What the Democrats will Do With Power

The President's approval rating is sadly low, most Americans disapprove of the Iraq war (however misleading that statement may be, since some disapprove that we are there at all, and others that we are not there with sufficient numbers), the Republican party has been rocked by scandal after scandal in the past two years and has spent massive amounts of money while not fixing much. If ever there were a time ripe for a Democratic win, this is it. The only argument that Republicans can make (and it's a convincing one) is that they, the GOP, are much better prepared to handle national security matters and fight the war on terror. Today, the Democrats are helping them make the case.

Flashback to 1988, congresswoman Nancy Pelosi joined many other members of congress in voting to impeach Judge Alcee Hastings. Hastings was convicted in 1989 of extortion, perjury and falsifying documents. That same Alcee Hastings (elected to Congress in 1992 from Florida) is now up for the job of ranking Democratic member of the House Intelligence Committee. You know, the committee that sees all the most sensitive information. If the Democrats were to win a majority in the upcoming mid-term elections, Hastings would be up (not for Ranking member but) for Chairman. Why would the Democrats put a convict into the Chairman's seat? The current ranking member, Jane Harman of California, is seen as too lenient toward President Bush. Way to put politics ahead of national security, Dems!

There is no guarantee that the Democrats would put Hastings in, but the fact that they have not made it clear continues to make the point the Republicans are pushing. Democrats are weak on security issues, they are weak on defense. In today's political landscape those trump everything else.

One Year Out, One Man's Opinion

This is merely commentary. You'll find no news in this post, so don't go looking for any. I've spent the past few days (but especially today) watching specials on the anniversary of Katrina, the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States. I've read countless articles about how difficult life still is in New Orleans, and on the Gulf Coast. We don't need (nor do we necessarily desire) another point of view on this subject, but I'm a writer and this is my website so you're going to get my two cents.

I've lived in Louisiana all my life. I've traveled to the Big Easy countless times. My in-laws (and I mean all of them) live in Baton Rouge. While I still have not had the opportunity to visit New Orleans since the storm, I do keep abreast of the state political scene. In the aftermath of Katrina I was actually hopeful. The devastation, and loss of life were horrific, but I saw, I believed, a silver lining in the funnel cloud. Louisiana, a state historically known for it's political corruption, and unscrupulous dealings was being given a chance at a new identity. The entire nation was watching us, hoping for our rebirth, praying for it. Thus far, we have failed to deliver.

Could the national government have done more in the immediate aftermath to help dislocated citizens, and aid rescue efforts? Almost definitely. But this is our state. Our people. And we, Louisiana as a whole, failed our fellow citizens. We failed them by electing incompetent, and unprepared leaders. We failed them by allowing those same leaders to play politics and pork instead of serving our state, and meeting it's needs. We failed them by allowing those leaders to lose focus in the many special sessions held to address the myriad issues raised by Katrina. We failed them by allowing federal funds (and without a doubt charity funds) to be misappropriated, misspent and just plain misplaced. Then we failed our fellow citizens by re-electing one of those leaders.

Mid-term elections are almost here, and across the state (as across the country) incumbents will likely win and challengers will likely lose, but we should not make our choices blindly. We should hold our elected officials, from Congress to the State House to the City Council, accountable for their actions or (even more so) their inaction. If your conscience tells you that you representative did his best for Louisiana then by all means vote for him (or her) again. But I beg you to help ensure that Louisiana puts it's best foot forward, leaving the excesses and eccentricities of the past behind us. Let us fulfill the promise that I saw in the moments after the storm. We could be a comeback story.

America is rooting for us. We have their sympathy, their compassion, and in many cases their dollars. The upcoming football season could be very important as New Orleans and Louisiana show the world that we have not been defeated. The Saints (and to a lesser degree the Hornets) could be our ambassadors to the nation. Proving that despite the naysayers, Louisiana is back in business.

I have lived in Louisiana my entire life, I'd like to be able to say the same thing in another twenty years. For those of us that want to make Louisiana our home, we need to ensure it's a home we are proud of. One year later, that's what I'll be thinking about as I head to the polls.

Iran Responds to Nuclear Program Demands, Forgets to Mention Nuclear Program

Umm. My buddy Ahmadenijad is up to some neat tricks in Iran. I can't believe I never thought of this when I was writing term papers. The Associated Press (our favorite source) is reporting that Tehran (that's the capital of Iran, for those playing the home game) has turned in it's official response to the Security Council's incentives for halting it's Uranium enrichment and Nuclear Power program, but somehow failed to mention halting it's Uranium enrichment. Genius.

While anonymous underlings, not authorized to discuss the counter-offer, have said that it will likely be rejected, the nations themselves (Germany, France, Russia, etc) have not thus far stated that it's unacceptable. I'm betting they give Iran an incomplete, and Iran scrapes by with some easy summer classes, never really making up the work it missed, but not having to pay the consequences either. Seriously it's just like High School!

I do not like our United Nations Ambassador. Bolton is rude, generally disliked, and a horrible diplomat. But in his defense, if I was Ambassador to the United Nations, it would be all I could do to keep from knocking heads. The organization is worse at enforcing it's rulings and missives than France is, and twice as likely to surrender. It's been mired for years in scandal but even if it were clean, it still pussyfoots around problems.

And now (if ever) is not a time to pussyfoot. As much as Europe should have been aware and involved during Hitler's rise to power in Germany and subsequent power grabs, the world needs to be aware and involved as Iran rises as THE power in the Middle East. If you've read any of my recent posts, then you know I fear Iran. More than North Korea, more than Iraq, more than "Snakes on a Plane"...but not more than I fear Sam Jackson.

Seriously, the United Nations and (more than that failed organization) the world community has got to hold Iran responsible. Don't rush into a war, but set realistic goals (item one: stop enriching uranium), set real deadlines (not deadlines that come and go without incident like the ones they set for Iraq), and hold them to it. If Iran continues on its path towards Nuclear Power, then sanction it to hell and back. And don't let Russia and China get away with circumventing those sanctions. If they don't want to play by the rules the rest of the world has agreed on, then they don't get to share our toys. It's time to choose sides and I'd rather they do it before we start shooting.

That's how things would work in a perfect world. Let me tell you will probably happen.

1. Iran will continue to stall and put off actual negotiations.
2. The UN will continue to allow deadline after deadline to pass with no real action.
3. The United States, mired in Iraq, Afghanistan and an upcoming election will be unable to exert any real pressure.
4. Iran will eventually achieve Nuclear Power and we will all be screwed.

Happy Thursday.

Will DVR Save Democracy?

Probably not. But it is disrupting the campaign process, and that could be a good thing.

In an Associated Press article today Erik Schelzig questions how the fast growing technology of Digital Video Recording will affect political campaigns, which in the last decade have become increasingly dependent on television advertising as a (if not the) major promotional tool.

The thirty second ad (with a little help from some brilliant campaign finance loopholes) have given birth to the 527 sponsored ads, made infamous by the "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" spots during the '04 Presidential election. But how can mud-slinging ads make their way to the viewers if the viewers are skipping commercials with their TiVo? Will this cause the average citizen to actually read about the candidates before voting instead of casting a ballot based on thirty-second wisdom? Nice to think so, but probably not.

What will happen is that campaigns (and their henchmen the 527's) will find another method for delivery. Maybe internet video ads, maybe cell phone text messages, but rest assured they'll get the message out there.

This new trend might even result in less information being made available on the candidates. Some major companies (Ford and Coca-Cola for example) are contemplating using 2-5 sec ads specifically made to play at the beginning or end of commercial breaks to catch the TiVo-ers as they scan through. While campaign experts say it's unlikely that politicians would use this type of ad, suggesting it would be difficult to say "something meaningful" in that amount of time, I wouldn't put it past them. There was a time when politicians scoffed at being able to convey their ideas in a thirty second TV spot as well.

DVR won't save democracy, I guess that's still left up to us. But TiVo will save you from missing the latest "Flava of Love" and how can you be truly free without Flava-Flav?

Top News Stories - 8/18

Another Friday, another summary of all the news that is news (other than a certain plane with reptiles on it).

Lebanese Army arrives in Southern Lebanon Says, "Gee, We should Have Come Forty Years Ago!"
For the first time in four decades the army of the Lebanese people is in southern Lebanon. In the fourth day of the Israeli-Hezbollah ceasefire, the Lebanon army arrived to the cheers of the people of southern Lebanon. In the upcoming comedy sketch, "Who's Disarming Hezbollah?" (akin to the classic 'Who's on First?') France will be playing the part of "Not us!." France was expected to be the leader of the United Nations Peace Keeping Force (scheduled to assist the Lebanese army in Southern Lebanon) but decided their army was needed elsewhere (like guarding the wine) and will only send 400 troops. Bangladesh in contrast is offering 2,000 troops to the effort (mostly because they hear you can get a mean cheesesteak in southern Lebanon). Germany (another prominent European Union and United Nations member) chose not to send any troops, because let's face it, a couple of thousand German troops is not going to look like help to the Israelis.

North Korea Possibly, Maybe, Preparing for Potential Test of Supposed Nuclear Weapons
In a startling revelation from an anonymous source within the White House, unidentified intelligence officers in South Korea have gained information that may suggest North Korea is perhaps about to test a Nuclear weapon. The intelligence officers refused to confirm or deny the existence of proof but someone from my office speculated that they might have seen someone digging a tunnel and hooking up some seismic equipment. It's all possible. It's also possible that Kim Jong-Il is installing a bitchin' stereo system is his undisclosed location. Either way, watch out South Korea!

Detroit Judge Rules NSA Wiretapping is Unconstitutional, Bush Administration replies, "Nuh-uh!" U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor ruled Thursday that the President over stepped his bound when authorizing NSA warrantless wiretaps. While the administration argued that there are plenty of checks on the system, and its results speak for themselves, it also informed the court it couldn't show most of those results because it would reveal state secrets. The ACLU (bastion of truth, justice and NAMBLA) argued that the wiretaps infringe upon journalists, scholars and lawyers who only want to talk to the terrorists for educational purposes, and that their Civil Liberties as outlined in the Constitution were being infringed upon. Tony Snow, official White House spokesman had this to say, "Civil Liberties, Smivil Liberties!" Judge Taylor ordered an immediate halt to the wiretapping program but the halt is halted while awaiting appeal (so hold off on that terrorist phone call another week or so).

Ned Lamont Defeats Lieberman in Democratic Primary but Trails in General Election Poll
In other news, the sky is blue. Ned Lamont, darling of the "Bring our boys home, and then Smoke a Bowl" crowd, is trailing his newly Independent opponent Joseph Lieberman by double digits in early polls. Apparently the fact that all he can say in interviews is "Wrong War! Wrong Time!" is hindering his cross-aisle appeal. The poll was taken immediately after Lamont won the primary and before National Democrats came out in support of his candidacy, so Lieberman can look forward to an upswing in his numbers as his party leaders come out for Lamont.

Florida Republicans Looking Hard for a Katherine Harris Replacement, Find Their Idiot
Republican Congressional candidate Tramm Hudson apologized Thursday for remarks he made that many viewed as racist. He failed to apologize, however, for setting the Republican party back another five years in their effort to appeal to African-Americans. Hudson, a former military man regaled a Christian Coalition political forum with the tale of his rescue of an African-American soldier from a river in Panama 22 years ago. Hudson remarked, "...blacks aren't the best swimmers..." to which this reporter replies, "Floridians aren't the best thinkers, and they may be the worst speakers."

Edwards Says He Was Wrong on the War
As the Democratic Party continues to forget that Connecticut Democrats are not the only ones that vote for President, former Sen. (and Vice Presidential Candidate) John Edwards told three busboys and a waitress (in reality 300 people, but didn't this guy JUST run for Vice President? What happened to the crowds, John?) that he voted for the War in Iraq, but now believes he was wrong, cementing public opinion of him as a steadfast guy. While Edwards told a group of bloggers that he hadn't made a decision on whether or not to run for President in 2008, he did wear an "Edwards in '08" button, and throughout his remarks started a chant of "I'm runnin' for President! I'm runnin' for President!"

Join us next Friday for another edition of Top News Stories, and remember, if we didn't laugh at, we'd have to cry about it!

Apocalypse...Soon!

I don't know what you have planned for the weekend, but you might want to do something a little special. If Bernard Lewis, Princeton Professor and author, is correct it might be one of your last.

Mr. Lewis believes that our friend in the turban from Tehran, President Ahmadinejad (we'll call him Ahmad from now on), has some big fireworks to celebrate this August 22nd. That date (this year anyway) corresponds to the celebration of Muhammed's "Night Flight."

The story goes thus, Muhammed escaped from Saudi Arabia on a winged horse, traveling to heaven and back. To give Christians an easy reference point imagine combining the stories of Mary and Joseph fleeing to Egypt with baby Jesus, with his triumphant return from 40 days in the wilderness after his baptism. It's sorta like that. It's a Big Deal.

Pres. Ahmad has repeatedly let people know that he believes we are nearing the end of time. In Islam (like in Christianity and Judaism) there is a major battle, which is ended by the hand of God and reappearance (or appearance, depending on religion) of the Messiah. In Islam, this Messiah is called the "hidden Imam." So how does Ahmad (a good Muslim) hasten the coming of the "hidden Imam" ? Apparently by blowing up Israel, and picking a serious fight with the U.S.

Mr. Lewis believes (and I'm starting to buy it a little myself) that Iran already has (either through their own research or bartering with North Korea or Russia) Nuclear Weapons. The fact that Pres. Ahmad and his spokesmen have stated they will give a final reply to the question of their nuclear ambissions on Aug. 22nd (the aforementioned Holy Day) only gives credence to this line of thinking.

Are you scared yet?

America is big, and quite far from Iran. It would be hard to attack us in any direct way, but Israel (or Little Satan as Pres. Ahmad likes to call them) is much closer and considerably smaller in size. Iran could blow them right off the map (along with most of the Arab World). They'd probably just attack us in a few densely populated areas with terrorist delivered bombs. Sure we'd shoot back, as would Israel, but you have to remember, the whole point of this exercise is to hasten the end of the World.

Where's the Soviet Union when you need them? Boy do I miss the days of Mutually Assured Destruction. At least with the Ruskies, we knew they didn't really want to die. With Ahmad and his pals in Tehran, not only do they long for death, they believe that bringing it about faster will please God and therefore grant them a greater reward in Paradise.

So kiss your loved ones, say your prayers, and enjoy the weekend. And let's all hope that God's not quite done with us down here, or at least that the Iranian government isn't as screw-loose as I think they are.

top stories: 8/5-8/11/2006

it must be friday because i've got a healthy helping, in no particular order, of this week's top stories.

loserman '06:

we'll start at home with senator joe lieberman losing the connecticut (the only state where every other letter c is silent) primary to ned lamont. a truly astounding feat in an age where incumbancy is an almost certain ticket to nomination; mr lamont narrowly defeated a 3-term, high-profile senator on one of the shallowest successful campaign platforms ever conceived. but the good senator would not go down without a fight; he shall run as an independent and in the process he could possibly hand his state over to the republicans...connecticut, a red state, really?--times, they are a-changin'.

bp's busted pipe:

"beyond petroleum" giant, bp, was forced to close the prudhoe (no, i didn't make that name up) oil field in alaska, the largest oil field in the usa, due to a a corroded pipe. this oversight by bp caused us gas prices to jump, but what doesn't cause gas prices to jump nowadays? the latest repair estimate for this pesky pipe sits right around $170 million. but don't worry they can afford it.

the would-be terrorists:

finally results! all the wire-tapping, bank-account-montoring, and general "big-brothering" by the us has finally paid off in a distinct, visible way...oh wait...what's that?...oh right, the british caught them. i joke, but really...thank God for that! the world is getting tougher for these guys and as much as you and i might get pissed at and disagree with the government for what we consider "shady dealings" and spying on citizens, it does make it more difficult for terrorists to opperate. the question is still: is you safety worth your freedom? but for the moment, we got some of those bastards and they'll not be hurting anyone anytime soon. thank God!

viva la resolucion!:

that's right folks, peace in the middle east is right around the corner. today france, britain, and the us agreed on a resolution to end the hostilities between israel and hezbollah. now all that remains is for the people invloved in the hostilities to agree upon it...and, i mean that should be a cake-walk. think about it, if only the west were more involved in the decision-making of unstable, middle eastern countries...because, historically, you know every time a western power has deposed a dictator, redrawn national borders, or "emphatically evangelized" a mid-east nation, it has always come up roses. thank goodness for intervention.

hugo knows castro:

and he says that he is battling for his life. and, you know hugo and fidel are uber-tight. so, like my good friend joel (rogue) mentioned in an earlier post what does this mean for the revolution? will we be able to give our dad's a box of genuine cuban romeo y julieta belicoso's for christmas? now, i don't wish death on anyone, but some quality cedro's would be a sweet gift (my birthday is october the fifth).

well, there you are kids. if you spent this past week under a rock, you are now informed. you even got a dash of commentary with your info (what can i say?--i'm a giver). keep in touch. let me know the big story i missed, because i'm sure i missed a couple. have a good weekend.

The Next 9/11?

As of this posting, twenty-four would-be terrorists have been arrested by British Officers in what could have been the "Next 9/11." According to Fox News, Scotland Yard is currently looking for about 10 more primary suspects. What they had planned, the detonation of liquid explosive in carry-on bags on flights coming from Britain to the United States, would have been one of the largest (and deadliest) attacks ever carried out. But they didn't get to blow up anyone, or anything.

How did we find out about it? Where in the pile of intelligence did someone see a possible attack on British airlplanes? Several weeks back, an Islamic militant was arrested on the Pakistani border, and the intelligence gained from interrogation led to the thwarting of today's attempt. The good guys won one. So why don't we feel better?

It's because ever since 9/11/2001, we've been waiting for the other shoe to drop. We know our enemies are no less hostile towards us (if anything they are more so). We pay more attention than ever before to possible threats. We police our borders (not well enough, but) better. We elect (at least so far) leaders who understand that our security is the single most important issue of our time. So why don't we feel safe?

We've lost our innocence. We as a nation have been violated, and that's hard to get over. Our nightly news doesn't help. If you've ever known someone who has been sexually or physically assaulted, they often stop watching the nightly news. The images of offenders and victims, that the "if it bleeds, it leads" theory of news-writing parade across the screen for us nightly, is just too much for them. I am not suggesting that we all turn off our TV's and disconnect our internet cables. We need to be more informed these days, not less. But what we don't need, and what we should tell the Media not to give us, is shameless scandal chasing. We don't need twenty-four hour a day coverage on the latest husband that ruthlessly killed his family. We need facts, not fear. We need hope, not horror.

Today we got facts, and hope. Both in large measure.

the declaration of independence

joe lieberman's independence that is.

yup, little neddy lamont ousted the most paradoxical of marquee democratic senators yesterday in the connecticut primary. he beat the incumbent, lieberman, by a narrow margin. just for refreshers, for those who may not keep up with "yankee politics," mr lamont ran on a campaign platform that went something like this (for the sake of this statement the word like when refering to the war should be read as a synonym for support): ned lamont doesn't like the war, bush likes the war, so ned lamont doesn't like bush, joe lieberman likes the war so he must like bush, so ned lamont doesn't like lieberman. mr lamont is flawless in logic but short on ideals...and by short i mean, "really, neddy, that's how you won the primary. dude, that's amazing. you totally wouldn't be able to pull that crap off in a party that wasn't slow-dancing with death."

long story made short: sen. lieberman will test the waters as an independent this november, possibly giving the republicans an edge that they otherwise would not have. the liklihood of connecticut actually electing a republican is to say the least: mind-boggling, to say the most: unlikely. but lieberman's running will cause the democrats a problem in winning the majority vote. runoff??

anyway, for the sake of all connecticut-ians (i don't know what they actually call themselves) i hope that they are wiser in voting than the primaries indicate. lamont, if his platform is any indication, is a one-issue candidate and will do nothing to help the democrats public image in the long run (or, really, the short).

i know who i'd vote for.

This Week's Top Stories: August 4, 2006

This is the first in a new feature I hope takes off over the next couple of weeks. It occurred to me earlier today that while a lot of our readers might want to stay informed, their jobs, young families, avid social life (now who am I kidding?) might keep them occupied. So here in one post weekly, they can read about the latest world events, and comment on said events in a public forum. Nifty,huh?

Without further ado.

There's a New Castro in Cuba
As mentioned in an earlier post this week, Fidel Castro, underwent a fairly serious intestinal surgery, and had ceded power to his younger brother, Raul. Communists worldwide need not fear however, as the revolution (you know the one that is still underway after 47 years on the 40,543 square miles island) is still underway while Fidel recuperates. Seriously, at some point don't you have to stop calling it a revolution?

Republicans Running from Delay, but Can't Get Away
Claiming that Democrats are trying to shortchange Texas voters, Texas Republican Party chairwoman Tina Benkiser is planning on appealing to the highest court in the land. Delay's Democratic challenger had sued to keep Delay's name on the ballot (because let's face it, it's pretty easy to run against a schmuck), even though Delay has publicly stated his intentions to leave the race, and the GOP is desperate to find a new candidate, all because it's "against the rules." Those Democrats, such sticklers.

Sen. Clinton Has a Flashback, Forgets She is No Longer President
After enjoying eight years in the White House as Commander in Shadow, and eyeing another stint after 2008, it's easy to see how Hillary Clinton gets confused sometimes. Thursday she called for the resignation of Sec. of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, before being reminded that she (and her husband) are currently out of office. "I just don't understand why we can't get new leadership that would give us a fighting chance to turn the situation around before it's too late," it is unclear whether Clinton is speaking here of Rumsfeld or President Bush. Either way, it's pretty clear she wants another go at the Big Desk (I hear the pastry chef is divine).

Congress Gets Totally Wasted, Blows College Fund on a Shiny New Toy
In what is surely pre-election pandering, Congress may move forward with a raise to the minimum wage this fall. This comes despite the fact that unemployment continues to climb. Because as we all know, the best way to get companies to hire new employees is to raise the wage of all their employees. In other news, the dollar menu at McDonald's is about to become the Five Dollar Menu.

I hope you've enjoyed this inaugural edition of "This Week's Top Stories. We'll be here every Friday, so join us again.

The Old Self-Congratulatory Post

A big pat on the back to us, as we have recently crossed the 1500 views mark. Of course half of those are me reloading the page to see if my compatriots, Rhythm and Stereo have graced us with their presence (kidding guys). It seems that we (meaning literally the three of us, and more metaphorically our generation) have something to say. It also seems that some people want to read it. So kudos to us, and kudos to you. All of our regular commenters (I'd mention you by name, but then it would look like a short list) thanks, and for those that stop in but don't drop us a line, thanks for nothing! (Again kidding) We appreciate the reads, we appreciate the comments, but most of all we appreciate the forum.

The three of us all in one way or another, wish to be opinion makers someday. Rhythm is in the political world (impressive at his tender age). Stereo is quickly climbing the corporate ladder, but longs for a life as a film maker (he's already got the baseball hat). I am an aspiring (and apparently tireless) writer. Thanks for giving us a platform to ramble on. We've enjoyed bringing you our brand of commentary and satire, and hope you've enjoyed having it brought to you. Look forward to more posts (from people other than me) very soon, as Stereo embarks on a new job path allowing for more time wasted...I mean spent online.

Also, we (Stereo and Rogue) are sad to say that our friend and compatriot, Rhythm is currently (and for the foreseeable future) unable to post on even a semi-regular basis. Because of this development (and it's only because of his good fortune, job-wise), we are currently seeking a new collaborator.

It would be great to have a liberal minded writer to replace Rhythm, but political alliances are less important than good writing skills, and a desire (and the ability) to stay updated on current events. If you think you are the man/woman/interstellar intelligence for the job, leave us a comment or email us. I think it goes without saying that this is all for love, there is no money involved (although we throw a rockin' New Years Eve party!)

Most of all, just let me again say thank you, to Stereo who had the idea to begin with, to Rhythm for bringing the class, to all of you for showing the love (and the intelligence). Thanks.

Bring on the Cigars: Cuba Without Castro

Can you even imagine a world without the little Communist that could? For most of us (probably all of us reading this website) there has never been a Cuba without Castro. There also has never been a shortage of rumors about his immanent demise. Well apparently some of the rumors may be true.

According to Slate: "On July 31, just days from his 80th birthday, intestinal bleeding apparently forced Castro to undergo dangerous surgery, —dangerous enough to compel him to hand power to his younger brother Raul."

Sure, Castro ain't dead yet, but for the first time in more than four decades, someone else had power (no matter how temporary) in Cuba. The proverbial cat is out of the proverbial bag, and it's...proverbially impossible to put it back in the...proverbial bag (I think I lost the analogy somewhere in there.)

So, what would it mean should there be regime change in Cuba? It's not as if we're still fighting the Cold War. The Soviet Union has fallen, we won bad guys lost etc. There will be no more Cuban Missile Crisises (what the hell is the plural of Crisis?). What is it that we (as average Americans) have to gain by the democratization (or at least the de-Castrofying) of Cuba.

The biggest thing we have to gain from Castro's demise is the (however slight) weakening of our Venezuelan friend Chavez. As the only consistently anti-U.S. voice in the America's, Chavez uses Castro and the legend of his revolution as a rallying cry. The loss of Castro and theoretical un-revolution of Cuba, could help reinforce free markets in Latin America and weaken Chavez' influence among those nations.

As the middle east continues to become less and less stable, South America's oil will become increasingly more important to us. An ally or (more realistically) a less anti-American leader in Havana could help us increase trade throughout the America's. Raising the economic viability of all those countries, while helping us secure our own economic wellbeing. You see the future won't be about nation states, or even political schools of thought. The future is about trade blocs. The European Union has already proven this fact. An Asian bloc (led by either Japan or China) will start to form soon. We have to fulfill the promise that NAFTA showed. And a new face in Havana could very well help us do that.

And besides...I like cigars...and I hear they have great ones in Cuba.