International law isn't enforceable other than by the most powerful - there is no justice in that. The U.S. for example can put its foot down and tell countries to follow international law, because it is all powerful. But a small weak country can not tell the U.S. to follow international law because it has no enforcement capabilities. Annually the general assembly of the United Nations votes overwhelmingly that the US violates international law and the UN charter by blockading Cuba. But nothing happens. Everyone that studies international law knows its a joke and they tell you so in your very first intro course.
Well the international community (at least Cuba's hemispheric neighbors) seem to think it has paid plenty a price for its sins against the U.S. That's the point of the article. :cheeky:
What of the tens of millions of dollars the United States has regularly, since 1961, expropriated from the Cuban government for these deeds you complain of. That is not enough for you?
It only seems never enough to those who (like yourself) chose to take up the banner of the corrupt, the criminal, and the terrorist so must continue 50 years of excessive isolation, blockade, and war against the Cuban people with no end in sight.
Maybe that lust will only be quenched when they take back control of the island to rape, pillage, and steal once again. Yet probably, that won't even be enough.
I agree there's no justice in that. But you were saying the investors got fucked and that's the way the world works, and we shouldn't be acting like crybabies in hoping for a utopia. My response was that Cuba violated international law and that's the way the world works, and we shouldn't be acting like crybabies in hoping for a utopia.
I don't think its fair at all -
especially the US. They are the worst of all. They have stalled the development of human rights more than any other country in the world. They assert their power without negotiations, opt out of major treaties and creating a void, fail to give self executing status to any human rights treaties, haven't signed the UN Declaration on the Rights of the Child, and basically get a free pass because the world needs them. Its dangerous, because the world probably won't need the US soon, and we won't have our weight to throw around.
But the world doesn't need Cuba. So when Cuba said "fuck your rules", the world had no problem turning its back on Cuba. Not fair at all, but that's the way the world works. And Cuba should have just played ball in that one situation.
Should the rest of the world let Cuba back into the UN and the OAS and all that stuff? Probably yes. But if Cuba doesn't sign onto major treaties - ones affecting trade, expropriations, capitalistic principles - then it won't matter if they get included in the OAS or UN, because their ideologies will either ostracize them or create fundamental differences. For example, if you want to be in the OAS, you need to guarantee certain rights to all of your citizens. The basic structure of the Cuban government denies those rights. So at the get go Cuba ought to make some adjustments to its government in order to gain acceptance into the world communities - civil rights, free speech, participation in the political process, etc. And Cuba probably won't do it.
As far as the US and Cuba, I think that Cuba has way overpaid its price. But if we lift trade restrictions against Cuba, and then they just continue to disregard international rules, its just going to cause another conflict.
I appreciate you telling me what I should have learned in my intro class and then informing me that I take up the banner of the corrupt, criminal and terrorists. It makes for impartial discussion.
