Peter K...I've just re-read my statement above, and am baffled how you managed to glean that I said the US Press has less freedom than the UK press. On contrary, I would say that freedom of the press, for better or worse, is nearly unfettered in both countries. You take the good with the bad when any kind of freedom is unfettered. The same press that gave us two years of Jon Benet Ramsey also brought down the corrupt Richard Nixon- the blade cuts both ways.

The trade embargo on Cuba is a relic of the cold war, of American anger at Castro for declaring a communist state in the Carribbean. I for one think that it is has outlived any usefulness it had, and think it should be ended. Castro will fall either way.

During the post-World War 2 period, the United States and its allies in NATO and SEATO supported many repressive regimes in the name of the "lesser of two evils". With the end of the Cold War, the need to control countries to keep them from joining the opposing block has evaporated, and global intercession by the US has by and large taken place to avert genocide (see Bosnia), to feed the starving (see Somalia), or to put a misguided despot in his place(see Kuwait).

For better or worse, the people of the United States, or Britain, determine the direction their country takes. If that direction is wrong, the people must be shown that, and the direction can be changed. Would you and I be having this conversation in Cuba?