Let the Philharmonic Play in Cuba
The separate trip to Cuba, scheduled for the end of October, has been postponed due to U.S. Treasury Department regulations. Specifically, a contingent of Philharmonic benefactors, who were underwriting a portion of the trip to Havana, would be spending money in Cuba in violation of current U.S. law. The orchestra it self was permitted to go, but not the convoy of their financial benefactors.
So the Philharmonic is free to bring its singular program of cultural exchange to the former North Vietnamese capital, a nation with whom we were at war with as late as 1975, that war having cost over 55,000 U.S. lives. But it is prohibited from doing so in Cuba because.....? As recently as Monday, October 5th, Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) spoke on the Senate floor to deride current regulations. "This is almost unbelievable what we are still doing with respect to travel policy with Cuba," Dorgan said.
The political heritage of the Cuban American people notwithstanding, it is time for the embargo on U.S. travel to end. The people most responsible for the creation of this political reality are dead. Some of them long dead. Castro is in the last chords of his own life. Who, then, benefits from continuing this policy?
The Cuban American community, who truly suffered the upheaval, savagery and indignation of losing their homeland to the Communists can never be compensated. One could never equate the current order as being the result of merely a "grudge." Yet, nothing can bring back their Cuba. It is gone. Even if Cuba had not been, as one friend once described to me, "embedded in amber" these past several decades, the rest of the world has moved on.
There is, however, a New Cuba that can be reclaimed. Investment is paramount, no doubt. But a relationship with the rest of world may be needed first. The New York Philharmonic, one of the premiere classical music institutions in existence, cannot afford to knock on Cuba's door without financial support from its generous contributors, especially in these difficult economic times. Performing arts institutions like the Philharmonic have long understood the necessity for cultural projects like this. As much as our allies and potential allies want aid, food, and America's brand of political rhetoric in their ears, they also want something else. Like Ravel and Stravinsky and Beethoven and de Falla.
The embargo on Cuban travel should be lifted, at the very least, for cultural projects like the one by the Philharmonic that was just delayed by the U.S. Treasury Department. If a hundred or so patrons accompany them as a means of facilitating the trip, they should be allowed to go, too.
Evelyn Leopold: Cuban Vote at UN: "Here We Go Again"
For the 18th consecutive year, the General Assembly condemned the US embargo against Cuba. But this was the first vote since President Obama took office, and everyone listened for hints of change.
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Sorry, Alex, it's up to the Cuban people, Michael Moore and Oliver Stone apologists notwithstanding.
Cultural exchanges, or any for that matter, did little with Mao, Brezhnev, North Vietnam and communist Europe, until the people within ultimately forced changes.
Otherwise you simply feed the evil beast.
Like Michael Moore and Oliver Stone.
Could the US PLEASE start moving forward to join the rest of the world in the 21st Century?
See Tom Matlack's Profile
Alec great performance on REAL TIME tonight.
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I agree with you that the embargo should be lifted.
Cuba presents no threat unless they allow terriorists in their country. That will not happen. We have little Havanna in Miami now and most of the state is becoming more spanish speaking as a result.
How would the Philharmonics travel improve our relationship?
Cubans have to sneak out to defect because it is not a 2 way street in travel.
During WWII , President Roosevelt had the Jews from Europe turned away from entering the United States.
Cuba accepted the Jews in their country and I have great respect for that.
I had cousins and great uncles and aunts living in Cuba, untill Truman took office and then they were allowed to immigrate to the United States.
It has been senseless to continue this embargo for many years now.
The embargo should be lifted peroid, it is already 50 yrs. late, unless this is a 100 year embargo that does not kick in until the 99th year is almost over. It has been a failure and worse,a political tool from day one..
If the U.S really wants democracy in Cuba, let as many Americans go there as possible. In two years or less the people of Cuba will demand democracy from their government.
Communication not isolationism
The only group that the embargo on Cuba truly benefits are the Cuban Americans resident in Miami. Who else can enjoy an unequal acess in immigration. Cuban Americans sail right thru immigration while other immigrant groups can wait years. Cuban Americans loudly decry the injustice in Cuba having abandoned their motherland to enjoy the benefits of the streets paved with gold (pre-recession) in America all the while expecting someone else to fight their battles for them. No it should not be the American government.No other immigrant group in Miami so consistently denies the rights of others. This self proclaimed matyrdom allows Cubans American to assuage their feelings of guilt and allows them to reap the benefits pretty much denied to anyone else including resident Americans. Its time to end this ridiculous embargo which has only remained in place for the simple reason that Americans who live outside of Miami don't give a hoot for the embargo or Cuba.
The only people the Cuban embargo is benefitting are the Cuban Americans who live in Miami. Ask them why it is their self interest to maintain an obviously outdated institution. The embargo in Cuba allowed to loudly proclaim their hypocritical assertions of martyrdom while secretly reaping the benefits of an unequal access in immigration rights. No other group can obtain residency rights as quickly (less than a year) than Cubans. Meanwhile Cuban Americans can assuage their feeling of guilt for abandoning their motherland for the streets paved with gold in America by loudly proclaiming the injustice of it all while lining their pockets.Think of it, if they truly cared you would think they would have found the time over the past fifty years to overthrow the government. And no it is not the responsibility of the American government to do it for them. Its just the same as the American baseball team, or other various groups that over the years have tried to open up access to Cuba. Think of it, if there was no embargo then a lot of Cuban Americans would have to face up to the denial that has sustained them for so long and they would have to find another reason for living. The other absurd reason the embargo has been in place so long is that very few Americans who live outside of Miami really give a hoot about Cuba or the Cuban embargo.
That's the important constituency in this matter. They are the people you don't want to offend.
I agree with Alec Baldwin ;-) even if he is an actor.
As a businessman within the Classical Music community, I empathize with patrons, however, this is a 48 year political embargo and they should have understood up-front that they might not be able to enjoy a Cuban vacation. On the other hand, if they are willing to give their money to this endeavor without strings, then perhaps it should go ahead. The end result should not be a surprise to anyone.
I'm kind of interested to hear what your thoughts are on the President receiving the Nobel prize and accepting it...
I wasn't sure what to think on this topic, so I'm glad Mr. Baldwin finally weighed in. His clear expertise on both subjects: music, and how we can better prop up failing communist states, makes for a really incisive look at the landscape.
Some academics hide behind their credentials. Not this actor. Smarter than the American college system itself, this giant skipped all that, becoming an actor instead, and that alone has qualified him for this column.
Bravo, my man! Well done!
Apparently the gang of three, Menendez, Ros Letinen and Diaz Balart are writing the script when it comes to Cuba Policy. Allegedly, Menendez held up legislation in health care to get his way with Treasury, while Schumer and Rangel tried to facilitate the event and make it happen. The actions of the gang of three only serve to disparage the rest of us Cuban Americans. Whoever is paying them to carry on is doing a disservice to us all.
The New York Philharmonic is much too ritzy for Cuba. The sponsors would never want to ride around in 1936 Cheevrolets or 1940 Fords. Furthermore, audiences would never appreciate Bach, Beethoven or Brahms. They want La Cucaraha or Dance of the Spanish Onion. Finally, the danger of kidnapping Philharmonic musicians remains high. Nobody would pay the ransom. So let them stay home and send the Baghdad Symphony. They need the work!
Why not perform in Cuba? We had the Olympics in communist China. This country is very pro-communist.
Alex I enjoyed your intros and comments on the opening of the season of the NY Philharmonic that I saw on PBS 13 here in NYC. Years ago I attended a n experimental NY state university program in residential education in Buffalo, NY, where suddenly wings appeared! But really, the college "B" of the "Visual and Performing Arts had such great classes, a "Seminar in the Arts" where Leslie Fiedler, Eric Bentley, architects, musicians, one the tympani player in the Buffalo Philharmonic, etc., came to the newly opened IM Pei designed "Governors Residence" (named in quads after four of them) and talked about careers in the arts on the Amherst, NY campus. Another had talked about his upcoming book "Sex in the White House" a history of that back during the Nixon admin. At the time, like "Blazing Saddles" a train was acomin', the later subway built in Buffalo that once was to connect to the Amherst campus. I cannot understand why we must not allow the orchestra to Cuba! Are they afraid its patrons will drop billions there and cause a wide-scale panic on Wall Street? How silly we seem...and no wonder political satirist Mark Russell played from their campus after his venue at the Watergate!
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