“Havana goes West” by Nathaniel Hoffman felt like
something out of a socialist trade journal (HCN,
3/03/08). In Cuba today, no more than three people are
allowed to meet on the street or they can be locked up by the
police. Nobody changes jobs and nobody changes where they live.
Opposition writers and journalists are beaten and thrown into jail.
All of this is in the name of “state security.” Castro’s jails are
full of similar political dissidents who are rotting in jail.
For a former governor (now a congressman) of a U.S. state
to admit being a pen pal of Fidel Castro and actually meet with him
is like President Roosevelt meeting and discussing stamp collecting
with Adolph Hitler. I think “Butch” Otter should demand that all
Cuban jails be emptied of political prisoners before anything can
be discussed. Both Otter and Enzi need to stop living a lie. They
are not conservative Republicans. They are simply a couple of
misguided politicians who got too warm and fuzzy after being wined
and dined by members of a communist dictatorship.
Rick
Ferguson
Condon, Montana
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Pinko politicians.
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