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August 4, 2006
SouthAmerica: Tonight when I was watching the BBC News I saw the Broadcast of the message that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice sent to the Cuban people.
The Cuban people are in real trouble â the Bush administration want to spread âDemocracyâ also in Cuba. The Bush administration has a real good track record in spreading democracy around the world â and they have a few countries where they can showcase their Democratic philosophy â Here is a short list of US democratic accomplishments: Iraq, Afghanistan, the Palestinian Authority on the West Bank, Lebanon, and so onâ¦.
According to Condi Rice the United States is charting a new future for the Cuban people and they will have a choice of one of the following democratic paths:
1) The Iraq type of democracy â the entire country engulf itself on a nasty civil war.
2) The Lebanese type of democracy â just look at Lebanon today and you get the picture.
3) The Chilean type of democracy â you end up with a ruthless dictator and a few thousand citizens are tortured and killed.
4) The Argentinean type of democracy â you end up with a ruthless junta of generals â who also torture and kill thousands of people.
5) The Afghanistan type of democracy â democracy applies only to the capital and the rest of the country engulf itself in chaos and a civil war.
If the crazy people who are running the US government today decides to invade Cuba - I donât know with what anyway since the US does not have enough troops even to send them to Iraq - I hope they are aware that Cuba has over 168 nuclear warheads in the island, a left over from the Cuban nuclear crisis of 1962, and that kind of arsenal might cause a little problem for the US forces in case of an US invasion.
In case they donât know in Washington: the defense minister of Cuba is now in power temporarily until his brother recover from his operation and he understand a thing or two about a possible US invasion into his island since he has been Cubaâs defense minister for a few decades.
But again there are two things that we learned not to underestimate in the last 6 years â the amount of incompetence, and arrogance of the members of the Bush administration â they have proved over and over that they can screw up anything that they do around the world.
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âIn Broadcast to Cubans, Rice Tries to Calm Fear of Invasionâ
By ANTHONY DePALMA
Published: August 5, 2006
The New York Times
In a televised message beamed into Cuba, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice offered the full support of the United States in a transition to democracy while promising to respect the sovereignty of the Cuban people.
Carried on TV MartÃ, the government-financed service that broadcasts to Cuba from the United States, Ms. Rice tried to calm fears that Washington planned to intervene directly in Cuba in the wake of President Fidel Castroâs illness and his decision to hand off power provisionally to his brother Raúl, who is 75.
âThe United States respects your aspirations as sovereign citizens,â Ms. Rice said. âAnd we will stand with you to secure your rights â to speak as you choose, to think as you please, to worship as you wish and to choose your leaders, freely and fairly, in democratic elections.â
She called for release of political prisoners, restoration of fundamental rights and a transition that would quickly lead to multiparty elections.
The only word about health of President Castro, 79, came yesterday from the Cuban health minister, who said he was recovering well from complicated abdominal surgery and would return to office soonâ¦.
.
August 4, 2006
SouthAmerica: Tonight when I was watching the BBC News I saw the Broadcast of the message that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice sent to the Cuban people.
The Cuban people are in real trouble â the Bush administration want to spread âDemocracyâ also in Cuba. The Bush administration has a real good track record in spreading democracy around the world â and they have a few countries where they can showcase their Democratic philosophy â Here is a short list of US democratic accomplishments: Iraq, Afghanistan, the Palestinian Authority on the West Bank, Lebanon, and so onâ¦.
According to Condi Rice the United States is charting a new future for the Cuban people and they will have a choice of one of the following democratic paths:
1) The Iraq type of democracy â the entire country engulf itself on a nasty civil war.
2) The Lebanese type of democracy â just look at Lebanon today and you get the picture.
3) The Chilean type of democracy â you end up with a ruthless dictator and a few thousand citizens are tortured and killed.
4) The Argentinean type of democracy â you end up with a ruthless junta of generals â who also torture and kill thousands of people.
5) The Afghanistan type of democracy â democracy applies only to the capital and the rest of the country engulf itself in chaos and a civil war.
If the crazy people who are running the US government today decides to invade Cuba - I donât know with what anyway since the US does not have enough troops even to send them to Iraq - I hope they are aware that Cuba has over 168 nuclear warheads in the island, a left over from the Cuban nuclear crisis of 1962, and that kind of arsenal might cause a little problem for the US forces in case of an US invasion.
In case they donât know in Washington: the defense minister of Cuba is now in power temporarily until his brother recover from his operation and he understand a thing or two about a possible US invasion into his island since he has been Cubaâs defense minister for a few decades.
But again there are two things that we learned not to underestimate in the last 6 years â the amount of incompetence, and arrogance of the members of the Bush administration â they have proved over and over that they can screw up anything that they do around the world.
****************
âIn Broadcast to Cubans, Rice Tries to Calm Fear of Invasionâ
By ANTHONY DePALMA
Published: August 5, 2006
The New York Times
In a televised message beamed into Cuba, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice offered the full support of the United States in a transition to democracy while promising to respect the sovereignty of the Cuban people.
Carried on TV MartÃ, the government-financed service that broadcasts to Cuba from the United States, Ms. Rice tried to calm fears that Washington planned to intervene directly in Cuba in the wake of President Fidel Castroâs illness and his decision to hand off power provisionally to his brother Raúl, who is 75.
âThe United States respects your aspirations as sovereign citizens,â Ms. Rice said. âAnd we will stand with you to secure your rights â to speak as you choose, to think as you please, to worship as you wish and to choose your leaders, freely and fairly, in democratic elections.â
She called for release of political prisoners, restoration of fundamental rights and a transition that would quickly lead to multiparty elections.
The only word about health of President Castro, 79, came yesterday from the Cuban health minister, who said he was recovering well from complicated abdominal surgery and would return to office soonâ¦.
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