A Common Sense Opportunity Awaits in Cuba
A short article caught my eye Tues. August 5th. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin wants Moscow to regain its influential position in Cuba. What an opportunity for our country. Let's have a "preemptive strike"- of a more creative kind. Let's get there first, be pro-active rather than reactive. I wouldn't even care if it started under President Bush's watch. Perhaps he yet could do something constructive.
We are 90 miles away. Russia is thousands. We need to immediately offer help, trade, friendship, and economic development. It would be good for both of our countries. We need to stop the waiting game we've played for four decades.
Russia denies that it is trying to reestablish a military position there. Putin claims their only interest is in the area of energy, mining, healthcare and communication.
As one who well remembers as a college freshman the terror of Oct. 1962, I do not want to travel that road again. Being a college freshman wouldn't be so bad but I'm not anxious to revisit nuclear terror in the form of confrontation in our back yard.
By starting talks leading to friendship and trade, we could benefit both countries. We might even learn a thing or two about Healthcare NOT Warfare for all.
It's time to inject some common sense into our (near) foreign policy and why not start with a neighbor 90 miles away. And, unlike Russia, Cuba and the US already speak a common language. At least many of us do and I realize THAT is a problem for some of our citizens. Regardless, the international language is not as much English anymore as it is money. There's gold on dat ther island.
