The St. Petersburg Times recently had an article discussing daily life in Venezuela (see here http://www.tampabay.com/news/world/article612936.ece). It was the usual stuff, describing how mismanagement is destroying the economy and how Chavez’s vaunted programs for the poor are mostly fiction. Aside from feeling sadness for the Venezuelan people, two things immediately come to mind when I read these articles. First, how can someone like Chavez come to power in the 21st century with the same lies used in the 20th century? Second, how can people (especially those calling for unilateral submission to Cuba) fail to see the parallels between Venezuela and Cuba?
Venezuela today enjoys exactly those things that the “new” thinking wants for Cuba: unfettered remittances, free movement of tourists and business people to/from the US, and very large and free economic ties to the “superpower”, to name a few. Interesting then, that rather than promoting democracy and capitalism, Chavez continues to forcefully concentrate power and is gradually eliminating all vestiges of freedom in Venezuela. Why hasn’t access to the US helped Venezuela…and how did Chavez come so close to actually establishing a dictatorship last year?
Venezuela continues its march backwards because Chavez is a wannabee dictator, pure and simple. And US carrots, regardless of the size of the pile, will not change that. Indeed, Chavez considers Castro/Cuba not only his ideological inspiration, but also his tactical mentor…allowing Chavez to leverage 50 years of experience oppressing the Cuban people while ostentatiously fighting the empire. It is little secret that his strategy is crafted in La Habana.
Curious then that the Castro regime has regularly called for a liberalization of US Cuba policy, calling for the same things the “new” thinking currently does. Those with this view assert that liberalization will spur change on the island, especially now that Raul has supposedly demonstrated a willingness to change.
Really? Does this make any sense? Cuba crafts Venezuela’s strategy towards dictatorship but we are expected to believe that a few Big Macs will compel Castro to move towards democracy and capitalism?
The reality is that arguing for unilateral capitulation to Cuba’s demands ignores this link, and magically assumes that Raul is the Cuban messiah.
Monday, June 16, 2008
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1 comments:
As a student of history I am clearly baffled by the current thinking that Raul is somehow better than Fidel. I think many forget that although Fidel led the revolution and was the ultimate "bad guy" in what has happened to Cuba he was not the first one to turn communist. Its a well known fact that Fidel met Che through Raul. Raul was always a member of the communist party he fought in the revolution to bring communism to Cuba not to free Cuba from an unjust dictatoship. I think its silly for people to believe that just because Fidel is no longer in power than his brother Raul will suddenly be this shining beacon of hope and change.
As far as the embargo is concerned; yes lifting the embargo would only give Cuba the same benefits Venezuela now enjoys. But I personally think the embargo is a half measure, so Cuba can't trade with the largest economy in the world, but it can still trade with the rest of the world. The key to bringing democracy to Cuba is showing the world how the government treats its people especially those who are not members of the communist party. If the U.S. wants to finally put pressure on Cuba it needs to go after its support, particulary Venezuela. Undercut the support the Cstro regime has outside of Cuba and they will implode.
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