| Submit your comments on this article |
| Latin America |
| Jimmy Carter Silent on Castroâs Crackdown |
| 2003-05-16 |
| Carter Silent On Castro's Crackdown Greatly edited for brevity and to maximize the effect on liberals Jimmy Carter is the self-appointed globetrotter on behalf of human rights. But when Carter friend Fidel Castro unleashed a brutal wave of repression recently, that included extradjudicial executions, Carterâs reaction was silence, followed by muted criticism, and finalized with a stinging criticism of . . . the United States. On just about the one year anniversary of Carterâs historic trip to Cuba, his new amigo Fidel Castro rounded up 75 political dissidents and independent journalists and packed them off to jail for 28 years each. Although formally accused of conspiring with U.S. diplomats to undermine the socialist state, the apparent crime of almost all was their championing the so-called âVarela Project,â a petition calling for greater basic liberties â and the absolute centerpiece of Carterâs controversial mission-impossible-without-portfolio to the communist island. Hyprocrisy seems to be Carter's most consistent character trait. The Cuban president followed up by ordering the execution of three men accused of terrorism in an unsuccessful hijacking of a passenger ferry headed to the United States. The three summarily went before a firing squad April 11 without so much as a final farewell to family and loved ones. Carter also seemed to place part of the onus of Castroâs human rights abuses on the shoulders of the U.S.: "I also am troubled by the rising tension between the Cuban government and the U.S. Interests Section in Havana. I urge my own government to work with the Cuban government to deflate those tensions and establish a relationship of mutual respect.â Remember this is from the same Democratic crew that blamed the Bush administration for creating the present North Korean situation by including N.K. in an offensive (and accurate) semantical phrase. Later, after the draconian sentences were handed down, Carter certainly did not rush onto the Sunday news programs to express the expected emotions of disgust, disappointment and betrayal-in-the-first-degree. In fact, TO THIS DAY there is still nothing on the Carter Center website about the Castro debacle â other than [a] lackluster and dated press release .... Although Carter says he has written a letter to Castro condemning the dictatorâs tidal wave of repression and urging him to cut back the sentences, he adds that he has no plans to revisit Cuba. Hell, even George Stephanopoulos is going down there today to hold the Cubans feet to the fire. But this dirty work is not for our sainted Jimmy who is much better suited to undermining U.S. interests. Carter added. âThis has been an indication, I believe, that people working for improved human rights situations in Cuba have become more effective and more of a threat to Castro. It is obvious that he has decided to clamp down with extreme severity and, I have to admit, with a great deal of success.â This is comparable to Neville Chamberlain giving grudging approval of the annexation of Czechoslovakia. When then President Carter signaled his hopes of normalizing U.S.-Cuban relations, Castro responded with the unseemly and insulting 1980 Mariel exodus, in which the dictator sent criminals and psychiatric patients to the United States along with thousands of other fleeing Cubans. Let us not forget this! I defended one of these guys before the INS and still shake my head at what Castro did to us. How come Dems and the Hollywood Left never mention this when they junket down to meet with Castro? Mercifully Out of office in 1996, the ever-hopeful Carter stood on the sidelines and applauded President Clintonâs reluctance to support a bill tightening the embargo. Castro responded by shooting down two unarmed planes operated by the Miami-based Cuban-American Brothers to the Rescue. The thaw quickly went back to the chill. The great Carter pilgrimage to Cuba was to follow the same pattern â only this time the wily Castro was only a bit more subtle and circumspect before plunging the dagger into Carterâs back and twisting. A Carter spokesperson suggested to NewsMax that the former presidentâs perceived tepid public reaction to the disaster in Cuba owes only to his firm belief that decades of fiery rhetoric between the neighbors has accomplished nothing but continued acrimony. The Nobel Laureate felt no need or value in lending his voice to that perennial diatribe. Furthermore, he and his organization enjoy valuable good relations and contacts with the communist state that shouldnât be jeopardized by emotive ramblings â no matter how strongly felt, the spokesperson added. Hmmmm ... let's stay above the fray by not criticizing the Great Dictator. In the meantime, the ubiquitous Castro must be licking his chops and enjoying another good chuckle at Carterâs expense. Looks like you can chalk up South Florida for the Republicans again in 2004. |
| Posted by:ColoradoConservative |
| #4 Almost 23 years later I still think...:Thank God Reagan won!!!'. |
| Posted by: Thane of Cawdor 2003-05-16 21:26:41 |
| #3 Someday maybe Fidel will realize a couple of things: 1. There's a new sheriff in town up here, and despicable, deluded clowns like Jimmah will soon be in the junk drawer of American history, never to be taken seriously again. 2. Fidel, you ain't gonna live forever. And you'll be remembered when you go as the Stalin of the Western Hemisphere. But it's not like you'll care. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2003-05-16 19:12:26 |
| #2 Carter won the Noble Peace Prize but then again so did Arafat. Carter, like Chamberlain, have a solid record in appeasing fascist regimes. |
| Posted by: Timmy the Wonder Dog 2003-05-16 16:15:32 |
| #1 Carter: yet another performance artist who needs a hot poker shoved up his ass. |
| Posted by: FormerLiberal 2003-05-16 15:24:14 |