[Marxism] Brit Labour MP weighs in on EU relations with Cuba

["Charlie Parks" <jcparks5550@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Overall, a good piece by an MP I'm unfamiliar with, but how's this for an
understatement, especially coming at the end of an opinion piece:
"Last month, a survey by the Cuba Solidarity Campaign produced responses
from 402 MPs who said they would oppose any military aggression against
Cuba. That's a start, but maybe we could go a little further." Yes, perhaps.
--CP

Comment

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cuba's comeback

Europe should take the lead in breaking the blockade

Brian Wilson
Thursday October 28, 2004
The Guardian

At the United Nations today, a motion condemning the US blockade of Cuba
will be carried with overwhelming support. The United Kingdom and all other
EU countries will oppose the policy. It is an annual ritual which Washington
will duly ignore. This will be the 13th occasion on which such a resolution
has been brought forward, with the majority in support of it increasing year
by year - 154 to three at the last count.
It is not necessary to support Cuba's system of government in order to
oppose the blockade, which has crippled the country's economy for 40 years
and continues to impose huge privations upon the ordinary Cuban people.
Extraterritorial action as pursued by the US against Cuba is flagrantly
illegal and therefore extremely dangerous as a precedent. To the rest of the
world that matters. To the US administration, particularly in election year,
such niceties are of minimal interest.

The fact that the UK and EU are opposed to this miserable vendetta should
not be undervalued. One day US policy towards Cuba will change - and the
question will then be whether we were leaders or mere followers.

Quite recently, relations between Cuba and the EU deteriorated sharply. This
drive came from the Aznar government in Spain, which had a particular animus
towards its former colony as well as a deep attachment to Washington
opinion. The expression of this diplomatic freeze was a childish ploy
commended by the American Interests Section in Havana.

Some EU ambassadors started inviting to embassy functions leading dissidents
whom the Cubans regard as fifth columnists in a bitter war of attrition. The
outcome was predictable and intended: the Cuban government boycotted these
events and other contacts declined. Unfortunately, the UK was seen as a
ringleader in this activity, though I am certain no such policy was
instigated here.

The change of government in Spain has opened up an avenue which can lead to
the restoration of normal relationships between EU countries and Cuba.
Earlier this month, the new Spanish ambassador in Havana said that agreement
on a new policy towards Cuba "is only a matter of time - and not much time".
I hope he is right.

The biggest factors in driving a new, post-election policy towards Cuba will
come from within the US itself. The current position is riddled with
hypocrisies. Prior to a recent tightening of restrictions, the US was Cuba's
second biggest supplier of tourists and its largest supplier of imported
food. Republican governors from the farm states beat a regular trail to
Havana to nurture a market which their constituents want to serve.

Even in Florida, rapid change is taking place. The vast majority of
Cuban-Americans are not political refugees but economic migrants. They no
more want to be barred from going home or sending back money to help their
families than any other immigrant community.

In the latter stages of the Clinton presidency, the policy had moved towards
engagement rather than persecution. Soon the same trend will be resumed, but
the EU should get there first. Last month, a survey by the Cuba Solidarity
Campaign produced responses from 402 MPs who said they would oppose any
military aggression against Cuba. That's a start, but maybe we could go a
little further.

· Brian Wilson is Labour MP for Cunninghame North



_______________________________________________
Marxism mailing list
Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism