CBS Censors Colbert’s Talarico Interview; Breaking Trump’s Cuba Siege w/ David Adler | MR Live
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Summary
Takeaways
- ❖CBS censored an interview with Texas State Representative James Talerico ahead of early voting, citing a controversial interpretation of the FCC's 'equal time rule' by FCC Chairman Brendan Carr.
- ❖The proposed SAVE Act is a federal voter disenfranchisement bill that would mandate specific IDs like passports or Real IDs, despite non-citizen voting being a statistically insignificant issue.
- ❖The SAVE Act is poorly drafted and would create significant bureaucratic barriers, particularly for women with changed names and lower-income individuals, effectively making voting harder.
- ❖US policy towards Cuba is characterized as a 'siege,' not merely an embargo, involving a long-standing blockade and the 'State Sponsor of Terrorism' (SSOT) designation, designed to inflame hunger and desperation.
- ❖The US leverages secondary sanctions, preventing third-party nations from trading with Cuba, thereby criminalizing international solidarity and dictating terms for other countries.
- ❖Both Trump and Biden administrations are criticized for retrograde foreign policies lacking dynamism, with the Cuba policy being an 'old-school resuscitation of a cold war logic' driven by the far-right Cuban diaspora.
- ❖US public opinion overwhelmingly opposes intervention in Cuba, suggesting that current policies are driven by specific lobbying groups rather than broad national interest.
Insights
1CBS Censorship and FCC's 'Equal Time Rule' Controversy
CBS pulled an interview with Texas State Representative James Talerico the night before Texas's early voting began. This action was attributed to network lawyers citing a controversial interpretation of the FCC's 'equal time rule' by FCC Chairman Brendan Carr. The host frames this as censorship by CBS, influenced by its new pro-MAGA ownership, aiming to suppress political discourse during a critical election period.
Stephen Colbert's on-air explanation of being told he couldn't air the interview and couldn't even mention its cancellation. The host notes the new CBS ownership's alleged acquiescence to the Trump administration.
2The SAVE Act: A Mass Voter Disenfranchisement Bill
The proposed SAVE Act is presented as a mass disenfranchisement bill. It mandates specific forms of identification, such as passports or Real IDs, to vote, ostensibly to combat non-citizen voting. However, data from the Heritage Foundation shows fewer than 100 cases of non-citizen voting since 1982, making the premise for the bill baseless. The legislation is poorly written, with one provision requiring a non-existent document for military members.
The bill's text requiring a document proving both service and US birth (which doesn't exist). Analysis showing nearly 70 million American women with changed names would face additional hurdles, and the cost of Real IDs/passports creates economic barriers.
3US Policy Towards Cuba: A Multi-Layered 'Siege'
US policy towards Cuba is characterized as a 'siege' rather than a mere embargo. This multi-layered approach includes a long-standing blockade preventing US and third-party companies from trading with Cuba, and the 'State Sponsor of Terrorism' (SSOT) designation. The SSOT listing, initially imposed by Trump and briefly reversed by Biden, bars Cuba from the international financial system, preventing access to loans, grants, and even basic wire transfers, creating a severe humanitarian crisis.
Trump's explicit statements about starving the population and refusing to rule out regime change. David Adler details the historical context of the 1960 State Department cable aiming to inflame hunger and desperation, and the financial strangulation caused by the SSOT designation.
4US Hegemony Through Secondary Sanctions
The US leverages its hegemonic control over international finance and trade to impose secondary sanctions. This means any third nation attempting to engage in commerce with Cuba faces massive penalties from the US. This criminalizes solidarity efforts and dictates the terms of engagement for other sovereign countries, as seen with Mexico being forced to retract fuel shipments to Cuba under US threats.
David Adler explains that the US prevents third-party countries from trading with Cuba, not just its own companies. He cites the example of Mexico retracting fuel shipments due to US pressure and threats to other oil-producing nations.
5Bipartisan Failure and Lack of Dynamism in US Foreign Policy
Both Trump and Biden administrations are criticized for their retrograde and undynamic foreign policies. Trump's approach to Cuba is an 'old-school resuscitation of a cold war logic' driven by anti-communism and the far-right Cuban diaspora. Biden, despite opportunities, failed to restore the diplomatic relations established under Obama, influenced by figures like Marco Rubio, demonstrating a bipartisan commitment to interventionist and coercive tactics.
The host notes Trump's obsession with the Gilded Age and Monroe Doctrine. David Adler highlights Biden's failure to remove Cuba from the SSOT list and the duplicity of his administration regarding a 'review' of the designation.
Lessons
- Support the 'Nuestra America flotilla' by organizing communities, gathering critical humanitarian aid, and planning delegations to Cuba to directly challenge the US siege and foster solidarity.
- Advocate for the removal of Cuba from the 'State Sponsor of Terrorism' (SSOT) list and an end to the US blockade, urging elected officials to restore diplomatic relations similar to those under the Obama administration.
- Oppose voter disenfranchisement bills like the SAVE Act by educating others on their discriminatory impacts and the lack of evidence for widespread voter fraud, pushing for policies that expand, not restrict, voting access.
Quotes
"This is not an embargo. This is a siege and it's a revenge. They're starving people in this country right now over uh decades old humiliations to the United States intelligence and and and power and uh and and capital here in this country."
"The goal of US policy towards Cuba in the case of Castro's victory is to prevent the arrival of any cash or money to inflame hunger and desperation on the island and to inflict a form of social uprising that can lead to the fall of a government..."
"Apac is a parasite on the body politic of US democracy... I don't think that the the the community that Marco Rubio represents, this far-right uh reactionary community of so-called Cuban Americans who live in Miami, is any less parasitic."
"We are never going to win these people to our side. Why are we not being more forthright with our own constituencies about the human costs of this siege?"
"Every year at the United Nations, 98% of the entire global community votes to condemn the US blockade of Cuba."
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