Comments on: Is Chavez the Next Fidel Castro?

By: franco 2

franco 2 — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 12:53:29 +0000

blowtorch_bob

I guess your definition of “human rights” is being allowed to remain alive while you are a slave to the state.

By: blowtorch_bob

blowtorch_bob — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 05:43:09 +0000

balconesfault, if there were death squads and wholesale massacres taking place in Cuba over the years we would be hearing about it on the front pages of the New York Times in BIG BOLD headlines dude.

Unlike other shining examples of Guatemala or El Salvador where massacres were a common occurrence and maybe, just maybe they would make a tiny one or two paragraph story on page 11.

What’s the latest on the Cuban Five? Check it out.

By: balconesfault

balconesfault — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 01:48:41 +0000

I think Cuba’s human rights record is pretty good. Seriously dude? Just because we haven't seen right wing death squads roaming the streets, it's not a pretty good human rights record. From Human Rights Watch: Cuba remains the one country in Latin American that represses nearly all forms of political dissent. The government continues to enforce political conformity using criminal prosecutions, long- and short-term detentions, mob harassment, surveillance, police warnings, and travel restrictions.

By: blowtorch_bob

blowtorch_bob — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 16:44:04 +0000

The people of Venezuela should be so lucky. You know, I was thinking since Castro came to power, Cuba probably has one of the better human rights records in Latin America. When you consider much of the region was beset by military coups and death squads -or in the case of central America where entire villages were massacred during the 1970’s and 1980’s by U.S.- supported military, I think Cuba’s human rights record is pretty good.

By: franco 2

franco 2 — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 14:55:35 +0000

In other news…. Looks like McCain has a viable challenger in AZ and Lo! Sarah Palin stumps for McCain! A dilemma for Frum Forum types if there ever was one. But nothing on this site. I know Venezuela seems important. If they flew me down for a speaking engagement with nothing to do but watch State run TV I’d be blogging a lot too, but I’m sensing a certain avoidance of pertinent issues lately. What gives?

By: sinz54

sinz54 — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 14:16:21 +0000

David Frum: unlike Castro, Venezuela would be overwhelmingly and instantly vulnerable to U.S. economic sanctions. Oil is the country’s lifeblood.
Has the U.S. ever imposed any strong oil-related sanctions on any exporting regime in the last 30 years? That is, sanctions that would prevent the regime from selling oil abroad?

The U.S. hasn’t even imposed such sanctions on Iran, despite Iran’s long track record of sticking it to America and its ongoing nuclear program.

And we won’t.
Not until the West finds an alternative to oil from these unstable regimes.