Cuba

It is Tuesday afternoon and I am watching a baseball game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cuban national team. Before the game until about the 3^rd inning Pres. Obama and his family were in attendance. This seems very strange and wonderful to me. When I was growing up in Omaha we practiced atomic war drills. This was in this early 60s during the Cuban missile crisis.

We practiced hiding under our desks. The idea was the brick of the building would protect us from the initial blast and hiding under our desks would protect us from the roof caving in. Since we lived in Omaha we knew it was at target of a nuclear warhead from Russia. The Strategic Air Command (SAC) was down by the airport in Omaha. Because of this we knew Omaha was a clear target. During the Cuban missile crisis Russia set about building nuclear missile silos and importing missiles into Cuba.

I can’t say anyone was ever sure that the Cuban people agreed to this but what Russia said then Fidel Castro did. President Kennedy risked nuclear war with Russia over the issue. Either way you looked at it Cuba was a pawn between the 2 nuclear powers. Course everyone was thankful the Russians back to down and took the missiles out. One of the key ingredients in the strategy of “mutual destruction” was the oceans that separated the 2 nuclear powers. These distances meant either side would have enough time after a launch that a response could be sent.

So here we are 50 years later and relations with Cuba are finally starting to thaw. Pres. Obama and his family visiting Cuba seems like a fantastic thing to me. I know there are many issues and yet to be resolved but hopefully Cuba will be less repressive in the future.