Obama condemns Cuba's 'clenched fist' repression

[naaman fletcher]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8586886.stm

The US president has urged Cuba to respect the rights of its people, condemning it for treating its citizens with a "clenched fist".

He also urged "the immediate, unconditional release of all political prisoners in Cuba and for the respect for the basic rights of the Cuban people".

[bif]

1. I was down there last month.

Here are my observations. He doesn't rule its citizens with a clenched fist, like in the old Soviet Era. He keeps the people down by paying them just enough to get by. And there's very little news from the outside world. Plus, almost no-one has access to the internet, so there's little dialogue with the rest of the world. Sad place. Hopefully things will change when Fidel dies.

[DatManFromNawlins]

2. First rule of a coup

Is to eliminate anyone who might be a threat to your own power.

Socialist dictators tend to do this by keeping the people artificially impoverished while claiming it's "rationing."

[Better Believe It]

9. Where did you read that nonsense about Cuba and/or socialists?

[protocol rv]

10. Well, in my case I talk to Cubans from Cuba

What one hears is fairly grim. They lack freedom, are afraid to speak out, the government has informers everywhere, they can't publish papers or write much agaisnt the government, it's impossible to march agaisnt the government, protests are repressed using violent means, and the government intends to keep power no matter what, there's no provision for change of government. On top of that, they're very poor, their buildings are crumbling, there's a lot of stealing and corruption, and nothing works - they have lack of running water, frequent power cuts. They live from Venezuelan charity, and tourism, have to import most of their food because the agricultural system was nationalized and destroyed by the government, And they don't even get to go fishing much, because anybody with a boat takes off for Miami.

[Better Believe It]

12. Right-wing Cubans living in Florida?

That's the kind of b.s. one has come to expect from old right-wing Cubans who live in Florida.

[roody]

3. I also noticed that all the children are wanted.

Cubans enjoy full reproductive freedom and excellent sex education. Also class sizes are being reduced to 15 pupils per teacher. The people partying in the streets until 5 a.m. did not sound sad. They kept me awake.

[Wilms]

5. That's how it was described to me.

An upper middle class person saying there was a big part of her that didn't want to come back here.

Perfect? Hardly. As described to us? She says no.

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[SammyWinstonJack]

6. +1

:thumbsup:

[roody]

7. Obummer is busting my labor union also. No credibility.

[DissedByBush]

14. You are a labor union supporter? Don't go to Cuba.

You might like to know that organizing a labor union in Cuba is not allowed.

If you're lucky you'll just get fired, harassed or beaten.

If you're not, well, there are many in jail right now for trying to organize to protect the rights of the Cuban workers.

[Better Believe It]

8. What about Gitmo? Does human rights stop on American soil?

[protocol rv]

11. What about it?

I'm always amused by the way Americans think. Now please tell those of us who aren't from the USA, what about Guantanamo? Do you guys even realize you stole the land from the Cubans?

[Better Believe It]

13. One would think that human rights supporters would oppose the U.S. occupation in Gitmo and the ....

ongoing human rights absuses at that military installation.

[DissedByBush]

15. Gitmo is not "occupied"

It is leased from the Cuban government.

Unfortunately for Castro, the lease requires the agreement of both governments to break it.

[Better Believe It]

16. It was a leased imposed by an imperial power over Cuba, a virtual colony of the

United States until the Cuban revolution.

You didn't know that or are you just trying to justify it?

Cuba has been demanding the withdraw of U.S. forces from their nation for half a century.

And Cuba has refused to cash any of the lease checks from the United States.

[DissedByBush]

17. Cuba has cashed a check

That is acceptance of the treaty.

There is no treaty or law that invalidates the lease.

It is internationally legal, whether Castro likes it or not.

[Thothmes]

18. The Cuban Government cashed the American lease checks

from 1934 when the current lease was renegotiated, until the Cuban Revoluton.

[lib2DaBone]

19. Right-Wing Whack Job Marco Rubio is going to win Fla Gov.

...Florida already has the highest unemployment in the country at 12.2%.

What I can't figure out... what is the connection between Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush Real Estate Developer?

Or is the connection between Marco Rubio and Offshore drilling oil lobby?

Either way.. we lose....