Giving Democracy
A Bad Name

In her letter in the July 7 issue Nina Swaim of Sharon asked why we have an embargo prohibiting travel to Cuba. Mr. Jorgensen of Tunbridge wrote a reply in July 14 Herald which was an excellent account of the long-standing political support of this policy by both parties, but did not answer Ms. Swaim’s question which was, Why?

My letter to the Herald in the 11/28/02 issue is an answer, and can be looked up in one of those big flat books in the Herald office. The gist of it is that the Central American countries are, while nominally republics, actually economic colonies of the U.S.

They provide us with important agricultural products that we can’t easily grow ourselves. Authoritative governments guarantee favorable business conditions, such as cheap labor.

Socialistic governments or real democracies threaten these lucrative arrangements, so must be squelched. Hence the numerous deployments of U.S. Marines, and the wars against Cuba, Panama and Nicaragua, and the embargo against Cuba. Cows are OK, but intelligent people like Ms. Swaim ask too many questions.

For example, Ms. Swaim asks if it isn’t hypocritical for our country to be promoting democracy around the world while at the same time prohibiting people from visiting Cuba. It’s certainly hypocritical. But I don’t know about the promoting democracy part. We’re certainly growing terrorism in the mid-east, more every month.

It’s a perfect example of trying to put out a fire by throwing oil on it. And I’m afraid that rather than promoting democracy, we are giving democracy a very bad name.

Ernest Wright

Randolph

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