Cuba, the U.S. and preconditions to meet
By
Alvaro F. Fernandez
The
issue of how the U.S. should deal with Cuba became a hot item in the
presidential sweepstakes last week. During a debate in Texas, Sen.
Barack Obama stated he would meet with Cuba’s new leader without
any set preconditions. Sen. Hillary Clinton disagreed and emphasized
that certain conditions had to be met by the Cuban government before
the U.S. would even consider the meeting. The following day
republican candidate, Sen. John McCain, jumped in, firing volleys at
Obama, and apparently siding with Clinton, calling the Illinois
senator soft and “naïve” when dealing with 
leaders of
“terrorist states.”
With
last week’s retirement of Cuban leader Fidel Castro, there has been
an explosion of thoughts as to what the U.S. should do or be doing in
Cuba. And for the first time in decades, the Cuba issue may become a
priority point of contention between all parties seeking the
presidency.
I
agree with Obama. Who are we to decide what anybody has to do before
sitting at a table for dialogue. It is this kind of arrogance that
has people around the world hating the U.S.
Al’s
Loupe Read Spanish Version
Cuba, the U.S. and preconditions to meet
By
Alvaro F. Fernandez
alfernandez@the-beach.net
The
issue of how the U.S. should deal with Cuba became a hot item in the
presidential sweepstakes last week. During a debate in Texas, Sen.
Barack Obama stated he would meet with Cuba’s new leader without
any set preconditions. Sen. Hillary Clinton disagreed and emphasized
that certain conditions had to be met by the Cuban government before
the U.S. would even consider the meeting. The following day
republican candidate, Sen. John McCain, jumped in, firing volleys at
Obama, and apparently siding with Clinton, calling the Illinois
senator soft and “naïve” when dealing with leaders of
“terrorist states.”
With
last week’s retirement of Cuban leader Fidel Castro, there has been
an explosion of thoughts as to what the U.S. should do or be doing in
Cuba. And for the first time in decades, the Cuba issue may become a
priority point of contention between all parties seeking the
presidency.
I
agree with Obama. Who are we to decide what anybody has to do before
sitting at a table for dialogue. It is this kind of arrogance that
has people around the world hating the U.S.
Sen.
Clinton seems to think that the fact she is a woman is enough to
define her as an agent of change — a popular word during these
elections. I don’t think so. More and more people view Mrs. Clinton
as a representative of the Washington establishment. And her
strong-arm tactics and calculated moments (remember her New Hampshire
tears…) are turning even some of her backers against the New York
senator. Her Cuba stand demonstrates that the only thing different
with her as a president would be the fact that she is
a woman.
Her
condition setting statement on Cuba was defined as “macho” by New
York Times columnist Maureen Dowd who wrote that “After so many
years when W. and Cheney stomped on the world and world glared back,
many Americans would like to see their government focus more on those
staples of female fiction: relationships and conversation.”
Dowd
went on to say, “She [Hillary] tried once more to cast Obama as a
weak sister on his willingness to talk to Raul Castro.
“Obama
tapped into his inner chick and turned the other cheek. To cheers, he
said, ‘I think that it’s important for us, in undoing the damage
that has been done over the last seven years, for the president to be
willing to take that extra step.’”
It
may have been Obama’s finest moment during the presidential debate
in Texas. And to think that Obama is demonstrating a feminine side
that Hillary can’t seem to find. This must worry Mrs. Clinton
because to win, she needs the women vote. And if this continues,
Obama will wrest that from her too.
It’s
a 2-way street
I
have always believed that if you’re going to set conditions for a
meeting, then it is only fair that other side does so too. So I
foresee Cubans establishing demands for the meeting with President
Clinton II. For that imaginary first meeting, here’s what the
Cubans might want to request before gracing a round table with the
new American president:
-
Release
of the Cuban Five. For those who consider their acts as worthy of
prison, well, it’s been 10 years already. Enough is enough. -
Dismantle
the Guantanamo Gulag and then turn over the territory back to its
rightful owner. -
Establish
the right of all Americans to healthcare — whether they can afford
it or not.
These
three would be good starting points. On the other end, President
Clinton II can make her own demands. Once these conditions are met,
then they can sit at the table and negotiate.
Really,
folks, I can go on and on with this charade. You see how ridiculous
it sounds. If we’re going to set conditions for this meeting, then
we may not want negotiations to happen. Can we afford for this to
continue this way?
As
a Cuban with American citizenship, my answer is a definite “No!”
