A report in today’s Guardian details the ongoing struggle to preserve Finca Vigia, Ernest Hemingway’s home for over twenty years located east of Havana, Cuba. It seems the Bush Administration has a somewhat schizophrenic view of the efforts to salvage the estate and the 9000 or so books and manuscripts that used to belong to one of the world’s foremost writers.
The efforts to preserve the estate began in 2001 and it was listed as one of eleven most endangered historic places in 2005 by the US National Trust for Historic Preservation. While the Bush Treasury Department, charged with enforcing the sanctions on that devil Castro, has allowed a number of experts in over the years to help stabilize the main house “…the original manuscripts and books, which contain thousands of Hemingway's notes, are still at risk. The US government has blocked not only the money needed but specialist equipment such as dehumidifiers and scanning equipment.”
It is widely suspected within the administration that such advanced dual-use technology as a dehumidifier or photo scanning equipment would be immediately put to use on the secret Cuban weapons of mass destruction program related activities. (I think I heard that Condi recently mentioned that governments allied with the United States seized several shipments of specialized, high strength aluminum foil destined for the nefarious Cubans.) With no sense of the irony, the Bush admin continues to present the situation thusly:
The efforts to preserve the estate began in 2001 and it was listed as one of eleven most endangered historic places in 2005 by the US National Trust for Historic Preservation. While the Bush Treasury Department, charged with enforcing the sanctions on that devil Castro, has allowed a number of experts in over the years to help stabilize the main house “…the original manuscripts and books, which contain thousands of Hemingway's notes, are still at risk. The US government has blocked not only the money needed but specialist equipment such as dehumidifiers and scanning equipment.”
It is widely suspected within the administration that such advanced dual-use technology as a dehumidifier or photo scanning equipment would be immediately put to use on the secret Cuban weapons of mass destruction program related activities. (I think I heard that Condi recently mentioned that governments allied with the United States seized several shipments of specialized, high strength aluminum foil destined for the nefarious Cubans.) With no sense of the irony, the Bush admin continues to present the situation thusly:
“Molly Millerwise, public affairs director at the Treasury, said: "We do not issue licences that facilitate activity promoting Cuba's tourism. The sanctions against Cuba are in place to help restrict hard currency from flowing to the Castro regime, which lines its pockets with money while forcing the Cuban people to live in fear and oppression."
Evidently, the Bush braintrust has done the cost-benefit analysis and determined the hundreds of additional dollars the Castro regime will reap each year is more damaging, on balance, than the preservation of this trove of (American) cultural history. I can’t think of anything more ridiculous. I know there are plenty of hard-right Cubans who form a constituency of the GOP and they have a few reps in Congress (the repugnant, apparent Scientologist Ileana Ros-Lehtinen comes to mind) who continue to spout the same tired story about how they are punishing Castro and not the people; as if only we give the sanctions a little more time we’ll be rid of this cigar-smoking threat to Democracy. I hate to break it to you but it’s not working. As the Guardian notes:
Mr [Jim] McGovern [D-Mass] said: "The embargo is an embarrassment. It hasn't worked. We've been doing it for 50 years, and I'd like to think that if something hasn't worked after 50 years, we'd be mature enough to let it go."
Um, no. The issue of Cuban sanctions has bothered me for a long time. In typical hypocritical fashion, the U.S. has had a deepening trade relationship with China going back nearly thirty years. Maybe I missed it but when did China become a free state and release all its political prisoners? Oh, that’s right, they haven’t. How can the U.S. not equate China and Cuba economically and politically? Both are Communist contries and have a roughly similar human rights record.
There are several arguable reasons but I think it can be explained by two factors. First, as noted above, the small but strident group of Cuban exiles exercises some influence. That Castro has been able to thumb his nose at the U.S. for nearly fifty years, though, seems to be the unforgivable sin. He has managed to survive in our hemisphere despite every attempt on his life and every economic tool the Yanqui possesses being leveled at him without bowing. That really galls some people.
For the record, I'm no Castro apologist and don't care for cults of personality. However, as with China, it seems there are significant benefits to be had by relaxing trade & travel restrictions. The contact has a way of opening closed societies. As a 'middle class' develops so does the pressure for more freedom. Even incremental movement is progress. I hate to quote Reagan but 'constructive engagement' is a legitimate policy, just not in cases like South African apartheid for which it was initially formulated.
If those anti-Castro Cubans were smart they'd push to relax or eliminate the sanctions. It's a much better idea to use the advantage of their cultural background and family contacts to benefit from the growing private investment in Cuba instead of stewing in righteous indignation. Castro won't live forever but he has surely resisted being dislodged by ridiculous sanctions and deep seated resentment. Let's just hope the Hemingway estate survives either both Castro and the ineffective U.S. sanctions.
There are several arguable reasons but I think it can be explained by two factors. First, as noted above, the small but strident group of Cuban exiles exercises some influence. That Castro has been able to thumb his nose at the U.S. for nearly fifty years, though, seems to be the unforgivable sin. He has managed to survive in our hemisphere despite every attempt on his life and every economic tool the Yanqui possesses being leveled at him without bowing. That really galls some people.
For the record, I'm no Castro apologist and don't care for cults of personality. However, as with China, it seems there are significant benefits to be had by relaxing trade & travel restrictions. The contact has a way of opening closed societies. As a 'middle class' develops so does the pressure for more freedom. Even incremental movement is progress. I hate to quote Reagan but 'constructive engagement' is a legitimate policy, just not in cases like South African apartheid for which it was initially formulated.
If those anti-Castro Cubans were smart they'd push to relax or eliminate the sanctions. It's a much better idea to use the advantage of their cultural background and family contacts to benefit from the growing private investment in Cuba instead of stewing in righteous indignation. Castro won't live forever but he has surely resisted being dislodged by ridiculous sanctions and deep seated resentment. Let's just hope the Hemingway estate survives either both Castro and the ineffective U.S. sanctions.
Warmest regards,
-one pissed off cracker
