RUSH: Here is Greg in Louisville, Kentucky. Great to have you on the program, sir. Hello.
CALLER: Hi, Rush. Good to talk to you.
RUSH: I appreciate your patience in waiting to appear on the program, Greg.
CALLER: Oh, it’s always worth it. I wanted to say, I disagree with you about Cuba. I think that’s exactly the right way — look at the history. The Soviet Union is gone, no longer communist. Eastern Europe is no longer communist. China is not killing 40 million people like they did under Mao anymore. They are a much freer society. They still got a long way to go, but it’s much freer than it used to be because of the trade and exchange that they’ve had with the west. The two communist countries that are not free, that are still holding on, are North Korea and Cuba. Remember the Berlin Wall was built to keep people in, not keep people out. So I think openness and exchange and free trade and travel is gonna do more to destroy the Castro regime than anything else.
RUSH: Well, okay. Let’s just be patient and we’ll see. Fidel’s gonna die at some point, if he’s still alive. He’s still gonna die at some point. So we can’t credit the lifting of the embargo for that when that happens because he’s been sick —
CALLER: No. I don’t think that, but I think eventually that will happen, but I’m saying the best way to expose the people of Cuba and to open up the society is to have an open exchange.
RUSH: Right.
CALLER: And have people travel there, travel here —
RUSH: Yeah, absolutely.
CALLER: — broadcast, the Internet open up, they’re gonna open up the Internet to some extent.
RUSH: Right.
CALLER: And then we’ll get some free ideas exchanging. That’s a good thing. That’s what we believe in, freedom. We believe in liberty and spreading the word —
RUSH: Do you think the Cuban people are not aware of what they’re being denied?
CALLER: Well, yeah, they are aware and they’ll be a lot more aware when the Internet is no longer censored the way it is and they’ll get more broadcasts, absolutely, and the more they know —
RUSH: There will be? There are gonna be more broadcasts?
CALLER: Yeah, there’s gonna be more freedom and exchange of information. That’s the point. Travel, back and forth travel, and I think that’s —
RUSH: Back and forth travel’s happening now. Cuban families, they can get travel permits, and they can even send dollars. That’s been the case for decade now.
CALLER: But the more the merrier, the more that happens the better off we are. The more we can travel back and forth, the more we expose them to freedom. A slave society can’t compete with a free society, there’s no way, if you have an open exchange. I think we can lead by example. I think it’s a good thing. I don’t know why Obama did it. Maybe he did it for the wrong reason. I don’t know. I think, let’s face it, the reason it’s been that way for decades is electoral votes in Florida. We all know that. What’s the difference between the Soviet Union and Cuba? I mean, come on.
RUSH: What’s the difference between the Soviet Union and Cuba?
CALLER: Yeah, why will we trade with the Soviet Union, you can travel, why trade with East Germany, why trade with China, but not Cuba? There’s no rational distinction between those places. It’s all American politics in Florida. Wouldn’t you agree?
RUSH: Well, I’m not sure that your assumptions are correct here. I think we didn’t openly trade with the Soviet Union. Things got into the Soviet Union in the black market. There were things like videotapes, like the TV series Dallas was one thing, and believe it or not TV commercials with Levi’s because the Soviet people were lied to by Soviet leaders. The United States was portrayed the way the Soviet Union really was, and then people saw evidence, but not because there was open and free trade between the two countries. It was a black market. We had spies. We were doing our best to undermine them with people in clandestine services working very hard to do it.
Now, your better argument would be North Vietnam, if you wanted to cite — I mean, there’s a communist country that we lost a war to, arguably, and we did open economic trade relations with them. However, they are still communists, and their people are still poor. But westerners can go there. China would be another. If you wanted to argue this way —
CALLER: Right.
RUSH: — you could say that free trade with China. But the ChiComs still have a vise-like control over their people.
CALLER: But they’re not killing 50 million people the way they did under Mao, is the point I’m making. It’s improved. I’m not saying it’s a free society.
RUSH: There are political, religious prisoners in droves in China. It just isn’t reported. Look, I know your thought on this. I’ve had people express it to me before. You’re not totally wet.
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RUSH: You know, you can make book on it, folks, you can make book on it. Obama does a typically dumb, dangerous thing. Shortly followed by Mr. Snerdley finding a caller claiming to be a super conservative saying, “You know what, this might work out. I think openness and free trade, we gotta give it some time. I think this is how we spread freedom around. We got free trade. We open up and people see how great things are in America, and it’s a great move.”
And then they call back two years later and apologize for being wrong. But we always seem to find those guys.
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RUSH: Enrique, Bridgeport, Connecticut. Hi, Enrique, great to have you on the EIB Network. Hello.
CALLER: Hey, Rush, it’s a real, real pleasure. I gotta tell you, I graduated from a very liberal university, and I was as liberal and as atheist as I could be, and once I listened to Rush Limbaugh by the demands of my mother-in-law, that I listened to you for a day, caused a complete turnaround and I am now as conservative as they come.
RUSH: That is amazing, and you owe it all to your mother-in-law to boot.
CALLER: My mother-in-law. She’s a wonderful woman, and at the time I hated her like the devil. But now I’m as Christian as can be and as conservative as can be, and conservatism is truly the answer to all ills.
RUSH: Enrique, that’s wonderful to hear.
CALLER: That’s a fact. I tried calling you for ten years! Ten years I’ve been calling you, and I just got through today. I’d love to call you some future day and talk to you about black relations, because that’s my new pet. I am an elected official in the city of Bridgeport. I am a city councilman. I’m the only Republican out of 20, and I’m the first Republican in eight years to sit in that council. So, you know, frankly, as conservative as can be and looking —
RUSH: Okay, let me guess what’s coming next. Let me guess what’s coming next. The lifting of the embargo was a great thing?
CALLER: Well, now, look, let’s not go there. My father fought against Fidel Castro, okay, so I don’t even want to go to the point that I think that helping a Regime or a Castro-like person is a good thing. However, I do believe that free trade with Cuba, because I believe in capitalism, will liberate the people a hell of a lot faster than what’s been the example for 53 years —
RUSH: Right.
CALLER: — it’s not 55; it’s 53 years of an embargo that has not worked.
RUSH: Well, Enrique, look, I appreciate the call. I am moved deeply by your announced conversion. It’s great. I’m thrilled that your mother-in-law is your mother-in-law. I’m really glad you called. Thanks much. Okay, that’s two today. Do you know what I’m talking about? What am I talking about? (interruption) Hm-hm. (interruption) No, it’s not just that. You’re leaving out a key ingredient. We’ve had two people who have called, “Rush, I am as conservative as can be.” This last guy, “I used to be the biggest liberal, but I am more conserve, I’m the biggest conservative. I love lifting the embargo.”
Look, I’ll drop it. It doesn’t matter. It’s a no-win in this case. This is one of those moments where I’ll hold my opinion in check. Anyway, Snerdley, I know, when we have a day like this, when Obama comes along and does something that America has steadfastly stood for for decades and then reverses it, you are guaranteed to find me at least two people who claim to be more conservative than anybody in the country who love the idea. (interruption) No, I’m not calling — no, no, no, no, no, no. No, I’m observing how these things happen.
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RUSH: Now, don’t misunderstand me, folks. Our last caller, Enrique, we looked him up. He’s Enrique Torres, city councilman in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Might run for mayor of Bridgeport. He is a pretty conservative guy. I was not challenging what he said. I just… I don’t know. This is the second call today, we got a guy calling up, “Man, I’m the biggest conservative in the world. I used to be the biggest liberal. I used to hate you, but my mother-in-law, my sister convinced me that you’re the greatest guy in the world. I’ve been trying to get a hold of you for 10 years, and I finally have, and I just gotta tell you, I’m the biggest conservative in the world, and I agree with Obama.”