# If we care about liberation, why not invade Cuba? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 11, 2003, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-care-about-liberation-why-not-invade-cuba/168126 "2003-04-11T21:52:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TheMemeWarrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TheMemeWarrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMemeWarrior)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-care-about-liberation-why-not-invade-cuba/168126/21 "2003-04-12T03:59:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by John Mace \* > \*\*“The WMDs excuse didn’t pan out with Iraq” > > You start with an incorrect premise. Give the military a few months at least before you go running off that there are no WMDs. > \*\* yes the weapons are so well hidden it will take the military months to “find” (read: plant) them. Jolly decent of Saddam not to fire off a few of those bad boys at the troops invading his country. Doesnt quite seem in charcter for him though does it? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-care-about-liberation-why-not-invade-cuba/168126/22 "2003-04-12T04:47:09Z")
Well, you’ve obviously made up your mind, so why bother with evidence. And if any are found, they were “planted”. Pretty much wraps things up for you, doesn’t it? How long were you willing to give the UN inspectors to look for weapons? The standard rant from the anti war crowd was that it could take months or years (we were already 4 months into the latest round). But after 2 weeks, you declare the US to have failed. ---
**Author:** ![Daoloth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/82dd89/32.png) [@Daoloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daoloth)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-care-about-liberation-why-not-invade-cuba/168126/23 "2003-04-12T04:53:26Z")
There is no casus belli. ---
**Author:** ![TheMemeWarrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TheMemeWarrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMemeWarrior)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-care-about-liberation-why-not-invade-cuba/168126/24 "2003-04-12T05:03:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by John Mace \* > \*\* > How long were you willing to give the UN inspectors to look for weapons? The standard rant from the anti war crowd was that it could take months or years (we were already 4 months into the latest round). But after 2 weeks, you declare the US to have failed. \*\* umm you seem to be missing the point. If Saddam had any serious WMD he’d have used them. The weapons inspectors would have been looking forevor if they didn’t exist. ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-care-about-liberation-why-not-invade-cuba/168126/25 "2003-04-12T05:14:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dewey Cheatem Undhow \* > \*\*I think we should do it just to piss off Michael Moore. Hey, who needs political freedom and human rights when you’ve got free health care? \*\* Actually, on Moore’s old “TV Nation” shows, one of the few pieces NBC forced them to edit was the “Health Care Olympics” because Cuba won. To be sure, Castro’s government is oppressive and Cuba is not without problems, but in this segment, the person they sent to the emergency room in Cuba got the fastest care and paid the least amount of money. NBC made them change it so that Canada won. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-care-about-liberation-why-not-invade-cuba/168126/26 "2003-04-12T05:28:26Z")
Meme: Maybe, maybe not. Give the troops some time to look around once their main task is complete. If they don’t find anything by summer, then I’ll agree with you that “The WMDs excuse didn’t pan out with Iraq”. If evidence is found, I hope you’ll at least be open to the idea that it wasn’t planted. ---
**Author:** ![Satisfying\_Andy\_Licious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Satisfying\_Andy\_Licious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satisfying_Andy_Licious)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-care-about-liberation-why-not-invade-cuba/168126/27 "2003-04-12T06:01:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Blalron \* > \*\*The WMDs excuse didn’t pan out with Iraq, so we turned this into a War of Liberation. \*\* You’re right. It’s not like we’d ever stand up to Cuba if we thought they were acquiring nuclear weapons. What’s that? Oh. Never mind. ---
**Author:** ![herman\_and\_bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f1d935/32.png) [@herman\_and\_bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/herman_and_bill)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-care-about-liberation-why-not-invade-cuba/168126/28 "2003-04-12T11:23:49Z")
We have an agreement with Russia not to invade Cuba if Russia pulls the nukes back in 62, and to keep a global war of West vs. East we don’t touch it. If Cuba was a threat to the way of life in the United States we would be there in a heart=beat. ---
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-care-about-liberation-why-not-invade-cuba/168126/29 "2003-04-12T12:05:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Raygun99 \* > \*\*The US gets to complain about Cuba nationalization as soon as they give back land to Loyalists they expelled after the Revolutionary War. Not to mention the Natives, who’ve been screwed over by everyone who could. \*\* Oh! Oh! I’m new to GD, actually, and I’m wondering if someone can give me a quick lesson… This is an example of a Straw Man arguement, right? Where you use other and completely unconnected items to try to justify ones point? Or no? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-care-about-liberation-why-not-invade-cuba/168126/30 "2003-04-12T16:28:01Z")
> [@](#): > > umm you seem to be missing the point. If Saddam had any serious WMD he’d have used them. The weapons inspectors would have been looking forevor if they didn’t exist. If he got the chance. We’ve had SpecOps teams running around for a while, now. Plus, as I said before, it takes time and effort to dig up hidden bio and chem agents safely (even by Iraqi standards), get them to weapons, and then prep them and all. With the American advance going to fast, and us knocking out communications, and quite probably killing or bribing certain officers who could order a launch, I’m not sure they could do so. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-care-about-liberation-why-not-invade-cuba/168126/31 "2003-04-12T16:42:53Z")
\>\> If he got the chance. We’ve had SpecOps teams running around for a while, now. That’s a rich one. The SpecOps prevented the use of the WMD which they had no idea where they were located? \>\> Actually, on Moore’s old “TV Nation” shows, one of the few pieces NBC forced them to edit was the “Health Care Olympics” because Cuba won I am amazed that this urban Legend is so widespread. Obviously propaganda works. Cuba has some pretty good health care facilities for the party bosses and for foreigners who can pay for them but the health care the average Cubans get is worse than third world. I have been there and I can tell you the shortage of drugs and equipment is just astounding. Cuba gets pretty much all its medical supplies from donations (the majority come from the USA) as it is too poor to pay for them. So let’s not believe everything we hear. (BTW, National Geographic carried some articles about Cuba and about Havana just some years ago and this was mentioned there.) ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-care-about-liberation-why-not-invade-cuba/168126/32 "2003-04-12T20:55:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tristan \* > \*\*Oh! Oh! I’m new to GD, actually, and I’m wondering if someone can give me a quick lesson… > > This is an example of a Straw Man arguement, right? Where you use other and completely unconnected items to try to justify ones point? > > Or no? > > Thanks! \*\* No, a strawman is misrepresenting someone’s argument and then demolishing the phony argument. ---
**Author:** ![milroyj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@milroyj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milroyj)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-care-about-liberation-why-not-invade-cuba/168126/33 "2003-04-12T21:12:25Z")
Does anyone familiar with how things are for average Cubans know what information they have seen about the war in Iraq? I’d bet the CNN coverage of Hussein statues being torn down might give them some ideas, IF they were able to see it. There have been something like 7 hijackings in 7 weeks, and the last bunch were summarily executed, with peripheral people like girlfriends and such imprisoned. Uncle Fidel looks a little desparate. I predict the Cuban people will unintsall his leadership, by mid-summer. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-care-about-liberation-why-not-invade-cuba/168126/34 "2003-04-12T21:54:37Z")
Castro never tried to kill W’s dad, either. ---
**Author:** ![Daoloth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/82dd89/32.png) [@Daoloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daoloth)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-care-about-liberation-why-not-invade-cuba/168126/35 "2003-04-12T22:07:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Revtim \* > \*\*Castro never tried to kill W’s dad, either. \*\* Why would Saddam’s attempt on the life of Bush Sr. be a drive for this current war? There could just be some clandestine assassination, rather than an invasion like there currently is. That argument lacks sense. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-care-about-liberation-why-not-invade-cuba/168126/36 "2003-04-12T22:12:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by herman\_and\_bill \* > **We have an agreement with Russia not to invade Cuba if Russia pulls the nukes back in 62, and to keep a global war of West vs. East we don’t touch it.** Except that agreement is null and void, since it was made with the SOVIET UNION, which no longer exists, right? And even if technically the agreement exists with Russia, do they really care if we break it, being a democratic country now? ---
**Author:** ![Monster104](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Monster104](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monster104)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-care-about-liberation-why-not-invade-cuba/168126/37 "2003-04-12T23:10:47Z")
> [@](#): > > We have always been at war to liberate the people of Eurasia. > We have never been at war to prevent Eurasia from using its weapons of mass destruction. > Any more questions? What a brilliant response. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-care-about-liberation-why-not-invade-cuba/168126/38 "2003-04-12T23:17:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Daoloth \* > \*\*Why would Saddam’s attempt on the life of Bush Sr. be a drive for this current war? There could just be some clandestine assassination, rather than an invasion like there currently is. That argument lacks sense. \*\* A secret assassination lacks the political benefit of war, plus economic benefits such as W’s oil buddies getting Iraqi oil contracts and rebuilding contracts (like Halliburton almost got before the outrage got too loud). I can’t read W’s mind; I’m not saying for sure personal revenge is a primary or even secondary goal for him. But I consider it possible that it’s on his personal list of war justifications. ---
**Author:** ![herman\_and\_bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f1d935/32.png) [@herman\_and\_bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/herman_and_bill)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2003, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-care-about-liberation-why-not-invade-cuba/168126/39 "2003-04-13T12:20:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KGS \* > \*\*Except that agreement is null and void, since it was made with the SOVIET UNION, which no longer exists, right? And even if technically the agreement exists with Russia, do they really care if we break it, being a democratic country now? \*\* You cut the final sentence— If Cuba was a threat to the way of life in the United States we would be there in a heart-beat. ---
**Author:** ![Blackeyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f6c823/32.png) [@Blackeyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackeyes)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2003, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-care-about-liberation-why-not-invade-cuba/168126/40 "2003-04-13T19:48:56Z")
Oh, like Iraq was? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-care-about-liberation-why-not-invade-cuba/168126.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-care-about-liberation-why-not-invade-cuba/168126.md?page=3)