We believe we honor Dr. Martin Luther King every week on BLID by our weekly US Foreign Policy inquiries that MLK questioned, such as his concerns from studying US Vietnam intervention. Through the lens of MLK the framing of our foreign policy makes sense as
driven by the ‘great triplets of racism, extreme materialism, and militarism’. Tonight’s show is about terrorism, state sponsored terrorism, harboring terrorists and the United States' list of state sponsored terrorist nations. Who makes those ‘war on terrorism’ determinations? What is the integrity of the information made available to the US public in making those judgements, as well as shaping public understandings of the motives behind other US foreign policy interventions as well? We juxtapose the evidence provided - or lack thereof - claiming terrorist enabling behavior on part of Cuba recently made by the Trump administration with the primary focus of Cuban foreign policy according to Cuba and based on documented empirical historical Cuban government actions, vs our own policies, what we have done in the name of US Foreign Policy based on our own history of documented empirical actions. How does Cuba compare versus the US regarding the claim of giving safe harbor to terrorists? Using case study of US foreign policy impact on El Salvador and its Civil War that ended in the 1990s, we reveal what US media ignored, namely the enabling of those responsible for death squads and terrorism given safe refuge in the US. We discuss the image making of US mainstream media in shaping our perception of Cuba as an authoritative nation. We give examples of pejorative methods being used to create false images that Cuba is so oppressive that Cubans aspire to leave Cuba at a much higher rate than other Caribbean countries. Is there valid criticism of Cuban government suppression of political non-violent dissent and political imprisonment? Do these claims have merit or are they overstated? What should we anticipate as a Biden foreign policy change towards Cuba? Will it be positive, and will it create a reciprocal appreciation for the other’s sovereignty? If people understood how our Foreign Policy impact vs Cuba impact on majority populations was substantially different regarding ‘quality of life’ outcomes, would Cuba be perceived differently? All these questions are addressed. Enjoy!
