Top Opinions of the Week

Posted on May 31, 2008

Mark Medford at The San Francisco Chronicle reflects on the success of Barack Obama’s campaign: ‘This is a cultural marker, a harbinger of something worthy to take deep into your awareness. You should take note, because Obama has accomplished his rise without the normal weaponry of American politics… He has not employed any of the disgusting tactics Karl Rove’s Republican Party used on Al Gore and John Kerry to secure a deceptive and brutal and failed chokehold on power…’

Eugene Robinson at The Washington Post writes: ‘For nearly five decades, the United States has pursued a policy toward Cuba that could be described as incredibly stupid. It could also be called childish and counterproductive — and, since the demise of the Soviet Union, even insane. Absent the threat of communist expansionism, the refusal by successive American presidents to engage with Cuba has not even a fig leaf’s worth of rationale to cover its naked illogic.’ (McCain, predictably, embraces Bush’s current Cuban policy.)

Carol Hoenig at The Huffington Post examines the White House disconnect: ‘It’s true, too, that 9/11 bode well for President Bush, since the horrid events from that day helped him take advantage of an anesthetized people. It suddenly became more important to don a flag pin than press the president about those nonexistent weapons of mass destruction. It’s also true that anyone who questions this administration is dismissed one way or another. No one in the administration is saying that (former press secretary) McClellan is lying, but instead they are puzzled that he is, well, telling the truth.’ (Bush is frequently puzzled by truth. And compassion. And cleaning product labels.)

As noted in the New York Times, Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, has written an open letter to U.S. military personnel exhorting them to ‘remain apolitical at all times and in all ways… It is and must always be a neutral instrument of the state, no matter which party holds sway. As the nation prepares to elect a new president, we would all do well to remember the promises we made. What I am suggesting — indeed, what the nation expects — is that military personnel will, in the execution of the mission assigned to them, put aside their partisan leanings.’ (Well said, Admiral Mullen!  Mullen has also indicated that the military is now prepared to accept gay service members if Congress appeals DADT.) 

Tourist Tampering

Posted on May 4, 2008

Although Canada, Spain, Italy and Great Britain have helped boost Cuba’s tourist industry by 15% in the first quarter of 2008, the United States continues to discourage its citizens from visiting the Caribbean island. In fact, Florida Republicans have breathlessly introduced yet another ill-conceived “anti-terrorism bill” which would punish travel agencies that provide direct access to Cuba with fines ranging from $100,000 to $300,000. (Bush administration assholes - I mean officials - say the current trade embargo will not be lifted in the near future.) AFP has more.

The Orange County Register notes that although visiting Cuba is not illegal per se for American citizens, tourists who spend money there may face fines of up to $55,000. Further noted: “Barack Obama would lift restrictions on visits by Cuban Americans to the hemisphere’s only communist country if elected president. A growing chorus of Democratic and Republican lawmakers would go even further, loosening the U.S. embargo enough to allow all Americans to travel to Cuba…

“The American Society of Travel Agents recently estimated that nearly 1.8 million Americans would visit in the first three years following an end to the travel ban.”

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