Ever since I can remember, back in the 80s and even now, it astounds me how anyone whom rightfully escapes Cuba's communism comes to America and votes for a party that clearly panders to a xenophobic base. And even on economics. the GOP have been masters in that same time, of selling the idea that if you dare question or tax billionaires somehow, you want to become like Cuba.

Why the boomerang? Economies don't have to be "Che/Castro vs Ayn Rand". Some on the far left, whom I do not agree with, being a liberal myself, have pointed to Cuba's free medical care and higher education. But then as a result, those on the far right shout "SEE SEE SEE, THEY DO WANT COMMUNISM." 

I'd argue that you can have both an open market, and a fair market, and the private sector, and affordable living without infringing on personal freedom.

Being a liberal, I don't like Hitler, or Stalin or Castro, or even China's oppressive politics. But currently in America, there is imbalance of power and wealth between the top and the bottom. Questioning someone in Jeff Bezo's class does not mean I love Castro, or China's politics. It merely means we are currently lopsided as far as having a voice in government and the results that come out of our voices. 

Marco Rubio to me, is a horrible representative for Cuban refugees, and even poor rural whites that his party appeals to nationally. I want freedom for Cubans. I also want urban and rural workers to be stable too. I don't see how Jeff Bezos is helping humanity in this respect when his class's wealth is astronomically and epically far higher than the low level workers giant corporations make. 

Why cant we have universal health care and affordable living and value freedom?  

The GOP would argue the only class that knows what is best for everyone else are billionaires. But to Marco, why does he never talk about the fact that when Fidel Castro died, he had a personal estimated wealth of $800 million dollars? Why does the GOP never point out that the Saudi Royal Family are billionaires? Why do they never point out the fact that Gadaffi was a billionaire?

Why do the GOP ignore that if one were to visit Beijing China, one can find Apple stores and McDonald's? Billionaires are not a patent held by the open west. There is not one nation, friend or foe, that does not invest in the global market.

I hate states that silence journalists, and oppress dissent. American Cubans can do far better than the GOP and Marco.

Cubans are notoriously racist, if that helps explain anything.

That post is all over the map, so I’ll focus on just the title: 

The GOP gaining the majority of Cuban-American votes is largely the result of the mistrust engendered by Kennedy. These people trending Republican is nothing new (the Obama years were an outlier).

And I’m not sure ‘stranglehold’ is accurate. The Cuban-American vote is not the surety for Republicans that it once was.


Boru

Somebody' s Ritalin script expired again.....

(July 29, 2021 at 11:46 am)The Grand Nudger Wrote: Cubans are notoriously racist, if that helps explain anything.

Humans are tribal for sure. There is a word for "foreigner" in Japanese and that is "gaijin". I can tell you personally having been married to a Japanese woman, it is extremely hard for someone non Japanese, but especially white like me, to migrate and integrate and live in Japan. They love having guests, but  if you want to be part of their family and marry into a family, that is much harder. 

"Racism" is an artificial construct. IT IS MOST CERTIANLY REAL in that people form groups on issues of skin tone, nationalism, and geography. But it is still an artificial construct once one accepts all humans are ultimately the same species and originate far back enough to Africa.

My x wife told me she always hated it when westerners confused her for being Korean. I had a Puerto Rican co worker who didn't like being confused for Mexican, and vice versa.

I have a Pakistani friend who hates being called "Arab" and he is an atheist.

You won't ever get humans to give up tribalism 100%. 

What I hate about Marco isn't that he has Cuban roots. What I hate about him, is he panders to xenophobia. 

I like to view the world like this. "Majority vs minority" is local and geographical. One can be a majority depending location, and be a minority in another location. But all humans still share one home and we are still all related.

Quote:What I hate about Marco isn't that he has Cuban roots. What I hate about him, is he panders to xenophobia. 

Then you should understand why he has such widespread support among Cuban-Americans.

Boru

(July 29, 2021 at 12:33 pm)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote:

Quote:What I hate about Marco isn't that he has Cuban roots. What I hate about him, is he panders to xenophobia. 

Then you should understand why he has such widespread support among Cuban-Americans.

Boru

DAMN IT JIM look up the word "nuance".

Yes I agree he has a wide appeal to Cuban Americans. But he is also part of the national party that appeals to people whom fear immigration.

The reason Cubans whom escaped Castro vote Republican is because they escaped oppression. So of course they are going to see anyone who doesn't look like them, and votes liberal, they are going to see, FALSELY, as being the very thing they escaped.

(July 29, 2021 at 12:50 pm)Brian37 Wrote:

(July 29, 2021 at 12:33 pm)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote: Then you should understand why he has such widespread support among Cuban-Americans.

Boru

DAMN IT JIM look up the word "nuance".

Yes I agree he has a wide appeal to Cuban Americans. But he is also part of the national party that appeals to people whom fear immigration.

The reason Cubans whom escaped Castro vote Republican is because they escaped oppression. So of course they are going to see anyone who doesn't look like them, and votes liberal, they are going to see, FALSELY, as being the very thing they escaped.

You haven’t nuanced anything.

I’m aware of which party Mr. Rubio belongs to.

I can’t make sense out of your final paragraph, so I’ll leave it alone.

Boru

You’re overthinking it Brian. They see Mexicans, they don’t like Mexicans, and they don’t like being confused for Mexicans. They -especially- don’t want to be treated like Mexicans.

It’s called buy in. European immigrants did the same.

(July 29, 2021 at 2:16 pm)The Grand Nudger Wrote: You’re overthinking it Brian.  They see Mexicans, they don’t like Mexicans, and they don’t like being confused for Mexicans.

Bold mine -

Words I never thought I would see in that order.