Polarization on display at Cuba forums

[Say_What]

<clips>

From afar, Miami seems like a place where there is little disagreement over United States policy on Cuba -- it is as intransigent as the views of the hard-line Cuban exiles toward the island's communist government.

But a closer examination of the city reveals that even in the Cuban-American community, people are softening their stance on Cuba. For sure, recent polls suggest that most Cuban-Americans support politicians who back current policy toward Cuba and the four-decade U.S. embargo of the island. But many are willing to listen to other views, something unheard-of only a decade ago.

In that spirit, two separate conferences on Cuba will take place Saturday at the historic Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables.

The Florida National Summit on Cuba, organized by the World Policy Institute's Cuba Project and Cuban-Americans who oppose the U.S. embargo, will feature former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, whom analysts think will suggest a different approach to relations with Cuba.

<http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/miami/sfl-dgorbachev28sep28,0,127939.story?coll=sfla-news-miami>

[Judi Lynn]

1. Two important Cuba-related events in Miami the same day.

That should be interesting.

What's your guess Noriega's news will be concerning _Bush's Cuba policy?

The OTHER meeting sounds far more lively and interesting:

(snip) Like the 2002 conference, participants in this year's summit include activists, public officials and scholars who will discuss the effect of U.S. policy toward Cuba and changing views on the policy. U.S. Rep. William Delahunt, D-Mass. and U.S. Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., who have led the effort in Congress to ease restrictions on travel and trade, will again be featured speakers. But the main attraction will be Gorbachev, who set in motion the events that led to the breakup of the Soviet Union.

"President Gorbachev had a longstanding interest in Cuba," said Lissa Weinmann, director of the Cuba Project at the New York-based World Policy Institute. "He has a lot of experience working with the Cuban government. It's undeniable he brings historic perspective about change that will be very informative for our Miami audience."
(snip)

I noticed they drug out anti-Cuba James Suchliki, as always, to give just the rabid right-wing touch. It'd be fantastic if they could simply write articles about Cuban affairs without dragging in far right opinion every time, don't you think?

This sounds like one memorable day in Miami. Can't wait to hear the upshot.

[Say_What]

2. Noriega will bring a few more bones for el exilie

is my take. Meanwhile, trade with the island continues and Brazil is pumping plenty of dinero into Cuba's tourism industry. While the rest of the world moves ahead with Cuba, the US is getting shut out--politics as usual in the USSA. November's approaching. This will mark the 12th year in a row that the UN General Assembly has overwhelmingly voted against the Cuban embargo.

[Billy Burnett]

3. You can't spell scum without UM

Jaime Suchlicki is the director of the Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American studies, which is NED funded.
Its the home of Casa Bacardi. :crazy:
Its the home of a CIA media psyops school.

http://www.miami.edu/iccas/



http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=%22Jaime+Suchlicki%22

[Judi Lynn]

4. UN-BE-LEEV-ABBLE. Casa Bacardi?

I had heard about the opening to the new facilities, Billy Burnett, but had not envisioned anything this elaborate. Good grief! Someone's plowed a fortune into it.

All that, and a CIA media psyops schol, as well!

Actually, the CIA has been in Miami since the 1950's, hasn't it? As in, BIG TIME?


From that site:
The Cuba Transition Project (CTP) is an important and timely project to study and make recommendations for the reconstruction of Cuba once the post-Castro transition begins in earnest. The transitions in Central and Eastern Europe, Nicaragua,and Spain are being analyzed and lessons drawn for the future of Cuba. The project started in January 2002 and is funded by a grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Unbelievable. They're very open about it, aren't they?



Suchlicki