Dean's World

Good post, Dean.

Liberals have done a lot of a good in this world, and in this country. Hell, I still consider myself liberal.

However, their silence on Cuba, or worse, their coddling and teenage infatuation with Messrs. Fidel and Che is shameful.

To think that some folks feel visceral hatred for weasels like Karl Rove, but not tyrants, like Fidel Castro, boggles the mind. Oh well.

Hank Barnes

Related news on Freedom House and the direction of liberalism: Last week, I attended FH's conference, "Freedom for all Koreans," focusing on human rights conditions in North Korea. The event was broadcast live to North Korea, via VOA and Radio Free Asia.

Yesterday, the NY Times's Nick Kristof, who was in Pyongyang last week, wrote a factually inaccurate column that attempted to marginalize this bipartisan, Judeo-Christian effort as the work of a band of wild-eyed right-wing Christians, something that's simply false. Natan Sharansky was the keynote speaker and held a press conference afterward. He also did a Q&A session with concentration camp survivor Kang Chol-Hwan. Other speakers included two rabbis, one an avowed liberal, and former Clinton NSA Anthony Lake.

Had Kristof's paper actually covered the event, perhaps he would have gotten his facts right. I respond to Kristof in full here. I also forwarded him a copy. Wonder if I'll hear from him. Perhaps he'll explain how he can harmonize his call for public outrage and sanctions in Darfur (right answer) with his calls for calm, restraint, and an invitation to "the family of nations" for North Korea (wrong answer). I can't see the principled distinction.

At least initial reaction from North Korean listeners was positive.

Any professor teaching in a tax-supported university who wears a Che Guevara T-shirt or otherwise glorifies Communist murderers should be hauled before a state legislative anti-subversion committee and interrogated and then fired.