Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio, the first Cuban-America ever elected to the post, released a statement showing why Obama is wrong on siting down with Castro.
"I support the current U.S. policy against Cuba, including the travel ban for most Americans. I also recognize that some people may respectfully disagree with my support of these limitations on Americans visiting Cuba.
In my view, however, there should be no disagreement with the fact that under no circumstances should the U.S. negotiate the future of Cuba with Raul and Fidel Castro. The Castros do not govern officially over a foreign state; such a view would be naïve and, to many, even offensive. They do not govern, they dictate, and the result is tyranny because they have never had the consent of, nor have they been elected by, the people they control.
Negotiation with the Castros would violate that most precious of all American beliefs that the only power government can possess is the power that the people consent to bestow.
The United States is the great single beacon of hope for Cuba.
We must ask: 'What type of message do we send if an American President sits across a table from a tyrant like Raul Castro?'"
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Comments: 14
Second he says "Negotiation with the Castros would violate that most precious of all American beliefs that the only power government can possess is the power that the people consent to bestow" He is a little mixed up. Cuba is a dictatorship, dictators dictate. America is a Republic. He thinks we can impose our form of government on Cuba before establishing relationships again. He is WRONG we have no business insisting they be anything but what they are.
When the Cuban people rise up and kick the dictator into the ocean and establish a different form or government fine. Don't be suprised if it is not modeled after ours, ours is not working too well lately.
It is foolhardy to continue ignoring a nation whose citizens offer our country a tremendous cultural alliance. We're friends with other Communist countries, aren't we?
By the way, our state's governor is sitting with the McCain camp this weekend, auditioning for the presumptive VP.
Curioser and curioser. . .
That we have finally ousted the Republican Cowboy and are ready to behave like adults?
Your hero, the Cuban/American Speaker of the Florida House is EXACTLY what Americans have always opposed. A politician who uses the power of government to restrict the movement and pursuit of happiness of other Americans. HE HAS NO INHERENT RIGHT TO TELL ME WHERE I MAY OR MAY NOT GO. Neither do you, or any other persons. If I am free, I am FREE. If you have and exercise the power to restrict my freedom I AM NOT FREE.
The Speaker's opinion is just that, an opinion. As the Speaker noted there are plenty of people with differing opinions. All opinions should be put on the table and all workable solutions evaluated.
What strikes me as curious is how anyone can say that the US policy on Cuba for the last 50 years has been "successful." During that time Castro remained in power, the Cuban people remained poor and oppressed, and many people died trying to escape. I wonder what our criteria for "success" are for Cuba? And are we measuring success on a geologic scale or a generational scale? After 50 years of no change wouldn't it make sense that with Fidel stepping down we have an opportunity to find a more effective policy? Or at least define what an "effective policy" toward Cuba actually means?
Guess I'm swimming against the current here but trying to accommodate our constantly shifting list of those who claim to be friends is senseless. There has never been many on that list who can be claimed to be true friends, most float in or out depending on if they need us or not. Judging our foreign policy by the standards of nations who only claim to be friends when they're a)invaded, b)threatened with invasion, c)want foreign aid, d)want immigration access for their surplus populations, e) need us to lower our tariffs while maintaining theirs, and f) want a place to safely criticize us while using our 'horrible' medical system is pointless.