[Leica] Cuba?

[marcsmall at comcast.net (Marc James Small)]

At 10:49 AM 1/4/2009, Slobodan Dimitrov wrote:
 >The reaction to Cuba predates any Marxist carbuncle. While currently
 >seeming irrational to Europeans, the attitude is firmly grounded in a
 >long standing interventionist position, or point of view.
 >Self determination, within a people who are perceived as a subject
 >people, is usually seen as a disease which needs to be cauterized.
 >The Caribbean has been a hot bed of self determination from the very
 >beginning. With Haiti and Cuba leading the charge.
 >When I was in the service, I remember Gen. Westmoreland being taken
 >out of Viet Nam and given the Southern Command. I thought that at the
 >time it was a demotion. But in spit of the Asian hot conflict, the
 >Southern Command position was considered more important, hence a reward.

Two quick points.

The US split with Castro came over his 
nationalization of US assets without 
compensation.  Castro seized all US-owned assets 
in Cuba, roughly 60% of the economy.  The US 
insisted that at least SOME payment be made.  He 
refused.  This led to the US embargo.  The US has 
always offered to lift the embargo if recompense 
be made.  Castro's Bolshie tendencies have nothing to do with it.

Second, I can find no reference to Westmoreland 
ever serving as the Commander of Southern 
Command.  He returned from Viet-Nam to 
immediately serve as the US Army Chief of 
Staff.  Or, at least, the US Army Center for 
Military History seems to have no record of 
Westmoreland ever serving as commander of 
Southern Command.  Was he carried from Saigon to 
Miami in a black helicopter?  <he grins>

Marc


msmall@aya.yale.edu
Cha robh b?s fir gun ghr?s fir!