Forty years ago, it was easy. We loved the Cuban-Americans because they mobilized as enemies of Fidel Castro and of Communism. They embraced capitalism and built a political culture around bringing Democracy to our threatening neighbor. In an age when rooting out communism took a higher priority than civil liberties, in was easy for the government to accept Cubans who wanted to destroy Fidel. However, suddenly Communism isn't evil anymore, it's just a different standard of living. Dictatorships aren't so bad, they just have a different point of view. Cuban-Americans are left in the wake of the American will.
Whether it's apathy or ignorance, the average citizen doesn't care about making Cuba change. After normalizing trade with China, it's a difficult for anyone to argue for keeping the full embargo against Cuba. There are certainly more complex issues in the Elián situation and the embargo, but America likes to keep it simple.
Elián arrived in Cuba tonight and the anti-Fidel regiment in Miami is left without their newfound symbol for Fidel's downfall. One local legend said that a santera told Fidel that if the boy stayed in America, Fidel would fall. If the boy returned, Fidel would rule Cuba forever.
America is trying to figure out which Cubans they support: those on the conservative right in Miami, or those on the conservative right in Cuba. Entire industries are springing up around the fall of Fidel, but the Cuban-Americans are getting in the way of U.S. trade making an entrance into Communist Cuba. They're interfering with U.S. farmers being able to sell their goods to the Cuban government. They had the nerve to challenge the government using the courts, and they hate communism. The nerve.
It looks like Cuban-Americans are starting to get a taste of the U.S. bait and switch policy it normally employs in Latin America. We'll support you as long as it serves our interest. When you stop, watch you're back. We'll demonize you, create dossiers on our opposition, and secretly support a coup.
I find it strange that Americans reduced the problem in Cuba to, "when I was there on vacation it was great". You never hear of people going to Tianamen Square and exclaiming how they cleaned it up so well. No one makes a pilgrimage to Medjugorje in Bosnia and says the skirmish there wasn't that bad. Not yet.
Elián will be re-educated soon and introduced to his Pioneer children's group. In a few years, unless Fidel makes an exception, Elián will have the privilege of providing "voluntary labor" on a state owned farm during the tropical summer. A few years later, he will have the honor of serving in the Cuban military. As a revolutionary hero, he will have an above average life.
Meanwhile, Cuban-Americans, with their more-capitalist-than-thou ideologies, will be left swinging in the wind of U.S. whims. Will the embargo stand? Will Cubans (above 18 years old) still be able to claim amnesty once they hit land? Will Radio Martí still receive funding to broadcast open news and democratic messages into Cuba? Is Castro going to rule forever now that San Elián has been returned to Fidel? Who is America going to hate next year, Miami or Havana? Maybe both.
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