Hoosier faces fine for trip to Cuba

[Osolomia]

By Terry Horne
November 2, 2003

Joni Scott flew to Cuba to hand out Bibles four years ago. Now, the federal government wants her to pay a fine of up to $10,000 for her unlicensed trip to the communist country.

"It's wrong," said Scott, 43, a mother of two children who lives in rural Clinton County.

The teacher at an Indianapolis-area Christian academy admits she made a mistake by not furnishing the government information about the church group's trip.

But, she said, "I shouldn't have to pay a fine for what the country has encouraged and supported over 200 years."

More...
http://www.indystar.com/articles/5/088901-7185-009.html

[lumpy]

1. Cuban ex-patriates send plenty of dollars to relatives in Cuba

and they have the audacity to complain about travelers spending dollars in Cuba. Also, don't those US religious groups realize that most Cubans are adherents to the Christian religion. Of course some of those groups consider the Catholic Church to be some sort of cultish religion.

[Wwagsthedog]

2. Go Georgie! Fine the fundies!

Next thing you know faux will sue the Simpsons.

[Osolomia]

3. Cuba's 50 Years of Defiance

November 3, 2003
Cuba's 50 Years of Defiance
An Interview with Noam Chomsky
By BERNIE DWYER

Havana, Cuba.

Noam Chomsky was in Cuba to participate in the 3rd Latin American and Caribbean Social Sciences Conference (CLACSO) 27-31 October 2003, where he was interviewed there by Bernie Dwyer. --AC/JSC

snip/...

BD: During these times of US world domination, what role do you see Cuba playing?

Noam Chomsky: Well, Cuba has become a symbol of courageous resistance to attack. Since 1959 Cuba has been under attack from the hemispheric superpower. It has been invaded, subjected to more terror than maybe the rest of the world combined--certainly any other country that I can think of--and it's under an economic stranglehold that has been ruled completely illegal by every relevant international body, It has been at the receiving end of terrorism, repression and denunciation, but it survives.

... Yes, Cuba is the symbol of successful defiance that accounts for the venomous hostility. The very existence of the regime, independent of what it does, by not subordinating itself to power is just an unacceptable defiance for the rest of the world. It's a symbol of what can be done without using harsh conditions. It's once again a case of those under the most severe conditions are doing things that others can't do.

So, for example, let's take Cuba's role in the liberation of Africa. It's an astonishing achievement that has almost been totally suppressed. Now you can read about it in scholarship, but the contribution that Cuba made to the self-liberation of Africa is fantastic. And that was against the entire concentrated power of the world. All the imperialist powers were trying to block it. It finally worked and Cuba's contribution was unique. That's another reason why Cuba is hated. Just the plain fact that black soldiers from Cuba were able to beat back a South African invasion of Angola sent shock waves throughout the continent. The black movements were inspired by it. The white South Africans were psychologically crushed by the fact that South African forces could be defeated by a black army. The United States were infuriated. If you look at the next couple of years, the terrorist attacks on Cuba got much worse.

More...
http://www.counterpunch.org/dwyer11032003.html