Cuba offers help to aid US

[rockaway1836]

I try to stay away from political debates. Maybe because I am a bartender right now. However this topic has caught enough interest for me to feel I must comment. Castro is no dummy! It is my opinion that he has offered aid to the USA because he knows full well that we will not accept it. I am of the opinion that we should call his bluff and accept it. Let's just see what happens after that. History has proven that Cubans that come to the USA don't want to leave. It goes without saying that if he should send doctors and nurses, their credentials should be examined thoroughly. He has been known to empty his jails and send them our way.

 

[Matt]

This is no time to politicize an issue like this. The US should accept any help that is offered. This is an olive branch that should be accepted.

I like that olive branch

When the former pope went to his home - Poland - to talk with an "enemy" does anybody think, he went there because of his love of the then polish government?
When Gorbatschov opened the then UDSSR and the words "glasnost and perestroica" where in everybodies mind, does anybody think, that the conservative part in the UDSSR admired him for that?
When the former chancellor of Germany - Willy Brandy visited Poland and fell on his knees at the memorial in Warshaw for the victims of the Ghetto and asked in the name of Germany for forgiveness - do you think, that all germans loved him for that ? I am not talking about the old-new nazis, who never die out - unfortunately. The Conservative Parties in Germany accused him just for everything - including being a traitor etc.
When he later visited the then GDR ( German Democratic Republic) to open talks with them, do you think - everybody loved him for it?
Especially the former "East-Germans" , let me call them "exil-east-germans" for now - to make my point clearer - they hated him for it. Now I could go on with this list forever......what I mean is - wouldn't NOW be the time for an american president to take the Cuban hand? I know, a lot of "exil-cubans" will have a fit - and probably nobody, who is running for president - regardless what party - could afford to do it, when he/she is in the presidential election campaign.
Regardless if liked or not - President Bush will not run again - so he actually has an opportunity to do something nobody else could do.
Getting rid - or to change a government doesn't always need a fighting sword - Convincing people - countries by all other means - might bring way more success - saving more fathers and mothers from losing a kid in a war.
The positiv example of the former East-European countries, the people in all those former communist countries did prove it - or did they not?
Not natural disasters alone distroy human lives - I am afraid, if we don't change our attitude towards todays "strangers,foreigners, enemies- no natural disaster is necessary to destroy all of us!

 

[Matt]

I try to stay away from political debates. Maybe because I am a bartender right now. .

Would you serve me a drink please ?

 

[Matt]

Would you serve me a drink please ?

Sorry - I forgot - get yourself one too -
I have a "Cuba Libre"

 

[rockaway1836]

"The positiv example of the former East-European countries, the people in all those former communist countries did prove it - or did they not?"

Excuse me, but what fairytale news have you been watching? The former Soviet Block is full of trouble and has been since the day it fell. Have you forgotten about the attempted genocide in Bosnia? http://www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/genocide/bosnia.htm
Do you not read about the terrorists in Russia killing children and inoccent thearter goers? Are you even aware of the neo-nazi movement in Germany?

http://www.atsnn.com/story/119394.html MY GOD ! Wake up!
We are by no means perfect in this country! But there is no bed of roses in the rest of the world either.

 

[rockaway1836]

Would you serve me a drink please ?

Any time my man!

 

[Matt]

" MY GOD ! Wake up!
We are by no means perfect in this country! But there is no bed of roses in the rest of the world either.

At no point did I say anything about the problems now - I was referring to the changes and the arising possibilities then.
My arguments can't be that bad after all, since you didn't reply with one word about what I said.
By the way I consider myself as part of this country - the USA and have absolut no problem with it

 

[Chado]

Nigel brings up some valid points about the perception of our country from those on the outside looking in. While perception may not always be reality, it is a major problem that we should be concerned with.

 

[Chado]

I disagree. We need to be very careful who we accept aid from.

Ok maybe I am comparing apples to oranges here, but maybe we should be careful who we do business with as well... China, Saudi Arabia...

 

[rockaway1836]

At no point did I say anything about the problems now - I was referring to the changes and the arising possibilities then.
My arguments can't be that bad after all, since you didn't reply with one word about what I said.
By the way I consider myself as part of this country - the USA and have absolut no problem with it

Sorry, I don't buy it. The Pope's visit to his native Poland came because of a changing climate in European communism. It was the labor movement started by Lech Walensa that made that possible. Gorbachev on the other hand was a true maverick. But he didn't go from one extreme to the other. Things in the Soviet Union began to change as soon as he took office. Castro is a calculating opportunist. If you belive his offer is truly genuine, I have a bridge in Brooklyn that I would like you to take a look at. Oh, on a side note. I haven't heard any comments one way or the other about Mexico sending troops here to help. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/07/AR2005090700303.html

 

[Matt]

Sorry, I don't buy it. The Pope's visit to his native Poland came because of a changing climate in European communism. It was the labor movement started by Lech Walensa that made that possible. Gorbachev on the other hand was a true maverick. But he didn't go from one extreme to the other. Things in the Soviet Union began to change as soon as he took office. Castro is a calculating opportunist. If you belive his offer is truly genuine, I have a bridge in Brooklyn that I would like you to take a look at. Oh, on a side note. I haven't heard any comments one way or the other about Mexico sending troops here to help. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/07/AR2005090700303.html

ok - maybe it went both ways - and the pope used that chance.
If I believe Castros offer is genuine? - well he did make that offer very shortly after the disaster - and taking him by his words - would have been interesting to see the result, he probably knew, what the reply would be, reacting differently as he expected would be interesting. -----soooooo if you don't mind, I take a raincheck for your bridge in Brooklyn for now

Regarding Mexico - I like it - the way neighbors should act.

 

[rockaway1836]

Ok we will just keep that bridge in the inventory. How did you want that drink by the way? Staight up or on the Rocks? It's on me!

 

[Matt]

Ok we will just keep that bridge in the inventory. How did you want that drink by the way? Staight up or on the Rocks? It's on me!

are ever coming to Texas? If yes - make sure to let me know - I'd like that a lot !

 

[Van]

If you cant defeat your enemy through conventional means then defeat him through non conventional ways, communism has been brought down by embargo's, threats of war, peer pressure, and time. So why not try something new since nothing else has worked on cuba? Someone said that cuba has nothing the US wants but thats not the case is it if you go back to the early 60's during kennedies presidency and look at the cuban missle crisis. Sure you can say that modern technology allows our satellites to read the front of a match book cover from space but it doesnt allow them to see through the floor of a cargo ship thats headed to port. Cuba is a strategic location for an enemy force to launch a surface to surface atack as well as a surface to air atack, its also a great place to launch an atack on many of the refineries in the gulf coast region not to mention atacks on other shipping interests of all sorts.

Just because the cold war has ended ( atleast with us and russia ) doesnt mean that the threat has ended as well. The new faces of war sit behind computers, they also walk amongst us dressed as you and I, and they can easily fit in in many communities where the populace has skin thats olive or tan in apearance. Its better to keep an old enemy closer to you than you keep your friends now adays as you have no idea who your friends will be down the road when things get real tough.