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Conclusion: The World We Want

Thank you for participating in the Dialogue on Foreign Policy. The interactive web site is now closed. The Minister's report will appear on this web site once it is released.

This Forum is bilingual, and participants post messages in their language of choice.

Cuba

Contributor: Romeo

Date: 2003-04-16 19:41:12


How does the goverment of Canada looks at the recent kiling of three cuban, whos only crime was try to leave the country.

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Cuba

Contributor: fatmomma

Date: 2003-04-16 23:49:56


I think you soft soaped the crime of the 3 Cubans executed by Cuba. They hijacked a ferry loaded with passengers not quite the innocent action of attempting to leave the country.
I believe the whole Cuban issue is now before the UN. It includes the harsh penalties to dissidents. I have some sympathy to the Cuban governments view as these dissidents did try to get American aid to their cause. America is an enemy of Cuba. It would sound treasonable if the situation were reverse. If they had gone to the UN or anywhere but The USA; I would agree that their sentences were too harsh.

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Cuba

Contributor: codc01

Date: 2003-04-17 02:30:11


I have problems with the death penalty, but as fatmomma said, they did hijack a boat, that is illegal last time i checked.

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Cuba

Contributor: Barretm82

Date: 2003-04-17 08:40:32


I suspect that most Canadians think it is disgusting, but their seems to be a vocal few who think the Charter of Rights and Freedoms only applies to the privileged people of Canada and no one else.

I have even seen evidence of sympathizers in this country for totalitarian despots, go figure???

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Cuba

Contributor: cfallon

Date: 2003-04-17 11:56:02


We should stop supporting Castro.

We should denounce his regime and demand democratic reforms.

Cubans are capable of running their lives and don't need some benevolent octogenarian to decide what they read and what they say.



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Cuba

Contributor: fatmomma

Date: 2003-04-17 22:41:34


I read that 80% nof the countries of the world are NOT democracies. What right do we have to dictate to other countries the type of government they wish to have. If the majority of Cubans were dissatisfied with their government; that is their decision not yours, the USA's or Canada's. My brother visited Cuba recently and found them to be happy friendly people. They have learnt to be very preoficient organic gardners. Their biggest problem is the sanctions by the USA does not enable them to have a well varied diet.
A democracy is only as good and strong as its citizens make it; democracies with uneducated or uninterested citizens are usually not successful or strong and tend to be corrupt. Being a democracy is not the magic bullet you believe it to be.

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Cuba

Contributor: cfallon

Date: 2003-04-21 09:36:09


I think it is the magic bullet. I think any regime that allows the fullest cooperation of its citizens and harnesses the creativity and independence of its citizens will be far better off than any other form of government. Case in point: there are no other successful forms of government.

I agree with you that trade sanctions hurt the people, but, like you said, its not up to us to dictate to them how they want to run their country. It is up to us to decide whether we can do business with a dictator's cronies, knowing full well where that money will go.

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Cuba

Contributor: fatmomma

Date: 2003-04-18 11:36:54


cfallon; You seem to have sympathy for the Cuban people; but in another post I see you do not want Canada to trade with Cuba. Trade sanctions against a country do not only hurt the dictator; it puts its citizens into great hardship. Trade sanctions should only ever be on military supplies; never on food or other necessities of life.
I believe that complete sanctions for a prolonged length of time do more harm than any possible good.

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