| The Seeds of Capitalism Will Grow on Fidel Castro’s Grave | ||
|
||
| We’ve definitely hit a new level of craziness. With the passing of Fidel Castro, our divisive system of ultra-conservative vs. ultra-liberal is overshadowing the potential economic and social benefits of a post-Castro regime. On one hand, we have the off-the-wall liberals screaming about how, because of Castro, Cuba has a nearly 100% literacy rate. Never mind the fact that in Cuba, the government, not the literate individual, gets to choose what you can and cannot read. How disgustingly ironic! And on the other hand, we have the off-the-wall conservatives screaming about all the human rights violations that have resulted from Castro’s leadership, yet saying nothing about the human rights violations on our own soil that have resulted from the war on drugs and the Patriot Act. But one thing is certain: No matter which side of the aisle you call home or which political ideology you embrace, there is no question that Fidel Castro was one of the most brutal dictators in recorded history. And rest assured, dear reader, if you intend to defend the actions of Fidel Castro to me, I will treat your comments with the same respect that I treat a piece of used toilet paper. I have no patience for those who wish to justify the actions of murderous dictators. I do, however, have much interest in watching and hopefully benefitting from the transition of Cuba’s failed communist experiment to a free market economy where people are rewarded for entrepreneurship, not imprisoned for it. The Seeds of Capitalism I have little doubt that not only have the seeds of capitalism been planted in Cuba, but the will of the people has also been strengthened. Of course, some question that will. In fact, the other day, I saw a comment on a message board that asked the question, “Why are the people of Cuba not dancing in the streets?” Well, after nearly 50 years of communist rule, where speaking out against the government resulted in jail time, it’s understandable that the good people of Cuba are not racing out in public to celebrate the death of Fidel Castro. I suspect there’s still plenty of fear permeating through the streets of Havana. But rest assured, dear reader, those streets are also buzzing with people who are likely breathing a huge sigh of relief. Taking Capitalism for Granted As much as I loathed Fidel Castro, I equally loathed the U.S. politicians who refused to do business with Cuba by supporting economic sanctions. Refusing to do business with Cuba while under the rule of a murderous dictator does nothing to hurt that dictator. In fact, in the case of Fidel Castro, it empowered him. The truth is, by refusing to do business with Cuba, we were actually hurting the people of Cuba. The people who could’ve benefitted immensely from regular access to certain medications and building supplies. By refusing to do business with Cuba, we also made it difficult for U.S. companies that could’ve profited handsomely from exporting all kinds of things to the island. The bottom line is that economic sanctions against Cuba did nothing but strengthen a dictator and weaken the resolve of the Cuban people. I think Congressman Ron Paul said it best when he opined on U.S. policy towards Cuba:
Of course, with Fidel Castro out of the picture, a new road to liberty may soon be possible for the people of Cuba. |
- 2nd Amendment
- Big Government
- Communism
- Economics
- International News
- jobs
- Presidental Election
- Property Rights
- Ptoperty Tax
- Religion/Religious Freedom
- Technology
