Thursday, November 20, 2008

Condi Rice, off the reservation?

Castro biographer Georgie Anne Geyer – no fan of Castro, and if you read her column, no fan of Bush either – argues that a “change in Cuban policy by the new administration would signal a huge change in American attitudes toward the entire world.”

Geyer might have got her wish, under the Bush Administration, according to Washington Post columnist Jim Hoagland.He reports that Secretary of State Rice considered upgrading relations with Havana.Hoagland’s wording is imprecise about timing and conditions, but it sounds as if the idea was to normalize relations, turn the Interests Section into an Embassy, and send a U.S. ambassador – but her idea was shot down in the White House.

5 comments:

surprising that Geyer feels that way...and encouraging. her bio of Castro is scathing yet informative. Too bad Rice was shot down. this would be the best thing that W could do for Obama and for our national interests. It's insane that a piss ant country that is dirt poor gets so much of our attention. Once the embargo is gone it will recede to it's proper place.

I actually partly agree with you there Cardinal. Once the embargo is gone, I don't think you will see China and Russia lining up to do business and get photos ops in Havana all the time like they have been of late. Part of Cuba's outsized political footprint is undoubtedly related to its anti-imperialist position vis-a-vis the US. If the US comes around and begins working with Cuba and Cuba reciprocrates with some reforms, the symbolic importance will be lessened (but not all the way diminished). I think good relations with Cuba is also seen as a door into the energy economies of Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador.

you're absolutely right - it is insane that a tiny little country like Cuba get so much attention in American foreign policy matters. Normalize things and let the two countries deal with things as they should be dealt with. Enough with this stupidity.

So Bush said no. Condo thought it was the righ move, and she was probably right. But Bush thought, and he probably has info which Condi does not have, that it was not in anyone's best interest to upgrade relations. Castro probably felt releived upon learning of Bush's decision. He probably said: "I knew W would not let me down". Well, things change and someone makes the determination that normalizing relations is what is in order, relations will be normalized. I am all for it. I am tired of this non-sense. I am Cuban and I demand an end to this farce!