As in life, the death of Fidel Castro invokes controversy. Many in Miami are celebrating his death while some others mourn it. There are condemnation of him from leaders. But there was also admiration such as that expressed by Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada. Trudeau called Castro a great leader for his people who improved literacy and healthcare in Cuba. While it is true that for a third world country, Cuba did accomplished a lot under Castro in terms of education and healthcare, it is wrong to simply admired him for these accomplishments. If you are going to mention the good, you must mention the bad. Castro was a brutal dictator who killed many of his enemies. Like many dictators, he also ran the country's economy to the ground. So I have a lot of trouble with Trudeau's eulogy of Castro.
On the other hand, Marco Rubio and other conservatives not only criticized Trudeau but also criticized Obama for not mentioning the crimes that Castro committed. The difference is that Obama did not call Castro a great or even good leader for his country. He did not list Castro's accomplishments like Trudeau did nor expressed any admiration. He simply mentioned that this is a passing of an era and that the American people look forward to work with the Cuban people to improve relationships. It is similar to the statement made by president Ford upon the death of Mao Zedong. There is no point to rehashing the negative on a day that someone died. It would not help China-U.S. relations by calling out the failures and crimes of Mao. Nor does it help Cuba-U.S. relations going forward by mentioning the failures and crimes of Castro. I think both Ford and Obama did the right thing.
Sunday, November 27, 2016
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I wasn't sure what Obama would say about the Castro. It was quite diplomatic. Do you remember if they met when Obama was in Cuba? I was disappointed to see Trump's statement on Cuba. Though most of it is true, he needs to be more diplomatic. Especially with a new era about to take place there. I think there's more good than bad with having a cordial relationship with Cuba.
ReplyDeleteI am no way a Castro fan and most of Cuba's troubles are in thanks to him. He lied about being in bed with the Soviets while assuring the Americans that he would not take control of the country. This sounds a little familiar by the way. So I don't get why you would go hard line on Cuba after the main bad guy is now gone. Could be a negotiating ploy or just bad choice of words.
It'll be interesting to see how this all shakes out. I would think that the Cubans want a better relationship with the Americans and vice versa. I would like to visit Cuba in the future too. So time will tell. Hopefully not too long into the future!
-LBOAYM
I don't think Obama met Castro when he visited. Fidel has been sick for a long time. It makes no sense to be undiplomatic about this since Fidel's brother is still in charge. I think he may keep Fidel's policy mostly intact anyway but it would not hurt to extend a hand to Cuba at this time. It will make it easier when the brother dies eventually.
ReplyDeleteIf you have the money you can go to Cuba now. My sister in law and her husband went there earlier this year and really liked it. ABC News showed the first flight by American Airlines out of Havana today. Just like a prosperous China is better for world peace, a prosperous Cuba will be better for the Americas.