Claudia4Libertad

Happy Birthday, America!

Happy 232nd Birthday, America!  There are so many reasons that I am grateful to live in this great country that I could never list them all.  Many people don't give a second thought to this day, and that is a shame.

If you are unsure what really happened 232 years ago, click here for a quick lesson.

Take a minute to remember how many people fought to get our independence and all the people who work to ensure our freedoms today. Take a moment to think about all the freedom we have, the basis of everything we have as Americans- freedom of speech, of religion, of press.  Freedom to date who we want, to marry who we want, to live where we want, to shop in millions of store, to buy millions of things, to have as many children as we want, to travel throughout the country and outside of the country... Freedom to make websites condeming the president, freedom to protest the war or the president or unfair labor practices... Freedom to vote, freedom to wear as many or as few clothes as we want, freedom to own a home or many, freedom to change our jobs, freedom to choose which doctors we want to see, freedom to use the internet, freedom to own affordable cellphones, freedom to pursue any career we want and freedom to make our dreams come true. 

Our government is not perfect-- no government is.  But ours is pretty damned good, because that is how our founding fathers set it up, and we are indebted to them for their foresight and their brilliance to set our country up as they did.  We may not like a particular president, we may not like certain laws, but not only are we free to speak out against the president or protest those laws, but we are free to leave the country if we don't want to be here anymore.  Many Hollywood people said they would do just that when President Bush was elected in 2000, but they are still here.  Why?  Because where else could they live the idyllic life that they have made for themselves thanks to America?  Nowhere, that's where, and that's why they are still here. 

Below is a photo that I took of a past July 4th fireworks display.  It was the only shot that came out like this and I think it is the coolest photo I have ever taken.

Happy Independence Day!

0bama's Plan to Tax the Hell Out of Us

If for some wacky reason you are contemplating voting for 0bama, and that is your right, make sure you know what it is you are voting for- HIGHER TAXES.  If your household makes more than $250,000, you will be considered rich and get walloped on April 15th.  Think about that for a family with three kids, as many couples I know have...  Two incomes. A mortgage. Two car payments. Five mouths to feed. Three college educations to save for. While it's not poverty level by any stretch of the imagination, it also is not "wealthy" when you consider what the truly rich people earn (you know, athletes, singers, actors, rappers, CEO's, etc.) which is in the millions, annually.  Yet a fraction of that- $250K- is to be considered rich?  And I didn't even pain the scenario of owning a small business, which is what Mike Pancier covered in this excerpt.  Read on...

From Mike Pancier at Babalublog:

"It is no secret; Obama has said it himself. He is going to hike the income tax something fierce. With him simply doing nothing, the tax rates are going to rise to 1994 levels and then he wants to whack even more households with income over $ 250K. All the narrow-minded short-sided liberals love this "soak the rich" concept. But it is moronic and will hurt not the rich but small businesses. You see folks. Small business are the bread and butter of the US Economy. Most small business are S-Corps. The S-Corp. income passes through onto your personal income tax return as a K-1. So even if you didn't take everything out of the corporation because say you want to invest in growth and the future, the individual taxpayer will be taxed on that income. Thus it is very easy to reach that $ 250K threshold. And frankly, to say that $250K is rich is perverse. Those in this bracket already have all exemptions and deductions phased out. So you are literally getting taxed up the ying yang. Moreover, if you live in states like California and New York, coupled with the state income tax, as reported in the WSJ today, your tax rates will be akin to those in France as high as 60%.

All I know is under a Barack "Taxman" Administration assuming all things equal, my taxes will go up by $8K a year. So in 4 years, these wankers will suck out at least $ 32K out of my pocket of my hard work. Unlike Obama who lives off of book royalties probably drives a Benz and sends his kids to expensive private schools, I have to work. I work my ass off. I'm not friggin rich. Yet these constipated liberals think that by giving me the royal screw in the tune of $ 32K in 4 years is going to make the country and me better off? So if I work harder, I'm going to get whacked by the government even more. I could use that money for my retirement or to purchase goods and services (which helps the economy Mcfly). But Obama and his liberal lackey neo-socialists think they know better than me in how I should spend and use my hard earned money."

You can read more HERE.  Folks, we are gonna get screwed.

Tune in to the Babalu Radio Hour June 25 at 9:00

At 9:00 EST on Wednesday, June 25, George Moneo, host of the Babalublog Radio Hour on Blogtalk Radio, will be interviewing Jorge Ponce, a Cuban American from the Washington, DC area.  This will be an extremely informative 90 minutes that I urge you all to tune in to hear.  Click on the graphic to go to the show.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited, June 26.  You can click on the graphic to hear the archived interview or click HERE to read the script.

 

I'm All About God Bless America, Too.

Recently I made a post on Babalublog.com in which I quoted Jorge Ponce, a Cuban American from the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area, and recapped Mr. Ponce's rebuttal in the Washington Post of Eugene Robinson's article about the US embargo in Cuba and incuded his observations on the online interview with Robinson.  To recap my recap on Babalublog and on this site and to put my point into context, this is from the Washington Post article:

"It (the embargo) could also be called childish and counterproductive -- and, since the demise of the Soviet Union, even insane. Absent the threat of communist expansionism, the refusal by successive American presidents to engage with Cuba has not even a fig leaf's worth of rationale to cover its naked illogic. Other than providing Fidel Castro with a convenient antagonist to help whip up nationalist fervor on the island -- and prolong his rule -- the U.S.trade embargo and other sanctions have accomplished nothing."

Mr. Ponce, referring to Eugene Robinson's position on the embargo and the online conversation, made this comment to me, which I posted:

"Lifting the embargo would bring more revenue to the Cuban authorities, which they will use to increase terrorist activities against the U.S.  Forget about loving and caring so deeply about the Cuban people. How about showing some care for Americans? I don't know about Eugene, but I'm all about God Bless America."

Tonight it was brought to my attention that after reading Mr. Ponce's comment, some people do not understand how Cuba, which is not listed in the State Department's terrorism report as a country that funds terrorism, but IS listed as a terrorist state, can be classified as such. Just because the US has not tracked down the money doesn't mean that castro, who is not shy about his hatred for the US, hasn't been using it to fund terrorism.

But true, that has not been proven. I mean, it's not like he has a shady track record. It's not like castro got help from Jorge Massetti to finance the Puerto Rican terrorist group the Macheteros. It's not like castro had a mole embedded in the state department.  It has nothing to do with Carlos the Jackal, Illich Ramírez Sánchez, responsible for terrorist acts in Europe, having trained in Cuba. It's also not that castro had ties to the the El Salvadoran terrorist group FMLN. And it's certainly not like Cuba

"provided advanced weapons and demolition training to the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (MRTA) in Perú. The Tupac Amaru attacked the U.S. Embassy in 1984; bombed the Texaco offices in 1985 and attacked the residence of the U.S. Ambassador in 1985 all in Lima, Perú." (Eugene Pons)

But I'll just stick to these two facts.

FACT: Cuba sent agents to US missions around the world who provided false leads designed to subvert the post-September 11 investigation. (source: State Dept. Report on Terrorism)

FACT: fidel castro, on a visit to Iran in 2001 was quoted as saying:

"The peoples and governments of Cuba and Iran can bring America to its knees."

If you need more evidence than that, well, what can I say except God Bless America.

Be Afraid...

Be very afraid.

Barack for president

 

 

 

 

Barack Obama for President? No thanks!

 

 

Thirty-three Cubans smuggled into Mexico, eighteen make it to the US

There is a vicious circle that involves the US, Cuba and Mexico.  There are solutions to the problem it causes but they're not an easy, and they won't happen any time soon.

Last week 33 Cubans in a makeshift boat were picked up en route to Mexico.  Two men on a yacht took them onboard and then to Mexico.  Once in Mexico, they were detained and sent to a detention facility for undocumented "migrants" (note the use of this word instead of the word "refugee," but I digress). Aboard the bus with Mexican officials who were, by all accounts, unarmed, they were hijacked while on a remote jungle road.  What next?  So far it sounds like a movie plot.  Details are sketchy, at least, they are not being released, but what has been reported is that the bus was later abandoned on a jungle road and the hijackers fled. It was also reported that 15 of the Cubans are nowhere to be found, having disappeared after the hijacking.  Eighteen of the Cubans were then put into different groups, given cash and Mexican identification to get past military checkpoints in Mexico, and they later made it to Texas.  The immigration officials on the bus as well as the drivers were detained for possible implication in the hijacking and the men on the yacht, Cubans who live in Miami, wee detained for smuggling the Cubans. They were offered bail but refused because they fear for their lives.

What is unclear to me is 1) Why were the officials unarmed?  Seems that immigration officials in Mexico, who are dealing with problems of undocumented Central Americans (there were 4 Central Americans on the bus, in fact) entering Mexico illegally en route to the US, would be armed.  2) Why was the bus hijacked?  It was left on a jungle road.  Why would a hijacker want to take over a busload of people instead of a less-occupied vehicle?

So, is this just another typical tale of unfortunate events for Cubans seeking freedom?  It's a more and more common problem- human smugglers bringing Cubans into Mexico and then to the US for about $15,000.  That's US Dollars, not pesos. Do Mexican officials get a piece of that to turn the other cheek?  Do Cuban authorities get a piece of that money to allow a boatload of people escape?  What do you think?  If relatives of the Cubans who are smuggled cannot pay the $15,000, the Cubans are made to work off the debt.  This raises all kinds of questions as to what these people are made to do to erase their debt.

So here is the cycle if you didn't follow.  I apologize for pointing out the obvious but in case you didn't see the connection:

• Cubans are not allowed to freely leave the island to emigrate to other countries.
• The United States, by virtue of the "Wet Foot/Dry Foot" policy, encourages Cubans to try to get here by sea and get to dry land.
• Mexican "coyotes" can make a nice chunk of change by smuggling Cubans into Mexico and then the US to dry land. It is said that Cubans in Mexico also take part in this process.

Solution?  Obviously, let Cubans leave Cuba.  That would take care of the rafters who risk their lives to flee. Of course, once they flee, they still have to make it to dry land.  And that policy won't be changing any time soon.  For as much as he loves Cubans and has brought their plight to the forefront, George W. Bush has had 8 years to undue this Clinton policy and has chosen not to do so.   

Anyone else have a simpler solution?

ARREST THOSE BUZOS!

Some time ago I featured a blog from Cuba that I really like called "Sin EVAsión," written under a pseudonym by a Cuban on the island.

Today's post is about the dumpster divers or "buzos" as they are called in Cuba, who search for recyclable items. A group of 355 of these "buzos" were arrested for this illegal activity. Some were fined and others were sent to their provinces of origin because they were living illegally in the capital.  Some were sent to work off their punishment in "correctional jobs."

So, for being environmentally conscious, for wanting to retrieve recyclables that STATE-OWNED entities threw away instead of turning over to the state, these people were arrested. Another point that I don't understand is how you can be "illegally living" in one part of the country, a point which is also brought up in the blog's post.

Imagine the scandal here in the US for arresting some environmentally conscious people for digging through trash to recycle plastics and glass items.  Can you imagine the brouhaha that would ensue by the pro-environment groups?  Do you realize that there are groups that actively "dumpster dive" for thrown away food and clothes?  There are websites devoted to it and even yahoo groups that share tips and "finds."

Better still, try to imagine yourself arrested for living in, say, New York City because you really belong in Albany. Or living in Los Angeles when you should be living in San José.  ???? What is the logic behind that?

You can read more of these interesting observations in this cool blog. (It's in Spanish, btw.)

(picture from "Sin EVAsión")

All About God Bless America

Ever since sending Jorge Ponce, Director of the Policy and Evaluation Division at the Office of Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Commerce, some CAMBIO bracelets some time last year, he has proudly sent me photos and links to articles where Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutiérrez is wearing the bracelet or mentioning the bracelet and the idea of CAMBIO. Since then he has been kind of enough to send me other information pertaining to Cuba, the latest of which I share with you now.

This is an excerpt of an online discussion with Eugene Robinson, columnist for the Washington Post. You may have read Robinson's article, "Hard-Line Lunacy on Cuba" a few weeks ago in the WaPo in which he called the US embargo on Cuba "incredibly stupid."   If you have not read it, please do enjoy it  HERE.

An excerpt from the article:

"It could also be called childish and counterproductive -- and, since the demise of the Soviet Union, even insane. Absent the threat of communist expansionism, the refusal by successive American presidents to engage with Cuba has not even a fig leaf's worth of rationale to cover its naked illogic. Other than providing Fidel Castro with a convenient antagonist to help whip up nationalist fervor on the island -- and prolong his rule -- the U.S. trade embargo and other sanctions have accomplished nothing."

Below is an excerpt that Jorge sent me from the online discussion this past Tuesday which he follows up with his own observations.
 

The partial transcript follows.

"Germantown, Md.: You've been getting some ribbing on your Cuba Policy as of late. Have you thought any differently since your column? I tend to agree with you on the whole -- that we need to open up more toward that government, as painful as it may be. But I also hear the points from the other side...
washingtonpost.com: Hard-Line Lunacy on Cuba (Post, May 31)

Eugene Robinson: No regrets or reconsideration on this one. If a policy doesn't work for 50 years, you really need to try something else. In the case of Cuba -- and I've been there many times -- I'm convinced that U.S. policy has strengthened Fidel Castro's hand.

Jorge's Observation: Again, Eugene claims that just because he's visited Cuba ten times, he is an expert on this matter.  As Dan Rather found out, Cuban officials manipulate what they want American tourists and reporters to see and report on.  He refuses to consider the facts that I and Secretary of Commerce Gutierrez addressed in our published letters. 

What does this show? He's not interested in the truth, or like Jack Nicholson said in the movie "A Few Good Men," "he can't handle the truth."

Instead, he's an advocate of anything and anyone who is or pretends to be anti-Yankee.  Ergo, his longstanding honeymoon with the Castros. 

It's interesting how individuals like Eugene pretend to be so worried about the Cuban people. Oh, my God!! I can't handle so much concern!! 

His true motives become obvious when his solution to rid them of their suffering is to lift the U.S. embargo. But, as I've indicated previously, the U.S. embargo is not multilateral.  Cuba has traded with many European and Asian countries since the the Castro's came to power in 1959.  Yet, the living conditions of Cubans have not improved. 

Lifting the embargo would bring more revenue to the Cuban authorities, which they will use to increase terrorist activities against the U.S.

Forget about loving and caring so deeply about the Cuban people. How about showing some care for Americans? I don't know about Eugene, but I'm all about God Bless America."

You can also read Jorge's and Secretary Gutierrez's rebuttals to May 31st article by Robins HERE.

Cross-posted on Babalublog.com

Happy 75th Birthday Dad!

Today my father turned three quarters of a century old.  I wish him at least another quarter and much good health with which to enjoy those years.

I have written about my dad before, because he has had a big influence on my morality (as has my mother) but also on my political understanding and views.

My dad is super-conservative. When I was a kid, I never realized that his views had a label. I debated some of those views as I got older and thought I knew more than he, but I eventually came to my own conclusions about them and with the exception of a few, I share those views.

Growing up, my sister and I knew the words "pinko" and "commie" as part of our vernacular. Patriotism was instilled in us from the time we learned that an American flag is not a toy, and that people died to allow us to live the way we do. When I was a senior in high school, my dad and I, both Stallone fans, went to see Rambo, First Blood, Part II, where Rambo rescues the POW's in Vietnam.  That sparked great coversations about history and communism and I learned words like "black pajamas," and finally realized why my parents would not watch a Jane Fonda movie. 

A veteran of the army who served in Germany after WWII, my dad is a treasure trove of historical knowledge.  All of what I learned about that war and that period of history comes from my father, not from my junior year history class. (Although I do remember the word "blitzkrieg," but that's about it.)

It's not just because of politics that I hold my dad in such high regard.  It's for his deternination, his intelligence, his sense of humor, honesty and his tremendous love for me that I love him so much.  It's for the way he broke the news to me that my goldfish died when I was five, and shed some tears with me.  It's for the way he taught me that being silly makes you feel good, but never at the dinner table. It's how he drove me to and from a friend's house or a dance at night even though he was exhausted after work. It's the way he showed me that living a honest and clean life is the only way to live and that nothing is more important than family. It's because I never heard my dad say an off-color word- ever- because he has too much respect for women to say a dirty word in their presence.

So, for all he taught me, and for all he means to me, Happy Birthday to my father.  I am fortunate and grateful to have you as my dad.

Versailles Beat- New Blog

Elías Santiago and Cheo Valdés met at Versailles restuarant one day several months ago when they both joined in chasing away Code Pinko which was there causing a ruckus about Posada-Carrilles.  They joined forces; Cheo learned how to use the computer and they decided to start a blog to join in spreading the word about the fight for Cuban freedom.

Cheo is from Cuba and lives in Miami where he established a successful nursery business and Elías is from Oriente, from a long line of tabacaleros. He opened a cigar shop in Little Havana and his kids now run it.

From Cheo's email: "Our aim is to promote liberty and freedom in Cuba and to rein-in the erosion of our liberty here at home through an open dialogue. As such, we may discuss anything from Cuban politics and local political gossip, to national and international issues to advance the cause of liberty in a witty, entertaining, and educational manner."

You can check out this new blog here.

On hiatus

Claudia4Libertad will be on hiatus until later in June.

Dos cubanas muy especiales

 Today I printed my photos from Cuba Nostalgia so I could start my Cuba Nostalgia scrapbook and I began to think, for about the 10th time this week, how lucky I was to have been able to go to Miami last week and to meet people who I had never met before but who treated me as if I had. I almost feel like posting a daily "Special Cuban" feature but that would be a full-time job to feature everyone.

So, I'll talk about two for now, at the risk of embarrassing them (lo siento!) because they have been in my thoughts all week. I already posted last week about meeting Maggie, the sweet and adorable wife of Val Prieto of Babalublog and how she greeted me and took me by the arm as if we were old friends. She introduced me to everyone she stopped to talk to and told them who I was ("This is Claudia, she writes for Babalú.") Maggie gave me a very special gift to remember her by. How I lived without these for all these years I do not know, but they are indispensable. When I got back to my hotel at about 11:30, she texted me to see if I had made it back ok.  When I didn't go to Nostalgia the next day she called to see if I was alright, because I said I was going to be there.  This was a woman who had met me not even 24 hours earlier.  I was touched.

The other amazing Cubana I met for the first time was Marta Darby, whose blog, www.mybigfatcubanfamily.com is one of my favorites. Although I had been emailing with Marta since last year once we realized that we were both scrapbookers, I was unprepared for a tearful first meeting. (I'm such a girl). It was a fun, educational, entertaining and slightly mischievious seven hours I spent with her.

Marta supervised my dinner order, introduced me to Masa Real de guava and helped me order coffee. Sounds simple, I know, but I have never ordered Cuban coffee, in Spanish especially, and except for the occasional 4 successive cups of Cuban coffee in a row I drink at home, I don't ever order coffee of any kind when I'm out, in English or Spanish. So, I ordered it by taking the easy way out in spite of Marta's help, by saying "Quisiera exactamente lo que tiene ella," ("I'd like exactly what she has,") referring to her daughter's coffee which I seemed to have a problem figuring the proper term for- cortadito, bonbon, café cubano, café con leche, colada, quééé??? One of the ladies behind the counter asked me what part of Cuba I was from. ¿?¿? Ummm, the Philadelphia part? Then, because I'm a little slow, it ocurred to me that HELLO, this question was perfectly logical, because why else would I be at Cuba Nostalgia wearing a "Got Cuba?" shirt, drinking café and speaking Spanish?  

But back to Marta, she not only supervised my culinary adventure, but she explained things to me like the number "22,"made me a "cubanita de corazón" t-shirt, and shed some tears with me while we watched the viejitos dance. When I bombarded her with cubanía questions, she happily provided me answers. I also somehow got embroiled in accosting a Univisión show host with her when her celebrity radar started beeping. (Read Marta's account HERE.)

I am very lucky to have met these two special ladies who treated me so well.  Gracias, chicas, from the cubanita de corazón.

Jose Marti

It's not great picture but I was excited to accidentally come across the Jose Marti statue with flowers and Cuban flag at the base today. I wasn't even looking for it.

Here is a better picture and the story of my adventure in New York City with the statue, posted on Babalublog.

Cuban Solidarity Day

Today President Bush will once again make it a point to draw attention to the oppression suffered by the Cuban people by making a speech in conmemoration of Cuban Solidarity Day. Val Prieto of Babalu Blog was invited to the White House and I am waiting to hear something about the goings on. I am out of the loop all day today, away from tv and videos as I make my way into New York City to go to a Broadway matinee with a gaggle of teenagers. I will post links as I am able to access them.

Tune into Channel 41 in Miami tomorrow

George Utset of TheRealCuba.com will be interviewed by Oscar Haza about a malpractice case of a Cuban girl and he will have new videos from Cuba. I will add information as I get it. Be sure to tune in!