Brussels

[Michchamp]

I'd be willing to bet there a lot of Cuban Americans upset by the tone deafness of our President posing for this photo. It has nothing to do with fear of a communist takeover or the legacy of McCarthy. The guy is a disgrace to the office.

We should care about Cuban Americans concerns and elevate them above normalizing diplomatic relations with a neighboring country because they vote Republican, but of course we should not do this with other groups who don't, or minorities from countries we are currently bombing or soon hope to bomb.

 

[byco42]

You'd think that POTUS himself would request that the photog spin the lens 20 degrees to his (camera) left to crop out the image of CHE that POTUS seems, optically, to be standing in the optimal allegorical spot. And if not POTUS, then maybe someone from his staff could have "suggested" that CHE not be the FOCUS of the PHOTO OP???? Unless THAT was the ACTUAL OBJECTIVE. Obama continues to disgrace the office in ways that we have not seen since ... ever.

 

[Spartanmack]

We should care about Cuban Americans concerns and elevate them above normalizing diplomatic relations with a neighboring country because they vote Republican, but of course we should not do this with other groups who don't, or minorities from countries we are currently bombing or soon hope to bomb.

Yes, absolutely we should care about Cuban Americans and Cubans and elevate them above normalizing diplomatic relations with a totalitarian regime of mass murderers who stole a country from its people, represses dissent and violate human rights on a large scale as a matter of policy. That, I would think should be obvious.

maybe the funniest part about the direction this thread has taken is the two or three idiots cracking jokes about red scare 2.0 have no idea they are the ones who have lost the plot.

Edit: By the way, what was your reaction when you saw the photo - let me guess, was it along the lines of "hey, that's the guy from my t-shirt, shay something-or-other!"

 

[Michchamp]

whatever.

bush walked around kissing and holding hands with the Saudi King, head of the most repressive islamic state, a state that practices sharia law & Republicans were like "meh, this goes against everything we stand for except the ultimate value: Republicans = good, liberals = bad so we will not complain."

so Obama posed for a pic in front of a Cuban government building featuring a monument to a guerilla leader who used violent means to achieve power - though hardly exceptional given the violence his opponents used - in a visit intended to finally normalize relations with Cuba, a country we've fucked over through embargos, attempted assassinations, and terrorist acts out of spite for 60 years. big fuckin deal.

 

[TheVictors]

This thread makes me want to watch Scarface.

 

[Michchamp]

This thread makes me want to watch Scarface.

"say hello to my little friend" [note: add future pic of GOP presidential nominee Trump introducing his VP pick, Marco Rubio]

 

[Spartanmack]

This thread makes me want to watch Scarface.

Great film - except for that stupid, cheesie montage that maybe didn't ruin it but definitely brought it down a notch.

 

[byco42]

whatever.

bush walked around kissing and holding hands with the Saudi King, head of the most repressive islamic state, a state that practices sharia law & Republicans were like "meh, this goes against everything we stand for except the ultimate value: Republicans = good, liberals = bad so we will not complain."

It was as revolting for me to see Bush and Obama grovel to the Saudis. But in a world of "just-us" ... who can be amazed?

so Obama posed for a pic in front of a Cuban government building featuring a monument to a guerilla leader who used violent means to achieve power - though hardly exceptional given the violence his opponents used - in a visit intended to finally normalize relations with Cuba, a country we've fucked over through embargos, attempted assassinations, and terrorist acts out of spite for 60 years. big fuckin deal.

So let's just ignore all elements of any photo-op of now and future presidents.

 

[Thumb]

You got to give it to him, McCarthy did a bang up job in the 50's. The Red Scare is even alive and well over a half century later.

Agreed.

It's also pretty strange that nobody gets upset when a POTUS goes to China, which makes Cuba seem pretty docile in comparison.

Oh look, how dare Bush take a photo in Tienanmen Square with a picture of Mao in the background!!! Where is the outrage?!?!!?

 

[Michchamp]

Agreed.

It's also pretty strange that nobody gets upset when a POTUS goes to China, which makes Cuba seem pretty docile in comparison.

Oh look, how dare Bush take a photo in Tienanmen Square with a picture of Mao in the background!!! Where is the outrage?!?!!?

usually when i've seen criticism of these things, like George HW Bush throwing up on the Japanese prime minister or his son's "mission accomplished banner" from the left, it's mockery. or pointed out in response to Republitard criticism over stupid shit like Obama not wearing a lapel flag or something.

I never saw liberals call either Bush "unpresidential" or "a disgrace to the office" for the dumb gaffes; no, W at least was called those thing for lying to the American people to justify invading Iraq or breaking the law with warrantless wiretapping, torture, etc.

 

[Spartanmack]

oh, so Bush I did something kind of similar - well, that makes it better.

 

[byco42]

Agreed.

It's also pretty strange that nobody gets upset when a POTUS goes to China, which makes Cuba seem pretty docile in comparison.

Oh look, how dare Bush take a photo in Tienanmen Square with a picture of Mao in the background!!! Where is the outrage?!?!!?

This does not read well, but there's a difference between this candid and posing 50-plus people in front of a building with Che's likeness hovering over Obama's shoulder.

 

[TheVictors]

This does not read well, but there's a difference between this candid and posing 50-plus people in front of a building with Che's likeness hovering over Obama's shoulder.

The major difference between Bush's significant trip to China and Obama's POTUS trip to Cuba is that no major terrorist attack occurred while Bush was in Tieneman Square.

There was no intent or need to politicize the picture to suit a storyline.

 

[sggatecl]

Ooh! Ooh! I want to play!

 

[Thumb]

oh, so Bush I did something kind of similar - well, that makes it better.

No. I'm asking where was the outrage then? It's another example of the right and their "do as I say not as I do" philosophy. Go ahead and blast Obama for going to Cuba, and posing for a picture with a socialist figurehead in the background, but pretend it never happened with Bush. Try to impeach Bill Clinton for having an affair, all the while chief hatchet-man Newt was doing the same thing.

Hypocrisy, plain and simple.

 

[Thumb]

This does not read well, but there's a difference between this candid and posing 50-plus people in front of a building with Che's likeness hovering over Obama's shoulder.

Sure there is.

 

[Spartanmack]

Ooh! Ooh! I want to play!

LOL - you do realize Reagan led the fight to bring down the soviet union before "normalizing" diplomatic relations with them, right? but hey, there's a picture of him standing in front of a statue of Lenin, so it's the same.

 

[Spartanmack]

No. I'm asking where was the outrage then? It's another example of the right and their "do as I say not as I do" philosophy. Go ahead and blast Obama for going to Cuba, and posing for a picture with a socialist figurehead in the background, but pretend it never happened with Bush. Try to impeach Bill Clinton for having an affair, all the while chief hatchet-man Newt was doing the same thing.

Hypocrisy, plain and simple.

I don't know - I was about 18 or 19 when that picture was taken and there wasn't a world wide web so I probably didn't even see it, care or know what I know now - I do know that Che was a communist though, not a socialist. And not only are we missing context but we also don't know the general reaction...but all you need is a picture of a Republican with a communist in the background to prove it's the same and conservatives are hypocrites. Well done, you win the internets today!

And Clinton was impeached for lying under oath, not for having an affair.

 

[Spartanmack]

The major difference between Bush's significant trip to China and Obama's POTUS trip to Cuba is that no major terrorist attack occurred while Bush was in Tieneman Square.

There was no intent or need to politicize the picture to suit a storyline.

I think the major difference is that there is value to normalized relations with an aspiring super power and one of our largest trading partners for one and another would be that we don't have the leverage with China to push more aggressively for reforms before normalizing relations like we do with Cuba or used to with Iran.

 

[sggatecl]

LOL - you do realize Reagan led the fight to bring down the soviet union before "normalizing" diplomatic relations with them, right? but hey, there's a picture of him standing in front of a statue of Lenin, so it's the same.

Yep. That was the joke. Oi..

The point is these are all blown out of proportion.