Does the House Represent You?

The Freedom Democrats have released their survey of the political views of the members of the US House of Representatives. It is, as usual, depressing. Check out the Nolan chart above and ask yourselves if this hodgepodge of socialists and authoritarians really represents the views that you hold and you believe that this nation stands for. To see more about this survey, check out the complete survey here and for God's sake vote for libertarians.

"Pathetic relic from a world that no longer exists takes a step toward the beyond, brother to follow" or "Here today, Raul tomorrow"

I have been amazed in the last 16 hours to see the Cubans and Cuban Americans living in Florida taking to the streets to celebrate the impending death of Fidel; knowing that his younger brother Raul will likely be even more oppressive; and not knowing anything about Fidel's condition.

I suppose the great hope is that the death of Fidel will serve to demoralize the regime and its supporters and, ultimately undermine it. I would suggest to those optimists that many a hopeful Cuban democrat has gone broke betting against communist Cuba.

I would also remind everyone that if the United States government and its embargo-happy Cuban dissident sycophants really wanted to promote democracy, freedom and markets in Cuba, then they would push to end the stupid and completely failed embargo that has kept the US from engaging Cuba in a constructive way that might lead to the development of a middle class and an effective resistance. For more that 40 years, the US policy has been to "starve 'em out" while the rest of the world has continued to trade with Cuba. We have ceded our "place at the table" in favor of waiting for nature to take its course while millions of Cubans starve, are denied basic rights, and are jailed for expressing opinions and engaging in commerce. If we really want to end communism in Cuba, we can do far more good by flooding the country with dollars then we can by starving it of them.

As for Fidel and Raul, nature will take care of both of them...eventually. However, the apparatus of state control will remain in place ready for the next tyrant to take the helm unless steps are taken to undermine the machine rather than the men that might use it. That requires constructive engagement, opening the country from the outside in order to empower the people to take the scissors to the regime. Cubans have already proven that revolution is in their blood, here is to hoping that the next one will see Cuba return to her rightful place among the free and democratic nations of the world.