AMERICAN LABOUR:

ANOTHER DEATH IN THE FIELDS OF CALIFORNIA:

The following story and appeal for a "virtual vigil" is from the United Farm Workers.

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Join the virtual vigil for heat victim Eladio HernandezTake action to prevent future deaths:
Fifteen farm workers have died of heat-related complications since July 2004. We will be conducting vigils on the anniversary of each of their deaths--where we will share the worker's story--and invite you to join in virtually by telling legislators and Gov. Schwarzenegger that enough is enough, farm workers need a tool where they can protect themselves.

On May 9, 2007, 54-year old Eladio Hernandez died while working under the scorching California sun. He was working for the farm labor contractor YNT Harvesting at Hillside Orchards in California's San Joaquin Valley. Eladio's story is especially horrendous as the company waited for almost 3 hours before calling for medical assistance. Even then, the foreman just took Eladio and dropped him off near the sorting facility and left him. Other workers were the ones who called 911. Co-worker Rodrigio Gonzalez told us how Eladio told workers, "I don't want to die." (Click to read Eladio's story.)

Cal OSHA initially fined the farm labor contractor YNT Harvesting $25,300 for being in serious violation of several health and safety standards. However, they later reduced the fine to $7,300--less than one third of the original fine. This is the system that is supposed to protect farm workers.

Disturbingly, in an April 2008 article, YNT employer, farm labor contractor Yolanda Calvillo said she operated her firm in a manner similar to that of other FLCs.

An OSHA inspection report's findings reveal that YNT's thoughtless and careless disregard for these regulations helped lead to Hernandez' death. Some of the findings outlined in the report include:

---"The field was located in a remote, isolated location and the employer failed to provide the crew boss proper equipment or a telephone communication system for contacting a doctor to avoid unnecessary delay in treatment. As a result, medical treatment was delayed and an employee of YNT Harvesting FLC died on 5/9/07. "

---"It was determined that employees were not acclimatized. The OSHA investigation report detailed how the employer callously disregarded this by saying, It would be impossible to check each employee and determine if the worker needed an extra break just because certain new hires were not used to working in the heat. She also stated that she could not monitor each individual employee because it would be discrimination to allow one employee more time for a break. "

Violations of the laws designed to protect farm workers occur every day and little is done. Complaints regarding lack of drinking water, shade and work breaks to make use of these simple, but lifesaving, measures are an everyday occurrence for farm workers. (To read more worker stories, click here.)

The state's failure to protect farm workers from heat illness is just one of the reasons farm workers need a system to protect themselves. It's why SB789 is so vital. SB789, CA Employee Free Choice Act for Farm Workers (Steinberg), will make it easier for farm workers to organize and help enforce the laws that California's government cannot enforce. SB789 passed the California state senate on April 23. It will next be heard in the state assembly and then go to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Please take action today and tell them to pass SB789, a bill that will give farm workers the power to protect themselves.

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THE LETTER:

Please go to the link below to send the following letter to the government of California.
http://www.ufwaction.org/ct/o7zuCuF1EcKN/takeaction

LLLLLLLLLLLL

Today I join with the UFW and thousands of others to mourn the passing of 54-year old farm worker Eladio Hernandez who died while working under the scorching California sun in May 9, 2007.

Fifteen farm workers have died of heat-related complications since July 2004. The UFW will be conducting vigils on the anniversary of each of their death to keep the memory of these hard working men and women alive and to tell you that enough is enough--farm workers need a tool where they can protect themselves.

Please support SB789, CA Employee Free Choice Act for Farm Workers (Steinberg), which has passed the senate and will next be heard in the assembly. This important bill will make it easier for farm workers to organize and enforce the laws that California's government is not enforcing.Eladio Hernandez died while working for the farm labor contractor YNT Harvesting at Hillside Orchards in California's San Joaquin Valley. Eladio's story is especially horrendous as the company waited for almost 3 hours before calling for medical assistance. Even then, the foreman just took Eladio and dropped him off near the sorting facility and left him. Other workers were the ones who called 911. Co-worker Rodrigio Gonzalez told us how Eladio told workers, "I don't want to die."

Cal OSHA initially fined the farm labor contractor YNT Harvesting $25,300 for being in serious violation of several health and safety standards. However, they later reduced the fine to $7,300--less than one third of the original fine. This is the system that is supposed to protect farm workers.

Disturbingly, in an April 2008 article, YNT employer, farm labor contractor Yolanda Calvillo said she operated her firm in a manner similar to that of other FLCs.

An OSHA inspection report's findings reveal that YNT's thoughtless and careless disregard for these regulations helped lead to Hernandez's death. Some of the findings outlined in the report include:
* The field was located in a remote, isolated location and the employer failed to provide the crew boss proper equipment or a telephone communication system for contacting a doctor to avoid unnecessary delay in treatment. As a result, medical treatment was delayed and an employee of YNT Harvesting FLC died on 5/9/07.
* It was determined that employees were not acclimatized. The OSHA investigation report detailed how the employer callously disregarded this by saying, It would be impossible to check each employee and determine if the worker needed an extra break just because certain new hires were not used to working in the heat. She also stated that she could not monitor each individual employee because it would be discrimination to allow one employee more time for a break.

Violations of the laws designed to protect farm workers occur every day and little is done.

Complaints regarding lack of drinking water, shade and work breaks to make use of these simple but lifesaving measures are an everyday occurrence for farm workers We need your help to do more to prevent unnecessary deaths from occurring this year. Having laws on the books that often are not enforced is not enough. Please pass SB789, a bill that will give farm workers the power to protect themselves.

AMERICAN LABOUR:

MURDER BY ANOTHER NAME:

The following appeal is from the United Farm Workers of the USA. Over a year since the death of farmworker Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez, previously reported here at Molly's Blog, state officials have finally decided to lay "involuntary manslaughter" charges against officials of the labour contractor by whom she was employed. The UFW are calling for support in pressuring the government of California to pass a bill that will make it easier for farmworkers to organize and actually enforce the laws that are on the books via a strong union presence. Here's their appeal.

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SB789 Passes CA State Senate on Lobby Day. Take the next step.:
Involuntary manslaughter charges were filed today against three top officials of the defunct labor contractor company, Merced Farm Labor, in the case of 17-year-old Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez--who died of a heat stroke last May 16.





The UFW applauds the District Attorney's decision to prosecute this as the crime it was. It never should have happened. An innocent young girl never should have died due to grower indifference. (Click to read Maria’s story.)





However, violations occur every day and nothing is done. Last year five other farm workers died of heat-related causes after Maria's death. Complaints regarding lack of drinking water, shade and work breaks to make use of these simple but lifesaving measures are an everyday occurrence for farm workers. (Click to read farm worker stories.) Farm workers can’t afford to wait until such an audacious violation such as Maria’s finally causes the state to react.





That's why farm workers need this bill that will give then the means to protect themselves. It's why SB789 is so vital. SB789, CA Employee Free Choice Act for Farm Workers (Steinberg) will make it easier for farm workers to organize and help enforce the laws that California's government cannot enforce.





SB789 just passed the California state senate yesterday. It will next be heard in the state assembly and then go to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Please e-mail Calif. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and/or your Assembly members. Tell them to pass SB789, a bill that will give farm workers the power to protect themselves.





Please take action today. Help protect the men and women who are in the fields working under the sweltering sun working to put food on our tables.
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THE LETTER:
Please go to THIS LINK to send the following letter to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and the California Assembly.
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Please support SB789, CA Employee Free Choice Act for Farm Workers (Steinberg).




SB789 just passed the senate floor and will next be heard in the assembly. This important bill will make it easier for farm workers to organize and enforce the laws that California's government is not enforcing.





Farm workers are forced to deal with abuses and safety violations on a daily basis. Things like a lack of clean drinking water, shade to protect them from the searing sun, and clean restrooms. It's time for these abuses to end.





Just this week, involuntary manslaughter charges were filed today against three top officials of the defunct labor contractor company, Merced Farm Labor, in the case of 17-year-old Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez--who died of a heat stroke last May 16. I applaud the District Attorney's decision to prosecute this as the crime it was. It never should have happened.
However, last year five other farm workers died of heat-related causes after Maria's death. Farm workers can't afford to wait until such an audacious violation such as Maria's finally causes the state to react.





We need your help to do more to prevent unnecessary deaths from occurring this year. Having laws on the books that often are not enforced is not enough. Please pass SB789, a bill that will give farm workers the power to protect themselves.

AMERICAN LABOUR:

PUTTING THE HEAT ON ARNIE:

Despite a seemingly never ending stream of platitudes from the government of California farmworkers continue to die every year at a very unfortunate frequency. Here's an appeal from the United Farm Workers, asking you to put the heat on California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for action that really works to prevent these tragedies.

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Rhetoric is not enough to protect farm workers from the heat:
Gov. Schwarzenegger’s Cal-OSHA has announced today that they are kicking off a campaign to train employers to protect farm workers from the heat. Ironically, the same agency just proposed changes that actually undermine the current regulations aimed to protect workers from dying or becoming ill from extreme heat.

Teaching growers how to avoid illness and deaths among their workforce is important, but it’s not enough. At the same time, the governor must make sure the laws are enforced. Such a system surely includes giving farm workers the tools to protect themselves.

For the past four years, the United Farm Workers has worked tirelessly to prevent heat deaths. In response to pressure from the UFW and their supporters, Gov. Schwarzenegger issued heat regulations. Despite these regulations, six farm workers died in the summer of 2008—as the rules went unenforced and ignored by employers.

The evidence points to neglect--not ignorance--as the cause of farm worker deaths. Also, the state's consistent reduction of fines for violations has made these regulations ineffective. Please take action today and help us tell the governor that more of the same will not prevent deaths. Farm workers need a system that works. This requires a multi-faceted approach which would include: enforcing existing laws, giving farm workers the tools to protect themselves, and seeking serious criminal penalties for those whose gross negligence has caused the death of innocent people.

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THE LETTER:

Please go to THIS LINK to send the following letter to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

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Since you have been governor, 15 farm workers' deaths have been investigated as heat-related. This is simply unacceptable. Your state agency, Cal-OSHA, has just announced that they are kicking off a campaign to train employers to protect farm workers from the heat. Teaching growers how to avoid illness and deaths among their workforce is important, but it's not enough.
More of the same will not prevent deaths. Farm workers need a system that works. This requires a multi-faceted approach which would include: enforcing existing laws, giving farm workers the tools to protect themselves, and seeking serious criminal penalties for those whose gross negligence has caused the death of innocent people.

For the past four years, the United Farm Workers has worked tirelessly to prevent heat deaths among farm workers. In 2006, you issued new heat regulations. However despite these regulations, six farm workers died in the summer of 2008--as the rules went unenforced and ignored by the employers.

The evidence points to neglect--not ignorance--as the cause of farm worker deaths. In addition, the state's consistent reduction of fines for violations has rendered these regulations ineffective. After last summer's death of 17-year old Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez you said, "Maria's death should have been prevented, and all Californians must do everything in their power to ensure no other worker suffers the same fate." You promised to "work together in California to prevent this from happening to anyone else." Your enforcement has not saved lives. And your administration has not "rigorously enforced" the law.

In May 2008, 17-year old Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez died of heat illness, working for Merced Farm Labor. The Associated Press reported that the state ignored collecting the fine on Merced Farm Labor for not complying with heat regulations back in 2006. Worse, the state also did not perform follow-up inspections. Consequently, young Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez died while working at a company that provided no shade, did not have adequate water, and had no emergency plan in place. All due to the same type of negligence Cal-OSHA had fined the same company for in 2006. After Maria Isabel's death, you boasted that enforcement was at its highest level. Yet sadly, the lives of five more farm workers were lost this past summer.

It's time to stop talking and to start taking action.

SOCIAL ORGANIZATION:

THE MINISTRY OF ANARCHY ???

Every once in awhile those in authority suffer from an attack of either conscience or absent-mindedness. In other words they get around to admitting the obvious. The latest example that I have seen is in the March 10 edition of Time Magazine which just recently plunked down in Molly's mailbox. You can read the full article online at the website above. The article entitled 'Citizen Soldiers', under the 'Briefing' section of the magazine hardly lives up to its title. It has nothing whatsoever to do with any military adventures. rather it concerns a belated recognition on the part of at least the State of California that their "official" disaster planning actually provides only a tiny fraction of the help that comes forward during times of natural disaster. The article reports about how Governor Schwarzenegger was "impressed" by the fact that the majority of help in recent disasters in that state was provided unofficially by ad-hoc groups and individuals who responded outside of the State's response system.

The article goes on to say why this is true, though it hardly mentions the efforts of government to hide this fact in the past. As they say...

"After Hurricane Katrina, the secret was out that government alone would never be able to manage big disasters. first responders like firefighters and police make up less than 1% of the population. They cannot be everywhere-or even most (!!!-MOLLY) places. So the vast majority (!!!-MOLLY) of rescues are done by regular people. "

It is nice that the Governor has recognized this obvious fact. His response, however, is hardly productive. His decision is to establish a "cabinet level post to manage volunteers". Yes !!! As if voluntary actions of mutual aid can be centralized and controlled. On the ground the record of recent natural disasters in the USA has been that agents of the government have very often impeded ad-hoc voluntary efforts rather than assisted them. the same was demonstrated here in Winnipeg some years ago during the flood of 1997. The natural response of those who enforce authority is to confront those who seem to be acting outside of that authority.

The very nature of such mutual aid responses says that they are ad-hoc and cannot be planned, despite the illusions of governmentalists that they can. In normal times such government initiatives will result, at best, in minor improvements such as a slightly elevated rate of people taking first aid courses. The great majority of people who suddenly spring into action during crisis periods will simply ignore the propaganda of a state agency to sign up and be directed for an hypothetical future emergency. many will be (justly) suspicious of such an attempt to register them and keep track of them. Given how government has impeded voluntary efforts in the recent past such suspicion is fully justified. But even without this it should be obvious to anyone who thinks for a minute (rather than "thinking magically" that passing a law solves a problem) that the great, great, great majority of people who do respond in emergencies will simply respond with apathy to such a "Ministry of Anarchy".

But there is an even more serious objection that one can raise to such efforts to "officialize" such volunteer initiatives. They may be not just useless, or close to it. They may in fact be destructive. Molly refers the interested reader to an academic paper here: 'Social Resiliance: The Forgotten Dimension of Disaster Risk Reduction' (the reference is to a pdf by one Guy Sapirstein). This makes pretty well the same points that Molly will give below, in different language of course:

1)The "resilience" of a society is determined by its "redundancy". In other words when a social order breaks down there are other groups that can step into the breach. When the state attempts to exert its control over such groups it undermines the vitality of such groups by making them dependent on state direction. No doubt the state, and many believers in statism, think that there is no better way to order things than via government. Even if this was true, however, pruning the "second best" options makes a society less resilient in conditions of disaster. Trying to subsume them under a central plan is one way that such "pruning" is accomplished.

2)The "resilience" of a society is also determined by the proportion of people in that society who have experience of actually "initiating" action on their own rather than existing in a dependency relationship where they "wait for help from others". In normal times such "help" comes in its usual dribs and drabs, following its usual bureaucratic rules. In times of disaster such help is unavailable. Fostering relations of and expectations of dependency inhibits the unofficial responses that people have to adopt when systems break down

3)The relationship of "dependency" is a two way street. Not only do "victims" wait until someone else comes to their aid and not initiate actions themselves. "Helpers" are also trained by bureaucratic structures to "wait for orders", thinking that someone else will be responsible for their altruism. Bureaucratizing the mutual aid impulses of people very much goes against everything that evolutionary psychology has discovered about human behavior. It is a recipe for reducing such altruism rather than increasing it.

How does this differ from an anarchist response ? First of all there are many types of anarchism. There are those such as the primitivists and "post-leftists" whose vision of society resembles ground zero after a nuclear bomb, denuded of all the rich social interactions and organization that humans naturally build up. To say the least this is an unrealistic, totalitarian, and naturally unstable vision, resembling a religious cult more than it does traditional anarchism. The vast majority of anarchists, however, have favoured a much more pluralistic vision where society is actually organized in a much richer sense than it is under our present system. It will be covered by networks of union federations, local communes, coops, cultural and practical organizations that would provide for human needs in a much more rational way (informed by better information because such organizations would be immediate and democratically controlled) than statist or corporate bureaucracies can achieve, no matter what technology they depend upon to acquire such information.

Yes, many rational anarchists have too often become entranced by a "single vision". Anarchist communists, advocates of the "commune", anarcho-syndicalists, advocates of the "union federation", individualists, advocates of "market anarchism", mutualists, advocates of the "cooperative" have often spoken as if they could march on one leg, by hopping along with only one way of organizing society. Yet, in its broadest majoritarian sense anarchism has always gravitated to a "pluralistic vision" where the variety of social organization is superior to the state for the simple reason of its variety. Yes, this will inevitably involve conflict as different groups content for their own ideas and interests. Anarchy is not an utopia. It is not a changeless society wrapped in an eternal harmony resembling death more than life. It is a practical alternative that is different from any ideological vision whether it be "left-wing" or merely our present superstitious dependence on government and law. The anarchist alternative is naturally more resilient because its very nature decentralizes power and increases the number of groups that are social actors. Such a society would be far better able to handle disaster than our present society can.

In recent years anarchism has finally achieved the weight of numbers to begin to put its ideas into practice. These practical efforts have been, so far, baby steps, but they hold great promise for the future if the movement isn't diverted by anti-organizational totalitarians or by romantic true-believers in militancy and violence. For instance the Food Not Bombs group organized great efforts at providing meals to victims of Hurricane Katrina. Their efforts were so effective that the Red Cross and government agencies were forced to refer people in need to them even as the local authorities attempted to chase them out of the places where they set up their meal distribution. Food Not Bombs has great potential providing it can overcome its ideological preconceptions about "veganism" and other subcultural irrelevancies and become what its detractors have often called it: the anarchist soup-kitchen. Many people in the network have made this transition already. To a large extent it is merely a matter of maturity as activists shed subcultural mores and become ordinary people themselves. Speaking of maturity, the Northeast Anarchist Network in the USA has a speakers' bureau, and one of the topics on which they are able to provide facilitators/speakers is 'Grassroots Disaster Relief'.

As I said, all these are baby steps. as anarchism continues to grow such initiatives will undoubtedly become more and more common. By themselves they don't substitute for an active and self-governing citizenry, but they do show the way forward in contrast to attempts of government to destroy the initiative of ordinary people during disasters by attempting to control it.

LABOUR SOLIDARITY:

ANOTHER FARM WORKER DEATH; ANOTHER LAW NOT ENFORCED:

Last May the United Farm Workers sent out an appeal demanding an investigation into the death of Eladio Hernandez, a 52 year old farm worker who died of a heart attack while working in sweltering heat in a San Joaquin Valley orchard. This appeal was reproduced here at Molly's Blog. Thousands of people emailed the California OSHA demanding an investigation, and they did indeed do so. The report of the OSHA found that farm labour contractor YNT Harvesting was operating in serious violation of several health and safety standards. The company was fined about $26,000 for these violations.

The UFW has called on its supporters to email California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger telling him that farm workers need his help to enforce the laws that are on the books regarding labour conditions in the fields of his State. as they say, "the laws on the books are not the laws in the fields". To read more and join this campaign go to the link HERE.

THE SILLY SEASON COMES EARLY:

CONAN AND THE CIGAR OF DOOM:

The news item is available from http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1843110/posts , and it has been run in numerous Canadian newspapers. As he was leaving Ottawa for points westward after being bored silly by Steven Harper and his "girlie-man" 'Green Plan' the Terminator ordered his motorcade to stop so he could duck into a nearby Westin Hotel and purchase a Cuban cigar. It is against American law for Americans abroad to purchase and consume said Cuban product. The maximum penalty is a fine of $250,000 dollars and 10 years imprisonment for this offense. Molly ain't kidding. This is silly but it is real. Anyways.....

CONAN AND THE CIGAR OF DOOM

-by Robert E. Molly

"Know ye O' Prince, that between the years when the oceans of war drank the ancient world and the gleaming cities, and the rise of the Sons of China, there was an Age undreamed of, when shining kingdoms lay spread across the world like blue mantles beneath the stars- Russyia, Iranykia, Ktitina, Engliphir with its ancient zombie aristocracy, Saudunia, with its decadent princes, Canaboria dreaming in the furthest north, the rising kingdom of Brazoria in the south. But the proudest kingdom of the world was Ussa, reigning supreme in the dreaming west. Hither came Conan the Austrian, flaxen haired, short of word, with weights in his hand, a lifter, a star, a vote getter, with gigantic popularity and gigantic enemies to tread the jewelled thrones of the Earth under his bionic feet"

-The Mollymew Chronicles

"And listen further O' Prince to the tale that I will tell. In those days the Empire of Ussa was ruled by the evil wizard Thulsa Bush II who did wage incessant war against the statelets of Hyrkania for the oil that did light the lamps of Ussa. And the kingdoms of the world did groan and growl under the heal of this demonic ruler, offering him sacrifices of their first born sons to be slaughtered on his unholy altars. Yet in their hearts they plotted and planned for the day when the legions of Ussa would be thrown back to their own shores.

Hither came Conan the Austrian to the land of Ussa. When first he chanced upon the gilded temples of Hollynthia he laboured mightily as a slave in the spectacle mines, and he grew strong from his labours. Slaying his master the evil Promotico he joined the gladiators of Hollynthia and soon became the foremost amongst them. It was a time of great unrest when the people knew not where to turn, and Conan did slay the former Baron of Califorica, on the westernmost reaches of Ussa. Thus did Conan become the Baron of the greatest fiefdom of the Empire of Ussa. In his castle of darkness, inappropriately named, Thulsa Bush did grind his teeth for he knew that Conan's protestations of being one of the worshippers of his dark gods was false.

Now it was a time of falsehood and deceit, and the crown sat uneasily upon the head of Conan as long as Thulsa Bush did rule. So it was that Conan began to visit the kingdoms of the world, to great popular acclaim. Some years into this he did visit the primitive kingdom of Canaboria in the dreaming north. Since time unremembered Canaboria had been little noticed amongst the clash of empires. Its people pursued the ways of the plow and of peace rather than those of the sword. But lately the Kingdom had fallen upon evil times. A minor minion of Thulsa Bush, the evil pudgy dwarf 'Stevie the Sly' had risen to the throne. The brave sons of Canaboria were sent to the deserts of Afghukistan there to shed their blood despite the outcry of the people.

Conan met with Stevie the Sly and pronounced his 'Green Plan' as a 'Girley-Man Green Plan'. As his retinue mounted their horses to leave ill-omened city of Ottawankia Conan did spot a house of ill repute. Calling a halt to his retainers he entered the den of iniquity and did purchase that which was forbidden under the severest penalties in the Empire of Ussa, a magic firestick from the Isles of Cubario. Now it was the unyielding edict of the emperors of Ussa for as long as memory could testify that the magic firesticks of Cubario were the greatest of all offenses against the majesty of the Empire. The penalties were severe. One could kill another warrior in Ussa and receive much more leniency than if one touched this forbidden fruit.

Thus did Conan throw down the gauntlet in the throne room of Thulsa Bush, and the rest will be related in my next tale"

-The great bard Mollymew

Molly returns to reality here. The usual leftoid response to such actions depends upon cultural snobbery. Someone like Arnie just CAN'T be credited with intelligence. In this dream world fighting cops and ALWAYS losing is "intelligent" while lifting weights is not. The whole incestuous world view is actually too bizarre for words. No...Arnie is VERY smart. I don't claim any "radical hero" label for him, just as I don't claim it for playacters in the USA who mistake "spectacular opposition" for "direct action". The simple fact is,however, that the event was planned. It is a direct slap in the face of Bush and company, a direct challenge.

Here's where the "silly" comes in. The maximum penalties for American engaging in the forbidden pleasure of a Cuban cigar while abroad have yet to be applied. Arnie has received more heat from the "do-gooder" brigade in California who oppose his smoking habits in the California legislature than he has received from Bush and company who hate him with a deep passion.

This incident has been well publicized. Arnie has broken American law. The sensible thing for the US government to do is pretend it didn't happen and hope it doesn't get thrown in their faces too often. That's politics ! The insane thing is to do the unthinkable and actually prosecute the Terminator. The result would be a constitutional amendment that allows the foreign born to run for the Presidency. The Bush administration has always had a tenuous grasp on reality at best but their abilities to attack an opponent have become less and less as they have been sullied by scandal after scandal. Molly's prediction is that Arnie will get to thumb his nose at the silliness of the US embargo against Cuba with total impunity.