Cuba has been back in the news, with President Trump imposing an oil blockade in January. The fabled island a mere 90 miles from Florida has, often enough in American history, grabbed the media spotlight in decidedly serious fashion.
In 1959, a Communist revolutionary named Fidel Castro led a rebellion that ousted the Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista. And with that the stage was set for what certainly seemed like endless military confrontations between Cuba and the United States over the decades.
Cubans who had fled their native country for America clustered in Florida and resolved to re-group and invade their homeland. The invasion took place in April of 1961 at what was known as the “Bay of Pigs.” The invaders, not well supported by the U.S. military, got clobbered, and it created such an international incident that the newly inaugurated administration of President John F. Kennedy was left red-faced, sending a signal of weakness to Cuba’s major sponsor, the Communist Soviet Union.
So badly was JFK seen in the day by the Russians that the Soviets decided to quietly go about the business of installing nuclear missiles in Cuba, threatening a considerable portion of the U.S. East Coast with nuclear attack. JFK would not stand for this.
And as those alive (ahem!) in the day, even as children it was understood that when the President came on national television and told the Russians to get their missiles out of Cuba - or else! - things were getting seriously out of hand. So much so that kids in school were instructed to practice diving under their desks to practice safety in case the missiles started to fly.
This time JFK was taken seriously by the Russians. The missiles were removed. But for the rest of time over the years Cuba became a center for Communist revolution, aiding and abetting anti-US military activities throughout Central and South America.
What does any of this ancient history have to do with current events in the media?
Here’s a Fox News opinion piece from Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vermont) from this very week:
Trump is leading us into another unnecessary war. This time it’s Cuba
With a carrier battle group in the Caribbean and Raúl Castro indicted, the White House wants to justify regime change
This is the usual Democrat line, where any misery in Cuba can't be blamed on communist rule:
“The writing on the wall is unmistakable: President Donald Trump is leading us into another reckless war, this time with Cuba.
Since the capture of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, the White House has been tightening the screws on Cuba in the hope that Cuba’s leaders will either capitulate or the Cuban people will rise up and overthrow them. Three months ago, Trump said Cuba 'is going to fall pretty soon … they want to make a deal so badly … and we’ll see how that works out.'
Like the president’s many mistaken predictions, there’s no sign of a deal and Cuba hasn’t fallen. Instead, the U.S. oil blockade has paralyzed Cuba’s economy and plunged the Cuban people into darkness and misery. If the tables were turned, we would denounce the blockade as an illegal act of war.
On May 20, the Justice Department announced the indictment of former Cuban President Raúl Castro, who is 95 years old, and that same day another U.S. aircraft carrier battle group arrived in the Caribbean Sea.
It is very safe to say that a form of hysteria is being stirred by the media - and no small thing that would be the Trump-hating media.
Here’s a sampling of Trump-Cuba headlines from the media:
The New York Times:
As Trump Toughens Rules on Cuba’s Economy, Hotel Chains Pull Out
The Trump administration’s efforts to tighten the economic noose on Cuba appear to be working, as more international firms announced they would leave the island.
The Washington Post:
Fidel Castro’s daughter, in Miami, waits for her father’s revolution to end
Longtime regime critic Alina Fernández Revuelta and other exiles in Miami are anxiously noting the island’s instability and watching for Trump’s next move.
CNN:
‘We can’t take it anymore’: How Trump is pushing Cuba to the brink
The CNN story begins thusly:
Havana, Cuba — The Cuban man sidled up next to me on the street whispering as if he were sharing a long-held secret.
'Let the Americans come, let Trump come, it’s time to get this over with,' he said in a barely audible voice.
This is dangerous talk in Cuba — and especially at a time when a US president is threatening Cuba in a way we have not seen since the Cold War.
I looked around to see if anyone else was listening to these incendiary comments and if my cameraman, who was shooting a story with me on the ongoing transportation crisis, was nearby to record what the man – a bicycle-taxi driver – was telling me.
'We can’t take it anymore,' he continued. 'People can’t feed their families.'
To say the least, there are stories like these all over the American media.
And make no mistake they will have an effect. To wit: having the American media lay the groundwork for a U.S. government move somewhere down the road to invade Cuba. Effectively ending, one can believe the stories will go, the Communist rule of Cuba that began with the rise of Fidel Castro all the way back there in the late 1950’s.
How long will this take?
Who knows. The real question is will, and when, the mind of the American people be changed by the media about Cuba. And will President Trump come to believe there is enough support in the American media to finally put an end to this seemingly endless chapter in American-Cuban relations.
Stay tuned.
