In overture to China, pope sends greetings to a 'noble' people
- Thread starter ralfyman
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And they are a noble people.
It’s the same as with Russia. They went off the rails with atheistic communism in the 20th century, and while they are today pretty much communist in name only, they still have major issues with human rights as well as the threatened forced takeover of an autonomous province that wants to have no part of it.
To be fair, the United States has also had “major issues with human rights”, with slavery and then Jim Crow segregation, as well as with its treatment of the aboriginal peoples. And for the history and political science buff, there is also an interesting parallel between Taiwan and Cuba — both fell under the aegis of the mainland power at one time, both are just a short distance across a strait, both have a political system radically different from that of the mainland power, and both want simply to be left alone to govern themselves as they see fit. If the embargo against Cuba were lifted, their trade with other countries would be much easier, and if free trade with the US were permitted, they might enjoy the very prosperity they are now denied, which might even bring about at least a partial change within their system. Comings and goings of American tourists, freely able to travel and to be catered to in the way that Americans typically expect when they visit Caribbean resorts, with the massive influx of cash that would bring, would bolster the economy, even if it did bring some negative influences with it. (But how has it harmed Cuba for tourists from every other country of the world to be able to visit freely?)
The issue of Cuba could be a separate thread, albeit with only a tangential relation to Catholicism, so I’ll leave it at that.
It’s the same as with Russia. They went off the rails with atheistic communism in the 20th century, and while they are today pretty much communist in name only, they still have major issues with human rights as well as the threatened forced takeover of an autonomous province that wants to have no part of it.
To be fair, the United States has also had “major issues with human rights”, with slavery and then Jim Crow segregation, as well as with its treatment of the aboriginal peoples. And for the history and political science buff, there is also an interesting parallel between Taiwan and Cuba — both fell under the aegis of the mainland power at one time, both are just a short distance across a strait, both have a political system radically different from that of the mainland power, and both want simply to be left alone to govern themselves as they see fit. If the embargo against Cuba were lifted, their trade with other countries would be much easier, and if free trade with the US were permitted, they might enjoy the very prosperity they are now denied, which might even bring about at least a partial change within their system. Comings and goings of American tourists, freely able to travel and to be catered to in the way that Americans typically expect when they visit Caribbean resorts, with the massive influx of cash that would bring, would bolster the economy, even if it did bring some negative influences with it. (But how has it harmed Cuba for tourists from every other country of the world to be able to visit freely?)
The issue of Cuba could be a separate thread, albeit with only a tangential relation to Catholicism, so I’ll leave it at that.
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