Politico has a number of good stories today.
In this one, it would seem that the Congressional Black Caucus is hugging Castro, “Key members of the Congressional Black Caucus are calling for an end to U.S. prohibition on travel to Cuba, just hours after a meeting with former Cuban president Fidel Castro in Havana.”
Amnesty International, not exactly an organ for conservatives to quote at times has this to say about Castro’s Cuba:
30 March 2009
“Activist and political dissident Jorge Luis García Pérez, usually known as Antúnez, began a hunger strike on 17 February 2009, in protest at the human rights situation in Cuba. Since 17 March, police and State Security officers have surrounded his house, threatening him, his wife Tamara Pérez Aguilera, Carlos Michael Morales, Diosiris Santana Pérez and Ernesto Mederos Arrozarena who joined him in the hunger strike. All five are in grave danger.”
19 March 2009
“The Cuban authorities took action on Tuesday to suppress peaceful demonstrations marking the 6th anniversary of a crackdown against dissidents. Several members of the Damas de Blanco (Ladies in White) were prevented from travelling to Havana for activities marking the anniversary.
Some were blocked from leaving their homes and one of them was forced to get off the bus that was taking her to Havana and was driven back to her home.
“The Cuban authorities must stop this continuing harassment of activists who are peacefully attempting to exercise their freedom of expression and association,” said Gerardo Ducos, Cuba researcher at Amnesty International. he Cuban authorities arrested 75 men and women for their peaceful expression of opinions critical of the government in 2003. The 75 were subjected to summary trials and were sentenced to long prison terms of up to 28 years. Amnesty International declared them to be prisoners of conscience. Fifty-four remain in prison.”
All print and broadcast media remained under state control.During 2007, the government refused to renew the visas of a number of foreign correspondents because “their approach to the Cuban situation is not one which the Cuban government finds appropriate.”
The practice of using the criminal justice system to silence political dissidents and critics continued. Many were sentenced for a crime known as “social dangerousness”, a pre-emptive measure defined as the “proclivity to commit a crime”. Behaviour such as drunkenness, drug addiction and “anti-social behaviour” is criminalized under this legislation. However, it was almost exclusively applied to political dissidents, independent journalists and critics of the government. Those convicted of “dangerousness” face up to four years’ imprisonment and can be subjected to “therapeutic treatment”, “re-education” or “surveillance by the Revolutionary National Police”.
Harassment of political dissidents, independent journalists and critics for carrying out dissident activities or reporting on the human rights situation in Cuba continued. Some were detained for 24 or 48 hours and then released; others were held for months or even years awaiting trial.
There is more; if interested please visit AI. With that in mind, please read what members of the Congressional Black Caucus had to say:
“Lee and others heaped praise on Castro, calling him warm and receptive during their discussion. But the lawmakers disputed Castro’s later statement that members of the congressional delegation said American society is still racist.”
Shocking that none of the Black Caucus recall calling American society racist when publicly called out on it. One of two things is true, and possibly both: They are too stupid to realize that Castro would use them to meet his needs and further his ends by promoting to his own people the negative aspects of the United States and having it appear that even black members of the US Congress agree. And / Or, they will say one thing to Fidel to kiss his posterior and yet another to the American public. Since they are willing to visit and be entertained by him they are obviously stupid, but they could also be duplicitous.
“It was almost like listening to an old friend,” said Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Il.), adding that he found Castro’s home to be modest and Castro’s wife to be particularly hospitable.
“In my household I told Castro he is known as the ultimate survivor,” Rush said.
Bobby Rush either is not aware of how Castro survives (see above imprisonments, etc.) and should be thought of as a ignorant buffoon or he admires such tactics to stay in power and should never be thought of as a serious American again.
Richardson said Castro knew her name and district. “He looked right into my eyes and he said, ‘How can we help? How can we help President Obama?'”
All salesmen learn about their potential clients, all con artists get information on their marks, even fortune tellers pry out clues to make sure they something they think you want to hear. But I guess making eye contact makes him honest. How do such fools get put in office? I guess other fools elect them.
I didn’t see a response from the Congressional White Caucus. But that would be because our racist society does not have such an organized collection of people.
It is obvious that the CBC is about as anti-American as Reverend White, Castro, and so many other people who slander and bad mouth the US for their own gain.
Please stop electing these idiots into office.
Zeno Sees, Zeno Writes 