Face of the expanded Cuba relations policy?
A new piece in Mother Jones explores how Colorado-based Ted Trimpa, one of the groups behind the Blueprint which turned Colorado from a Republican state to a Democratic one, influenced manipulated the American public into thinking that a normalization of relations with communist Cuba would be a good thing. (Spoiler: It’s not.)
Think about it for a moment: Should the United States forge a relationship and encourage its citizens to travel to a country the where government stole its citizens’ businesses, nationalized them, and placed them under control of a few well-connected political cronies? That is what Castro’s regime did.
Would you want to spend money that goes straight into the coffers of the worst human rights abuser in the Western Hemisphere? Because that is what happens to American tourist dollars that are spent in Cuba.
And, is there a single instance in modern history where a regime led by a tyrant has opted to hand over political power in a democratic manner because of new international openings for its economy and increased tourism? It simply does not happen.
America has rolled out the red carpet for the Castro brothers. Does anyone think for a second that, in return, the Castro regime will allow freedom of speech, free elections, or rival political parties?
But, none of these practical matters stopped Trimpa and his buddies from manipulating public opinion on the issue, according to Mother Jones. From the article:
“Three days earlier, a series of billboards appeared in the Washington Metro stations nearest to the White House and State Department. “Mr. President, it’s time to take action on Cuba policy,” read one. Another declared, “The American people are our best ambassadors. It’s time to allow all persons to travel freely to Cuba.” The ads, which generated significant media buzz, were sponsored by a new advocacy group, #CubaNow, which positioned itself as the voice of the younger, more moderate Cuban American community in Miami.
“#CubaNow was the brainchild of the Trimpa Group, an unusual organization that matched deep-pocketed donors seeking to change policy with a political strategy and advocacy campaign. In 2003, for example, founder Ted Trimpa developed a lobbying strategy to mount a marriage-equality movement across the country financed by multimillionaire businessman Tim Gill….
“After conducting a three-month survey of the political landscape, the Trimpa Group reported that “the highest level of decision makers within the Obama administration” wanted change—they just needed political reinforcement to push for it. After consulting with her husband, Fred, the former CEO and owner of Quark Software Inc., Patty gave the lobby shop $1 million to finance a campaign to embolden the White House.”
The rest of the article is well worth a read, especially the part about the denied collusion between the New York Times and the million-dollar campaign.
After all, it’s important to know how much (or, little?) it costs to embolden ruthless communist regimes, thanks to one of Colorado’s exports.