"Do As I Say, Not As I Do"

Now, you know the story. Repressive regimes are intolerant of home-grown dissidents and foreigners who are openly critical of them. Thus, they won't allow these troublemakers in their countries. The U.S. constantly condemns countries that act in such a retaliatory fashion against those who exercise their freedom of speech. This, it's pointed out, is a sign of weakness of a government or a political system.

Well, interestingly enough, the U.S. has been denying visas to, of all people, human rights activists from several parts of the world, including one on Kurdish rights that has a long history of going to the U.S. to lecture and seek aid for his cause. In this particular case, the man has been waiting a year for his visa, without a word of explanation for the unusual delay. It seems that the State Department finds it inconvenient to let the man into the country, to do what the U.S. is supposedly admired for: letting people speak freely.

I wonder what someone like Yoany Sánchez, that Wonder Woman of human rights, would have to say about this, although, according to a groupie of hers, she only speaks about Cuban issues...except those that have to do with Guantánamo.