John McCain with a fistful of ashes for Castro's grave

Bad intentions of bad leadership

It is interesting that a comment in my last blog links up with something I am writing about today.

I read yesterday that Senator John McCain, the front-runner Republican nominee for presidency that opined that he wished Fidel Castro dead very soon.

I am really disappointed that as Castro’s resignation offered everyone an opportunity to become inspired to look at the aspirations of the people of Cuba as see how we could work towards achieving them, we end up with more of the same failed rhetoric – How much does death achieve?

Losing our humanity still

One is saddened that a sense of humanity amidst the animosity between America and Cuba has turned into bloody-mindedness that makes one worry about people who aspire to the office of the President of the United States.

We forget that whatever we aspire to and desire to achieve is always possible, but it does not make us immortal, in fact, I think it is quite rich of a man about to enter the record books as the oldest ever presidential nominee wishing someone else 10 years older dead.

I find no sense of maturity in this kind of thinking because I believe the US could have tailored its policy towards Cuba in a better way to benefit the people and not allow Castro to hold sway for 50 years.

We cannot continue to adhere to flawed policies to the detriment of the humanity who stand to gain from a more inspired, courageous and bold approach to engaging our enemies constructively at the most difficult times.

This takes a different kind of leader and there has been none in American for close to a generation. Ones that show promise still need a wider grasp of the context of history and wealth of experience to take wise and effective steps to project America as a force for good and not a bullying menace that thrives on the gun, a fat cigar and wads of cash.

No thanks to America

I doubt if Cubans resident in Cuba would be thankful to America for any of those policies that isolated a culturally vibrant nation but made them so self-reliant and very resourceful.

The radically socialist-leaning regimes in Central and Southern America are no doubt in part, a backlash in response to myopic policies towards Cuba – remove the embargoes and let the people see what exactly they are missing and then they can decide if want they want the pain of change and if there is anything to gain.

Already speaking death

In fact, one wonders if the “so-called” new breed of presidential aspirants represents any change at all, as if the main thrust of American foreign policy has not committed enough people to earth already.

Now, we have a man who is still struggling to carry the core electoral base of his party, pandering to the belligerence that serves no purpose for peace or the welfare of the people most affected, ready with a fistful of dust and ashes to throw in Fidel Castro’s grave.

We cannot afford another blood-thirsty president in the White House, too much blood has been shed and none of the original goals have been achieved – more people than were killed on 9/11 have died amongst the forces; much more incapacitated for life; the Taleban still thrives in Afghanistan; Osama bin Laden still sends postcards from the edge; Iran and Afghanistan are unstably there.

As for Senator John McCain, you are but a man, and well advanced in years, which I hoped would count for being responsibly smart – I wish you no ill, neither can I bid you Godspeed if you wish others ill.

You are but a man only.