There’s only one non-democracy in our neighborhood: that’s Cuba. And I strongly believe the people of Cuba ought to live in a free society. It’s in our interests that Cuba become free and it’s in the interests of the Cuban people that they don’t have to live under an antiquated form of government — that has just been repressive.

So we’ll continue to press for freedom on the island of Cuba. One day, the good Lord will take Fidel Castro away (laughter) — no, no, no — then, the question is, what will be the approach of the U.S. government? My attitude is, is that we need to use the opportunity to call the world together to promote democracy as the alternative to the form of government they have been living with.

You’ll see an interesting debate. Some will say, all that matters is stability, which in my judgment would just simply reinforce the followers of the current regime. I think we ought to be pressing hard for democracy. ~President Bush

That’s an interesting slip-up, since it means that Bush acknowledges that even democracies that vote for preposterous demagogues are still democracies.  Rick “Gathering Storm” Santorum and friends will be disappointed by this lack of farsighted moral clarity in facing down the Boliviano-Venezuelan threat.     

It never ceases to amaze how Mr. Bush thinks that saying he “strongly believes” in something is an argument in its favour.  If I “strongly believe” that I am able to transmute one element into another, does that make it true?  If I close my eyes and repeat the phrase, “I do believe in spooks, I do believe in spooks, I do, I do, I do believe in spooks!”, does that mean that the spooks are real?  Mr. Bush has a bad habit of stating his ideal preferences and backing them up with policies that are absolutely the last policies one would choose to achieve the goals he has set out.  You want a free Cuba?  Try trading with them and opening up their society through travel, exchange, and communication.  End the sanctions.  Let the natural intercourse between the southern U.S. and Cuba, which was commonplace in the pre-Castro days, resume.  The Cuban regime will break down just as every officially communist regime eventually breaks down or redefines itself when exposed to increased commerce and exchange.  End the ridiculous restrictions on American travel to Cuba.  End the pointless ethnic lobby-driven punishment of Cuba.  Indeed, before long Castro will be gone and Washington will have to engage with the Cuban government without the old dictator in control.  This could be a great opportunity for changing course on Cuba policy, or it could be an occasion to spend another decade or two cutting off our two countries from the mutually beneficial relationship that ought to exist between close neighbours. 

I understand the emigre hostility to the Castro regime.  I share their contempt for the man and what he has done to Cuba.  The best way to destroy his legacy and see a day when Cuba is genuinely free is to stop artificially propping up the party regime through sanctions.  Sanctions are a dictator’s best friend–they give him something to blame for bad conditions, they provide a plausible foreign threat and they serve as a reason to rally around a government people might otherwise despise.  End the sanctions, and you will be a lot closer to seeing a free and democratic Cuba than if you perpetuated the tired policies left over from the Cold War.  

Viva Cuba libre.