportunists while she and others are just enablers! Yes, foreign policy is now led by the theoretical assumptions of publicly shared codependency "theory." Since Latin American scholars elucidated dependency theory, why not use co-dependency to guide the great USA?

Let's face it; Hillary operates from a subjective personal universe where wishful thinking reigns. This is not new. On May 1, 2000 the wire services reported that in a radio interview in Buffalo, New York, she "expressed her HOPE that the father of the little Cuban boy Elián González, Juan Miguel, will eventually decide to seek exile and live in the United States. "During the 2007 democratic primaries she repeated the demand for the democratization of Cuba. On February 22, 2008 she asserted that Cuba had to change before Washington could consider having a different policy toward the island. Now, we learn from her that the Castros want the embargo/blockade to continue. One assumes this is a recent discovery on herpart.

This premise has been repeated by the most conservative sectors of the exile community in the 1990s. By 2002 the "Fidel Castro likes the blockade thesis" penetrated the world of the Washington, DC "think tanks". A report by the Cato Institute claimed, ""Supporters of the embargo casually assume that Castro wants an end to the embargo because he believes that step would solve his economic problems. Despite his rhetoric, Castro more likely fears the lifting of the U.S. sanctions. But as long as Castro can point to the United States as an external enemy, he will be successful in barring dissent, justifying control over the economy, and stirring up nationalist and anti-U.S. sentiments in Cuba. It is time for Washington to stop playing into Castro's hands and instead pull the rug out from under him by ENDING THE EMBARGO." <2>

Some members of Congress also "invented" the same assertion. Sen. Max Baucus added "feeling" and "extra political sensory perception." He said at a hearing: "In my view... Castro wants the embargo to continue. Observers have noted an emerging pattern. Every time we get close to more open relations, Castro shuts down the process with some repressive act designed to have a chilling effect on US-Cuban relations. Castro fears an end to the embargo. Believe me, I have a sense - I have been there. I have spoken to Castro, been to Cuba. You can FEEL it. It's palpable. He knows the day the embargo falls is the day he runs out of excuses. Without the embargo, Castro would have no one to blame for the failing Cuban economy. Nor would his way of governing be able to survive the influx of American and democratic ideas that would flood his island if the embargo were lifted." <3>

Cuban authorities have responded to such ridiculous assertions. In an interview with the Austrian paper Der Standard, Ricardo Alarcon on April 1, 1993, challenged the Clinton Administration to lift the embargo/blockade forone year and see if political cohesion collapses in Havana, as Cuban exiles were positing. Alarcón noted that if the US policy was changed, and the Cuban government was accepted by the US; then, Cuba would have no reason to see domestic opponents as agents of the Americans. <4> Ten years later, Alarcón again repeated the challenge, "the US government should dare to lift the blockade for a limited period of time and take the so-called excuse away." <5>

* * *

Is foreign policy a matter of national interest or an extension of psychology? Hillary Clinton has revealed that on matters related to Cuba, the government in Havana cannot be guided by such national interest as sovereignty; instead personality and the subconscious drives Cuban rulers. Thus, we are enter the realm of pop psychology and not reasons of state. But what becomes clear is that American foreign policy on Cuba is illogical, does not work, and does not have the support of the world community.

It is obvious that the United States government refuses to acknowledge the right of a small county to be independent. Or to frame the issue so that the Secretary of State might understand: US policy is shaped by a sense of national frustration - a great power that cannot dictate to a country that is just a few miles away. That certainly has to be upsetting to those who see themselves as the leaders and masters of the universe, the inhabitants of the house on the hill, selected by God herself.

Yes, the search for national sovereignty and independence cannot be construed or interpreted as something that is just, well, short of insane and psychologically unstable. Imagine, the humbling impact of a little country that American power can indeed check mate in its economic and social growth but cannot end its defiance and social experiment.

In 2002, in a tongue -in-cheek, open letter to George Bush, I wrote: "At times all over the island people wonder if you are really trying to help Fidel. It looks that way. Again, let me remind you. Your policy has not achieved your objectives, but it has been rather helpful in keeping the Cuban revolutionary government in power. Thus, if it does not work, do not fix it! And thank you for assisting the revolutionary cause." <6>

But it is not appropriate to end this opinion piece that way. On November 15, 2007 Hillary Clinton was asked by Wolf Blitzer on national television the following question: " You say national security is more important than human rights. Senator Clinton, what do you say?" And she replied, " I agree with that completely. The first obligation of the president of the United States is to protect and defend the United States of America." <7> Fair enough.

Alexander Hamilton addressed the same issue in Federalist Paper No. 8. He wrote on November 20, 1787, "Safety from external danger is the most powerful director of national conduct. Even the ardent love of liberty will, after a time, give way to its dictates. The violent destruction of life and property incident to war, the continual effort and alarm attendant on a state of continual danger, will compel nations the most attached to liberty to resort for repose and security to institutions which have a tendency to destroy their civil and political rights. To be more safe, they at length become willing to run the risk of being less free." <8>

The question then is, does the same principle of national security apply to Cuba? Madame Secretary, apply logic to your own view on Cuba and follow what the Founding Fathers understood then. Put an end to the policies that have contributed to the external threat under which the Cuban government has lived since 1960. Then let us see what happens there.

Nelson P Valdés is Emeritus Professor of Sociology and director of the Cuba-L Direct Project at the University of New Mexico.

This article was written for CounterPunch and Cuba-L Direct.

Notes.

<1> "Castro's sabotage ending U.S. Cuba embargo: Clinton," Reuters, April 9,

2010; 8:13 PM]

<2> Ian Vasquez and L Jacobo Rodríguez, Trade Embargo in and Castro Out, Journal of Commerce, May 27, 2002. http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=6241

<3> http://www.c-spanvideo.org/videoLibrary/clip.php?appid=596073645

<4> 04/01/19930 - EFE (Madrid) - Alarcón Invita a EEUU a Levantar el Bloqueo Por Un Año.

<5> 12/13/03 - Pascualserrano.net (Madrid)- Entrevista a Ricardo Alarcón, presidente de la Asamblea Nacional del Poder Popular de Cuba http://www.pascualserrano.net/12_DICIEMBRE_03/06-12-03entrevista-alarcon.htm

<6> An Open Letter to George Bush: On US Policy Toward Cuba," CounterPunch, August 9, 2002. http://www.counterpunch.org/valdes0809.html

<7>"Democratic Debate in Las Vegas," Aired November 15, 2007. CNN. http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0711/15/se.02.html

<8> The Consequences of Hostilities Between the States, From the New York Packet. Tuesday, November 20, 1787 http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/fed/blfed8.htm

[Lost4words]

1. it says so much that the USA feels Cuba a threat, or violates human rights

more than the USA does. We kill with drones and we fear small islands.

[sui generis]

2. no, we fear the Cuban voting bloc

plain and simple.

[flamingdem]

3. It's becoming less important, here's an NPR story

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126219395


Latinos A Powerful Force In Florida Electorate

April 23, 2010


In our Political Chat segment, we have a tale of two states: one where Hispanic voters hold a lot of sway, and one where they don't. A growing number of Hispanics in Florida are forming an ever more powerful electorate. Host Michel Martin speaks with Fernand Amandi, executive director of the Miami-based public opinion research firm Bendixen and Amandi, who sheds light on why Florida's Hispanic population is a political force to be reckoned with.

MICHEL MARTIN, host:

I'm Michel Martin, and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News.

Today, we have a tale of two states, one where Latino voters hold a lot of sway and one where they don't. A growing number of Hispanics in Florida are forming an ever more powerful electorate. But in Arizona, an even larger portion of the population is Latino. But Latinos there carry far less political weight. We wanted to talk more about why. In a few minutes, we'll hear from NPR correspondent Ted Robbins in Tucson.

But first, to help us understand what's going on in Florida, we turn to Fernand Amandi, executive vice president if Bendixen and Amandi. That's a public opinion research firm in Miami that specializes in the polling of diverse electorates. Mr. Amandi joins us from NPR member station WLRN. Thanks so much for being with us once again.

Mr. FERNAND AMANDI (Executive Vice President, Bendixen and Amandi): It's a pleasure to be back with you, Michel.

MARTIN: Now, we're having this discussion in part because of course there's this heated Republican primary race for the United States Senate. Incumbent Republican Governor Charlie Crist has fallen behind Marco Rubio, who's a former speaker of the Florida State House. Could you just tell us a little bit more about where the race stands right now?

Mr. AMANDI: Well, the race is at a very interesting and critical point. The big deadline coming up is at the end of the month, April 30th, where Charlie Crist, the incumbent governor, will have to decide whether he wants to stick it out in the Republican primary or run as an independent. That is the date that one must qualify as either an independent candidate or Republican candidate for federal office.

Many political observers and watchers strongly feel that Governor Crist will indeed run as an independent, which will certainly shake up the race considerably because recent polls suggest that while he would lose handily to Rubio in a Republican nomination fight, he leads Rubio and the Democratic candidate, Kendrick Meek, in a three-way race in the general election.

MARTIN: Now, obviously, there are a lot of factors at play here and we want to pay particular attention to the role of the Hispanic vote. But I did want to ask, what's going on with Charlie Crist? At one point he was a very popular governor. He's fallen out of favor with national political Republican figures who are just running in the opposite direction. So is the issue here that they're mad at him or is it that they just love Marco Rubio? And he's just a much more attractive character, just what's going on there?

Mr. AMANDI: Well, I think if Charlie Crist were on the program here, he would very candidly say that the Republican Party, that he feels most comfortable in the kind of moderate consensus bipartisan-building Republican parties is one that no longer welcomes him. All of this stems and really begins with the governor's literal and figurative embrace of President Obama's stimulus package earlier last year.

That really set the stage for the rise of the Rubio candidacy, which was running very much to the right of Governor Crist and is what has put him in this political predicament or his own party. And many of the people within his own party are abandoning who used to be a very popular incumbent governor that was very much seen as a Teflon candidate that no negative news would stick against. But that has changed dramatically in the last 12 months.

MARTIN: So tell us about the Hispanic vote in Florida and how does the Hispanic electorate factor into the campaigns of each of these candidates now running for the Senate seat.

Mr. AMANDI: Well, it's a very important vote for the simple reason that 2008, to show here in Florida that the Hispanic electorate proved to be a king maker vote. It was the switch between what the Democrats received overall in 2004 from the Hispanic vote versus what they received in 2008, which was allowed Barack Obama to capture the state, and for the first time in the state's history, win the Hispanic vote as a Democrat. And many will be looking at very closely as a potential decisive vote in this Senate campaign of 2010.

MARTIN: I mean, just Marco Rubio and Barack Obama are such different candidates. It's hard to compare, but how is the Hispanic vote trending in this or are they split?

Mr. AMANDI: Well, there are a couple of dynamics that are taking place within Florida's Hispanic vote that show this new era, this new stage. Over the last couple of election cycles, you've seen the rise of the non-Cuban Hispanic vote, which now is the majority segment of the Hispanic vote in Florida.

What used to just be a predominant Cuban-Republican vote is now made up of many Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Central and South Americans who tend to register and vote as either Democrats or independents. And that majority vote, which now represents the overall vote of Hispanics in Florida is what gave Barack Obama his victory amongst Hispanics in 2008.

MARTIN: Well, wait a minute, you're telling me the non-Cuban Hispanic vote is actually larger now than the Cuban vote in Florida?

Mr. AMANDI: That is correct. It is about four or five percentage points larger. And that trend is obviously growing, given the influx of many different Hispanics moving to Florida, whether it be Puerto Ricans from New York or even the island itself and Central and South America. It's many who have been here for many years that are now entering the electorate as they become citizens and become part of the statewide electorate.

MARTIN: It's my understanding, though, Fernand, the Cuban vote has also changed in Florida. I think a lot of people have this impression that the Cuban vote is extremely conservative, very kind of a core Republican constituency. Is that still true?

Mr. AMANDI: Absolutely not. In fact, it's quite the other way around. The other dynamic that I was mentioning at the outset was the change within the Cuban vote itself, what used to be a monolithically Republican Cuban vote is now splitting Cuban immigrants that have arrived since 1990 and Cuban-Americans' sons, daughters and grandsons and granddaughters of the older wave of Cuban exiles that came in the '50s and '60s and '70s, who are entering the electorate themselves are not registering as monolithically Republican as their grandparents and parents.

So those two pressures within the Cuban electorate itself, the growing number of recent arrivals and the first and second generation Cuban-Americans born in this country who are not necessarily registering in (unintelligible) Republicans are having an impact on the Cuban electorate itself.

MARTIN: So can you give us a sense of how the Hispanic vote in all its various forms and complexity now is breaking, assuming the Republican primary and potentially for the Democratic nominee Kendrick Meek.

Mr. AMANDI: Well, if you look at the recent polling, amongst Hispanics, it's really a vote that's up for grabs. Neither Charlie Crist, Kendrick Meek or Marco Rubio, the likely candidates have been able to really mount a significant share of that vote overall.

Although one would expect Kendrick Meek as the Democratic candidate, who is still someone unknown in the parts of the state outside of his South Florida base, to be able to seize upon a lot of the issues that Hispanics care most about now, whether it's the economy, whether it's health care, whether it's the situation with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. So I think the opportunity exists there for him.

But right now neither one has a real stranglehold on that vote and the vote that we think and many people agree, could be very decisive coming up in November.

MARTIN: And finally, what issues are Latino voters pushing to the forefront? Or are they divided on these issues as well?

Mr. AMANDI: Very much in line with where many Americans are today when it comes to the most important issues in the country. Most Latinos, most Hispanics in the state of Florida are concerned about the lack of jobs and what they perceive to be a very weak economy. The housing and the mortgage crisis, and then of course the health care issue, which is something that concerns many Hispanics, not just around the state, but around the country, that are disproportionate in the numbers of lacking health insurance coverage. So, it's a lot of these bread and butter economic issues that are what are really driving their concerns.

MARTIN: Fernand Amandi is the executive director of a Florida based public opinion research group, Bendixen and Amandi. He joined us from member station WLRN in Miami. Thank you so much for speaking with us.

Mr. AMANDI: My pleasure. Thanks for having me back.

Copyright © 2010 National Public Radio®. A

[Lost4words]

6. very interesting, thanks for posting this. nt

[Hippo_Tron]

17. Even so it's still important because opponents of the embargo don't really care

You would be hard pressed to find a sizable chunk of voters who would support or oppose a candidate based on their position on the embargo with the exception of the Cuban exiles in Florida and Florida is a swing state with 27 electoral votes.

[Lost4words]

4. Well then I hope the Cuban voting block go see the Grand Canyon soon.

[Mika]

9. There is no such thing as a Cuban illegal immigrant in the USA!

Cubans that enter the US, no matter with a legal US immigration visa or without, no matter how they get here, Cubans are instantly granted legal status. This is made possble by the US's Cuban Adjustment Act as well as the US's Wet Foot/Dry Foot policy for Cubans only.

In addition to being granted instant legal status upon entry, the CAA allows instant work permit, instant application acceptance for a "green card", instant access to food stamps, instant access to Social Security, instant access Sec-8 taxpayer subsidized housing (including a $40,000 income excemption). Plus more. For Cubans only.

Plus these very Cubans "escaping" Cuba are the only citizens/residents of the US who can legally travel to Cuba without restrictions.

Cuban immigrants are granted full US rights that native born Americans don't have.

---

[Lost4words]

11. That was not my point, I wasn't fully aware of all the benefits granted to Cuban immigrants.

I guess if your gonna immigrate into USA do it through Cuba, what a deal.

My point was a rich cuban republican still may look Spanish and might be checked for papers while traveling in AZ.

[Mika]

12. I gotcha.

Good points. :thumbsup:

:hi:

Cuban-American lawmakers of S Florida (repugs) are ALL FOR immigration "reform". I heard Diaz Balart on TV saying he supports AZ's new anti Latino "carry their papers" law.

Funny thing is that one of their fake accusations against "Castro's Cuba" is that Castro forces everyone to "carry their papers". (Which is pure fabrication. Cubans don't carry their papers around, nor are they checked by anyone. Been there. Seen it.)

Hypocrites and liars to the core.

---

[flamingdem]

14. Very well put nt

[madrchsod]

5. blah, blah, blah castro is a bad guy....

the democrats are still sucking up to the rich cubans in florida. meanwhile american farmers,travel agencies, car collectors ,and others want to trade with cuba.

an epic failure of the presidents of the usa in dealing with a nation 90 miles from our border.

[fascisthunter]

7. thank you for stating the obvious

I'm sick of the bullshit too...

[flamingdem]

8. More on increasing moderation in Miami politics, Joe Garcia is running

I think the information below is partially incorrect and Garcia supports ending the travel restrictions.

This is from the blog Cuban Triangle:

Friday, February 12, 2010
Who benefits?

What impact will the departure of Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart have on the Cuba debate in Congress? He has been an effective, hard-working advocate for his hard-line views on Cuba policy, and he has gained seniority in the House. As a result his departure will definitely be felt, although others will continue to advocate for the positions he holds, and in terms of votes on Cuba policy in the House, the numbers won’t change.

Or will they?

This would be a straightforward story of a resignation in a safe GOP district were it not for the decision of Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart to leave his district and run in the one Lincoln is vacating.

Former Democratic campaign operative Giancarlo Sopo says that Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart is “being run out of the district because it's changing.” Democrats say their registered voters now outnumber Republicans in Mario’s District 25 (see the numbers at the Herald’s politics blog). Mambi Watch notes Mario’s declining share of the vote in that district: 65% in 2002, 58% in 2006, and 53% in 2008. Newsweek wraps these developments into trends that favor Florida Democrats in a year that isn’t shaping up to be favorable for Democrats nationwide. And the domain name JoeGarcia2010.com has been registered, Miami New Times reports.

So far, Democrats seem happy to have the open seat in District 25 rather than 21, and Republicans aren’t saying a whole lot, which leads to the guess that they may be less happy.

Now back to the impact on the Cuba debate and a big, big hypothetical.

If the Democratic candidate were to be Joe Garcia, and if he were to win the election, it’s important to note that Garcia, formerly with the Cuban American National Foundation, is not an advocate of lifting the embargo. To my knowledge he does not advocate ending travel restrictions on Americans. What he did support in last year’s campaign was the measures that President Obama has now implemented with regard to Cuban American visits and remittances. Were he to be elected, the numbers might not change on major votes, but the Cuban American delegation in Congress would change; its consistent unity on all aspects of Cuba policy would probably end. There would be one member who embraces the younger generation that travels to Cuba and connects with Cuba, and is willing to look critically and practically at policies that have been in place for decades. That might be more important than a change in the numbers

[Mika]

10. Joe Garcia is fully supportive of the US's "Cuba Transition Plan" being formulated at U of Miami's

Joe Garcia is fully supportive of the US's "Cuba Transition Plan" being formulated at U of Miami's "Casa Bacardi" by former Batistanos and entrepreneurial disaster capitalists. The plan is to strip Cuba bare of its socialized and world class health and education infrastructures in a massive Freedom™ & privatization takeover.

Anyone really think that Cubans in Cuba (who are all very aware of America's historical activities of corporate empire building in the Latin Americas and Caribbean) want a Miamicubano exile created transition plan?

---

[flamingdem]

15. Mika I'm looking for info on Garcia

especially his latest comments about Cuba, if you happen to run across any.

Someone I know who is very progressive, a Cuban in Miami, said he has "changed". We'll see.

[Mika]

16. He hasn't changed. He left the CANF and became Miami-Dade Democratic party chief.

That should tell you all you need to know about the Dem party in S Florida.

The CANF is a terrorist organization, and he was their apologist. He headed up the CANF team that was behind the Elian debacle. The CANF paid Orlando Bosch and Luis Posada who blew up a Cuban jetliner in the air killing all on board, and they paid De Leon to blow up a Cuban theater that killed some tourists, and J Garcia was their lackey apologist.

Much of this CANF activity is laid out by Ann Louise Bardach in her book "Cuba Confidential: Love and Vengeance in Miami and Havana".


:hi:

---

[flamingdem]

18. I need to read that book, thanks nt

[cayanne]

13. The best book I've read on Cuba

'Cuba and the United States A Chronological History by Jane Franklin'. Growing up in Florida in the 50s and early 60s I'm well aware of the "influence" the Cuban Americans wielded in this country after we were so gracious to take them in. For President Clinton to sign the Helms Burton Act back in 1996 pretty destroyed my hopes of travel opening up then and when Bush became the resident I knew it would be years before I dared hope. It was when Bush became president I had to stop my email pal relationship with someone in Cuba in fear that Bush would come down on me for doing so. I have learned a lot about Cuba back before DU when Judi Lynn, Billy Burnett and others and I would post on the CNN US-Cuba Relations Board on CNN before they took it down during the Anthrax attacks. After CNN took their boards down we moved over here.

I hope many here will read this book and get a real sense of what we have really done to Cuba.