Almost forgot about the actual subject of the thread!

The initial precedent for an objection to the Government of Cuba stems from the Monroe Doctrine. The doctrine came into being at a time when the United States represented a tremendous threat to the status quo in the world: it was a colony that had ejected its mother country,Great Britain,the premier super-power of its time. It was also an experiment in Democracy, the dangerous concept that stated that a people could govern themselves without the steady hand of a monarch. In the early 1800s, the outcome of this experiment was still very much in doubt, and the new country was wary of new military bases being established in the Caribbean in particular, and this activity was barred by the Monroe Doctrine, which declared the Caribbean to be within the strategic sphere of influence of the United States. On rare occasions, this doctrine was invoked throughout the following 200 years. When Russian nuclear missiles were discovered in Cuba, Keennedy invoked this doctrine again, and placed an embargo on Cuba to be enforced by the US Navy.

The other factors that precipitated the embargo, and aggravated the hostilities, were: Castro's professed intention for a "democratic" revolution, which he later sacrificed to a need for the firmer personal control of a dictatorship. The release at Mariel by Castro of thousands of convicted prisoners to find asylum in America. The continuing refusal of Castro to allow his people to travel freely between his country and the United States. My feeling is that, although the embargo was justified when levied by Kennedy, the time of immediate threat is long passed. Castro's regime will die with him, and in the interim, there is no reason to punish the Cuban people by denying them foods and medicines.

One last word to Fionn...on the Forum, we practice tolerance of contrary views, no matter how strongly we disagree with them. In my view you were way out of line to question Doug's credentials in terms of blues and folk music. Perhaps,because he was alone in his view and you felt you had widespread support, you felt he was fair game. Your comment was merely mean-spirited.