Reading time – 32 seconds . . .
. . . our lip-flapping, self-serving senators and representatives
Caution: Contains snark. Sensitive readers should man up.
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Let me say with all due respect and appropriate decorum that:
– Pretending that continuing to refuse to have relations with Cuba enhances American security is idiotic.
– Treating Cuba differently than we treat any other repressive regime has completely failed to influence Cuba to change any of its policies and hoping otherwise is folly. Get over it.
– Refusing to have diplomatic relations with any country (i.e. refusing to be in dialogue) ensures that nothing good will happen.
– Limiting Cuban cigar imports to what is smuggled into America and believing that will pummel the Castros into submission is brainless.
– Treating Cuba as though it is still a Soviet satellite state suggests you’ve had complete amnesia for the past 25 years.
– Continuing a policy that has so obviously and consistently failed will not cause things to get better. (Note to legislators: Slapping your forehead and exclaiming “Duh!” right now is appropriate.)
– Having a hissy fit over at last having a dialogue with Raul Castro is grandstanding, self-serving politics that abdicates your responsibilities to the American people.
Special note for Sen. Marco Rubio (R. – Moon): Your pretty face doesn’t imply any mental ability or even common sense. Grow up. Learn something before it’s too late.
End of open letter.
Action Alert to readers: When you hear anyone in Congress telling you that the sky is falling now that President Obama has had the courage to do what generations of presidents before him should have done, change the channel, turn the page or click the “Off” button immediately. Then pass this message along to those you love and respect as an act of compassion, because nobody should have to listen to that drivel.
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Ed. note: There is much in America that needs fixing and we are on a path to continually fail to make things better. It is my goal to make a difference – perhaps to be a catalyst for things to get better. That is the reason for these posts. To accomplish the goal requires reaching many thousands of people and a robust dialogue. Please help by offering your comments, as well as by passing this along and encouraging others to subscribe and do the same. Thanks. JA
Copyright 2024 by Jack Altschuler
Reproduction and sharing are encouraged, providing proper attribution is given.
4 Responses to An Open Letter To . . .
Ron Kurowski December 22, 2014
[I} concur with most everything you wrote and I too commend President Obama for taking this action. Having said that I do have to temper my enthusiasm for this change in our relations with our neighbor. I find problematic the explanation given by the President as to why he is taking this action – namely that fifty years of us trying to change Cuba’s society is not working. Apparently our goal remains the same – turn Cuba into a country with an unfettered, market based economy controlled by a government that is friendly to the United States. What is changing is simply the means of attaining that goal.
Well intentioned people will argue that Cuba is a repressive dictatorship and that our goal is to bring democracy to the country and allow the people to decide what kind of government and society they want. Without a doubt Cuba is a repressive dictatorship, but why do we treat Cuba differently than say, Egypt? This is a country which is currently run by a brutal military dictator who overthrew a democratically elected government, threw their leaders in prison, brutally beat down non-violent demonstrators, jailed anyone, including foreign reporters, who disagreed or simply made public their actions. This is a government that is currently sentencing hundreds of Muslim Brotherhood supporters and anyone who outwardly supports them to death. Our silence on these outrageous actions is, well, outrageous, especially when we continue to give Egypt billions of dollars a year even though it is against our laws to give foreign aid to a country whose government was overthrown by a military dictatorship. And Egypt is only one example of our country supporting brutal dictatorships.
Why we treat Cuba differently than other countries who are even more repressive and brutal than Cuba is more than folly. It is a question that goes to the heart of what kind of country we are, what are our true values. It is a question that requires a serious discussion. A discussion that hopefully would provide us with a window into a better understanding of what really drives a foreign policy that has given us the disasters of Vietnam, Nicaragua, Chile, El Salvador, Iran, Iraq and of course Cuba.
Ron Kurowski
dominick December 18, 2014
Do you ever wonder if the hissy fits, whining and tantrums of some of our members of Congress meet the expectations of their corporate sponsors, or their electoral base? Do they reflect the intellectual dishonesty of their corporate masters, or the stupidity of the voters that actually go to the polls to put and keep them in office year after year?
Your elected officials have no obligation to respond to your requests, and remain free of any supervision as your employees. Wouldn’t you like to have a job like that?
In the past, I have advocated that one or more of our PBS stations hold town halls before and after elections to inform the public of what their political employees are doing. Every level of government officials should have a web site and forum for their constituents. Our 19th century political system is cozy for our politicians, but we need 21st century technologies to actually establish an open democratic form of government – not the oligarchy that most people accept as a democracy.
I continue to work on ideas to effect real change in how our governments run, such as a pledge for politicians to sign to maintain voter polling on their web sites about passing or rejecting a law – not some lame opinion poll that has no effect on law. Obviously, this would expose dishonest people who have no intention of representing their constituents in a way that might upset their financial supporters.
Please feel free to contact me for more discussion at [email protected]
Don Zwiers December 18, 2014
Jack
Where are the People in “We The People”? For 65 years I have been told to never talk politics with your friends and never bring up religion. It’s the same today, only worse. Money has taken over the Democracy in America and the People are still quiet.
I sent this to our City Council yesterday after getting no response from Will County and the Illinois Election Board over the past year and several reminders. What do you think? Is this a good idea to try and break the chain?
How could I have voted smarter?
We are getting ready to vote again in April and won’t know who we’re responsible to vote for until we see our ballot. My ballot may be different from my neighbor across the street. Some of these people, I have never heard of. I may have 5 minutes to vote. No wonder we only have 20% voter participation for local and a little more for presidential elections. These new World Democracies have over 80% and this is their first time. They want to be like us and we are failing our responsibilities to our own Democracy. Something has to change.
With today’s technology and the Web; why can’t the county clerk provide the city of Joliet a copy of our ballots to put them on their web site, by Precinct? Then we have a couple months to learn who gets our vote. When a citizen decides to run for an office and is qualified; their profile and why they are running and what they want to do different for the voters is also posted; free. They can even add new information when they feel voters need it. Money is no longer an issue.
Now from my voter registration card and precinct number; I can see who I can vote for and what they will do for me. I can now have a real discussion with my neighbors about the same issues. Voter participation becomes something more than just voting; we are actively involved and can actually talk to our local candidates. We also have this same information to use for state and Federal candidates. If a candidate doesn’t have his profile on the web; how can we vote smart?
The State of Illinois Election Board hasn’t responded to this idea. Why Not; is it that difficult?
Frank Levy December 18, 2014
Your best ever attack on hypocrisy, stupidity, and vapid, pointless, ranting. The real reason Cruz, Rubio, and Menendez (and others who think like them) are pissed about opening relations with Cuba is that rather than being the only Americans that can get a good Cuban cigar legally they will now have to wait in line with the rest of us. Great piece!