Hey, communism has had a rough quarter century. Ever since the Berlin Wall came down and Eastern Europe fled the Soviet bloc, communists have been left with a small collection of regimes quickly embracing capitalism (China, Vietnam) if not real political and economic freedom – and a handful of tinhorn dictatorships like Laos, North Korea and Cuba.
Oh sure, socialism has seen the occasional resurgence of sort. Daniel Ortega is back in charge of Nicaragua, although he no longer has his Soviet protectors to prop him up. Nicolas Maduro continues Hugo Chavez’s policies of insanity in Venezuela, even as the nation’s economy collapses and the average person can’t even get toilet paper.
And America elected this guy . . .
Anyway, it’s been awhile since communism had a big day, but it sure did yesterday in America.
First we learned that American theaters were backing out of showing The Interview, a goofy movie about two chuckleheads asked by the CIA to assassinate North Korean dictator Bowl Cut Jr. Then later in the day we learned that Sony has cancelled the release of the film entirely. All this because computer hackers obviously working on behalf of the North Korean regime – who had already pulled off a successful cyberattack on Sony – were now threatening a 9/11-style attack on theaters who showed the film.
So communist dirt-bags got rewarded for their dirt-baggery.
But not only there. On this very same day, the Obama Administration went ahead and did what we all knew Barack Obama has long wanted to do, and began the process of extending diplomatic recognition to the murderous communist regime of the Castro brothers in Cuba.
Senator Marco Rubio, who is of Cuban descent, points out that the U.S. has long offered to extend recognition if Cuba would end its human rights abuses. What Obama did yesterday was eliminate that requirement and offer recognition instead as a reward for releasing an American hostage held since 2009:
As a result, it has been the policy and law of the U.S. to make clear that re-establishing diplomatic and economic relations with Cuba is possible—but only once the Cuban government stops jailing political opponents, protects free speech, and allows independent political parties to be formed and to participate in free and fair elections.
The opportunity for Cuba to normalize relations with the U.S. has always been there, but the Castro regime has never been interested in changing its ways. Now, thanks to President Obama’s concessions, the regime in Cuba won’t have to change.
The entire policy shift is based on the illusion—in fact, on the lie—that more commerce and access to money and goods will translate to political freedom for the Cuban people. Cuba already enjoys access to commerce, money and goods from other nations, and yet the Cuban people are still not free. They are not free because the regime—just as it does with every aspect of life—manipulates and controls to its own advantage all currency that flows into the island. More economic engagement with the U.S. means that the regime’s grip on power will be strengthened for decades to come—dashing the Cuban people’s hopes for freedom and democracy.
Of course. Obama doesn’t believe there is any reason to withhold diplomatic recognition, or to lift the long-established trade embargo, from Cuba because he doesn’t believe America has any right to impose such standards. He also doesn’t care that much about human rights or freedom. The American left has long believed we should establish normalized relations with the communist regime in Cuba because they have no major problem with communism.
So let it be known: Communism may be a failed ideology based on little more than the strong-armed tactics of those who weild power in its name, but it can still win victories when it deals with a nation disinclined to stand up for what’s right.
In two different ways yesterday, communist thuggery was rewarded by America. Obama sure has delivered change.
End.
CUBA THE COMMUNIST COUNTRY JUST 90 MILES FROM THE USA
