IS Bush really afraid that US teams will be beaten by the Cuban teams or that some over paid and steroid stoked player will defect there?

I think it is silly to deny Cuba access to the World Games because that is the basis of cultural engagement that normally has been a very effective way of demonstrating the advantages of our system.

It also has triggered the defection of some pretty good players that jumped ship and came to the US to play. :)

Does anyone else think this is just another example of this administration shooting itself in the foot and hitting some innocent bystander?


www.nytimes.com/aponline/s...Denied.html

U.S. Shuts Cuba Out of Baseball Classic
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: December 15, 2005
Filed at 6:21 a.m. ET

NEW YORK (AP) -- The U.S. government is keeping Cuba out of the inaugural World Baseball Classic, citing the standing embargo against the communist island nation.

The Treasury Department told Major League Baseball of its decision Wednesday, according to Pat Courtney, a spokesman for the commissioner's office.

The sport's first World Cup-style tournament was jointly organized by the commissioner's office and the players' union. It includes 16 teams and runs from March 3-20 in the United States, Puerto Rico and Japan.

Organizers will work to have the decision reversed, said Paul Archey, the senior vice president of Major League Baseball International, and Gene Orza, the chief operating officer of the Major League Baseball Players Association.

A permit from the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control is necessary because of U.S. laws governing certain commercial transactions with the Fidel Castro-controlled nation.
(excerpt)


Sadly this sounds just like Castro's decision in a real negative way.

edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD.../index.html

We are becoming more and more like them, not setting the example for how to be better than them.