Castro's sex-trade point lost on Bush, student says

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Thu, Jul. 22, 2004




U.S.-CUBA


Castro's sex-trade point lost on Bush, student says

President Bush's use of a quote from Cuban President Fidel Castro noting the high education levels of Cuban prostitutes has sparked a controversy.

BY MAURA REYNOLDS

Los Angeles Times News Service

In a hotel conference room in Tampa on Friday, Bush told law enforcement officials that Cuban President Fidel Castro was brazenly promoting sex tourism.
''The dictator welcomes sex tourism. Here's how he bragged about the industry,'' Bush said. 'This is his quote: `Cuba has the cleanest and most educated prostitutes in the world.' ''

Asked about the source for the quote, White House officials later provided a Web link to a 2001 paper written by Trumbull. At the time he wrote the paper, Trumbull was a Dartmouth College undergraduate. Trumbull is now 24 and a law student at Vanderbilt University.
(snip)

'Castro was merely trying to emphasize some of the successes of the revolution by saying, `Even our prostitutes are educated,' '' Trumbull said. ``Castro was trying to defend his revolution against negative publicity. He was in no way bragging about the opportunities for sex tourism on the island.''

On Monday, administration officials acknowledged that they did not have a source for the wording of the president's citation other than Trumbull's paper. A White House spokeswoman defended the inclusion, arguing that it expressed an essential truth about Cuba.
(snip/...)

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/9211390.htm?ERIGHTS=-4910197951274095690miami:&KRD_RM=3mkmlmmlnkjppmjjjjjjjjjsko|
(Free registration required)




http://www.nirvani.net/misc/$87,000,000,000/dubya.jpg

[truthisfreedom]

1. this whole "never apologize, never admit" thing is dooming bushco.

everybody can see egg on his face, and it's idiotic for him to leave it there.

[Toronto Ron]

2. Off topic (regarding the image)

It would be much more effective if, in the woman's sign, the apostrophe was removed from the word "it's". All we need is to provide freepers with their version of "morans"...;)

[jpgray]

3. Yep, possessive has no apostrophe

But that's hardly on the same level as 'morans'. :D

[lapfog_1]

5. and I bet that not a single moran noticed that little mistake... EOM

[ilovenicepeople]

24. That's right

I'm not a moron, but somewhat stupid and I hadn't noticed.:smoke:

[Ediacara]

14. I agree

Morans is just classic, while its vs it's, is a fairly common useage mistake.

[w4rma]

20. I could care less about an apostrophe. She looks cute.

I hope they would be suckered into using that photo.

[Judi Lynn]

4. Including another article to underscore the lack of truthfulness

in _Bush's incessant gibbering about Cuba:

May 14, 2002

Appeasing the Right and Beating the Drums of War
Bush's Cuba Blunder
by Michael Colby

When it comes to what the Bush administration dubs "rogue states," its foreign policy goals look something like this: fabricate the evidence and then rattle the war sabers.

Take, for example, the current situation with Cuba. In yet another move to appease its far-right base of supporters, the Bush team blundered big-time last week by letting loose with the unsubstantiated assertion that Fidel Castro's Cuba was developing biological weaponry for both themselves and other "rogue states."

The Bush administration official delivering this accusation was John Bolton, the undersecretary of state for arms control and international security. And, not surprisingly, Bolton made his unsubstantiated accusations in a speech before the Heritage Foundation, an ultra-conservative research group. While the collective hearts of the Heritage Foundation members fluttered with excitement by Bolton's speech, the world community got yet another look into the Bush team's sloppy foreign policy decision making. Appeasing your base of supporters is one thing, but fabricating evidence and shoveling it out for the world to see is brazenly reckless, particularly in a world made fragile by lunatics, fanatics, and lies.

Interestingly, it was former president Jimmy Carter who pulled the plug on this bit of Cuban propaganda. While in Cuba this week Carter made it clear that he was given no evidence that the Bush administration's accusation had any validity whatsoever.
(snip/...)

http://www.counterpunch.org/colby0514.html

It's fairly important to get the news out that he is feeding the public disinformation on US/Cuba relations.

[hyphenate]

6. He's just such an idiot

That Castro's comment literally went whistling over his head. What a completely clueless asshole.

[bobthedrummer]

7. Sounds just like George W. Batista, er Bush-The Batista's are old

G.H.W. Bush "family" friends.

[Mika]

8. Is this lost on Americans

The goddamn nerve of dictator Bush to accuse Cuba of such ugly behavior, when our own government admits that 10% of our own kids are sexually exploited at schools in the USA!


-Children face sex risk at US schools-
http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1263844,00.html

Research claiming that one in 10 American children has been sexually exploited at school - and that almost half the abusers are women - has shocked parents as one of the nation's most notorious pupil abusers is about to be released from prison.

More than 4.5 million school-age children have been subjected to some form of sexual behaviour from teachers or other adults meant to be looking after them, said the first official research commissioned by the US government's education department.

DU thread here
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x693702

[leftofthedial]

9. Bush is a liar

I'm surprised they didn't just make up whatever quote they needed.

You know, ala Raygun.

[skypilot]

10. Bush is ticked off because...

...there are Cuban prostitutes out there that are smarter than he is.

[Judi Lynn]

11. Here's something worth considering:

Another ploy for votes by Bush
July 22, 2004

THE ARTICLE "Bush assails Cuba over sex trade" (Page A5, July 17) exposes yet another distortion within the foreign policy of the Bush administration.

While human trafficking, forced labor, and sexual exploitation are serious international issues, Bush's address in Florida was nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to sway a few more hard-liners among Cuban-American voters in a key swing state.

The charge that Fidel Castro welcomes sex tourism is either patently false or grossly exaggerated. Bush's own State Department has failed to substantiate such charges.
(snip/...)

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/letters/articles/2004/07/22/another_ploy_for_votes_by_bush/

[oasis]

12. Chimpy excels in ignorance. He actually becomes dumber from information.

[Tommy_Douglas]

13. The even bigger point from Castro that's missed...

Is maybe these educated women wouldn't have to resort to prostitution if the United States would allow Cuba to become part of the world community and lift their ridiculous embargos.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

15. Totally off topic, but what's the Bushboy doing

wearing a Yale doctoral gown, when he went there only for his undergraduate work? And he's not even fully in uniform, since he should be wearing a mortarboard.

The Yale undergraduates wear plain black gowns to receive their B.A.s.

As the holder of an earned Yale Ph.D., I know what I'm talking about.

[Jacobin]

16. Has Nevada seceded from the union?

I thought certain counties in Nevada welcomed sex-tourists.

:shrug:

Surely the media will pick up on the hypocrisy...........(nevermind)

[BaysideLiberal]

17. Time to go on a road trip

Heading to Nevada ASAP

[muriel_volestrangler]

18. Do you get the feeling that Bush surfs the internet

doing searches for 'sex' or 'prostitutes'?

[Judi Lynn]

19. WELL, NOW! He who laughs last, will laugh best, (& loudest) I'm sure!

Experts in sex slavery say Vermont case fits pattern of nationwide problem
Friday July 23, 2004
By WILSON RING
Associated Press Writer
ESSEX JUNCTION, Vt. (AP) The regulars at the Park Place Tavern weren't surprised when police raided what is being described as an Asian brothel in a small house across their shared driveway.

But they were surprised when news reports linked the now-closed Tokyo Spa and two other health clubs in the area to what police say is an international prostitution ring that smuggled Asian women into the United States and made them sex slaves.

``We joked about it here all the time,'' said Sandy Maloney, who lives in an apartment complex out back.

Maloney said she watched as older men driving expensive out-of-state sport utility vehicles visited the Tokyo Spa at all hours.

Experts in sexual slavery say the Vermont case fits the pattern of a problem that is reaching into the smallest corners of the country.
(snip/...)

http://cbsnewyork.com/national/InternationalProstitu-aa/resources_news_html

[daleo]

21. Perhaps George Bush's other source was Neil Bush

What with him being an acknowledged connoisseur (in a legal document, no less) of international prostitution.

[Judi Lynn]

22. Kick!

:kick: :kick: :kick:

[Hobarticus]

23. Give 'im enough rope, and he'll hang himself.

Wow, this is dumb. The man should never be allowed near a mic again.