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Taylor Marsh has been writing on line since 1996, with the archives provided here a representation of that work.

Tag Archives | Cuba

What Might Happen Around the World in 2012?

By on 14 December 2011

Global recession with a surprise winner or two – The Eurozombies may avoid catastrophe but instead produce a macroeconomic remake of Night of the Living Dead. Recession in austerity-bound Europe will only be worsened by the sweeping downturn already taking place in the emerging world, and the result could be a deeper slump worldwide. But here’s the twist: the United States will win, as it is a destination for those in the midst of one of the most confusing, frustrating flights to quality in recent history. Japan too. They won’t do very well at all, but in the global ugly contest they may take home least-ugly honors. – David Rothkopf

So, what could happen in 2012?

David Rothkopf over at Foreign Policy has done his next year headlines in review list, many of which don’t take an expert’s mind to name. Stephen Walt has his own that includes Israel accepting the Arab League Peace Plan. Rothkopf thinks the Eurozone will strengthen. More are below.

The end of Ahmadinejad, but it won’t come through Dick Cheney’s fantasies or any neoconservative getting his war wishes in a Christmas stocking. From Erin Burnett’s “Out Front,” when Burnett brought up the RQ-170 sentinel:

CHENEY: I would assume that’s the case. Or they’ll send it back in pieces after they’ve gotten all the intelligence they can out of it.

The right response to that would have been to go in immediately after it had gone down and destroy it. You can do that from the air. You can do that with a quick airstrike, and in effect make it impossible for them to benefit from having captured that drone. I was told that the president had three options on his desk. He rejected all of them.

BURNETT: And they all involved removing the drone immediately?

CHENEY: They all involved sending somebody in to try to recover it, or if you can’t do that, admittedly that would be a difficult operation, you certainly could have gone in and destroyed it on the ground with an airstrike. But he didn’t take any of the options. He asked for them to return it. And they aren’t going to do that.

The world is going to continue to have major shifts in power centers.

The collapse of Assad in Syria, which couldn’t come soon enough as far as I’m concerned.

Political unrest in China? It’s the beginning, Rothkopf predicts.

Power struggle in Pakistan?  Nothing new there.

Say goodbye to Castro and Hugo Chavez?

Incoming “cybershocker” that will take down somebody financially.

Putin’s not going to return to power easily.

…and get ready for extremism in Africa to become an American strategic interest.

Interesting list, as is Stephen Walt’s.

Do you have any thoughts on what might happen in the world next year?

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Marco Rubio’s Trouble with Truth Explodes

By on 21 October 2011

During his rise to political prominence, Sen. Marco Rubio frequently repeated a compelling version of his family’s history that had special resonance in South Florida. He was the “son of exiles,” he told audiences, Cuban Americans forced off their beloved island after “a thug,” Fidel Castro, took power. But a review of documents — including naturalization papers and other official records — reveals that the Florida Republican’s account embellishes the facts. The documents show that Rubio’s parents came to the United States and were admitted for permanent residence more than two-and-a-halfyears before Castro’s forces overthrew the Cuban government and took power on New Year’s Day 1959. – Marco Rubio’s compelling family story embellishes facts, documents show

Anyone in the public arena knows how this works.

Marco Rubio had a choice a long time ago and he made it. He decided some elements were worth ignoring for a dramatic header that made him look more heroic and his struggles decidedly majestic.

The “son of exiles” was chosen for obvious reasons. Anyone saying otherwise, which his office is, doesn’t understand they’ve given the story, not only legs, but a jet engine. It’s politically stupid, but unsurprising.

Has the man who wanted to play senator been caught telling a whopper to get the opportunity, a bald-faced lie, or simply been seduced by consultants who said nobody will care and we’ll deal with it later?

Rubio’s office sent out this very angry response, which the Miami Herald first posted:

Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Marco Rubio issued the following statement regarding false allegations that he embellished his family’s history:

“To suggest my family’s story is embellished for political gain is outrageous. The dates I have given regarding my family’s history have always been based on my parents’ recollections of events that occurred over 55 years ago and which were relayed to me by them more than two decades after they happened. I was not made aware of the exact dates until very recently.

“What’s important is that the essential facts of my family’s story are completely accurate. My parents are from Cuba. After arriving in the United States, they had always hoped to one day return to Cuba if things improved and traveled there several times. In 1961, my mother and older siblings did in fact return to Cuba while my father stayed behind wrapping up the family’s matters in the U.S. After just a few weeks living there, she fully realized the true nature of the direction Castro was taking Cuba and returned to the United States one month later, never to return.

“They were exiled from the home country they tried to return to because they did not want to live under communism. That is an undisputed fact and to suggest otherwise is outrageous.”

What defensive, posturing rubbish.

When it comes to piecing together family history, as I have labored to do over decades, it’s not an easy task to get everything to fit, especially if there are gaps in generations. But honest people don’t opt for the most laudatory when it’s not the case.

However, the Miami Herald has taken issue with the Washington Post’s piece:

Rubio’s inability to remember these specific dates isn’t much of a surprise. Rubio is sometimes sloppy. When he was in the Florida House, he failed to disclose a loan at one point and fill out his financial disclosures properly. He rung up a host of personal and questionable expenses on a Republican Party of Florida credit card and couldn’t show how they furthered party business. Indeed, the Washington Post story notes that “details have changed in his accounts” of his grandmother’s death — whether it happened when his father was 6 or 9. That’s not embellishment. That’s evidence of sloppiness. – Did the Washington Post embellish Marco Rubio’s ‘embellishments’?

Maybe the Miami Herald is correct. Marco Rubio is simply continuing the pattern he’s always had, which is that the senator from Florida has trouble with the truth.

Marco’s ego made him do it. Unless he slays it and comes clean, he’s just another slick politician who can’t be trusted with a thing that comes out of his mouth. I’m shocked.

However, none of this may matter to voters, including Latinos, who are likely a lot more incensed by Mr. Rubio’s right-wing ideology that craps on the Dream Act, than whether he’s actually a “son of exiles,” something that doesn’t impact their lives today.

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Sunday News Round-Up: Brunch Edition

By on 29 August 2010

Athabasca Glacier, Canadian Rockies

I hope everyone is having a good weekend. I just got back from the Canadian Rockies and have been without internet access and have been trying to catch up on all the news, so doing the round-up today was a good way to check out the most recent political and foreign policy news. Hopefully I will be able to direct you to some stuff that you may have missed.



If you will indulge me, the photo on the left is one I took the other day of the Athabasca Glacier by the Columbia Icefields in Canada. I have a thing for mountains and glaciers, which is why I went there.



On this day in history, August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the gulf coast, ravaging NOLA and areas in Mississippi and Tennessee. Also on this day in history in 1957, the Senate approved a Civil Rights Act after South Carolina Sen. Strom Thurmond ended a filibuster that had lasted 24 hours.

Some links to go with your coffee and tea or whatever gets you up and going in the morning/afternoon:

~Five years after Katrina, many struggles remain.

~One of the striking things about U.S. foreign policy is that it often seems that we undermine our own stated goals of keeping the U.S. safe and protecting U.S. economic interests at home and abroad. Case in point- U.S. Admiral Eric Olson has said that our current prolonged wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have substantially undermined our ability to keep weapons of mass destruction out of the hands of terrorists.

~Senator Diaper David Vitter won his primary yesterday, proving that when Republicans are involved, mind-numbing hypocrisy is no barrier to re-election.

~The State Dept. is respectfully requesting that U.S. citizens please refrain from traveling to North Korea because we are running out of former Presidents to go to the Paranoid Kingdom and haul them out of prison and bring them back to the states.

~I don’t know how to say this other than, Bank of America still sucks.

~Justice Sonia Sotomayor has said that the WikiLeaks case will likely end up on the Court’s docket and will require them to balance national security interests vs. free speech. But of course, if as the administration says, there was really not that much in the document dump that we didn’t already know, then national security really isn’t a compelling argument except with respect to the reckless naming of Afghan informants working with the U.S. Given the make up of the Court, this doesn’t bode well for WikiLeaks.

~The U.N. will soon release a report which alleges that the genocide in Rwanda never really stopped- instead, the balance of power shifted from Hutu to Tutsi and the reprisals and ongoing genocide crossed the borders into the Democratic Republic of Congo- this time with Hutus being the victims. This poses a serious problem for the U.S., which has been a staunch ally of the post-genocide Rwandan government despite clear signs along the way that President Paul Kagame was fast becoming dictatorial and brutal in his handling of Rwandan society after the genocide.

~The White House has reportedly given Jewish-American leaders a briefing on the upcoming Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Apparently, Muslim-American leaders will not be briefed. According to those present, the White House appears intent on shooting itself in the foot by creating a framework by which final status issues will be resolved within a one year time frame- but here’s the kicker- the Jewish American leaders were told the implementation stage can take up to a decade. Assuming this report is accurate, lets all put our thinking caps on and try to figure out why the White House would want to reassure only *some* people that nothing will be implemented any time in the near future…

~So, the White House once again gambled, dragged their feet, only to later throw their support behind Meek in Florida once the polls improved. So, what kind of support can Kendrick Meek expect from the White House (ie. Rahm) and the DNC in the next few weeks? Will they go all out to beat Crist or do they figure Meek is a lost cause and that Crist will fit in nicely with the White House’s attempts to appeal to independents and conservatives?

~Americans for Prosperity Foundation is having its tax exempt status questioned because, well, it’s clearly a politically partisan group with ties to the Tea Party and working in tandem with its overtly partisan sister group, Americans for Prosperity.

~Israel’s Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren is writing in Newsweek and making sure everyone knows that ahead of the direct negotiations in September, the problem is the Palestinians, not the Israelis. On a more optimistic note, Martin Indyk gives us four reasons why the direct negotiations might succeed.

~Oh, by the way, speaking of Newsweek, everyone knows that Jane Harman’s billionaire husband, Sydney Harmon, purchased the magazine for one dollar earlier this month, right? While he only paid a dollar he will assume all their financial liabilities, estimated at over 70 million. Here is some background on Sydney and how he seems to have benefited from having wife who was also the Chair of the House Intelligence Committee.

~Health insurers are casting their lot with Republicans by a huge margin this election cycle. And probably the next one too.

~Question- I’ve been on vacation for the last week and a half so I am a bit behind on the news, but are we at war with Yemen and no one told me?

~Congratulations, you’ve made it this far. Have you ever seen a baby sloth?

~Steve Clemons has an interesting guest commentary over on his blog ‘The Washington Note’ about the strange Alan Gross saga- Alan Gross is the USAID worker who went to Cuba to bring democracy-promotion technology to the Jewish community there. From the very beginning the whole story struck me as not quite right. Anyway, he’s still in prison in Cuba and it has reignited the debate about how best to deal with Cuba.

~I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the Glenn Beck anti-government, “restoring our honor” rally or whatever it was in DC yesterday. Apparently, if you don’t agree with Glenn Beck you have no honor. And no God. Webmistress Taylor Marsh was there to witness the event, God bless her, so be sure to catch up on all of her updates and commentary on it.

A sign at the Beck rally- nope, nothing political here, move along

~Obama may be having his very own ‘Mission Accomplished’ moment right about now in Iraq.

~A new poll shows a sizable majority of Americans believe gays and lesbians should be able to serve openly in the military. Hear that Obama?

~New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s administration has lost out on upwards of $400 million in federal education funds and naturally they are blaming it on Obama despite the fact that is was clearly their own fault. That said, given the GOP’s 2010 election theme is that federal government entitlements are evil, I would think Christie would be PROUD to not receive that dirty blood money anyway, right? Right?

~The owner of the company JetAngel is donating two decommissioned missiles to be used as visual aids by anti-Cordoba House protesters around Ground Zero. Because nothing says “we hate violent extremism” like an actual missile with anti-Muslim slogans written on it, pointed at a proposed Mosque site.

~Rescued baby owlets here.

~Wanna know what the eight most secretive companies are? Check them out here.

~Alaska GOP Senate candidate Joe Miller stated today (on Face the Nation) that Medicare and Social Security are unconstitutional.

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Evening Line

By on 04 January 2010

Jonathan Cohn has the big news today where health care is concerned:

“There will almost certainly be full negotiations but no formal conference,” the House staffer says. “There are too many procedural hurdles to go the formal conference route in the Senate.”

[...] “I think the Republicans have made our decision for us,” the Senate staffer says. “It’s time for a little ping-pong.”

“Ping pong” is a reference to one way the House and Senate could proceed. With ping-ponging, the chambers send legislation back and forth to one another until they finally have an agreed-upon version of the bill. But even ping-ponging can take different forms and some people use the term generically to refer to any informal negotiations.

But the post of the day is compliments of the SEIU, with Rush Limbaugh playing the lead. It’s priceless. Mr. Limbaugh will be back on radio Wednesday. So, we still have him to kick around. Prayers answered.

Monumental news on appointments, as Obama gives a nod to a transgendered individual for Commerce.

On Tiger’s fall, Brit Hume should remember it’s more about the Golden Rule, which has absolutely nothing to do with religion, Christian or otherwise, something my husband Mark reminds me of often.

Great photo from Dubai, compliments of my friend Steve Clemons, who was there for the big fireworks as the tallest building in the world opens.

On the terrorism front, the New York Times reports, U.S. Intensifies Air Screening for Fliers From 14 Nations:

Citizens of Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria, countries that are considered “state sponsors of terrorism,” as well as those of “countries of interest” — including Afghanistan, Algeria, Lebanon, Libya, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen — will face the special scrutiny, officials said.

Seriously, Cuba? No wonder we’re still chasing our tails on terrorism.

And to answer Kris’s question “In the News” (with more over there), the last thing Sect. Clinton could do was jump into the middle of the muddle the Obama administration set into motion by Napolitano’s “the system worked” gaffe, which by the way was orchestrated by someone at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

TM Note: As the New Year opens, as I said weeks ago, my long and very busy days are directed towards a project, which I’ll talk about down the line some time. I’m juggling a lot that’s for sure, but it’s a great adventure, which is the whole point to life, really. Following your bliss isn’t easy and is filled with struggles and disappointments challenges along the way to manifesting your intentions, but it sure as hell beats the alternative.

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Talking Cuba on the USS Sequoia Presidential Yacht

By on 09 October 2009

–bumped–

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Steve Clemons, Director, American Strategy Program, New America Foundation; Publisher, The Washington Note, with honored guest. –more pictures here–

Steve Clemons and the New America Foundation picked quite a venue to discuss and dream about what’s possible in U.S. – Cuba relations. The USS Sequoia Presidential Yacht. Guests included Amb. Jorge Bolaños Suarez, whom I met, as well as Jacob Heilbrunn, senior editor of National Interest and author of They Knew They Were Right: The Rise of the Neocons.

Steve’s got a post up showing a letter former Former Sec of State George Shultz saying: QUOTE ME: End the US-Cuba Embargo. End the Travel Ban. An older post from the summer quoting Brent Scowcroft saying the same thing emphasizes how ridiculous this policy is today. It’s long overdue.

The event tonight got me to thinking about how easily normalizing relations with Cuba could have been. Something that might have been done already if Obama had the vision. I say this not as an expert on Cuba, but as someone who can see the political winds and only wonder what’s the hold up? It’s a matter of will, which seems to be sorely lacking.

And though the topic was focusing on Cuba, it was also about a broader picture of what we could be doing throughout the world now that Barack Obama is president. Hoping for bold things, yet not seeing near enough so far.

The buzz earlier tonight also had to do with Gov. Bill Richardson’s speech on Cuba, which he’ll deliver tomorrow. Word is that it’s going to be a good one. It just might be the thing to prove Steve Clemons’ point that Richardson should be appointed Special Presidential US-Cuba Envoy.

I can’t begin to tell you all the history on the USS Sequioa. Seeing the bathroom in the presidential cabin that was lowered 3 inches on the request of L.B.J. The dent in the beautiful table put there by an angry, poker playing Harry Truman. Pictures of Bill Clinton, Leonid Brezhnev, F.D.R., John F. Kennedy, even Teddy Kennedy and a story of him blowing out Jack’s birthday candles, because he couldn’t bend over. Bob Hope and pictures of his 80th birthday. Just remarkable moments spent on this beautiful piece of history, beginning with a beautiful sunset on a mild autumn Washington, D.C. evening. Not to mention the wonderful conversations that ranged across the foreign policy spectrum with so many people, including finally meeting and chatting with Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton, someone whom I consider an American hero. It was just a grand evening.

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Steve Clemons, Jacob Heilbrunn and other guests.
MORE PHOTOS HERE

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Sunset off the top deck of the Sequoia

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Favored chest and lamp of Pres. John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jackie Kennedy, adorning presidential cabin below deck.

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Woven carpet with Presidential Seal

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New Media is Different from Blogging

By on 14 June 2009
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The fundraiser is going great.

But I still haven’t met the goal. We’re stuck on $300 still needed in order for me to break even up to this point in 2009. Thanks to the amazing people who have jumped in, many first time financial supporters.

The last inch is always the hardest. But I need to get over this line, because I’ve still got the reality of my financial nut going forward.

NEW MEDIA is having a tough time this year. The economy has hit traditional media hard, so you can imagine how it’s hit NEW MEDIA.

To make an important point by way of a distinction, there is blogging and then there is NEW MEDIA. What’s the difference? Your sister might have a blog, which is important to you and her world, as well as her readers, all of which matter, no doubt about it. NEW MEDIA does reporting on events that have a wider impact and we devote our life to this purpose, and independent NEW MEDIA outlets like mine don’t have a base of financial support, except through you, the reader, and advertisers. As a way of thanks, I am so grateful for the people at Common Sense Media (and regular advertisers like SEIU, as well as Al Gore’s climate group, to name just two). Because BlogAds isn’t exactly successful when it comes to drumming up any advertising at all. I cannot thank the people at Common Sense Media loudly enough.

Everyone needs to consider sites that offer valuable reporting and other critically important news coverage that only NEW MEDIA provides worthy of financial support. It’s tough because we started out on a free information platform, so getting people to see us as requiring the same financial support that, say, a monthly or weekly subscription supplies isn’t easy. That includes advocacy groups and politicians who want to reach the activist base of the Democratic Party. Don’t just invite us to events to cover, support your issue by reaching our audience through advertising. Don’t tease us with access, then make us pay for the privilege when you’re also asking us to cover your issue through making us foot the bill; when you’re not reaching out to our readers through advertising yourself that helps us pay for expenses, including trips to do the reporting you want done. Make it possible for us to cover important news that the traditional media ignores.

Like any subscription to a newspaper or magazine, like paying for cable, NEW MEDIA sites can’t succeed without financial support.

Other sites have obviously done amazing work too, like Firedoglake’s coverage, to name one.

And just look at the foreign policy live reporting I’ve done, taking the Twitter posts as just one example: covering an important Saudi Arabia forum, the Middle East (covering it like few others), invite only meeting with David Miliband, journalists on Afghanistan-Pakistan, lunch with Mustafa Barghouti, even Cuba, Iran pre election polling, and a CATO event on whether the Pentagon can be fixed. …and that’s just a brief summary of what’s been going on around here since I moved to Washington. Sorry to bore regulars around here, but many don’t know what’s been going on.

Here’s the mailing address people have asked me to post:

Taylor Marsh LLC
P.O. Box 8303
Alexandria, VA

(Also see the “support independent journalism” donate button below the ad box up on the right that is always there.)

So please donate and support NEW MEDIA. We earn it.

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Hissy Fit Over a Handshake

By on 20 April 2009

“I thought Pres. Obama did an excellent job of expressing the values and priorities of the United States of America. He allowed a dialogue to take place and a good spirit to animate the room, which I thought made the meetings productive. I think made the United States– took the United States to a higher plain than the Venezuelans of the world.” – Prime Minister Stephen Harper

At least Canada’s Stephen Harper understands. But then he was there so he knew what went down. Call him a sane conservative, if you will.

Then there is the gored ox theory, representing the right-wing, most of whom came off of their collective hinge at the sight of President Barack Obama having a cordial conversation with the President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich tore into President Barack Obama Monday for his friendly greeting of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, saying Obama is bolstering the “enemies of America.”

Gingrich appeared on a number of morning talk shows comparing Obama to President Jimmy Carter for the smiling, hearty handshake he offered Chavez, one of the harshest critics of the United States, during the Summit of the Americas.

“Frankly, this does look a lot like Jimmy Carter. Carter tried weakness, and the world got tougher and tougher, because the predators, the aggressors, the anti-Americans, the dictators – when they sense weakness, they all start pushing ahead,” Gingrich said on “Fox & Friends.” …

Congress’ veterinarian, John Ensign, called Obama’s interaction “irresponsible,” with his perfectly coiffed hair practically standing on end at the thought of our President “laughing and joking” with Chavez. Mr. Ensign also having forgotten that the 50-year embargo never succeeded in dethroning Castro.

But it was on Joe Scarborough’s show today where they pushed the old line that all diplomacy has to be a stiff arm to people we can actually squash with little effort. He got a lot of help from Patrick J. Buchanan who called Obama a “kid on the school yard that can be pushed around because he’s too sweet.”

The Gingrich-Scarborough line, which is basically a you’ve got to be careful strategy, because those tyrants will think you’re weak if you shake their hand, completely ignores that we aren’t in the age of Yalta or Kennedy-Khrushchev. We’re in the post Bush-Cheney era, mending fences with the entire world. Unfortunately, Republicans don’t seem willing to walk into the 21st century and get a grip that post Bush-Cheney, Pres. Obama has got to signal the Bush-Cheney chapter has, at last, finally closed.

Evidently, Newt, Joe and Pat also wanted Obama to address Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega’s outrageous harangue that included the charge the U.S. embargo of Cuba was “a real genocide.”

Seriously, the leader of the free world, the American President, is supposed to respond to Mr. Ortega’s rant? Or worse, acknowledge these outlandish statements? No one’s even talking about them but Newt, Joe and Pat.

When will the right understand that the U.S. is the most powerful nation on planet earth, which actually means we don’t have to rise to every piece of lunatic bait that’s thrown at us?

Did Newt, Joe and Pat not notice that it was Bush who gave Chavez the platform from which he berated the United States continually, to cheers from around the world? And that helped us how?

Besides, take a look at the tape of Chavez handing Obama the book, and you will see plainly that Venezuela’s president was rushing up to Obama like a giddy little boy, handing him a book so he had a reason to squeeze himself into the limelight; getting his picture taken with the man everyone wants to meet, Barack Obama, which was not lost on our President:

Mr Obama pointed out that he held conversations with other critics of Washington, including Nicaragua’s Daniel Ortega and Bolivia’s Evo Morales.

“I think it’s just that President Chavez is better at positioning the cameras,” the US leader said.

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Twitter Liveblogging: Cuba

By on 14 April 2009

TM NOTE & UPDATE: The plugin that allows me to liveblog via Twitter is created and designed by Mash, via @thisismash. Great thanks to him, someone who has offered many foreign policy posts for me, focusing on Central Asia. Great plugin. Incredibly valuable to my continued foreign policy reporting.

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8:57:28 AM: New America Foundation forum (see previous post), Steve Clemons moderating, with vid avail @ TheWashingtonNote.

9:03:43 AM: Steve Coll: Obama’s exec order “important but incremental.” Subset aspect a first.

9:07:08 AM: Clemons: Every president but GWB, even Reagan, made “pivot” of some sort towards Cuba policy changes.

9:09:41 AM: Julia Sweig, “grand diva,” according to Clemons, on the region, with book coming out. Femme rep on panel.

9:12:57 AM: Wilkerson: consult the arts, calypso: “Barack the Magnificent.” Teddy last prez to be considered.

9:15:04 AM: Wilk: this relationship is “tortured.” The “infinitesimal movement” was made yesterday.

9:17:44 AM: Meacham: “This was a big change yesterday…very imp develpmnt.” “Op for dialogue”

9:20:52 AM: Sweig:”I guess I just wish that one didn’t require a hyphen” in order to enjoy. Only country w this restriction.

9:24:52 AM: Sweig: Cuba litmus test for BO “change” w rest of region/Latin Am. “Substnc of US policy offensive”

9:28:12 AM: Sweig: human rights, democracy engagement w Cuba already happening w EU, Latin Am.

9:29:37 AM: Reinsch: “The biggest benediciary of the embargo has been Castro.”

9:39:10 AM: Lind: “SA a dagger pointed at the heart of Antarctica,” said Kissinger.”New era? Keep working

9:42:51 AM: Omestead: Just back frm Cuba. “Mood on the uplift” re BO. “Great craving for normalcy.” Officials are jaded.

9:53:41 AM: Rothkopf: “It is a bit ridiculous..” With all that’s happening we’re discussing “a tint island.” Focs on “threats 2 WallSt, nt threats f(rom WallSt)”…

9:56:28 AM: Rothkopf: mentions war in Iraq, which is really about Pakistan; Afghan legal rape agnst women and we support them

9:59:32 AM: NOTE: Letter from esteemed military to Obama re: asking him to go further on travel.

10:07:36 AM: Meacham: re State “strategic review” of regional policy, as HRC indicated @ confirm, still waiting.

10:12:53 AM: Wilkerson: “Obama can only show ankle” in so many areas. Cuba no threat

10:18:03 AM: Rothkopf: BO “generally cautious” on all things; within the parameters of promise.

10:22:26 AM: Lind: “US is governed not by logic but by Congress.” O doing so much; right to attack. Domestic policy v foreign.

10:27:10 AM: Rothkopf: Likely have forum in the next few years about nuclear Venezuela.

10:29:39 AM: “Obama still on his first date with planet earth,” said Rothkopf. “Anticipation.”

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Obama Shifts U.S. Cuba Policy

By on 13 April 2009
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Well, Obama finally made the move, easing restrictions on Cuba, plus giving a little help to the telecoms dealing with Cuban telecoms. Humanitarian issues are also in the mix. Long overdue, but there’s a long way to go.

We’re already hearing voices stuck in the past that it’s a big mistake, aka some Republicans are squawking, and they won’t be the only ones.

Tomorrow morning I’ll be at a symposium focusing on Latin America, hosted by Steve Clemons. Guests include Carl Meacham, Senior Policy Advisor for Latin America to Senator Richard Lugar (Senate Foreign Relations Committee); Col. Lawrence Wilkerson (USA, Ret), Former Chief of Staff, Department of State Chairman; Pamela Harriman Visiting Professor, College of William & Mary; Michael Lind, Whitehead Senior Fellow, New America Foundation; Julia Sweig, Nelson and David Rockefeller Senior Fellow for Latin America Studies and Director of Latin Studies; David Rothkopf, President & CEO, Garten Rothkopf; Tom Omestad Senior Writer & Diplomatic Correspondent, US News & World Report; Former Associate Editor, Foreign Policy.

The white House sent out other info on the shift in U.S. policy, here are a few highlights, with the full “fact sheet” is now over at WH.gov:

Lift restrictions on travel-related transactions for visits to a person’s family member who is a national of Cuba by authorizing such transactions by a general license that shall:
•Define family members who may be visited to be persons within three degrees of family relationship (e.g., second cousins) and to allow individuals who share a common dwelling as a family with an authorized traveler to accompany them;
•Remove limitations on the frequency of visits;
•Remove limitations on the duration of a visit;
•Authorize expenditure amounts that are the same as non-family travel; and
•Remove the 44-pound limitation on accompanied baggage.
(b) Remove restrictions on remittances to a person’s family member in Cuba by:
more

•Authorizing remittances to individuals within three degrees of family relationship (e.g., second cousins) provided that no remittances shall be authorized to currently prohibited members of the Government of Cuba or currently prohibited members of the Cuban Communist Party;
•Removing limits on frequency of remittances;
•Removing limits on the amount of remittances;
•Authorizing travelers to carry up to $3,000 in remittances; and
•Establishing general license for banks and other depository institutions to forward remittances. [...]

Clemons isn’t enthralled about Obama’s move, but everyone can agree it’s a beginning.

Only problem with today’s announcement — beyond the very friendly nudge about Dan Restrepo’s impressive Castilian accent that may not play too well to many in the Cuban-American community — is that it is not “a lot of good news.”

I have always disliked over-tilting to any class of “other nationality-Americans” when it came to dealing with political and economic policies dealing with their home, or preceding, countries of origin. Ethnic politics are a reality in this country — but all people in this nation regardless of origin have as much right to argue about the terms of US foreign policy writ large. And I feel that no voices should be privileged over others.

Depending on what develops, I might Twitter some of the meeting tomorrow morning.

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World News, Cocktail Edition

By on 03 April 2009

Well, east coasters, if it’s Friday night, it’s Tip O’Neill time; an evening for politics, socializing, drinking, but also anything else that’s on your mind. West coasters will have to catch up on the cocktails a bit later. With an in case you missed it ’round the world brief on the side.

Iran and Venezuela’s new joint bank, from the Islamic Republic News Agency.

Way off our map here, Malawian judge rejects Madonna.

Keira Knightley beaten up by boyfriend in domestic violence ad.

Haredi Jews, the most conservative of the Ultra-Orthodox, continue to ignore women as powerful contributors. They photoshopped out women of the Israeli cabinet.

Turkish film fest is a happening scene.

Watching Saudi Arabia, Minister Prince Nayef has been appointed second deputy prime minister, which is seen as one step closer to becoming the crown prince.

Travel Cuba! In support of the Free to Travel Cuba Act. Aka Sen. Menendez’s very bad week.

Tremendous podcast on COIN (counterinsurgency doctrine), via Abu Muqawama.

Salut! … to the tune of Cannonball Adderley. The rest is up to you.

 
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In Our World, and Cato Institute Event

By on 15 March 2009
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Don’t look now, but Nawaz Sharif has been arrested in Pakistan.

It seems fitting that Pakistanis have begun to worry about extremism. While Osama’s popularity softens from around 50% to 34% thinking he will “do the right thing in world affairs:

Overwhelmingly, Pakistanis are worried about the impact of extremism on their country and people, says a new survey conducted by PEW (IRI) global research.

In 2008 72 per cent said they were concerned about Islamic extremism in their country, and over half — 54 per cent — said they were very concerned, the highest per centage among the eight countries on the survey where the question was asked (the others were Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Lebanon, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Turkey). [...]

Meanwhile, “the long march” continues, as does the crackdown in Pakistan, with opposition party leaders and other activists going into hiding to keep from being arrested.

A story floated about Russia, Venezuela and Cuba have the wingnuts spinning Cuban missile crisis theories, because “if” and “could” equals action to jumpy Republicans. Memeorandum has the roundup.

Secretary Clinton to Mexico later this month.

Clinton’s talks in Mexico would cover the global financial crisis, trade and the war against drugs, as well as the explosion of narcotics-related violence, Duguid said.

[...] The State Department last month warned U.S. citizens of the recent surge in violence, particularly near the border, and advised traveling only on main roads during daylight, sticking to well-known tourist spots and avoiding areas frequented by prostitutes or drug dealers.

With due respect to the State Department, there should be an all out travel advisory regarding Mexico that should read like this: You’re thinking about traveling where? Are you nuts?

That brings me to the forum on Friday at the Cato Institute, Can the Pentagon be Fixed? One of the people on the panel was Col. Douglas Macgregor. One specific point Col. Macgregor (retired) made I’ve come to the conclusion is unassailable. The Caribbean basin will likely become an increasing challenge for the U.S., though Macgregor’s assessment is much more dire. He believes firmly that homeland security is more urgent than the troubles we are facing in the Af-Pak region, something that is sobering in the extreme. However, that’s looking forward, because for my money, right now nothing is more urgent than the situation in Pakistan.

Macgregor believes “high impact, low footprint” missions will be more important going forward, because the era of the U.S. being “indispensable is over.” Macgregor: We are not going to garrison the world. The world doesn’t want it and we can’t afford it. That’s as close to a quote as I can get, but you catch the drift.

But it was on the Mexico cartel question from the audience that Macgregor hit on something very rarely covered. It’s not the drug cartels, in his opinion, that are so dangerous. “The transportation structure is enormous,” but also deadly lethal to the United States. The people in charge of the transportation system only want to be paid and they don’t care what they’re transporting. The drug cartels have one product they’re interested in pushing and selling, so they’re focused on it. The transportation structure, vast and unlimited, is different. In Macgregor’s judgment, though he’s not alone, the Coast Guard is vastly underfunded and underequipped, but he also believes the U.S. Navy should have a larger presence in the Caribbean basin.

Oh, and by the way, Macgregor thinks we should be out of Iraq yesterday. Containment worked before and can again. I remember the first time I wrote something along those lines, pushing for this tried form of strategy to be utilized again. I was pilloried with mail. Let’s hope colonels have clout.

But one question from a reporter from Military.com was very interesting: If you had 2 minutes with Robert Gates what would you tell him?

Winslow Wheeler: Tear up the phony stuff like the Levin-McCain legislation. Do what you talked about in your Foreign Affairs article. (–Notes via tweets on Twitter.–)

Col. Macgregor: “Persistent warfare” needs to end; develop containment policies.

Danielle Brian: Stop saying top guy at Raytheon is the right guy. Learn to say no.

Tom Ricks: Ten percent (10%) of new brigadier generals should be people who have been blackballed.

Let me just say that Tom Ricks is priceless. (See my tweets during the forum for more.)

Oh, and as for the F-22, Winslow Wheeler was blunt: “It’s a dog.” Danielle Brian thinks it’s part of a larger test for President Obama. “This is going to be a real test of Obama’s administration” says Danielle Brian, which she’s said before, as a staunch critic of the F-22, but also someone pushing for real change at the Pentagon. If Obama yields to Congress it will be the same old stuff all over again. Taxpayers paying for a military force structure that used to protect us, but in its current form isn’t ready for the 21st century threats we face.

How about we at least test the weapons we purchase before we order dozens of them? …and while we’re at it, Congress needs to quit thinking and saying that defense budget cutting is not supporting the troops. The Pentagon’s bloated budget hides behind that lie.

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