[Leica] Cuba?

[gregj_lorenzo at hotmail.com (Greg Lorenzo)]

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
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