A Time for a Change?

Perhaps, but certainly not by lending countenance to a murderous, illegitimate regime, which even now plots against our interests by fanning the flames in the entire Southern half of our hemisphere and which has made a half a century avocation of denouncing the United States.

What all of the wouldbe talkers fail to see is that the regime has not softened one iota in its rhetoric, let alone its repression, and has not expressed a single inclination to talk to us. Listen to their demands. They demand a unilateral lifting of the "blockade." There is no talk of rapprochement, not even the slightest hint of movement on the human rights front, aside from the hoopla over signing the human rights accords, signing only.

Despite media reports, there have been no "olive branches" extended. In fact, every time the United States has attempted to thaw relationships, the Cuban regime has put the kibosh on it. Don't believe me. After preliminary efforts by Nixon, Ford came close to normalizing relations, until Cuba sent troops to Angola, that is. Reagan and Carter, too, attempted to deal with the regime. Each time, Cuba returned the favor with a further provocation. Moreover, it is disingenuous to pretend that there is not communication going on behind the scenes.

Face it, the regime has no incentive to make nice with us. Are they going to negotiate their way out of existence? Based on their performance, how many in the "government" would get elected in a free and fair plebiscite? The military in particular is not going to turn. Few seem to realize the absolutely diabolical genius of how Raul set things up. Since the military runs practically all of the viable business on the island, particularly tourism, the generals have a vested monetary, as well as political, interest in the status quo and the arms and men to maintain it.

It is time for change, sure. As Cuban Americans we have been bested by the regime because we tend to be honest and forthright in our positions, sometimes too blunt, too empassioned. We are like boxers who swing wildly at the opponent. They, on the other hand, are shameless, calculating liars, expert cynics. It seems to me that we need to change not our policy but our rhetoric. The regime is, I believe, in dire straits. We can offer them a way out in which they can save some face, which they cannot accept, as cynically as they would.

For instance, instead of the punitive way in which we address the issue, why on the announcement of the death of the surely putrescent fidel, whether nominally living or dead, should the United States not be the caring, compassionate good neighbor, who would on the basis of our own economic success love to help them "streamline" their economy, once the little difficulty of outstanding liabilities is settled and the "government" has taken steps to enact the provisions of the human rights accords they have signed? Why not congratulate them on joining most of the rest of the world in signing these and anticipate that they will live up to them? Why not with our reasonable rhetoric show them up to the rest of the world? I understand that most them already know, but they will no longer be able to run around admiring the dictatorship's new clothes.

Sure, it's time for a change, a change in which we frame the narrative so that we can no longer be portrayed as the big bully attempting to impose our will on a hapless Cuba. And who knows, miracles do happen all the time, or so I'm told.