Thursday, December 15, 2005

U.S. Government Shuts Cuba Out of World Baseball Classic

The U.S. government is keeping Cuba out of the inaugural World Baseball Classic, citing the standing embargo against the communist island nation. ... In the tournament schedule announced last week, Cuba was to play its three first-round games in San Juan, Puerto Rico, facing Panama on March 8, the Netherlands on March 9 and Puerto Rico the following day. If the Cubans advanced, they would also have played their second-round games in Puerto Rico.

Last time I checked, the Cold War was effectively over. Why does the Cuban trade embargo still exist? There are plenty of countries run by dictatorships that America does business with, so what's the deal? Oh, right, it's because it's Castro, not just any old dictator, it's Fidel, the guy who's been thumbing his nose at America for decades. Can't make that guy happy, now can we? If the embargo is lifted, the terrorists win. It's funny - Canadian tourists have been visiting Cuba for years, and many are surprised at the higher standard of living versus some of the other 'free' Caribbean countries like the Dominican Republic. Their emergency response system is highly organized and efficient; just compare how well Cuba made out during hurricane season versus Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.

Of course, the real story is that the U.S. government is being predictably petulant about not allowing Cuba to compete in a series of sporting events. "We don't like you, so you don't get to play." What horseshit. They're playing baseball, not hawking cigars rolled on the thighs of Cuban virgins. Is the U.S. government capable of not being dicks for any appreciable length of time?

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home