Yes, in Washington, DC, the preferred honorific for the president of the United States is “President” rather than “Mister,” something that Mr. Fred Hiatt, editorial page editor for the Washington Post, is evidently yet to comprehend, judging from a recent Hiattian rant, entitled “Despite Mr. Obama’s ‘engagement,’ Cuba continues its repression,” complaining that the president failed to sufficiently put the squeeze on Fidel Castro’s collapsing Marxist regime. “We don’t oppose diplomatic contacts or U.S. embassies in countries such as Cuba, in principle. But the results of Mr. Obama’s initiative so far underline the opportunity he missed in not requiring even modest alleviation of the dictatorship’s repression in exchange for what amounts to a political and economic bailout of a failing regime.”
Well, there is an argument to be made for applying such pressure. Why doesn’t the U.S. try similar means to stop Israel from stealing the Palestinians’ land or the Saudis’ habit of torturing and beheading its citizens? What do you say to that, Mr. Hiatt?
UPDATE
Improving on my snark, Bloomberg View gives a dozen cogent reasons for concluding that Obama’s new Cuba policy is already a success! Sorry, Fred!
