Cuban Docs - Thanks Anyway

Cuba offered last week to send 1,500 doctors to help with post-Katrina care. How thoughtful. Here's the equation as I see it: If we accept, then maybe in some marginal way, some U.S. docs won't have to work as hard for a few weeks. Maybe. (Stick with me, readers. I'm being generous here to make a point. I'm not aware of any critical shortage of doctors in the area.)

But in doing so, we would also legitimize a brutal dictator whose regime and policies have substantially harmed the health (and life) of millions over decades. Not to mention depriving Cuba of doctors it surely needs given the state of its own 'free' system. (Pop quiz: how many people in say, Europe or the U.S. or Canada travel to Cuba to get a knee replacement or advanced cancer therapy? Riiight.)

All of which means that the choice (in theory), boils down to favoring Americans at the expense of poor people in foreign countries. Isn't that the kind of trade-off the liberal establishment is usually against?

Val over at Babalu Blog raises several more issues in this righteous, rockin' post, (e.g., medical credentials, language proficiency, the burden of defections, and the never-ending whine of "useful idiots" stateside who naturally jump at this kind of bogus PR bait.) While you're over there, (Babalu is the source for all things Cuban), check out this bumper sticker. I want one!!