Political Quotes

“I voted for the Rubio amendment because, like others here and in Cuba, I believe the Cuban people have as much right to access to the internet as anyone else. No government should prevent that access, or access to other sources of information, whether in Cuba or any other country. It is a universal right. However, we have only the vaguest idea of what this amendment envisions, how it would be implemented without violating Cuba's territorial sovereignty, or how much it would cost. These are important questions that need answers. I also note that the ``purpose'' of the amendment refers to the ``illegitimate communist Cuba regime.'' We are all familiar with that kind of rhetoric, and no one who believes in democracy would argue that the Cuban Government is legitimate, since its leaders were not elected in a free and fair multi-party election. Cuba is a one-party state where political opposition is not tolerated. Presumably, that is because the Cuban authorities are afraid that if they allowed political opposition parties to operate and a free and fair election were held, they might be voted out of office. In that sense, it is similar to pariah states like Iran and Syria, as well as U.S. allies and partners like Egypt and Saudi Arabia, neither of which permits opposition parties to operate and both of which engage in repression on a scale far larger than in Cuba.…”