Bush Pushes For Democracy In Cuba

President Seeks To Refocus Attention On Cuba's Repressive Life, Rallies Nations To Help

(CBS/AP)  President Bush on Wednesday blistered Cuba's regime and challenged the international community to help the people of the communist island shed Fidel Castro's rule and become a free society.

"Now is the time to support the democratic movement growing on the island," Mr. Bush said in an address at the State Department.

"Now is the time to stand with the Cuban people as they stand up for their liberty. And now is the time for the world to put aside its differences and prepare for Cubans' transition to a future of freedom and progress and promise."

"The dissidents of today will be the nation's leaders," Mr. Bush added. "And when freedom finally comes, they will surely remember who stood with them."

In his first major address on Cuban policy in four years, Mr. Bush sought to refocus world attention on Cuba's repressive life. He spoke of citizens there who have no freedom of employment or expression, who live in dire circumstances, and who cannot read books and magazines without approval of the state.

"Mr. Bush's speech on Cuba, which included two new policy proposals, was directed at the Cuban people, but, more importantly, to the Democrat-led U.S. Congress, which might be more inclined to begin lifting of the embargo as Fidel Castro’s health deteriorates," said CBS News foreign affairs analyst Pamela Falk.

"The most important message that the president delivered - one that will surely be the most antagonistic to the Castro brothers - was a message to the Cuban military, to ordinary Cubans, and to Cuban children, that they will have a choice when Castro is no longer on the scene, and that the day of change is coming soon," said Falk.

"As with all totalitarian systems, Cuba's regime no doubt has other horrors still unknown to the rest of the world," Mr. Bush said. "Once revealed, they will shock the conscience of humanity, and they will shame the regime's defenders and all those democracies that had been silent."

Beyond his immediate audience of diplomats and analysts, Mr. Bush sought to reach out to directly to Cuba's people — part of a clear drive to rally pro-democracy elements. To ordinary Cubans, he said: "You have the power to shape your own destiny. You can bring about a future where your leaders answers to you."

Mr. Bush even appealed to the Cuban military, saying: "You may have once believed in the revolution. Now you can see its failure."

To the school children of Cuba, Mr. Bush said, "Do not believe the tired lies you are told about America. We want nothing from you except to welcome you to the hope and joy of freedom. Do not fear the future."

In total, Mr. Bush's address amounted to no shift in U.S. policy, and only modest proposals that were sure to be rejected by the Castro regime. Those included the offer of expanded Internet access to Cuban students, and an invitation to Cuban youth to join a scholarship program.

He also called on the creation of the international fund, built on foreign donations, to help Cuba built a free-market society one day.

The broader mission for Mr. Bush — as it has been for years — was to hasten the day when Castro is gone. The ailing leader, 81, who has ruled over Cuba's one-party government for nearly a half-century, has not been since in public since ceding power to his 76-year-old brother, Raul, in July 2006.

White House aides insisted there was no specific reason for the timing of Mr. Bush's speech. But it comes less than a week before the United Nations General Assembly takes up Cuba's annual resolution to eliminate the U.S. embargo against the island. For the past 15 years, the world body has overwhelmingly approved a resolution calling for the U.S. economic and commercial embargo against Cuba to be repealed "as soon as possible."

The United States has no diplomatic relations with Cuba, lists the country as a state sponsor of terrorism, and has long sought to isolate it through travel restrictions and a trade embargo. The White House sees Castro's failing health as an opening for change, although little is different under Raul Castro. And now Mr. Bush faces increasing pressure from a Democratic-run Congress to amend the U.S. approach.

Mr. Bush, without mentioning either Castro by name, said the United States will not seek accommodation with "a new tyranny."

"For Cuba's ruling class, its grip on power is more important than the welfare of its people. Life will not improve for Cubans under their current system of government," Mr. Bush said. "It will not improve by exchanging one dictator for another."

"The operative word in our future dealings with Cuba is not stability," the president added. "The operative word is freedom."

Members of Cuba's small organized opposition are better known outside than inside the country. None of the dissident leaders has any kind of significant following on the island, except for Oswaldo Paya, founder of Cuba's Christian Liberation Movement and promoter of the Varela Project, a pro-democracy signature gathering effort that the government later shelved.

Over the years, the U.S. government has spent many millions of dollars to support Cuba's opposition, with much of the funds never directly reaching the dissidents on the island and instead winding up funding opposition support organizations in Miami and Washington.

[erasmus6]

"(I think they ought to make me the ruler, I''''ll keep''''em straight) ;)" posted by Toolmangler

Hahahaha, that''s a good one. This is the second time I almost peed my pants from laughing. The first was when I heard they flew planes with nuclear war heads on them over I don''t know how many states.:)

[kansas1946]

Oh, good. Maybe we can invade Cuba. That is the way Bush pushes democracy. First he is say that Castro was involved in 9/11 and then that they have weapons of mass destruction and are a direct, imminent, threat to the US, and then order an invasion. Of course, when it is proven there are no WMDs, he will clamin that the Cubans moved all of them to Haiti when no one was looking. This guy is a joke, and doesn''t the meaning of the word democracy. He just needs to stay in his room until January 2009 and leave America alone.

[sftodd]

Well? It has been more than an hour, and you have yet to point out my "lies"

chrrrp, (echo) chrrrp, (echo) (sound of crickets inside troll''s head)

It must be frustrating, the inability to think for one''s self...

Posted by brianbwb at 06:58 AM : Oct 25, 2007

LOL! Regis, I think I need a lifeline, can we call up Rush Limbaugh? LOL!

[katg21]

Not everyne wants democracy, or more specifically, OUR democracy. It is arrogant of us to think so, that because our form of democracy has worked for us, then everyone in the world must have it too.
Posted by Rafterman1

Maybe, but I think most would like to be free from a tyrants rule. Democracy is the only way to achieve that.

[toolmangler-2009]

Not everyne wants democracy, or more specifically, OUR democracy. It is arrogant of us to think so, that because our form of democracy has worked for us, then everyone in the world must have it too.

Posted by Rafterman1 at 05:32 PM : Oct 25, 2007


Agreed 100%

(I think they ought to make me the ruler, I''ll keep''em straight) ;)

[rafterman1]

===Well, I don''''t think there is anything wrong with wanting to make the world a better place by spreading democracy.===

Not everyne wants democracy, or more specifically, OUR democracy. It is arrogant of us to think so, that because our form of democracy has worked for us, then everyone in the world must have it too.

[erasmus6]

"Are you on some kind of mind altering drug or something?" posted by jowand

I think that it is you that is on something.

Last night I was warned about all the crazies that post, your name was mentioned. Actually your name was the only name that was mentioned. I can see why.

[katg21]

Whatever, it is wrong for the U.S. to do so.
Posted by tibu987

Well, I don''t think there is anything wrong with wanting to make the world a better place by spreading democracy. Sure, we could go around ignoring atrocities and just live our spoiled american lives or we can use our influence to help others. Why is it, do you think, that whenever a country is in crisis they call on the US to help? Because we can and we do help, it''s just the american way. I don''t understand why instead of embracing our country as great you bash it? Oh, that''s right, our country is only great if a DEMOCRAT is president, right?

[tibu987]

Why is it that the U.S. feels it must foist democracy on other countries?
Why is it that the U.S. Senate votes to divide Iraq into three parts? By what right?
I believe in democracy and all that it offers, but I do not feel the U.S. should declare how other countries should live.
I believe it is called hegemony.
Whatever, it is wrong for the U.S. to do so.

[realpatriot1]

President Bush could set a good example for Castro and help to make Cuba more free by allowing the International community to inspect conditions at Guantanomo and interview the detainees.

Words mean nothing if they aren''t backed up by actions.