Reply #47: KUCINICH on Cuba

[Tinoire]

H.R. 2138 (2001)- Bridges to the Cuban People Act. A bill to provide the people of Cuba with access to food and medicines from the United States, to ease restrictions on travel to Cuba, to provide scholarships for certain Cuban nationals, and for other purposes.

H.R. 230 (1999)- Cuban Humanitarian Trade Act: A bill to allow for trade with Cuba on food, medicine, and medical supplies. Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act of 2000: A bill to change law to allow for free travel to Cuba.

----------------------------------------
From his official campaign site:

Cuba ttp://www.kucinich.us/issues/issue_cuba.htm

END THE EMBARGO ON CUBA

Our policy toward Cuba has failed. More than four decades of a unilateral embargo and persistently hostile and aggressive rhetoric and actions from successive administrations have created only misery for the Cuban people and have hurt, not helped, U.S. interests at large.

Common sense dictates that we pursue a policy of normalizing relations with Cuba. A Kucinich Administration will work for repeal of the Helms-Burton Act and the immediate lifting of the trade embargo.

A Kucinich Administration will take several steps to restoring a more humane and effective policy toward this important neighbor:

1. Support normal bilateral trade with Cuba. Farm communities throughout the U.S. are being denied a natural market in Cuba, and Americans are being denied products from Cuba.

2. Restore Americans' freedom to travel to Cuba. Our government's travel ban violates the Constitutionally-guaranteed freedom of movement.

3. Work to repeal the Cuban Adjustment Act, which has encouraged smuggling and put lives at risk -- and has reinforced arbitrary and unequal immigration policies.

4. Support increased national security cooperation with Cuba.

----------------------------------------
Kucinich calls for end to embargo on Cuba

Democratic Presidential hopeful Dennis Kucinich would work to open up trade with Cuba and kill or greatly reform NAFTA and the World Trade Organization if he were elected.

“We need to open up new markets for farmers,” he said Monday in Davenport. “We need to open up Cuba.”

http://havanajournal.com/business_comments/A315_0_4_0_C/

-----

DEAN VS. DENNIS ON CUBA: More Embargo vs. Immediate End

The Kucinich position is clear: "Our policy toward Cuba has failed. More than four decades of a unilateral embargo and persistently hostile and aggressive rhetoric and actions from successive administrations have created only misery for the Cuban people and have hurt, not helped, U.S. interests at large. A Kucinich Administration will work for repeal of the Helms-Burton Act and the immediate lifting of the trade embargo."

Meanwhile the Miami Herald reported on Tuesday that "Howard Dean says he is shifting his views on the trade embargo with Cuba...Dean said he supports rolling back the embargo in order to encourage human rights advancements -- but citing Fidel Castro's recent crackdowns on dissidents, says that in recent months he has become convinced that 'we can't do it right now.'"

http://www.muhajabah.com/muslims4kucinich/archives/006413.php

----------------------------------------


by Michael W. Stowell
August 18, 2003


What will you do, Americans, will you elect Dennis Kucinich? Will you demand that his voice be heard, will you take your voices out into the streets and shout loud and clear, for all to hear, will you exercise your right of free speech? Now, America and Americans, will you put partisanship out of your minds and unite for the common good? Will you change the course of history?

Then what will you do, America, after you've elected President Kucinich; what will you do with those who've supported Bush and his tenders? What do you have in mind for those in Congress, and those in your courts? Show them the door? Escort them out?

And what will you do with the money that you no longer give to Israel? What will become of the death camps in Palestine, who will clean them up? Who will rebuild Palestine for the Palestinian people and their new Palestinian state?

What will you Americans do about the destitution that you left behind in that country your government disappeared, Yugoslavia? Can you afford all the reparations? How about some bread? Some bakeries? Some medicine? Some books?

Now what will you do, America, now that you've opened your borders and lifted the sanctions on Cuba? Will you invite the Cuban people to a celebration? Will you throw a great party in Washington D. C. and invite the whole country of Cuba, and provide safe passage?

When you Americans finally take charge of your government, I imagine you'll have plans for Cheney and Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz and the rest. Don't forget about Poppy Bush, though, send him to a prison farm that has chickens to keep, it will be good therapy, for all of us.

<snip>

Will you open your prison doors and release your political prisoners? Will you end the barbarity of capital punishment? Will you tear down your prison/industrial complex and start building some schools? Will you support an international court that has the authority to prosecute your leaders and military if they commit crimes?

When?

You can do this America, but only you can do this. I would love to see people from around the world sending money to help you elect Dennis Kucinich, and I am sure they would if they could. However, if you do not have significant money to give, or even if you do, money is a small part of it when everyone takes the time to do what is necessary.

What will you do, America?


Michael W. Stowell is a local activist in Northern California.
http://www.swans.com/ A site well worth a visit!!!