Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/01/04
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Well, the point wasn't of origins of causation. It was more on how it adds a piece to a complex relational mosaic. The possibility of a substantive improvement in the relationship between the two has long since evaporated. The role of a population, in Florida, raised on a virulent hatred, can not now be undone. sd On Jan 4, 2009, at 11:19 AM, Greg Lorenzo wrote: > > IMHO the US reaction to Cuba has nothing to do with the Spanish > American War but rather the nationalization without compensation of > property owned by US citizens after Castro came to power 50 years > ago (including mob owned casinos). > > I suspect that relations will improve between both countries in the > near future. > > Greg Lorenzo > Calgary, Canada> From: leica@web-options.com> To: lug@leica- > users.org> Subject: RE: [Leica] Cuba?> Date: Sun, 4 Jan 2009 > 17:05:31 +0000> > That's as may be, but it doesn't actually answer > the question, which was> "why do you think a large contingent of > Cubans fighting in the Spanish Civil> War 'makes sense' of the > 'American reaction(s) to Cuba'?". I'm interested to> learn, because > to me it doesn't make sense.> > Bob> > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: lug-bounces+leica=web-options.com@leica-users.org > > > [mailto:lug-bounces+leica=web-options.com@leica-users.org] On > > > Behalf Of Slobodan Dimitrov> > Sent: 04 January 2009 15:49> > To: > Leica Users Group> > Subject: Re: [Leica] Cuba?> > > > 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.> > Some time ago, I had the chance > to hear a particular speech by Rev. > > James Lawson. It was at an > MLK event. He said a sentence which I'll > > never forget, that the > job of the US military in Latin America is to > > make sure no 14 > year old ever grows up to become a Martin Luther > > King. That > speech was made in the late 2000's.> > sd> > > > > > On Jan 4, > 2009, at 3:00 AM, Bob W wrote:> > > > >> Some time ago, I became > acquainted with a veteran from the Spanish> > >> Civil War. He was > lucky enough to have been repatriated to> > >> the United> > >> > States. That was before, and just barely, Petain had those > interned> > >> on the French side of the border sent to the > Mauthausen-Gusen camp.> > >> So while we were talking, I asked a > question for which I > > could never> > >> get a straight answer. > That was whether the Mexican> > >> contingent in the> > >> > Republican forces were the largest group of foreign volunteers, as> > > >> most historical presentation would have it. Without > hesitation, he> > >> said the Cubans were. I stood there, somewhat > transfixed for a> > >> moment, and said to him, now it makes sense. > That is, the American> > >> reaction(s) to Cuba.> > >> sd> > >> > > > I don't understand how this makes sense of the US attitude towards > > > > Cuba, and> > > I'd be grateful if you could explain.> > >> > > > I don't know a great deal about this, but I sutudied a bit > > of > Spanish> > > history when I was learning Spanish at college, and > some of > > my school> > > teachers were veterans of the civil war. > Here is how I figure it - > > > please> > > correct me if I've got > things wrong:> > >> > > The Spanish Civil War (73 years ago) was a > long time before > > the Cuban> > > revolution (50 years and 3 days > ago), and before the revolution > > > Cuba was a> > > banana > republic client of the USA. Since the USA was > > neutral about > the> > > Spanish Civil War it's likely that the Cuban government's > position > > > would> > > also have been officially neutral, and > Cubans who went to Spain > > > would have> > > been volunteers, > even if unofficially helped by the government. > > > Given the> > > > historical relationship between Spain and Cuba it would be > entirely> > > understandable for many Cubans to wish to be involved > in the civil > > > war on> > > one side or the other, but they > would, officially at least, > > have been> > > volunteers who went > under their own steam.> > >> > > The current attitude of the US > towards Cuba arises from the > > time of > > > the> > > Cuban > revolution and the relationship between Cuba and the > > then > Soviet> > > Union. The Cuban revolution did so a great deal of > damage to US > > > interests> > > over there; Cuba, with Soviet > backing, tried to export the > > > revolution to> > > other parts > of Central and South America, and Cuba became a > > potential> > > > bridgehead for the Soviets into the US, so the USA took a > > hard > line > > > about> > > relationships with Cuba.> > >> > > Since the > collapse of the Soviet Union the hard line is > > continued not> > > > because of any real threat to the US from Cuba, but because of > > > > continued> > > vested political interests.> > >> > > I'd be > interested to find out why you think the Spanish > > Civil War has> > > > anything to do with the US attitude to Cuba.> > >> > > Bob> > > >> > >> > > _______________________________________________> > > > Leica Users Group.> > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/ > lug for more information> > > > > > > _______________________________________________> > Leica Users > Group.> > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more > information> > > > > > > > _______________________________________________> Leica Users > Group.> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more > information > _________________________________________________________________ > It?s the same Hotmail?. If by ?same? you mean up to 70% faster. > http://windowslive.com/online/hotmail? > ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_hotmail_acq_broad1_122008 > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information