Oil and gas in the capitals

The dazzling 2,008-drum opening ceremony at the Olympic Games in Beijing was mind-boggling to behold. The precise, immense display of discipline and harmony starkly contrasts with muffled reports of horrendous human rights violations and press and Internet censorship. Absent also is any discussion of China’s mercantile export policy, which floods world markets with cheap goods produced by workers earning sub-par wages, and is breaking the back of manufacturing sectors in several countries. Despite these offenses, many self-declared diehard anti-Communists salivate at the prospect of doing business with such an enormous market. At the same time, a little Communist island nation with an economy in shambles inspires fear and hatred from many businessmen, despite the massive wads of petro-dollars that could be made by doing business with Cuba. Why doesn’t the US government forget about animosities and open a way to negotiate with Cuba as it did back in 1972 with China? ask many analysts.