US Republican Rep Criticizes Bush's New Plans For Cuba

[Say_What]

<clips>

WASHINGTON (AP)--A Republican congressman criticized President George W. Bush's newly announced measures to hasten an end to communist Cuba, saying Friday that restrictions against the island nation had failed to bring about democratic change there.

"For more than 40 years now, our Cuba policy has had the same effect as beating our head against a wall," Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., said in a statement. "By tightening enforcement of the travel ban, we will essentially just be beating it harder."

Bush announced new measures earlier Friday and said the U.S. would step up enforcement of existing restrictions against the island. Bush directed Secretary of State Colin Powell and Cuban-born Housing Secretary Mel Martinez to recommend ways to achieve a transition to democracy in Cuba after 44 years of rule by Fidel Castro.

Flake urged Bush to reconsider his decision.

"After more than 40 years, Castro's grip on the island is as tight as ever," he said, adding that "At some point, we need to concede that our current approach has failed and try something new."

http://framehosting.dowjonesnews.com/sample/samplestory.asp?StoryID=2003101018450004&Take=1

[Mika]

1. Lies

"After more than 40 years, Castro's grip on the island is as tight as ever"

What utter nonsense. Typical repug line. Castro is 1/603 of the Cuban National Assembly, where the real power is in Cuba now. Castro is an old man who gives speeches.

Problem is, VERY few Americans are aware of this because very few have been to Cuba to actually check this out. I have.

[Suspicious]

4. If Bush and his propaganda

army have anything to say about it, even fewer Americans will be aware of this, as his Department of Homeland Security is tapped to head up the enforcement of travel bans and the crackdown on "illegal tourism". :eyes:

[MissMarple]

5. So, tell us about the National Assembly. This could be a good thing.

What power do they have, and what are they doing with it. And, I understand this could be a difficult environment, no miracles expected.

[Mika]

7. It is the Cuban parliament, all reps are elected

Some 1998 stats
http://www.cubapolidata.com/gpc/gpc_national_assembly.html


More on the Cuban National Assembly
http://members.attcanada.ca/~dchris/CubaFAQ009.html


{the numbers mentioned here are from the 1993 elections}
http://www.poptel.org.uk/cuba-solidarity/democracy.htm

This system in Cuba is based upon universal adult suffrage for all those aged 16 and over. Nobody is excluded from voting, except convicted criminals or those who have left the country. Voter turnouts have usually been in the region of 95% of those eligible .

There are direct elections to municipal, provincial and national assemblies, the latter represent Cuba's parliament.

Electoral candidates are not chosen by small committees of political parties. No political party, including the Communist Party, is permitted to nominate or campaign for any given candidates. Instead the candidates are nominated by grass roots assemblies and by electoral commissions comprising representatives of all the mass organisations.
The municipal elections are the cornerstone of Cuba's political structure. They comprise delegates who have great authority amongst the local population and who are elected for reasons of known integrity, intelligence, hard work and honesty.

The elections to the provincial and national assemblies (Cuba's regional and national parliaments) follow a different procedure. For deputies to the national assembly the nominating process involves proposals from the municipal councils.

In addition to receiving nominations from different organisations and institutions, the candidacy commissions carry out an exhaustive process of consultation before drawing up a final slate. In the February 1993 elections they consulted more than 1.5 million people and established a pool of between 60 and 70 thousand potential candidates before narrowing it down to 589.

I was in Cuba during the 1997-98 election season.

The reason more Americans don't know that Cubans vote for their representatives is because so few go to Cuba, and there is a virtual news blackout of Cuba news in the USA (that would work against the BFEE propaganda).

[Judi Lynn]

8. That's right

Almost everything we get from U.S. media about Cuba itself has already been heavily spun.

It's always exceptional and delightful when something slips through which hasn't been written or edited to please right-wing extremist audiences.

[NewJerseyDem]

9. Don't the candidates run unopposed?

That doesn't sound very democratic to me.

[Mika]

11. Nope

There are some districts that do have single candidates who run unopposed, just like some offices in the US.

There are ratification elections that require 50% +1 of the vote to confirm the popular support for the candidate elected from among the nominees. These ratification elections are the elections that the US propaganda machine distorts as the unopposed electorial process in Cuba. Not so. IF the candidate is not ratified with 50% +1 of the vote, then the nomination and election process must take place within 6 weeks, for another ratification election.


http://www.poptel.org.uk/cuba-solidarity/democracy.htm
(1993 numbers)

the candidates are nominated by grass roots assemblies and by electoral commissions comprising representatives of all the mass organisations.
The municipal elections are the cornerstone of Cuba's political structure. They comprise delegates who have great authority amongst the local population and who are elected for reasons of known integrity, intelligence, hard work and honesty.

The elections to the provincial and national assemblies (Cuba's regional and national parliaments) follow a different procedure. For deputies to the national assembly the nominating process involves proposals from the municipal councils.

In addition to receiving nominations from different organisations and institutions, the candidacy commissions carry out an exhaustive process of consultation before drawing up a final slate. In the February 1993 elections they consulted more than 1.5 million people and established a pool of between 60 and 70 thousand potential candidates before narrowing it down to 589.

Its not the same as American republican democracy, but then.. nothing else in the world is. Most of the world's democracies are parliamentary variants, like Cuba's.


{on edit: I usually get flamed for posting such "outrageous" statements. I don't care. I've been to Cuba many times. I've seen Cubans participate in their body politic in mass numbers. I've seen Cubans vote. I've seen the paper ballots counted in public. I've watched Cuban TV, and listened to Cuban radio, and read many Cuban newspapers and magazines with great interest. I have learned in Cuba, and taught. I have many Cuban friends in Cuba. I am not impressed by the Castrophobes who know only US propaganda generated by the ex Cuban Batista supporting so called "exiles".}

[NewJerseyDem]

15. Well, I'm not so sure about that

"In addition to receiving nominations from different organisations and institutions, the candidacy commissions carry out an exhaustive process of consultation before drawing up a final slate. In the February 1993 elections they consulted more than 1.5 million people and established a pool of between 60 and 70 thousand potential candidates before narrowing it down to 589."

So, there are only 589 candidates. I thought there were 601 spots on the national assembly. How does that work?

The BBC doesn't seem to think there is much democracy there. And freedom of the press doesn't seem to exist.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/country_profiles/1203299.stm

Since the fall of the US-backed dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista in 1959, Cuba has been a one-party state led by Mr Castro, who exercises control over virtually all aspects of Cuban life through the Communist Party and its affiliated mass organisations, the government bureaucracy and the state security apparatus

The Cuban media is tightly controlled by the government and journalists must operate within the confines of laws against anti-government propaganda and the insulting of officials which carry penalties of up to three years in prison.

[Mika]

16. The numbers are from different years

I thought that I pointed out that the links are from different years.

589 in 1993
601 in 1998
607 in 2003 (I think I said 603 in a prior post.. my slip up)

Population increases create reapportionment with new districts every 5 years.


BBC spouts the disinfo too

Here are some of the major parties in Cuba. The union parties hold the majority of seats in the Assembly.

http://www.gksoft.com/govt/en/cu.html

* Partido Comunista de Cuba (PCC) {Communist Party of Cuba}
* Partido Demócrata Cristiano de Cuba (PDC) {Christian Democratic Party of Cuba} - Oswaldo Paya's Catholic party
* Partido Solidaridad Democrática (PSD) {Democratic Solidarity Party}
* Partido Social Revolucionario Democrático Cubano {Cuban Social Revolutionary Democratic Party}
* Coordinadora Social Demócrata de Cuba (CSDC) {Social Democratic Coordination of Cuba}
* Unión Liberal Cubana {Cuban Liberal Union}

I've read some of the campaign literature from most of those parties, but there are independent candidates too.


Plenty of info on this long thread,
http://www.democraticunderground.com/cgi-bin/duforum/duboard.cgi?az=show_thread&om=6300&forum=DCForumID70



Representative Fidel Castro was elected to the National Assembly as a representative of District #7 Santiago de Cuba.
He is one of the elected 607 representatives in the Cuban National Assembly. It is from that body that the head of state is nominated and then elected. Raul Castro, Carlos Large, and Ricardo Alarcon and others were among the nominated last year. President Castro has been elected to that position since 1976.

http://www.bartleby.com/65/do/Dorticos.html

Dorticós Torrado, Osvaldo

1919–83, president of Cuba (1959–76). A prosperous lawyer, he participated in Fidel Castro’s revolutionary movement and was imprisoned (1958). He escaped and fled to Mexico, returning to Cuba after Castro’s triumph (1959). As minister of laws (1959) he helped to formulate Cuban policies. He was appointed president in 1959. Intelligent and competent, he wielded considerable influence. In 1976 the Cuban government was reorganized, and Castro assumed the title of president; Dorticós was named a member of the council of state.

The Cuban government was reorganized (approved by popular vote) into a variant parliamentary system in 1976.


Am I saying that Cuba has attained nirvana? Nope. Cuba is poor & Cubans are poor, but they participate and vote for their representatives in vast percentages.

[beanball]

2. A transition to democracy

what a novel idea,Mr.resident can we have a bit of that democracy?

[wabeewoman]

3. Politics as usual

I wondered about the timing of this when I heard it on the radio. Then the reporter said how the Florida Cubans were pleased. Ah ha. And in the paper today, it had bush's kickoff for his campaign. Ties it all together doesn't it??? No matter what the question, the answer if political in this WH.

[Judi Lynn]

6. The "she-wolf" should live it up now

once the embargo's gone, she's out of a job! Without Cuba to kick around anymore, she'll have to start living as if she were an honest citizen.

If you can read THIS in The Voice of America's site, you can be sure that SOMETHING'S going on. Wooo Hooooooo! :bounce: (hop, hop)

(snip) Americas Support to Lift Cuba Travel Restrictions Appears to be Growing in US Congress
Deborah Tate
Washington
10 Oct 2003, 23:15 UTC

Listen to Deborah Tate's report (RealAudio)
Tate report - Download 481k (RealAudio)

Support for ending U.S. travel restrictions to Cuba appears to be growing in the U.S. Congress, despite President Bush's vow Friday to tighten enforcement of them.

A number of lawmakers, Democrats and Republicans alike, are calling for abolishing restrictions on U.S. travel to Cuba. They argue that more contacts between American and Cuban citizens will help spur democratic change in the Communist-ruled island nation.


Last month, the House of Representatives passed legislation aimed at easing the travel restrictions, by denying the Bush administration the funds to enforce them.

The U.S. Senate in the coming weeks is to take up a similar bill, despite the threat of a presidential veto. (snip/...)

~~~~ link ~~~~

On edit:
The link doesn't take you to the article, for some reason. You'll need to scroll down the page to the article "Americas Support to Lift Cuba Travel Restrictions Appears to be Growing in US Congress."

[Swede]

10. Today Air Canada announced 15 more weekly flights

to Havana.

[Judi Lynn]

13. You don't SAY!

That news is sublime, especially as the pResident kicks off his "Get Rougher and Nastier With Cuba" campaign.


Bush standing in front of Cuba's flag, in yet ANOTHER visit to Miami

[Judi Lynn]

12. Here's a horrendously simple time-line published by BBC News

to help clue in unknowledgeable people on US/Cuba relations. It would really be better if people started reading, themselves, and in a hurry to avoid being totally screwed and vulnerable to appalling propaganda from the right-wing extremists who are interested in controlling Cuba.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3182150.stm

You can start anywhere, just like any of the rest of us who suddenly realized we knew NOTHING about Cuba when the crude, sly Miami Cuban Americans tried to keep Elián Gonzalez from returning to his father, brother, step-mother, cousins, grandparents, neighbors, and school-mates.

[lovedems]

14. Bush's PNAC neocons are expanding their plans!

OMG, Afganistan is a mess, Iraq is a mess, now we are going to fuck up another country! It's like a toot and scoot, when you fart and leave the scene. That is all we are doing, going in farting on a country and running away before the smell gets to nasty.

[Judi Lynn]

17. Interesting Census Bureau stats on Cuban "exiles" & families

(snip) US Census Bureau. Facts about Cuban American:
Cuban Americans have acquired an enormous amount of wealth and prosperity in an extremely short period of time; no other immigrant group has achieved this as quickly as the Cubans. Many immigrants have never achieved it at all, despite being in this country far longer than Cubans.

Second-generation Cuban-Americans were more educated than even Anglo-Americans. More than 26.1% of second-generation Cuban-Americans had a bachelor's degree or better versus 20.6% of Anglos. Thus Cuban-Americans in 1997 were approximately 25% more likely to have a college degree than Anglos.

Other Hispanic groups lag far behind. Only 18.1% of South Americans had a bachelor's or better. Puerto Ricans, despite being U.S. citizens by birth, recorded a disappointing 11%; Mexicans only 7%.

In 1997, 55.1% of second-generation Cuban-Americans had an income greater than $30,000 versus 44.1% of Anglo- Americans. Thus Cuban-Americans are approximately 20% more likely to earn more than $30,000 than their Anglo-American counterparts. All other Hispanic groups lag far behind in average income. (snip/...)

http://www.autentico.org/oa09629.html

What this short article DOESN'T mention is the long list of benefits which the U.S. offers to Cuban immigrants, through the Cuban Adjustment Act and to NO OTHER IMMIGRANT GROUP.

This includes Section 8 housing, Medicare, food stamps, education assistance, instant legal status, free green card, low cost loans, etc., etc., etc.! Grotesque, when you consider the hundreds of people who die annually in the desert or drown trying to reach the U.S. from South and Central America and Mexico, trying to enter through Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. What about the horrendous trip Haitians attempt, often dying in the effort, to make the 600 mile trip only to be rounded up and returned, like Mexicans if they are EVER noticed.

Pathetic. End the Cuban Adjustment Act. Better yet, why not explain the Cuban Adjustment Act to Americans and LET US VOTE ON it since it involves MILLIONS annually of our own taxes. Now THAT'S DEMOCRACY!

Interested in reading something inspirational, like Miami's Miriam Alonso's contribution to her host country? She's not a unique example of certain "exiles" making themselves at home here.
http://www.rose-hulman.edu/~delacova/exile/alonso-informant.htm

[Mika]

18. Their success shows the benefits of socialism

"What this short article DOESN'T mention is the long list of benefits which the U.S. offers to Cuban immigrants, through the Cuban Adjustment Act and to NO OTHER IMMIGRANT GROUP.
This includes Section 8 housing, Medicare, food stamps, education assistance, instant legal status, free green card, low cost loans, etc., etc., etc.! Grotesque, when you consider the hundreds of people who die annually in the desert or drown trying to reach the U.S. from South and Central America and Mexico, trying to enter through Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. What about the horrendous trip Haitians attempt, often dying in the effort, to make the 600 mile trip only to be rounded up and returned, like Mexicans if they are EVER noticed."


1) Recent Cuban arrivals have benefitted from the high quality socialized education in Cuba, thereby rendering them more capable of undertaking education and work.

2) Combined with their socialized underwritten education both in Cuba and in the USA, Cuban immigrants succeed in the US because they are handed out the socialized benefits that no other immigrant group is.


Modern Cuban immigrants come to the USA for a higher level of socialism IN THE USA than in Cuba, available only to Cuban "exiles" at US taxpayer expense.

The stats of Cuban-Americans is further proof that socialized underwriting (socialism) improves their lot.

Ironic?

[9215]

19. Cuba is an island under seige

for over 40 years. They are essentially on a permanent war footing due to US interference and the Cuban Mafia agitations. How can they be expected to democratize under such circumstances? They cannot be. And maybe this is the reason why the BFEE seeks to heighten tensions, to force Cuba to further curtail freedom.


The Most Dreaded Enemy of Liberty
James Madison, August 1793

Of all the enemies to public liberty war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded, because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes; and armies, and debts, and taxes are the known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few. In war, too, the discretionary power of the Executive is extended; its influence in dealing out offices, honors, and emoluments is multiplied; and all the means of seducing the minds, are added to those of subduing the force, of the people. . . . inequality of fortunes, and the opportunities of fraud, growing out of a state of war, and . . . degeneracy of manners and of morals. . . .

No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare. . . .

[Say_What]

20. Despite the never ending black opts by their ugly neighbor to the north,

Cuba has managed to feed, educate, provide healthcare and housing to their population. Quite remarkable when you look into their achievements. Clearly, the Cuban Revolution made people their priority. The 1960 Literacy Campaign (anounced by Fidel Castro at the UN) was one of their first projects. Imagine what they would have accomplished had it not been the unending intervention and terrorism from the US. From the CIA World Factbook:

Life expectancy: 76.8 years
Literacy: 97%
Infant mortality rate: 7.15 deaths/1,000 live births
Unemployment rate: 4.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS (people living with) 3,200 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS (deaths) 120 (2001 est.)

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/cu.html

---

Contrasted to what life was like under US *democratic* dictator Batista:

<clips>

A weekly news magazine, Revista Carteles, reports that twenty members of the Batista government own numbered Swiss bank accounts, each with deposits of more than $1 million.

American firms make profits of $77 million from their Cuban investments, while employing little more than 1 percent of the country's population.

By the late 1950’s, American capital control:
90% of Cuba’s mines
80% of its public utilities
50% of its railways
40% of its sugar production
25% of its bank deposits

http://www.historyofcuba.com/history/time/timetbl3.htm

---

Prior to the revolution, hunger was a fact of life in rural areas, where some 1.5 million people (25% of the population) struggled to survive.

<clips>

Peasants joined Castro's rebel army in droves because they had nothing to lose:

• 75% of rural dwellings were huts made from palm trees.

• More than 50% had no toilets of any kind.

• 85% had no inside running water.

• 91% had no electricity.

• There was only 1 doctor per 2,000 people in rural areas.

• More than one-third of the rural population had intestinal parasites.

• Only 4% of Cuban peasants ate meat regularly; only 1% ate fish, less than 2% eggs, 3% bread, 11% milk; none ate green vegetables.

• The average annual income among peasants was $91 (1956), less than 1/3 of the national income per person.

• 45% of the rural population was illiterate; 44% had never attended a school.

http://www.thegully.com/essays/cuba/000305cubastats59.html