Slashdot Mirror
Cuba Jails US Worker Handing Out Laptops, Cellphones
eldavojohn writes "An American citizen working as a contractor for the United States Agency for International Development has been arrested for giving away laptops and cellphones in Cuba. The intent was to enable activists to connect with each other and spread information of what's happening inside Cuba. From the article: 'Cellphones and laptops are legal in Cuba, though they are new and coveted commodities in a country where the average worker's wage is $15 a month. The Cuban government granted ordinary citizens the right to buy cellphones just last year; they are used mostly for texting, because a 15-minute phone conversation would eat up a day's wages.' A Representative on the House Foreign Affairs Committee said the arrest was 'no surprise' while a human rights watch group cited a report outlining the Cuban Criminal Code offense of 'dangerousness,' which is most likely the one for which this individual was detained. There is at present no way to contact the individual nor official word on why he was detained." The article quotes an actvist with Human Rights Watch who said that "any solution to the contractor's case would probably be political" and that "the Cuban government often provokes a negative reaction in the United States just as [the two] countries begin to move toward more dialogue."
Had it been lifted many years ago, perhaps Cubans would have already overthrown their dictatorship and established a free way of life.
Yeah, just like the Chinese have.
I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
"Revolution for the people" is irrelevant. Single party systems inevitably lead to human rights abuse.
The message that such concentrated power is for the benefit of "the people" is pure propaganda.
The government of Cuba is evil.
In other news, water is wet and fire is hot.
Purchasing power per person, 2008:
Cuba: $9500
People's Republic of China: $6000
So, the average Cuban is still richer than the average Chinese. In ten years it might be different, though. But all this is irrelevant to the parent's point: dropping an embargo doesn't necessarily lead to political liberalization, even if the people do become better off. You can be very rich and still dictatorial.
Well, we do business with China and Saudi Arabia. Just Saying....
"Animals?" Come on now, if Taliban agents were caught handing out darknet cellphones and laptops through a mosque in NYC, you just know the same thing would happen. Heck, we recently arrested some midde-east looking people just for taking home videos at Disneyland.
walked out on the movie Minority Report about 10 minutes in
You actively don't watch movies that tackle issues you disagree with? That is a very very close minded attitude.
P.S. had you stayed for the remainder of movie you would have seen that the movie was a warning against such a law. That's ironically akin to not reading Animal Farm because you dislike communism.
It is instructive to note how many useful idiots keep calling to normalize relations with the sort of barbarians that lock people up for passing out cell phones.
Normalize travel and trade with these animals? Really?
Seriously, would YOU travel into such a hellhole? Do business as usual with such a morally bankrupt regime and expect them to honor contracts like civilized people?
Yes, really. Why? Because you nominally care about the vast majority of normal people who live there. You may disagree with the ruling class, but that doesn't necessarily justify an embargo.
Also, let's keep in mind that these people locked up someone who was effectively an agitator. Or is sedition only bad when it's being done against the US standards? The Cubans locked up a man who was disruptive to their country's stability, like it or not. And again, if the embargo wasn't in place, the sheer contact between the normal citizens of each culture would have done a lot to educate both sides. People learn from contact. Leaving a country in isolation does nothing for them.
Depose or do not depose. Those are the two reasonable courses of action. The embargo at this point is nothing but pride.
"Oh no... he found the
In ANY democratic country an agent of a foreign power financing political groups would be declared persona non grata and kicked out. Apparently Cuba can't do it because then they are dangerous communists that eat children for breakfast.
Remove the absurd and illegal embargo you have on Cuba and then let's all talk about democracy. No country can be democratic with another country's boot crushing it. And we're talking about the USA, it's a HUUUUGE motherfucking boot.
Theirs is not the only system that needs replacing/overhaul. Dual party systems also lead to human rights abuse.
The message that a two party system is a "democracy" (or "republic" if you want to ride the irrelevant semantics bandwagon) is pure propaganda.
The US does extend their reach on export control. If you want to sell technology to the US you have to agree not to sell to countries they embargo.
http://michaelsmith.id.au
Not just hot, VERY hot!
http://CryoLANparty.com/ A lan I'm staff on!
In ANY democratic country an agent of a foreign power financing political groups would be declared persona non grata and kicked out.
Ah yes. In that case, it should be no problem for you to point to a case where an individual was jailed in, say, the United States, for handing out free stuff to political groups.
Go ahead, I'll wait.
Oh, and while you're trying to think of a way to back-pedal out of this one, you should probably stop and think about just how despicable you look to every person who actually gives a damn about human rights. You're offering excuses on behalf of an oppressive dictatorship, just so you can squeeze in a cheap shot at nations which guarantee you freedoms that Cubans can only dream about. I don't know how you live with yourself.
"Seriously, would YOU travel into such a hellhole?"
Hell yes, it's a stunningly beautiful country with great food, gorgeous women, wonderful climate, great music, and friendly people. It's also extremely safe, the crime rate is next to nothing, and very cheap. That's why tens of thousands of Europeans travel there every year. Wish I could go without being labeled a criminal by my government.
"Think about how stupid the average person is. Now, realise that half of them are dumber than that." - George Carlin
In ANY democratic country an agent of a foreign power financing political groups would be declared persona non grata and kicked out.
Ah yes. In that case, it should be no problem for you to point to a case where an individual was jailed in, say, the United States, for handing out free stuff to political groups.
Go ahead, I'll wait.
Please read this.
Some parts are very interesting:
This law defines the agent of a foreign principal as someone who:
(. . .)
Although the act was designed to broadly apply to any foreign agent (and was first used against German Nazi and Soviet propagandists), in practice FARA is frequently used to target countries out of favor with an administration (such as Venezuela or Iraq during the George W. Bush administration).
Oh, and while you're trying to think of a way to back-pedal out of this one, you should probably stop and think about just how despicable you look to every person who actually gives a damn about human rights. You're offering excuses on behalf of an oppressive dictatorship, just so you can squeeze in a cheap shot at nations which guarantee you freedoms that Cubans can only dream about. I don't know how you live with yourself.
Yeah, when the richest super power on Earth illegally embargoes and violently harasses a small, poor country of 11 million for decades those people that give a damn about human rights rejoice. But that's not news, you did it to many small poor countries before, this one is still resisting, that's all. You come talk about human WHAT??? If Castro sucked the American cock, even if he had babies for breakfast, you would love him, like many other oppressive dictators.
yes yeah yeah.
What with all the embargo shit going on, cuba doesn't have a big chance to improve the economy much, do they now? Suddenly the US comes in and hands out stuff for free to only those people who are in opposition of the government.
Yes ok, so they have (or had) laws against owning a cell phone, maybe there's a good reason for that in their current situation.
I'm most definitely not a communist, but if you think cuba is the bad guy here you most certainly are deluded.
Hear, hear! This is nothing more than just another example of this country's hypocrisy. Fighting insurgencies in Iraq while trying to jump-start their own insurgency in Cuba. Why do we still have an embargo on this small island nation anyway? Because they're Communist? Because they violate human rights? Last I checked, China does both, and yet they're our largest trade partners. Oh, I see, so when it's beneficial for us, we can look the other way and make exceptions right?
A quick google reveals:
http://www.fec.gov/pages/brochures/foreign.shtml
"The Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) prohibits any foreign national from contributing, donating or spending funds in connection with any federal, state, or local election in the United States, either directly or indirectly. It is also unlawful to help foreign nationals violate that ban or to solicit, receive or accept contributions or donations from them. Persons who knowingly and willfully engage in these activities may be subject to fines and/or imprisonment."
Imagine how your government would react if it finds that a foreign nation (eg China) has been funding the opposition party.
I think Cuba's reaction is quite normal. Cuba does have human rights violations, but I'm not sure if this is one of them.
You break all the laws of physics and you seriously think there wouldn't be a price?