Eugene Robinson Gets it Wrong on Cuba

Eugene makes the same mistake that much of the loony right does: he seems to think that all terror originates with Islamic radicals when all terrorism is not Islamic in origin. Cuba still harbors terror suspects from ETA, FARC, ELN, and up until 2004 they had harbored members of the IRA who were training FARC in use of explosives.

In his first pop quiz of the decade Eugene gets the answer wrong on his own test. He states that Cuba doesn’t belong on the list of nations where passengers must undergo extra screening to fly to the US. While relations with Cuba are getting better and there are several signs of good intent in the regime lately, it’s still an origination point that we shouldn’t fully trust.

Eugene makes the same mistake that the loonier extremes of right does: he seems to think that all terror originates with Islamic radicals when all terrorism is not Islamic in origin. Cuba still harbors terror suspects from ETA, FARC, ELN, and up until 2004 they had harbored members of the IRA who were training FARC in use of explosives.(here’s a PDF from an ’04 report to Congress that examines both sides of the issues)

Above and beyond that there have been more airline hijackings from Cuba than anywhere else in the world, and some are relatively recent (2007.)

My hope is that Cuba moves swiftly to democracy and relations with all countries, and they have signed 12 international terror agreements. That said they are still a dictatorship and could change in an eyeblink on the whim of single person. So I have zero grief with the extra screening and think it’s a necessary precaution when considering the previous history.

Here’s a recent blog update on Cuba’s status and the stance of the Obama administration. (note: linking to this story does not mean I agree with the views of the blog’s author)

State Department on the designation of Cuba as state sponsor of terrorism.

Another Journalist is Clueless; Obamaglam Strikes Again

Newsbusters has video here of Bob Herbert of the New York times either displaying vast ignorance, or craftily deciding to try to slip one by the audience, follow the link, you decide, then come back.

As the Time spread above demonstrates with a Barack Obama quote, the crafty pol has made the Paris comparison himself.

Here’s what Newsbusters had to say about the incident:

We’re all familiar with how an Obamania overdose produced strange tingling sensations in Chris Matthews.  A new, virulent strain of the affliction has now emerged, claiming its first victim in the person of Bob Herbert, who on live national TV saw visions of the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Washington Monument where none existed.

Obviously the column you see from different angles in the McCain Celeb ad is the Victory Column, or Siegessaule, a monument tainted with some Nazi history. Anyone who’s been following the campaign with the slightest interest knows about the column, and the controversy. The question of why Barack chose to speak at the column was asked by many since he was given a choice of sites, but was stopped from speaking at the Brandenburg Gates.

So now that we know the victory column is a phallic symbol thanks to Bob Herbert’s Freudian insight, is Bob Herbert going to ask Barack Obama why he chose to speak in front of a giant symbolic penis with victory perched atop it?

Although this topic is pregnant for puns and potent for innuendo I will refrain and just reflect that Obama’s glamour once again has seasoned journalists seeing things that simply aren’t there.

Much more at LGF

Ron Paul Marchers Still at It

Don’t tread on me… you might tear my hem…

If you’ve read my past articles then you already know what I think of Ron Paul and the aggregate of wishful thinkers he’s acquired, but they are somewhat impervious to reality. Jonn Lilyea at “This aint Hell but you can See it From Here” covers their latest antics in pictures and film here.  

You have to wonder if half of these people wouldn’t also show up if ANSWER or WCW were marching. There does seem to be quite a bit of Orange in the crowd.