May 21, 2006
WAYNE SMITH IS FULL OF SHIT!
Appeasers of fidel castro's government can only resort to misinformation, lies and double entendre. Behold the following I've just received via email:
May 8th, 2006To all ECDET members:
This is to report to you on two related developments.
First, at long last we are ready to file suit against the federal government because of its new restrictions on academic travel. Duke University and St. Thomas have signed on as plaintiffs. We expect that Johns Hopkins will sign on as well. In addition, I am a plaintiff. Muse felt that my situation was too good to pass up. Under the new restrictions, I could not accompany student programs to Cuba because I am an Adjunct Professor. Yet, I have been with Hopkins for 22 years and am the director of its Cuba Exchange Program, and how does barring me from participation in any way effect what is supposed to be the objective of the restrictions, i.e., to deny revenue to Cuba? Two Hopkins students will be plaintiffs. They want to study in Cuba, but cannot. And Prof. John Cotman of Howard U. will also be a plaintiff. He has accompanied groups from other universities to Cuba, but now cannot do that.
We are waiting to see if the new presidential commission's report has anything new to recommend when it comes out about May 20. At that point, we will make any adjustments necessary and then file. I will advise you when we do so.
Second, the Florida state legislature last week passed a bill that would prohibit all universities in the state of Florida, both public and private, from using any university funds to pay for trips to countries on the State Department's list of "state sponsors of terrorism." This would include Cuba, Libya, the Sudan, Syria, North Korea and Iran. Governor Jeb Bush is expected to sign the bill within the next few days.
The thing is that this bill is as unconstitutional as the Bush Administration's 2004 restrictions on educational travel against which we are filing suit in federal court. The Supreme Court in 1957 took the
position that it was up to the academic institution to determine, without any interference from the government, which courses would be taught, how they would be taught, who would teach them and who could take them. The Bush Administration's restrictions on educational travel to Cuba violate all those provisos, as do the Florida Legislature's new measures.The State Department's new report, issued last week, describing Cuba as a "terrorist state" is a farce. It produced not a whit of evidence to sustain that charge. To say that legitimate scholars cannot carry on their research in Cuba in areas of mutual concern such as health, the environment and agricultural problems on the basis of these phony reports goes against the interests of the United States. We will be sharing with you shortly our point-by-point rebuttal of the State Department report.
I would urge everyone to speak up on this issue and to take a strong position in opposition to this new legislation in Florida in any way they can. Shortly, we will have more specific steps to suggest, especially to ECDET members resident in Florida.
Wayne S. Smith
Co-Chairman ECDET
Robert L. Muse - Legal Strategies
To add insult to injury, Mr. Smith is here, among the intolerant, intransigent, right wing extremist Miami Mafia Cuban-American community.
Posted by Val Prieto at May 21, 2006 02:43 PM
Comments
What an idiot? So where does he rest his assumption that Cuba is not a threat? Ana Belen Montes "intelligence" reports, perhaps?
Posted by: Max ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.babalublog.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at May 21, 2006 04:21 PM
We need to document the actions of these organizations, who are essentially prolonging the agony of Cuba by their overt/covert support of kaSStro under the guise of "research involving areas of mutual concern." Then we need to work to starve them of funds - gifts, endowments, etc. Corporations should be made aware so they stop donating and giftgiving, at the risk otherwise of being embarrassed in public. These "institutions" may think they have unfettered freedom to support America's enemies. Perhaps. Just as we have unfettered freedom to oppose them and make things as difficult and costly as possible for them.
As for Mr. Smith - maybe he should be considered a de facto mouthpiece for a terror state and scrutinized, to the same degree anti-kaSStro groups and individuals have been scrutinized and harassed over the years.
Posted by: Alberto-Q at May 21, 2006 05:14 PM
Wayne Smith is a long time operative of the Cuban dictatorship - he is an agent - paid or not - he has worked very hard for Fidel. No question about it!
Keep up the good work Val - I am going to put the last Che alive picture up in my cube at work!
Posted by: mandingo at May 21, 2006 08:30 PM
Mandingo- I am a longtime observer of Wayne Smith's pro castro's activities and I can't wait to see him placed on a "persona non grata" list when Cuba is once again free. That asshole.
But please, reconsider your office decoration. May I suggest the picture of the sob dead and shirtless, shoeless on that table surrounded by the Bolivians?
Posted by: omar at May 21, 2006 09:09 PM
It is widely rumored in knowlegeable circles that
Wayne Smith was caught in a "Honey Trap" in Moscow a very long time ago. Details are too improper to be mentioned here.
Posted by: Larry Daley at May 21, 2006 11:21 PM
Indeed,Wayne Smith is a great codswallop,a big
crap,a rubbish but not for free,he has received
gifts by his boss.almost all of the comments of
Smith about the cuban robolución are just tripes,
and the rest are nonsenses,he is a rubbish,but
a dangerous one.
Posted by: RALPH at May 22, 2006 07:10 AM
He is a collaborator. Period.
Posted by: jsb at May 22, 2006 09:06 AM
The irony is that were he to try and do what he's doing here in the U.S. in Cuba, suing the government and opposing its policies, he'd be in freakin' jail. I can't believe so many supposedly intellectual people just...don't...get it.
Posted by: jsb at May 22, 2006 09:08 AM