Destination: Cuba

President Bush has set his sites on demolishing a communist dictator that is disrupting his life.

You’re saying to yourself, Kemp is writing about North Korea’s 'K'razy Kim.

Wrong!

I’m talking about Cuban President Fidel Castro.

Rather than worrying about nuclear proliferation in Iran and North Korea, Dubya is focusing on Cuba…

Great, just great. Because Cuba has nukes, right?

They don’t??

They’re a breeding ground for terrorists, right?

They’re not??

They’re impeding our economy, right?

No?
Well, for whatever reason, “President” Bush is approving an additional 80 million dollars to help foster Cuban democracy and pressure President Fidel Castro into resigning? (Castro and his government are describing the effort as “embarrassing,” though the adjective inane works as well…)

The new program (anointed with the “Afterschool Special”-esque title of “Compact with the People of Cuba,”) throws in an additional 80 million dollars on top of the 70 million dollars that is slated to be spent throughout 2007 and 2008.

The program is designed to “build support for transition to a legitimate, democratic government.”

Why is $80 million more needed? Castro has won, plain and simple. We as a country have tried to assassinate him (with Marx Brothers-like results), have attempted ill-advised and poorly executed invasions, and imposed sanction and embargos that have done nothing to stem Castro’s popularity or his power.

He’s won.

And to add more humiliation, many Cuban/Castro dissidents have their own opinions about the programs; it won’t work.

Some dissidents have stated that they fear the program could compromise their movement's independence. Elizardo Sanchez, a human rights activist stated: “I have no doubt about the intentions of the report's editors, but I believe it is another example of Washington's views and initiatives on Cuba that have a rather counter-productive effect.”

Wonderfully put.

Another anti-Castro dissident, Oscar Espinosa Chepe, stated to AFP; “We are not in absolute accord with any foreign government's views on what Cubans must do. I believe Cubans have to be the ones who solve our problems, and any interference serves to complicate the situation. We are thankful for the solidarity we have received from North America, Europe and elsewhere, but we request that they do not meddle in our country.”

Rather than take up the task of ousting Castro and bringing democracy to Cuba, perhaps the current administration could, I don’t know, finish their job in Iraq, find Osama bin Laden, talk North Korea and Iran out of their love for all things nuclear, stabilize the economy, fix Gitmo, and

Maybe Bush should listen to the proletariat and not do anything to Cuba and let the winds of change that worked so well in the USSR and Germany (and are starting to work in China) reach Cuba and allow the Cuban people the opportunity to change themselves.

Maybe I’m not being rationale, maybe I’m missing the point, or maybe I’ve become a blathering idiot…

Oh well, either way, I’m still smarter than you-know-who...