December 15, 2004
75 AND STORMY IN HAVANA (via Rick Turley):
Cuba threatens U-S diplomatic mission over Christmas decorations (AP, 12/15/04)
Cuba's government is warning the U-S mission in Havana to take down its Christmas decorations or face unspecified consequences.
The decorations include a Santa Claus, candy canes, white lights and a lighted sign three-feet in diameter with the number 75 on it.It's that last one that appears to be irking Fidel Castro's government. The 75 refers to the number of Cuban dissidents jailed last year.
The top American diplomat in Cuba -- James Cason -- says they won't remove it and are "prepared to pay whatever price for the things we believe in."
He says Cuban officials could expel them over it.
If they can get past the Marines they can take them down themselves. Posted by Orrin Judd at December 15, 2004 9:42 PM
Why don't we just tell the rest of the world, 'You can trade with America or you can trade with Cuba. You cannot trade with both.'
Posted by: Bart at December 15, 2004 9:57 PMI'd like to think there's a creche in there someplace, but this is the US government we're talking about, and Havana is awfully close to the center of the octopus.
Posted by: Random Lawyer at December 15, 2004 10:56 PMBabalublog has the close-up of the 75 and the 12/10 posting has a long shot of our embassy at night.
Posted by: Sandy P at December 15, 2004 11:14 PMRandom Lawyer:
My thought exactly. Castro would have a better chance of success by suing in federal court stateside claiming a 1st Amendment Establishment Clause violation (if federal courts have jurisdiction over Guantanamo, why not the U.S. mission in Havana).
Posted by: Fred Jacobsen (San Fran) at December 15, 2004 11:37 PMHmm. I wonder if this meets the criteria of the Catholic Church's "just war" doctrine.
Posted by: Guy T. at December 16, 2004 1:09 AMI wonder if this meets the criteria of the Catholic Church's "just war" doctrine.
Depends on which flavor of the doctrine you're referring to: the classic statement by St. Augustine of Hippo (a Doctor of the Church), or the modern-day "we [heart] UN" heresy.
Posted by: Mike Morley at December 16, 2004 6:25 AMMike-Guy: The Vatican never met a socialist it didn't like except for the liberation theology folks and the oppressors in Poland. If we dared to liberate Cuba, we'd remain atop the Vatican s-list for a hundred years. It's as if the Vatican was run not by Ratzinger but by Jimmy Carter.
Nevertheless, wouldn't it be great if we were prodding Castro into war? Maybe Venezuela wouldthrow-in with him and we could make it a twofer.
Posted by: JimGooding at December 16, 2004 9:23 AMHow is this different from what the Saudis order us to do in their country? We roll for them.
Posted by: Harry Eagar at December 16, 2004 3:20 PMThey're allies.
Posted by: oj at December 16, 2004 3:26 PMoj,
Of Osama, not of America. Saudi Arabia is the epicenter of terrorism, the great banker of Islamofascism.
Posted by: Bart at December 16, 2004 5:06 PMOsama is blowing up the Kingdom, not the States. Whatever they were before they're our allies now.
Posted by: oj at December 16, 2004 5:41 PMExactly my point, Orrin.
You got to get over cherishing criminals just because they say they like you.
Posted by: Harry Eagar at December 17, 2004 12:22 AM