Huffington Post Soon to Have More Cuban Readers

Cuban President Raul Castro has started his reforms -- well, he did quite a while ago actually though few noticed. But the new news is that the Cuban government has removed restrictions on the sale of computers, DVDs, and video players inside Cuba.

Old story first. When I was doing research in Cuba last March, Fidel Castro was ill and Raul Castro had assumed the responsibilities of acting head of state. In the past during Fidel's tenure, ministers -- questioned by legislators in Cuba's National Assembly -- used to wait for the president to instruct them on how to respond to legislators and the public.

Raul Castro changed that -- and told the ministers that they needed to be accountable for the performance of the institutions for which they had responsibility. Competence was the signal he was sending -- accountability. And he was telegraphing that they ought not wait for dictates of political correctness from his office.

But what Raul Castro has done today is open the door for a new consumer appetite. He is allowing people to purchase -- completely unrestricted -- the vehicles for the consumption and transport of "culture." DVDs, computers, and video players are how American power and culture are really heard and seen around the world today -- not through Pentagon machinery.

But as things stand now, America won't allow its content into Cuba. As the embargo stands, we hope that Venezuela's Hugo Chavez fills the scarce bandwidth now available in Cuba and are giving him no competition.

Raul Castro is moving forward in a constructive direction. The U.S. needs to adopt a set of policies now that is less "self-destructive" of American interests.

The Huffington Post, The Washington Note and The Havana Note look forward to many more readers now in Havana and throughout the nation of Cuba.

-- Steve Clemons publishes the popular political blog, The Washington Note

Comments

[melann830]

If few took notice, it was because you reporters failed to report it and also failed to report that the Cuban chancellery announced before the UN that they would ensure the human rights of Cubans. I heard this tidbit on a local program on Telemundo. You journalists who are so full of yourselves spewing Hillary venom failed to pick up on a story that was part of many of the debates between Clinton and Obama. You are all asleep at the wheel. Huffington Post needs a better caliber of journalists. Furthermore, if memory serves me well and it always does, Hillary Clinton was the candidate that made clear to the moderators and the ausience, that in order for our country to negotiate with the Cuban govt., some measures had to be put forth on their side indicative of ensuring Cuban's rights and freedoms. Looks like Cuba is listening to Hillary very intently. Sure does! Obama never said this. He responded after saying very vaguely, preliminary work had to be done. This will be one reason that the Cubans in Florida will be voting for Hillary Clinton. She was the one with the guts to spell it out and not pussyfoot around the issues.

[larry278]

Will HP have a Spanish language edition of HP for Cuba & the rest of the Spanish using world? The English language version of HP wouldn't be of much use to readers who aren't fluent in English.

[FirstShirt]

The dictatorship of the proletariat [with an emphasis on dictatorship] is a joke. What is particularly disgusting is the americans who get all hot and sweaty over a government that truly enslaves it's people. Michael Moore couldn't do what he does in that country. Huffpo wouldn't exist in that country. And, every 4 to 8 years you couldn't rid yourself of the politicians who think they have found their lifes work like the Castros.

[AverageJohn]

Come out of your shell, sweetie pie. Save some money, take a trip toCuba, and see for yourself. Don´t repeat like a parrot what Fox News says. Cuba's a strugling country, like many more in the world. Show some respect. Study and learn, It'll do you good.