On Cuban (and Libyan) Laws

March 22, 2011


Yesterday, Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi cautioned his opponents that, "according to our law, those who protest merit the death penalty."

So should Gaddafi's "laws" be recognized and respected?

Of course not.

It reminds us of the arguments made by some Cuba "experts" that American development worker Alan Gross violated Castro's "laws" by helping the island's Jewish community connect to the Internet and that everyone must respect these "laws" -- no matter how arbitrary or absurd.

The problem is that Cuba and Libya aren't governed by the rule of law -- they are governed by dictatorial decrees.

Gaddafi and Castro have historically used sovereignty as a shield to indiscriminately repress their people. (Just yesterday, Cuba condemned the no-fly zone over Libya as a sovereignty violation).

Sovereignty was similarly used by other notorious tyrants, including Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot, Idi Amin and Milosevic.

However, sovereignty is conveyed to governments by the people. Sovereignty cannot be inherited or seized by force.

For decades, the Cuban and Libyan people have been denied the universal right to freely choose their representatives and leaders.

Only then will sovereignty be genuinely conveyed.

And it can never trump universal human rights.