Saying something is “political” is not necessarily pejorative as the making of government policy is a political act. Nonetheless, when you see the actual political biases in actions, it is hard to be sanguine about the hypocrisy. A recent example is the matter of Cubans surging to America’s shores. This flood is not much smaller than the flood of Central Americans in the news earlier in the year, which has been largely stemmed despite the rampant gang violence, domestic violence, poverty, and drought endemic to that region which has not abated, thus condemning residents there to misery.
Despite the fact that the Cubans fleeing do not have it as bad as the people fleeing Central America and thus less deserving of our sympathy, and the fact that because of the Cuban Adjustment Act these Cuban arrivals cut to the front of the mythic line people should not cutting to the head of, and the fact that there is no review of the merits of their request to stay in the United States, there is no objection to the influx. No one is accusing the President of trying to destroy America by letting these Cubans in.
Why? Here’s the political hypocrisy. Cubans go to Florida. Cubans historically have voted Republican though as of late this is less true. They are a large voting bloc in Florida. Are Republicans going to make a fuss about Communism-fleeing Cubans coming to America and risk alienating Cubans, Republican and Democratic, who vote in this important swing state? Obviously not. The difference between the reaction to the population waives is not based on a different evaluation of human rights concerns, but quite simply because of politics. Posted November 8, 2014.