decided to be unhappy

The Decider isn't very happy these days. It appears that very few folks are listening to him. His approval ratings have sunk below 20 percent for the first time in his administration and the ratings aren't likely to rise much in the coming months, especially with the economy tanking and the dollar's slide deepening by the day. One could almost feel sorry for him it he weren't almost single-handedly responsible for the start of Armageddon. Or is that Dick "the Dick" Cheney? OK, perhaps I over speak. Things are that bad.

For one, the Decider is unhappy that Barack Obama would like to open up discussions with the new Fidel known as Raul Castro. The reason that Bush gives is because it would send a bad message. Now we've been trying to get Cuba to come around for 40 years and the whole embargo thing doesn't to appear to have worked very well. They had the same dictator for 40 years and now they have his brother. Perhaps, perhaps, we might try something else for a change,see if that works.

We did a little bit of research and discovered why Hillary Rodham Clinton likely doesn't think it's a good idea to talk to Raul. It has to do with the Libertad Act, which was signed into law by Hubby Bill, and since she's taking credit for those years, might not look good to go against it.

"On February 24, 1996, further worsening relations, the Cuban military shot down two U.S. registered civil aircraft in international airspace, killing three U.S. citizens and one U.S. resident. The unlawful and unwarranted attack on two unarmed U.S. civilian aircrafts resulted in the deaths of Armando Alejandre Jr., Carlos Alberto Costa, Mario M. de la Peña, and Pablo Morales. Immediately after this brutal act, and in response to this violation of international aviation law, Congress and former President Clinton passed the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act, also known as the Libertad Act. The legislation, among other provisions, codified the U.S. trade embargo into law and imposed additional sanctions on the Cuban regime. " Fact sheet on US Cuba relations, U.S. State Dept., May, 2001

The fact sheet also indicates that support for the Cuban people is the central theme of our current policy. Since the trade embargo doesn't seem to be working, perhaps we should open up trade and the borders with Cuba and go down there and talk to the people. They need our products a lot more than we need theirs. What better way to get the people of Cuba to view a different way of life than to go down there and demonstrate it to them first hand.