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When Losing Your Country Leads To "Lunacy"

By Big Tent Democrat

It always bothers me that people pretend not to understand interest group politics. The Left will call the anti-choice movement reactionaries and the Right will call civil liberties activists the "loony Left." It simply makes no sense. I actually admire anyone who fights hard for what they believe in. And if I agree with them, I hope I stand on the barricades with them.

The normally mild mannered Kevin Drum decides to potshot Cuban Americans who support the embargo (I vehemently disagree with the embargo as I have for my entire adult life). Kevin asks:

Jeebus. What is it about Cuba that drives people into decades-long fits of insanity?

This is Kevin's way of disagreeing with the views of some Cuban-Americans on the embargo. It is offensive. Kevin would never wonder about the "lunacy" of pro-Israel groups in this fashion. Kevin writes:

What's more, it's a different kind of crazy from most exile communities. What accounts for it?

Is it really? Or is it just that the pro-embargo Cuban exile communiity has been more successful at American politics than other exile groups? Is AIPAC a "lunatic" organization? Will Kevin write that it is?

As for what accounts for it, it seems pretty damned obvious to me - Cuba has been under a totalitarian dictatorship for 50 years. I happen to agree with Kevin's assessment of the inefficacy of the embargo on Cuba. I would lift it immediately. But let's suppose for a moment you actually believed the Cuba embargo was effective policy that will help lead to a free Cuba -- would you label taking a firm stance in its favor "lunacy?" Of course not. So the "lunacy" here is, apparently, not agreeing with Kevin Drum (and me) that the Cuba embargo is bad policy.

The other point to make here is Senator Bob Menendez, the subject of Kevin's post, is a politician. He is supporting, not only his constituency (which includes a significant Cuban American population) but he is also listening to people who give him a lot of money. Just like any other politican. Or does Kevin think Tom Harkin and Dick Lugar want to lift the embargo simply on the principle? Does he REALLY believe that who they represent and who donates to their campaigns is not effecting their views on the issue? If Kevin believes that, then he is a lunatic.

Of course Kevin's invective and ignorance (Kevin actually argues that "most Cuban exiles, when they fled the island after Castro's takeover, left with their entire families." If that were the case, why would anyone care about expanding the number of trips Cuban Americans could take to Cuba? Who would they be visiting exactly?) leads to the typical slanderous comments about Cuban Americans. Here is one example:

When Castro took over, he pretty much cut off every man's balls who fled Cuba. He exposed them for the weak cowards they really are. They had the Government, they had the US, they had the military and Castro kicked their asses. Because Castro is more of a man than the entire cuban exile population combined. So the only way they can get their manhood back is to completely eradicate Castro and his friends - anything less than that is emasculation.

Yes Kevin, you invited those comments. Castro is DA MAN! Lenin and Stalin also kicked ass and took names, they were REAL men!

Here's one I took to heart:

. . . How lucky for us that these crazy, vindictive, selfish immigrants chose our country to perpetuate their inbred nastiness while insisting that we support and participate in their multigenerational tantrum.

Thanks Kevin. Thanks for stirring up the hate. Good job.

Speaking for me, as a Cuban American, only

Full post as published by TalkLeft on March 04, 2009 (boomark / email).