And we wonder why they hate us...

Two days ago, America celebrated the Fourth of July. Not only was the Fourth our Independence Day, but, much beyond that, it was a day when one of the greatest ideas in history was born. This fusion of Greek and Roman thinking, the blend of republican and democratic ideals, have changed the landscape of world politics forever.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

So its a wonder that the country founded on these words could so repeatedly, casually, and wantonly violate other countries' rights to be self-determining, and sovereign.

Now I'm not going to restate the history of American interventions in other countries. If you're interested check out the book Overthrow, by Stephen Kinzer. But what I will say is that in every single case, with perhaps the exception of Grenada, our interference has been disastrous for both the country and America. Just look at what's going on in Iraq right now and you'll get a taste of our bitter arrogance.

But isn't it good to know that we're staying the course?

This according to the Daily News:

"...the so-called Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba, has come up with something of a master plan for Cuba's destiny. Go figure.

"[The report] is born of the idea that Washington knows better than the Cuban people in deciding what kind of government, economy and civil society Cuba ought to have," said Sarah Stephens, the editor of Cubacentral.com, a newsletter promoting free travel to Cuba.
Not a good idea, as anybody with a little knowledge of the Cuban people's history of proud nationalism can tell you.

The report urges Bush to allocate $80 million to end Cuba's Communist government. It says that the U.S. should get ready to intervene once Castro dies.

Washington, the document says, should prepare to usher a speedy transition toward "democracy and political freedom" in Cuba. The U.S. must make sure that there is not a "succession" but a "transition.""

Sound familiar? The fact is our policy towards Cuba is an abysmal failure. Cuba continues to thrive, and its drive comes from its hatred of the United States. If after the Spanish-American war we allowed the nationalist rebels, who were pro-democracy, to take control of the country, and not propped up dictators like Baptista, we wouldn't have guys like Castro. Our methods of intimidation and opression make the people of countries like Cuba open to leftist, and radical leaders who will "defend" their people against America. When we get aggressive all we do is fuel the fires of people like Kim Jong-Il and Saddam Hussein. Sure they know they have a dictator, but, by God they'd rather have a dictator, and their own nation, than have a protectorate and give away their home.

Gore Vidal said it best. The reason that we suck so much at the Empire game is that we're a Republic, not an Empire. Empires are built to invade, and once invaded, to set up provisionary governments that oversee their terrain. But with us we invade and then cut-and-run, propping up the worst warlord we can find, and wrapping them in an American flag on our way out. Then we spend half our time disguising our dictators greed and indecency from the rest of the world, including ourselves. And in the end the only thing we become are a pack of split-personality headcases, who tout liberty on one hand, and crack the whip with the other.

There is a time and place for foreign intervention, and that was World War II. People like Bush claim that true evil is hard to find, and that it sneaks up on you like a snake in the grass. But I think that analogy is only true when you're a person like Bush. We understand that the greatest gift we can give our neighbor is to treat them as we would like to be treated, and follow the Golden Rule. When your soul is free of corruption, then evil can be spotted like a speck of pepper in a bowl of milk. But when you're blackened by deceit and malice don't be surprised when you go blind.