Foreign tinpot dictators think Americans...
 

...are wimps. Are they right?

The following excerpt was taken from GRANMA, the official paper (rag) of the Cuban Communist Party:

GENERAL of the Army Raúl Castro, Cuban first vice president, affirmed Wednesday (June 14) that the cost of any U.S. aggression against the island would be greater than what Washington is willing to pay.

The likewise minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) remarked on the Cuban people’s success in preparing its defense, and particularly congratulated the Western Army on the 45th anniversary of its founding.

Assurance of victory is based on the blood of the fallen and on the rivers of sweat of Cubans who have worked to bring about our main goal – preventing war, the leader said during a ceremony commemorating the Western Army’s creation.

"However, if the enemy dares to attack us, every corner of our country would become a terrible hornet’s nest that would result in a number of enemy casualties far higher than U.S. public opinion would be willing to accept," he warned.


Seems that foreign tinpot dictators, terrorists and other international thugs are well-aware of what is being reported in the mainstream American media (ABC, CBS, NBC, the NY Times, etc.). It also seems that these various thugs believe that all they have to do in order to influence American foreign policy is to manipulate the media and in turn influence American public opinion.

Are they right? Have we Americans lost our cojones? Can tinpot dictators really influence American foreign policy by manipulating the media and public opinion?

Or are they ultimately wrong about what we Americans are capable of doing?

I say they are wrong.

:confused: Do you really think that there is an issue here? Are you seriously asking whether a Cuban newspaper can influence American policy with respect to whether we should invade Cuba? That has to be the strangest question I've heard in months, but I will go ahead and answer it.

No, I don't think that anyone in Cuba can manipulate the media and public opinion in such a way as to influence our decision about whether to invade Cuba. That decision depends primarily on the fact that the Bush administration is not completely insane.

And do you disagree with the Cuban VP's statement, "However, if the enemy dares to attack us, every corner of our country would become a terrible hornet’s nest that would result in a number of enemy casualties far higher than U.S. public opinion would be willing to accept"?

Sounds about right to me.

I think they are right. We want things but are not willing to do what it takes. We don;t have the "Take no prisoners" attitude they have and that often proves to be quite successful.

This story is one of the standard releases from the propaganda machine to turn-up the heat on someone, seen it over and over.

[QUOTE=dculkinSounds about right to me.[/QUOTE]

You just answered your own question.

AKLIM gets it and you don't.

I wonder why.

Americans have historically been isolationists. We do what we want on our side of the pond, others do what they want on theirs. Public opinion is generally intolerant of foreign entanglements that don't directly relate to our own interests. However, when the people believe that a situation IS directly attached to the security of the continental United States, support for action has generally been very high.

Tinpot dictators who believe the American public doesn't really care what they do in their own dictatorships are for the most part right. When they cross the line into presenting a credible threat to the United States, things change.

Skippy I agree with you.

But my question, based on Castro's statement, goes beyond that.

It seems as if these tinpot dictators think that all that has to happen for Americans to lose the will to fight is for ABC, CBS and NBC to start showing bodybags and poof...we Americans will throw in the towel because we just don;t have the stomach for a real fight.

That is why they play up thing to the American press.

Personally, I think that we have bigger cojones than these a**holes give us credit for.

Wow, all this time the rightwingers have been telling us the media has been manipulating us. Now I find out Castro is going to manipulate them if he kills our guys, after we invade him. It's getting hard to tell all the conspirators here. Why don't you check under your bed and see if any of the dreaded "MSM" are there? I heard Dan Rather was missing.

On the other hand, maybe you just miss why the American people get turned off to stupid, pointless wars. It's not the "MSM", it's the fact the wars that are stupid and pointless just end up losing popular support. Go figger.

Show me where as a nation we do.

So, what wars are not stupid or pointless?

I agree with you, arouse American wrath and you will be sorry. 9/11 put a speedy end to the Taliban (though they are trying to come back now)

Let Raul Castro try and grab the GITMO by force, see what happens *then*.

No, the taliban is not at and end yet. We had OBL in Tora Bora and we refused to level the mountain with a nuke.

Are you always this cryptic?

My question was whether you disagreed with the following statement from the Cuban VP: "However, if the enemy dares to attack us, every corner of our country would become a terrible hornet’s nest that would result in a number of enemy casualties far higher than U.S. public opinion would be willing to accept."

Are you saying that public opinion would support a U.S. invasion of Cuba?

I have no idea what your answer to that question is, yet you say I have answered my own question.

So, let me try it this way - Is it your understanding that an invasion of Cuba is being seriously considered by the U.S.?

BTW, AKLIM seems to have rejected your premise, so I don't know why you say that AKLIM got it and I didn't.

If I have to explain it to you, you won't get it. In any event, you have already made up your mind so there is no point in wasting time trying to convince you.

And AKLIM does get it. Read his posts and you will see that he does get it.

Have a nice day.

Well, alrighty then.