Self Respect and Penance.
In a recent posting Duly Noted" had asserted that Europe is ambivalent about protecting its interests. That being the case she needs to rely on the USA which is accused of doing the job wrongly. Europe is voluntarily in need of help but at the same time it resents that it must request it. Additionally it protests if some of the dust stirred up by the struggle in the ring settles on its spotless white dress.
Proceeding from that context the piece suggested that the USAs national interest might be to conduct a search for a parallel alliance with the willing". Who was meant? Not the NATOs tired original members but other countries. Ones that have lost -and then regained- their sovereignty not due to their lacking will but because of their size-related means and a neighboring great power. The discreet hint points to the defunct Third Reich -and mainly to its foe-ally-foe and ultimate successor the USSR.
Do not rest in case that the presentation of Europes malady - call it eurosclerosis"- passes critical examination. Western civilization and culture is not exclusively European. North America especially the USA is also part of that zone. Admittedly America is less acutely infected by the ailment. That is the sickness that brings Europes ruling classes cheer in the hope of leniency those that plan its destruction. However less applause for the enemy from America does not amount to a clean bill of health. Less bad" is still bad enough. Furthermore it amounts only to a delay but not to immunity against a virus that devours its carrier.
Americas situation is not comforting . That is true even if she can afford significant mistakes (just remember the road to Pearl Harbor) before acting to save herself. A symptom of mindless not-caring" is demonstrated presently. Candidates can contest elections from a platform that is anti-American because it negates the values and the policies that made the country into a successful society.
Acting to gain an advantage by the endorsement of foes can seem to be profitable. It can promise to soften future attacks and making peace" enables the compromiser to appear in the role of the Great Reconciliator". He appears in a role that suggests that he may bring peace for our time". Overcoming enmity can appear to be a sign of statesmanship. Or of something else.
Having said that Mr. Obamas trip to Cuba comes to mind. He has been followed by the Stones" and one wonders whether as a repayment for the concessions the US should not have asked that the Fidelistas keep their visitors. Anyhow seeing on stage the bands gyrations a nasty thought arose. Earlier Castro forbade such shows claiming that they are decadent. Duly Noted must admit that at least in this case the soon-to-be embalmed commander of the Revolution" that dies on an authoritarian cross of its own making has been right.
However attaining agreement in a point involving taste is not the purpose of this piece. Even the political wisdom of staging a spectacular action to save a decaying system from its slide into self-made demise can be discussed and justified without becoming thereby fully convincing. All that gets us to the parameters of Obamas visit to Castroland.
Let us shelve the argument whether lifting an obviously effective blockade of a system thereby confined to the 60s makes sense. To the USA Cubas value as a self-perpetuating failure might be debatable. Regardless of its results the blockade cost America little. Except of course for the disapproval of the collectivists. Instinctively they sung and sing the praise of left-totalitarian systems from the USSR to that of Cuba.
Obamas visit to the island unfolded between a matching beginning and end. That beginning is marked by the reception at the airport. Against custom the Top Cuban" did not attend. Once departed a second kick in-the-you-know-where terminated the affair. That is why this writing is really about self respect and penance.
A presidents visit to Cuba should have demanded a compensation for the rapprochement. Instead Obama went and then posed with a dictator before a mural that depicted a somewhat deranged but ultimately ineffective murderer. Conferring some legitimacy upon an icon of the crowd that knows little and that admires the violent exponents of peace" more than it cares for reality is a consequence. Che is a validating saint of the Cuban system. His violence against skeptics critics and opponents were given an endorsement. That is paired with Havanas message that Cubas communist system remains what it has been. That fact stands confirmed by the penance-doing apologist to Canossa" from Washington.
The intended message no concessions to the class enemy" has been confirmed by Fidel Castro. He has just snuck away from the crematorium to conclude the chapter on Obama. Obviously since in such systems nothing is printed without careful central committee approval Castros piece is more than an old activists grumble on his way to mummification. To set limits to Cuban hopes and to American self-satisfaction the Leader" to summarize the headlines has told America off". His Cuba will not change America is guilty and therefore she should pay. Much and please fast because the coffers are empty. That is what Fidel Castro Blasts Obamas Trip" translates into.
Granted every political move is calculated by an assumption about the other sides probable response. Such guesses can go awry because the other partys view of its interests had been misunderstood. Often it happens because the other side simply lacks the ability to assess its interests. For instance in 1941 Stalin refused to believe the warnings about Hitlers imminent attack. Doing such a thing was so Stalin thought correctly not the Nazis interest. That made the shrewd Georgian to conclude that the signaled event will not materialize. Well Stalin was right about Germanys interests but he did not comprehend Hitlers mind-set. In our present case Washington might have been thinking rationally when it faced an irrational foe. This can happen in the best families.
Now the defiant message is in that nothing will change". A reaction is due. One wishes for an appropriate response. In vain. What the USA would need would be a President with the fortitude to respond in the received messages terms. How about choosing a new President who is capable of saying: You keep your professed failed principles. We in turn will keep our hard earned money. Be assured that as you put it there will be no gifts from the empire". As we lift the drawbridge we wish to thank you for having thought us a lesson."
Self Respect and Penance.
In a recent posting Duly Noted" had asserted that Europe is ambivalent about protecting its interests. That being the case she needs to rely on the USA which is accused of doing the job wrongly. Europe is voluntarily in need of help but at the same time it resents that it must request it. Additionally it protests if some of the dust stirred up by the struggle in the ring settles on its spotless white dress.
Proceeding from that context the piece suggested that the USAs national interest might be to conduct a search for a parallel alliance with the willing". Who was meant? Not the NATOs tired original members but other countries. Ones that have lost -and then regained- their sovereignty not due to their lacking will but because of their size-related means and a neighboring great power. The discreet hint points to the defunct Third Reich -and mainly to its foe-ally-foe and ultimate successor the USSR.
Do not rest in case that the presentation of Europes malady - call it eurosclerosis"- passes critical examination. Western civilization and culture is not exclusively European. North America especially the USA is also part of that zone. Admittedly America is less acutely infected by the ailment. That is the sickness that brings Europes ruling classes cheer in the hope of leniency those that plan its destruction. However less applause for the enemy from America does not amount to a clean bill of health. Less bad" is still bad enough. Furthermore it amounts only to a delay but not to immunity against a virus that devours its carrier.
Americas situation is not comforting . That is true even if she can afford significant mistakes (just remember the road to Pearl Harbor) before acting to save herself. A symptom of mindless not-caring" is demonstrated presently. Candidates can contest elections from a platform that is anti-American because it negates the values and the policies that made the country into a successful society.
Acting to gain an advantage by the endorsement of foes can seem to be profitable. It can promise to soften future attacks and making peace" enables the compromiser to appear in the role of the Great Reconciliator". He appears in a role that suggests that he may bring peace for our time". Overcoming enmity can appear to be a sign of statesmanship. Or of something else.
Having said that Mr. Obamas trip to Cuba comes to mind. He has been followed by the Stones" and one wonders whether as a repayment for the concessions the US should not have asked that the Fidelistas keep their visitors. Anyhow seeing on stage the bands gyrations a nasty thought arose. Earlier Castro forbade such shows claiming that they are decadent. Duly Noted must admit that at least in this case the soon-to-be embalmed commander of the Revolution" that dies on an authoritarian cross of its own making has been right.
However attaining agreement in a point involving taste is not the purpose of this piece. Even the political wisdom of staging a spectacular action to save a decaying system from its slide into self-made demise can be discussed and justified without becoming thereby fully convincing. All that gets us to the parameters of Obamas visit to Castroland.
Let us shelve the argument whether lifting an obviously effective blockade of a system thereby confined to the 60s makes sense. To the USA Cubas value as a self-perpetuating failure might be debatable. Regardless of its results the blockade cost America little. Except of course for the disapproval of the collectivists. Instinctively they sung and sing the praise of left-totalitarian systems from the USSR to that of Cuba.
Obamas visit to the island unfolded between a matching beginning and end. That beginning is marked by the reception at the airport. Against custom the Top Cuban" did not attend. Once departed a second kick in-the-you-know-where terminated the affair. That is why this writing is really about self respect and penance.
A presidents visit to Cuba should have demanded a compensation for the rapprochement. Instead Obama went and then posed with a dictator before a mural that depicted a somewhat deranged but ultimately ineffective murderer. Conferring some legitimacy upon an icon of the crowd that knows little and that admires the violent exponents of peace" more than it cares for reality is a consequence. Che is a validating saint of the Cuban system. His violence against skeptics critics and opponents were given an endorsement. That is paired with Havanas message that Cubas communist system remains what it has been. That fact stands confirmed by the penance-doing apologist to Canossa" from Washington.
The intended message no concessions to the class enemy" has been confirmed by Fidel Castro. He has just snuck away from the crematorium to conclude the chapter on Obama. Obviously since in such systems nothing is printed without careful central committee approval Castros piece is more than an old activists grumble on his way to mummification. To set limits to Cuban hopes and to American self-satisfaction the Leader" to summarize the headlines has told America off". His Cuba will not change America is guilty and therefore she should pay. Much and please fast because the coffers are empty. That is what Fidel Castro Blasts Obamas Trip" translates into.
Granted every political move is calculated by an assumption about the other sides probable response. Such guesses can go awry because the other partys view of its interests had been misunderstood. Often it happens because the other side simply lacks the ability to assess its interests. For instance in 1941 Stalin refused to believe the warnings about Hitlers imminent attack. Doing such a thing was so Stalin thought correctly not the Nazis interest. That made the shrewd Georgian to conclude that the signaled event will not materialize. Well Stalin was right about Germanys interests but he did not comprehend Hitlers mind-set. In our present case Washington might have been thinking rationally when it faced an irrational foe. This can happen in the best families.
Now the defiant message is in that nothing will change". A reaction is due. One wishes for an appropriate response. In vain. What the USA would need would be a President with the fortitude to respond in the received messages terms. How about choosing a new President who is capable of saying: You keep your professed failed principles. We in turn will keep our hard earned money. Be assured that as you put it there will be no gifts from the empire". As we lift the drawbridge we wish to thank you for having thought us a lesson."