Cuba As America's Friend

Would Benefit Americans & Others

        Francois Hollande, the President of France, finally got his wish yesterday. For years he has expressed a desire to meet Fidel Castro. Yesterday, even before he met with Cuban President Raul Castro, President Hollande insisted on being driven to Fidel Castro's home. The French leader was giddy with delight when he was told that Dalia, the 88-year-old Fidel's wife, confirmed that "Fidel is well-rested and very anxious to see you." After spending over an hour with Cuba's revolutionary icon, President Hollande was still giddy. He tweeted in French to Laure Bretton, a journalist: "I had in front of me a man who made history!"

Francois Hollande with "the man who made history."

Francois Hollande in Fidel Castro's living room.

A close-up of Fidel Castro talking to Francois Hollande on Monday, May 11th.
Fidel's son Alex takes all the photos inside the Castro home.
{Adidas needs to sign an endorsement deal with Fidel Castro} 

      After meeting Fidel Castro, French President Francois Hollande {above} made a stirring address at the University of Havana. He said, "All the world, including France and the European Union, applauds what President Obama is trying to do against great odds to help Cuba's people. The U. S. embargo and other damaging aspects of America's Cuban policy should be relegated to the dust-bins of history. The embargo for decades has damaged everyday Cubans on the island most of all, and it has damaged democracy's reputation."

Mr. Hollande admitted he was "emotional" as he toured Havana yesterday.

Cuban President Raul Castro and French President Francois Hollande.

    Candace Johnson has made headlines this week that explain how America's Cuban policy, dictated for decades by two generations of revengeful exiles from the overthrown Batista-Mafia dictatorship, has harmed the vast majority of Cubans and Americans. Ms. Johnson is the CEO of New York's Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Typical of the headlines she is generating is: "Cuba Has A Lung Cancer Vaccine -- and America Wants It!" That revelation is one of the many positive offshoots of President Obama's efforts to normalize relations with Cuba. When New York Governor Andrew Cuomo visited Cuba last month, Ms. Johnson made sure her Institute was represented. It signed a deal with Cuba's Center for Molecular Immunology regarding the lung cancer vaccine that Cuba invented and Ms. Johnson covets. "Because of the U. S. embargo," she says, "Cuba has had to do more with less, so they've had to be more innovative." She pointed out that, in addition to the lung cancer vaccine, Cuba has developed a plethora of drugs to treat Dengue Fever, Meningitis, kidney ailments, and many other medical problems. Ms. Johnson said, "Cuba has a preeminent immunology community that is ready, willing, and able to help Americans."

      Cuba's "preeminent immunology community" has discovered not only a lung cancer vaccine but many other medical innovations that have helped millions of non-Americans. People like Candace Johnson at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute have believed for a long, long time that Americans, too, should be allowed to benefit from cooperating with Cuba, as opposed to their tax dollars continually being used to assail the nearby island. President Obama is trying to accommodate Candace Johnson and others like her but, of course, a handful of Cuban-American extremists believe they alone should dictate the American Cuban policy that the rest of the world abhors, not to mention decent Americans such as Candace Johnson. Her emphasis this week in maintaining how much Americans could be helped by Cuba's lung cancer drug is a reminder of what pusillanimous Americans, since the 1960s, have allowed a few Miami-Washington extremists to dictate even when the lives of innocent Americans are at stake -- such as the George W. Bush administration cruelly and stupidly refusing to allow Cuba's renowned 1500-person medical/rescue team to fly to New Orleans on the eve of Hurricane Katrina. However, regardless of what extremists do to Cuba, such as blowing up a child-laden civilian Cuban airplane, Americans are not supposed to have either the intelligence, the courage or the patriotism to raise a dissenting voice. Candace Johnson, at her Cancer Institute, is trying real hard to combat that blight on the U. S. democracy.

        This, I believe, is the most gripping and most important photo I've seen this week. It was taken by Wally Santana for the Associated Press. The little girl holding the baby and sipping water from a spigot is in the Nepalese city of Balva, which was near the epicenter of the earthquake that destroyed Balva and killed well over 8,000 people in Nepal two weeks ago. Many nations quickly pledged billions of dollars in aid but aide-workers say little of the money has arrived and, in any case, they mostly need medicine and other supplies. And then last night, yet another 7.4 earthquake hit Nepal. Notice the smile on the baby's face as he plays with the necklace around the little girl's neck. I hope the little girl has been able to save herself and the baby, and I hope the world conspires to help them. Natural and man-made disasters around the world particularly affect the most innocent among us, such as these two precious Nepalese children.

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Overwhelming Cuba With Love

Obama Unleashed A Tsunami

       U. S. President Barack Obama's historic friendship showered on Cuba and its 83-year-old President Raul Castro has unleashed a torrent of love that is now inundating the island nation. Mindful of America's unmatched military and economic influence, most nations around the world have, since the 1960s, largely succumbed to the U. S. antipathy towards Cuba. Obama has, at least momentarily, changed all that.

          This past weekend in Rome, Pope Francis was so demonstrably friendly that Raul Castro told the international media that he is seriously considering reverting back to Catholicism "and start praying."

            While in Rome this past weekend, Cuban President Raul Castro was also showered with warmth and friendship by Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. The two leaders had a long chat at the state palace.

        Adalberto Roque took this photo Sunday night {May 10th} of French President Francois Hollande arriving at Jose Marti International Airport in Havana. President Hollande will meet with Cuban President Raul Castro today, Monday, and he said he also hopes to meet with Cuba's 88-year-old Fidel Castro.

      This Desmond Boylan/AP photo was used today -- Monday, May 11th -- to illustrate an Associated Press article, written by Anne-Marie Garcia at the AP bureau in Havana. The photo shows an influx of tourists trying to "experience Cuba before the Yankees get it back." Today's Anne-Marie Garcia article was entitled: "Diplomats, Business People Flood Cuba Amid Warmer U. S. Ties." Obama opened those flood gates.

     Since the 1960s a long line of U. S. Presidents have recognized that the entire world disapproves of America's Cuban policy, especially the insidious embargo that is considered an imperialist infringement on sovereignty, but President Obama is the only U. S. President out of the last eleven that has had both the guts and the insight to confront the contentious issue that has been solely dictated for decades by a small but ultra-powerful contingent of self-serving Cuban-Americans from the Miami-Union City-Washington axis.

President Obama envisions a non-embargoed, prosperous Cuba.

 His visions for Cuba are sane and decent.

His opponents view Cuba as a piggy-bank and punching bag.

For Cuba's sake and America's sake, Obama's visions need to prevail.

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Miami vs.Tampa

Different Views of Cuba

       Lizette Alvarez, a Cuban-American, was born in Miami in 1964. She graduated from Florida State and Northwestern, then was an award-winning journalist for the Miami Herald. Since 2011 Ms. Alvarez has been the Bureau Chief in Miami for the New York Times. Her coverage of the U.S.-Cuban conundrum is both excellent and fair despite her strong emotional ties to it. This month she penned an insightful article entitled "Going Way Back with Cubans, Tampa Leads Push Forward." Sharply contrasting Tampa with Miami, she wrote: "Today, Tampa sees itself as pivotal to Cuba once again: The city is taking the lead in the Obama administration's effort to rekindle diplomatic ties with Cuba, a move that runs counter to the anti-engagement orthodoxy of Miami and Florida's state government." {New York Times; May 2nd, 2015}

         Lizette Alvarez in the NY Times made it plain that Kathy Castor, Tampa's representative in the U. S. Congress, exerted a major influence on President Barack Obama's decision to normalize relations with Cuba. The President took special interest in Congresswoman Castor's 2013 trip to Cuba on behalf of Tampa businesses that seek business with Cuba. Ms. Alvarez wrote: "Tampa politicians have lobbied for closer ties for years. A turning point came in 2013 when Representative Kathy Castor, a Tampa Democrat, called for the end to the economic embargo and traveled to Cuba on a fact-finding trip. Calling the 5-decade embargo a failure, Ms. Castor said she had decided the best way to help Cuba's citizens and push the country toward more openness and democracy was through closer contact. Her position played a role in Mr. Obama's decision, political and business leaders said." Congresswoman Castor confirmed that she and Tampa had influenced the President. Ms. Castor told Ms. Alvarez: "I think the Tampa community gave him greater political space and support to turn the page." Quietly, she opposed the more publicized and moneyed Miami radicals. 

         This Melissa Lyttle photo was used to illustrate the aforementioned article by Lisette Alvarez in the New York Times. It shows a mural in Ybor City, a section of Tampa that lavishly celebrates its Cuban heritage. Ms. Alvarez pointed out that Jose Marti in the 1890s and Fidel Castro in the 1950s frequented Tampa to gain support for their revolutions -- Marti's vs. the Spanish domination and Castro vs. the Batista dictatorship. But long before that, Cuba's ties to Tampa were paramount. In fact, Cuba to this day owns some land in Ybor City. Ms. Alvarez wrote: "The land is home to Jose Marti Park and the Tampa deed still reads 'Estado Cubano,' the Cuban State." A rich Cuban back in the 1950s had donated the land to Cuba.

Tampa is 331 miles from Havana.

As this map indicates, Tampa is due north of Havana.

Travel Weekly envisioned this Tampa-to-Havana ferry.

     As I have said many times in this space, U. S. Congresswoman Kathy Castor of Tampa has long advocated the sanest, most decent, and most democratic approach to U.S.-Cuban relations -- a policy that would benefit her constituents, most Cubans, most Americans, and most Cuban-Americans. It is unfortunate, I believe, that U. S. televisions "news" networks pretend they don't know Kathy Castor exists while they fall all over themselves letting the Miami members of Congress vent their vitriol endlessly. I have stated before that President Obama was greatly influenced by Ms. Castor's recommendations. So I am glad that Lizette Alvarez, the New York Times Bureau Chief in Miami, has acknowledged the positive influence Kathy Castor has so bravely and decently rendered on President Obama and on U.S.-Cuban relations.

Kathy Castor for President?

Well, she's not owned by Wall Street or radical billionaires. So, she gets my vote.
{At least as a write-in candidate!}

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The Guantanamo Albatross

Around America's Neck

          Ernesto Samper {Photo courtesy: Reuters/Carlos Garcia Rawlings} is still an influential man throughout Latin America. The 64-year-old Samper was President of Colombia from 1994 till 1998. He is now the Secretary-General of The Union of South American Nations {UNASUR}, which is comprised of twelve nations plus two observer nations. He is providing strong advice to Josefina Vidal, Cuba's Minister of North American Affairs, during her diplomatic negotiations aimed at normalizing relations with the United States. Mr. Samper's advice: "Do all of Latin American a favor by insisting on the return of Guantanamo Bay to its rightful owner, Cuba." In fact, as the leader of UNASUR, Mr. Samper maintains that "South America should reassess its relations with the United States if all of the U. S. military bases in the region are not closed. The U. S. is still fighting the non-existent Cold War in this peaceful region while it should concentrate on dangerous conflicts elsewhere. Instead of projecting its imperialist power in the Americas, the U. S. should point to a new agenda by eliminating its military bases in the region, starting with acknowledging the bully-theft of Guantanamo Bay from Cuba. That's the place to start making amends."

        Actually, in her three official diplomatic meetings with her American counterpart Roberta Jacobson, Josefina Vidal has stated conclusively that Cuba would never agree to fully normalizing relations with the U. S. as long as: {1} Cuba remained on the U. S. Sponsors of Terrorism list; and {2} the U. S. was unwilling to discuss the return to Cuba of the lush port of Guantanamo Bay. The first prerequisite, removing Cuba from the terrorism list, has been accomplished because the Cuban-American zealots in the U. S. Congress have admitted President Obama has the power to do that. But the second prerequisite, returning Guantanamo Bay to Cuba, is something the Cuban-American zealotry in the U. S. Congress can continue to dictate.

       Even in casual meetings, such as this one, Josefina Vidal has made these points to Roberta Jacobson: "Not only Cuba but the entire region demands that Guantanamo Bay be returned to Cuba. Frankly, Roberta, I am surprised that the United States is willing to endure the insult Guantanamo Bay attaches to your country. Like an Albatross around your neck, don't you realize that everyone except a few anti-Cuban extremists fully understand that the imperialist United States stole Guantanamo Bay from Cuba just because it had the power to do so? The Bush-installed prison at Guantanamo Bay is still called 'the gulag of our time' by Amnesty International and others. Guantanamo Bay makes the U. S. look like an imperialist bully with a wounded democracy that can't deal with it. What about asking for a majority opinion in your democracy?"

Guantanamo Bay, Cuba!!

Not Guantanamo Bay, USA!!

And by the way.................

      This riveting portrait is back in the news, reminding Americans of America's Greatest Generation. The incomparable Norman Rockwell created this masterpiece for the Saturday Evening Post on May 29, 1943. He called it "Rosie the Riveter." It helped America and its allies win World War II. The patriotic Mr. Rockwell was showing how American women replaced the U. S. men in the factories while the men were off fighting the world-domination plans of vile dictators in Germany, Japan, and Italy. This poster was used to raise millions of dollars in war bonds while American women were making vital war machines...tanks, planes, etc...needed to win the war. The reason this poster is back in the news relates to Mary Doyle Keefe. Mary was a 19-year-old telephone operator in Arlington, Vermont in May of 1943 when Norman Rockwell asked her to pose for the portrait. For years thereafter, he apologized for needing to make her look so "bulky."

      Mary Doyle Keefe, Norman Rockwell's "Rosie the Riveter," died recently at age 92. She was always proud of the portrait and "how much it helped my country." This photo of Mary standing beside the iconic painting was taken at the Norman Rockwell Museum in August of 2012 in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. The original painting in 2002 sold for $4.9 million and has since been sold for much more than that. But regardless of which museum it is in, it proudly remains an integral part of America's "Greatest Generation." 

       Norman Rockwell is one of the all-time greatest Americans because he lavishly shared his enormous talent with everyone. He died at age 84 in 1978 in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, but the lives instilled in his paintings will live on forever. He painted the Greatest Generation, including "Rosie the Riveter." 

          No titles or captions were ever needed to explain Norman Rockwell's paintings. They spoke for themselves. After getting beat up by a boy, this girl was taken to a doctor and then called to the Principal's office. But study the smile on her face. Yes, the boy beat her up but..."wait till you see what he looks like!"

         To this very day, I still subscribe to "The Saturday Evening Post" because the magazine still features paintings by Norman Rockwell. To me, Norman Rockwell personifies the Greatest Generation, the generation that preceded the generation that shamefully aligned America with the Batista-Mafia dictatorship, the remnants of which to this day makes the Greatest Generation that much more memorable.

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True Heroines Saluted

Above & Beyond Self-ordained Heroes

I believe this lady, Vivian Mannerud, is a true American heroine.

Vivian owned an airline brokerage business in the Miami area.

         This is Vivian the morning after she was bombed out of business. A brave lady, Vivian had been warned about how dangerous it is to own a business that might...just might...benefit the island of Cuba. That wasn't her plan necessarily. She was more interested in making an honest living...and helping Miami's Cuban-American community that, unlike other Americans, could legally fly back-and-forth to Cuba. Still, she was bombed out of business, not unlike many car-bombs and business-bombs in the Miami area had discouraged anything that could, even remotely, be associated with benefiting Cuba. Later, Vivian herself told me that she was not surprised that the crime that put her out of business was not "seriously" investigated.

         This week Vivian Mannerud took particular notice that President Obama's administration, in bravely attempting to normalize relations with Cuba, licensed four ferry companies in Miami, Orlando, and Fort Lauderdale to travel back-and-forth from Miami to Havana, if Cuba approves, for the first time since 1960. AND GUESS WHO RECEIVED THE VERY FIRST LICENSE FROM THE U. S. GOVERMENT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SUCH TRAVEL RELATED TO CUBA?  If you guessed Vivian Mannerud, you would be correct! On her Facebook page Wednesday Vivian wrote: "Got my ferry/vessel/ship license. 1st one issued. Yippie."

       This is the confirmation letter Vivian received from the U. S. Government this week confirming she and her "Airlines Brokers Company, Inc." as the very first licensed recipient with permission to conduct travel between Miami and Havana. Was the brave and decent President of the United States remembering how Vivian's Airlines Brokers Company had been bombed out of business? I think he was. What do you think?

 And Speaking of heroines.............

     
   Ruby Bridges {Wikipedia} is a true American heroine although she is not nearly as well known as many self-ordained  American heroes who too often are fueled primarily by nepotism and greed. Ruby was born 60 years ago in Tylertown, Mississippi. She attended William Frantz Elementary School in Tylertown and later graduated from Tulane University in New Orleans. The elementary school in Alameda, California, is named for her. A beautiful song -- "Ruby's Shoes" -- was written by Lori McKenna to honor Ruby. An inspiring 1998 movie was entitled "Ruby Bridges." In 2001 President Bill Clinton honored Ruby with the Presidential Citizens Medal." Today Ruby and her husband live a quiet, successful life in New Orleans with their four sons.

       In 1960 when she was 6-years-old Ruby Bridges bravely and stoically became the first black child in the segregated South to attend an all-white elementary school.

      With "a simple act of courage" in 1960 Ruby Bridges made the United States of America a better place. That was over 54 years ago, and she is still a true heroine.

Norma Rockwell's portrait of Ruby Bridges.

   Toya Graham is a true American heroine. Her fame has nothing to do with nepotism or self-ordained patriotism. Toya is a citizen of Baltimore, Maryland. She is a church-going single mother of six -- five girls and one son. She worked two jobs and bought a home but lost both jobs and was struggling, as many single moms are. The day another young black man died at the hands of police resulted in demonstrations and criminal activity that set much of Baltimore on fire as the world watched. Out of that conflagration the world saw an everyday mom, Toya, emerge as a heroine. Toya noticed her teenage son Michael was not at home and she raced to the dangerous, smoky streets to find him. He wore a hood and a mask but she recognized him and his baggy sweatpants. She screamed, "Drop that brick!" Then, as the world has witnessed over-and-over on video, she slapped and assaulted her son to save him and perhaps save a policeman that could have been the victim of the brick. 

      The images of what Toya Graham did on behalf of her son and the city of Baltimore will remain seared in the consciences of people around the world -- at least for a few days. After that, true American heroines like Toya will be forgotten, especially by well-off politicians who realize that everyday heroines like Toya are not going to contribute a penny to their precious PACs {Political Action Committees}.

         Yong Soo-Lee {Photo: AFP/JIJI} is a South Korean heroine of the first order. In the last week of April she flew from her home in South Korea to Washington. She is 87-years-old. When she was 14 she was captured and spent the next two years in Japanese custody. As a "comfort girl" she was repeatedly raped daily by Japanese soldiers, as were hundreds of thousands of similarly captured Korean and Chinese girls. Yong Soo-Lee's trip to Washington coincided with the arrival of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. She is appalled that Japan, a close U. S. ally, has not fully owned up to the World War II tragedy that so unfairly disrupted or ended the lives of so many Comfort Girls. Ms. Soo-Lee sat and listened as Mr. Abe apologized to President Barack Obama for the Americans killed during World War II. But he didn't apologize to Ms. Soo-Lee who, he knew, sat nearby in a wheelchair. She was later interviewed by Pamela Constable of the Washington Post and many other American journalists. She told Ms. Constable, "I'm not going to die until we resolve this issue." Many others have apologized to her. In Virginia's Fairfax County near Washington there are 42,000 very successful Korean-Americans. Last May, near the Fairfax County Government Center, a beautiful memorial to the Comfort Girls was opened to honor and to apologize to them. Pamela Constable called Yong Soo-Lee "a study in grim dignity." She is that and more. She is a heroine of the first order...like Ruby Bridges, Toya Graham, and so many other everyday women who navigate in a misogynistic world that would be a far better place if they, and not the other gender, were the world's prime navigators.

Which reminds me of:

 Celia Sanchez: Cuba's all-time greatest heroine.

And:

Rachel Carson: America's all-time greatest heroine.

A butterfly visiting a Black Eyed Susan flower.
{Photo by: Mike/racingbear 88; courtesy: Birds & Blooms Magazine}

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