I would have a lot more sympathy with those who are calling (rather loudly) for a boycott of the Summit of the America's if Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela are not allowed to attend or are not invited. You see, these three countries are ruled by bloody and ruthless dictatorships, and if the Summit of the America's is to mean anything, those loudly calling for a boycott should also be calling for these three countries to become proper democracies and to free their peoples from the nasty boots of the dictators. But the critics of the Americans are keeping very silent on this point ... which, at the end of the day, is the only point.
You can't have it both ways: either you are about freedom and justice for everybody or you are not. It is very easy to sit in your comfortable, airconditioned office and drink coffee and criticize the evil United States and then jump on a plane for Miami to enjoy the so-called evils of the world's strongest democracy and go shopping or whatever else you might want to do.
It is very easy to criticize the Americans. They are far from perfect, make a lot of mistakes, and at the end of the day they are really about their own interests. But the fact is that however bad you might think that they are and whatever sins you might wish to ascribe to them (of which they are probably and more than likely guilty) the fact is that if given a choice of whether to live in the States or, say, Cuba, you will ten times out of ten opt for America. Nobody wants to live in a dictatorship (unless you are the dictator.
But those who are so loudly critical of the USA keep amazingly silent on the ills of the brutal regimes that are inflicting so much misery on their citizenry and they certainly don't want to live in any of those places where their citizens have been fleeing in the millions.
And it is clear that what is sauce for the goose simply isn't sauce for the gander. I would be in favour of admitting the Cubans et al to the Summit, BUT I would in the next breath demand that all those who are threatening a boycott in the name of freedom apply that sentiment to Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela and criticize them as fiercely as they are now criticizing the United States. Any bets that the critics will say absolutely nothing about the lack of freedom in these countries?
And although it is not a "big thing" for most people who live in this part of the world, it is a big thing for those unfortunate enough to have to live in those countries because they have absolutely no choice. But you don't see that in the headlines, do you? Talk about dishonesty and hypocrisy!!
No comments:
Post a Comment