A Dream for a Better World

Medical personnel were deeply involved in the abusive interrogation of terrorist suspects held overseas by the Central Intelligence Agency, including torture, and their participation was a gross breach of medical ethics, a long-secret report by the Red Cross concluded. Based on statements by 14 prisoners who belonged to Al Qaeda and were moved to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, in late 2006, Red Cross investigators concluded that medical professionals working for the C.I.A. monitored prisoners undergoing waterboarding, apparently to make sure they did not drown. Medical workers were also present when guards confined prisoners in small boxes, shackled their arms to the ceiling, kept them in frigid cells and slammed them repeatedly into walls, the report said.  Facilitating such practices, which the Red Cross described as torture, was a violation of medical ethics even if the medical workers’ intentions had been to prevent death or permanent injury, the report said.

In a 4/2008 NY Times piece, they revealed how the Bush administration orchestrated a public relations scheme to counter negative reports and mounting criticism over Guantanamo Bay, which was being branded as a torture center in the national media in 2005. The administration’s communications experts responded swiftly to the charges. They put a group of retired military officers on one of the jets normally used by Vice President Dick Cheney and flew them to Cuba for a carefully orchestrated tour of Guantánamo. To the public, these men were presented tens of thousands of times on television and radio as objective military analysts. Hidden behind that appearance of objectivity is a Pentagon information apparatus that has used those analysts in a campaign to generate favorable news coverage of the administration’s wartime performance. These analysts have also a powerful financial dynamic: Most of them have ties to military contractors vested in the very war policies they are asked to assess on air.

In 2001, information has been discovered that in the early 1960s, the U.S. military drew up plans to kill innocent people and commit terrorist acts against American cities, and blame these atrocities on Cuba as a way to trick the public and thus create support for a war in an effort to oust Fidel Castro.  The plan was called Operation Northwoods and some of the malicious events it espoused included hijacking planes, blowing up a U.S. military ship, possible assassination of Cuban émigrés and orchestrating violet terrorism in U.S. cities.  The Joint Chiefs of Stall all supported the plan and the written approval was then submitted to President Kennedy’s defense secretary, Robert McNamara.  The plan was promptly rejected and was remarkably kept secret for 40 years.

Made up of several islands, Cuba is a country that is synonymous with the Caribbean region’s natural beauty. Cuba is known for its endless stretches of pristine white beaches, sunny climate and friendly people, making it a favorite destination for vacations for a very long time now. In fact tourism is one of the major revenue earners for Cuba. Cuba also has a large number of beautiful old colonial buildings spreading throughout the country. The diverse wildlife found in Cuba is another reason for its popularity as a tourism destination. The rich natural bounty found in Cuba has also made it a popular health tourism destination nowadays.

With Chavez becoming ever more and more eccentric and provocative in his rule, the increased ties that Cuba is making with this country can surely only leave it being painted in an even more radical light? As Venezuela and Ecuador make threatening gestures to Columbia, Americas close ally, Cuba’s image of a refuge against the tyranny of Imperial America is at risk of becoming the right hand of Chavez and his Latin Empire building. Sure there are many ideals shared between the two governments, but Chavez shows far more aggressive and imperialist characteristics of his own – something the image of Fidel surely cannot whole heartedly accept.

Dictatorship or legitimate Revolutionary government. Cuba has been painted as either the villain or the victim since the day the US decided to join the losing side of the Cuban revolution. Like most governments in the world, the Cuban government has its failings, but does that justify the continuing embargo from the US. There are many countries that have terrible Human Rights records that the US does not have an embargo against. China is a prime example, there is no way the US would risk placing an embargo against them. So for me, the Cuban embargo is just the US being the local bully.

The entire Caribbean region is known for its beautiful islands. Cuba is one of the most prominent countries in the Caribbean region. The country has a population of over eleven million and is spread over an area of 110,992 square meters spread over many islands. The island has an interesting history which involves several countries including, the United States, Spain and United Kingdom. Since 1960, when the country signed an agreement with the erstwhile Soviet Union, the United States has put a trade embargo on Cuba in place. Fidel Castro who ruled Cuba for years together has now given up the post of President, handing over the reins to his younger brother Raul Castro.

The way I see it, since NOT every politician is for this embargo then there is NOT clear evidence that Cuba has done something wrong to deserve this.  If they clearly deserved this then every politician would be for this embargo, am I not correct?  Maybe I am missing something?  Why isn’t this like in a court, it has to be unanimous before you are found guilty?