President Joe Biden and his administration were largely silent about Sunday's anti-communist protests in Cuba, the most extraordinary outpouring of pro-democracy sentiment in more than 60 years. The only response from the Biden administration came from a rather junior official who tweeted that the protests were about COVID deaths, and who urged Cubans to donate to each other.
Really.
The protests are political in nature, to the point where people have been marching openly with the American flag -- a banner that much of the Democratic Party today detests. Several conservatives have pointed out on Twitter that when truly oppressed people around the world march for freedom, they wave the American flag that our "woke" elites over here insult and disdain.
Even assuming, for argument's sake, that the Biden administration were right -- that the protest is about COVID -- it is a stunning failure for the left, which has praised Cuba for decades for its supposed medical advances. Cuba and Canada are both held up as examples to shame the U.S. over health policy and yet have both failed miserably during the pandemic, while American firms created the life-saving vaccines that are enabling us to return to normal.
I imagine there will be some damage control today from the Biden White House. I don't expect it to repeat the Obama administration's mistake with the Green Revolution in Iran, though it might. Remember that the uprising is evidence that the Obama-Biden policy of "normalization" with the regime was an utter failure, so a shift will require a bit of creative amnesia. Then again, Biden can't remember much anyway, so there's a chance to get this right.
UPDATE: Here's Biden's statement, a dramatic improvement from the day before:
We stand with the Cuban people and their clarion call for freedom and relief from the tragic grip of the pandemic and from the decades of repression and economic suffering to which they have been subjected by Cuba’s authoritarian regime. The Cuban people are bravely asserting fundamental and universal rights. Those rights, including the right of peaceful protest and the right to freely determine their own future, must be respected. The United States calls on the Cuban regime to hear their people and serve their needs at this vital moment rather than enriching themselves.
This week, we are tackling two major areas of contention between the Trump administration and Democrat governors: fighting crime, and redistricting. The president is sending the National Guard to blue cities -- and blue states are trying to stamp out Republican representation. Is this a civil war situation?
Special guests:
- Bradley Jaye -- Breitbart News congressional correspondent, on redistricting
- Tom Manza, California Business and Industrial Alliance, on Gavin Newsom
- Jon Fleischman, veteran California political expert, on the special election
- Dan Backer, veteran political lawyer and consultant, on corruption
- DJ Mark Anthony, on a recent visit to Rome and visiting Pope Leo XIV
Tune in: SiriusXM Patriot 125, 7-10 p.m. ET / 4-7 p.m. PT
Call: 866-957-2874
This week's portion is the last of the month of Av -- also known as Menachem (Comforter) Av -- which begins in mourning and ends in celebration and anticipation of the New Year and the process of repentance and renewal.
In a similar vein, the portion features Moses offering the Israelites a choice between a blessing and a curse. They are masters of their own fates: if they obey God's commandments, they receive the blessings -- and vice versa.
The key commandment is to reject idol worship. There is said to be something magnetic about the practice of worshiping idols in the new land, such that it would be constant moral battle, both individually and collectively, in the land.
Nowadays, according to Jewish tradition, humanity has lost the urge for idol worship (and the antidote, which is divine prophecy) -- but there are several near substitutes, such as lust or excessive appetites for worldly pleasures.
We are wired for compulsive behaviors, bad habits, and even addictions. These ...
We have so much to talk about this week -- Trump's efforts to negotiate peace through negotiation, and Gavin Newsom's efforts to divide Americans through gerrymandering. We'll also talk about Playboy leaving LA and California.
Special guests:
Frances Martel - Breitbart News foreign editor, on Russia & Ukraine
Bradley Jaye - Breitbart News congressional correspondent, on Newsom
Harmeet Dhillon - DOJ Civil Rights Division chief, on the fight against DEI
Jessica Vaugn - Playboy model on political commentator, on California
Tune in: SiriusXM Patriot 125, 7-10 p.m. ET, 4-7 PT
Call: 866-957-2874
