Cuba sanctions come back to bite Bush

[Cerridwen]

By David Rennie
Miami
July 1, 2004



"Tough new US sanctions against Fidel Castro's regime designed to shore up the Cuban-American vote in the critical electoral state of Florida have rebounded on the Bush Administration.

The sanctions, which come into force today, have created an agonising test of loyalty for the 600,000-strong Cuban exile community in Florida just four months before the presidential election.

President George Bush won the state by 537 votes in the 2000 election. About 80 per cent of Florida's Cuban Americans voted for him, making them the most important Republican voter bloc in the most important swing state.

The new rules will drastically curtail exiles' rights to visit relatives still in Cuba or send gift parcels to the island.

Mr Bush crafted the new sanctions under pressure from hardline Cuban American leaders who said family visits and gift parcels were propping up the Castro regime. But alarmed Florida Republicans are now watching the Cuban exile community split along generational lines and are wondering if those hardliners, and Mr Bush, have overreached themselves.
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Most older exiles support tough sanctions, while many recent arrivals resent rules that will allow them to visit Cuba only once every three years."

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/06/30/1088488024354.html?oneclick=true

[joeybee12]

1. Muy Bueno!

It makes me think that the Bush mis-administration can't do anything right!

[eablair3]

17. yeah, .. Bush doesn't seem to be able to think thngs through to well

Many, including the CIA, has stated before attacking Iraq that it wouldn't be a good idea as it would play into the hands of Al Qaida. But, Bush forged ahead and attacked and invaded anyway.

Now, in Cuba, another of his policies is backfiring on him. What else would one expect from Bush?

[David__77]

2. Only the old Batista-lovers support these punitive measures.

These measures of course do nothing to undermine the Cuban government. In fact, it rallies the majority of Cubans to support it in the name of national unity against an aggressive neighbor. I think most of the Cuban-Americans will rethink a lot of their political loyalties. Kerry will do much better than Gore did among them, without the Elian issue fresh in people's minds.

[Toucano]

3. Can anyone still say "Glasnost"? n/t

[guajira]

4. True, Because Batista-Lovers are not Allowed into Cuba Anyway

so they have nothing to lose by keeping other "exiles" out!!

Now Miami Cubans are crying Freedom to Travel when travel ban affects them, but they never gave a shit about Americans being denied the freedom to travel!!

Meanwhile, don't worry about the poor "exiles" - they'll get there thru 3rd countries!

[Massacure]

5. El Presidente de Bush estará el pan tostado!

[Cerridwen]

6. My Spanish is weak . . .

does this translate as "president bush is toast?"

:D

[joeybee12]

7. It translates as "Bush is a worthless piece of sh*t, who is also toast"

Not bad--you came close.

Welcome.

[Cerridwen]

9. Thanks for the welcome :-) n/t

[joeybee12]

11. Anytime!

[Terran]

16. where'd you get "worthless piece of shit" out of that??

Not that I diagree or anything! But your translation is, er, rather free-wheeling!

[Jackpine Radical]

8. Si.

[K8-EEE]

12. Mantaquilla, Senor Bush?

Butter, Mr. Bush?

Actually the Cubans use this guava jelly, has anybody had it? YUM!

[RebelOne]

14. Yes, had it quite often when I lived in So. Florida.

Delicious. Lots of people make their own, since there are so many guava trees down there.

[guajira]

10. Espero que si

I hope so!!!!

[Briar]

13. Ahem....

"President George Bush won the state by 537 votes in the 2000 election."

Is this being peddled as the historical truth now?

[donsu]

15. here is some more from Newswire

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=102-06302004

-snip-

"The new restrictions on travel and payments to families will cause more hunger in Cuba, divide American families from their Cuban relations, and give more ammunition to a government that has always taken strength from America's preoccupation with driving it from power.

"President Bush should stop aiming weapons of malnutrition at the Cuban people. Using hunger to prompt regime change in Cuba is immoral, and it won't work.

"In the last campaign, President Bush promised never to use food as a weapon in America's foreign policy. That was then, a pledge uttered in Iowa; but this is now, and new promises must be made to placate his ultra-right constituents among the hard-edged exile community in Miami.

-snip-

Governor Bush, as a candidate for the presidency, said "We shouldn't be using food as a diplomatic weapon," during a multi- candidate debate in Johnston, Iowa, on January 16, 2000 (http://www.issues2000.org/2000/GOP_Johnston.htm).

------

[Judi Lynn]

18. You have to wonder where Cubans would get the idea

anyone in our gummint would want to hurt them, don't you? It's not like they have any idea it has been an obsession to possess Cuba since the 1800's, at all cost to them.

We must impose a harsh blockade so that hunger and its constant companion, disease, undermine the peaceful population and decimate the Cuban army.

John C. Breckenridge
Department of War
Office of the Undersecretary
Washington D.C.
December 24, 1897