You Down With CPVPV? Yeah You Know Me.

Disclaimer: The following blog is not meant to specifically discredit or demean the Islamic faith. I indiscriminately believe that all religions are tribal, superstitious nonsense that should be publicly ridiculed and exposed for the sham on humanity that they are. Don't hate the player, hate the game. Enjoy.

Note to self: don't flirt in public while in Saudi Arabia.

While reading this BBC news item, I came across my new favorite government agency name--the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice--courtesy of the ever benignant Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It's right up there with Nazi Germany's Reich Ministry for Popular Enlightenment and Propaganda and the US Department of Homeland Security. Funny stuff; not ha-ha funny, but funny nonetheless.

On the heels of banning red roses on Valentine's Day (along with VD altogether), it seems that the gravely named bureau of Islamic religious police took issue with 57 men allegedly wearing English laden t-shirts while publicly dancing to loud pop music in order to attract the attention of girls (btw, I'm not sure how discriminate these guys were in their taste in women since the CPVPV is also the agency that makes sure that women are properly covered head to toe and not wearing make up). The men were promptly arrested and are now under investigation and awaiting trial.

Needless to say, the CPVPV would have their hands full in any American high school parking lot at 3 o'clock in the afternoon on any given weekday (god knows I do--ZING!)

But alas, interaction between the sexes before marriage is forbidden and highly punishable in Saudi Arabia. And as much as I love restricting personal freedoms--and I really do--I find this example of religious fervency a tad bit ghastly (much like the backward law that says that you can't buy alcohol at the grocery store on Sundays in Georgia; this inconveniences me greatly).

Incidentally, this debacle coincided with George W's irony filled reaction to Fidel Castro's historic step down from power this week. His complete silence regarding the unsatisfactory human rights record in Saudi Arabia makes this speech so much more displeasing and aggravating. Not to say that I haven't grown accustomed to completely ignoring everything that comes out of that idiot's mouth, but I still occasionally find the time to be outraged.

I think the embargo against Cuba is just about the dumbest, most outdated piece of foreign policy left over from the Cold War. It is designed solely to hurt the Cuban people and has never been effective at doing anything else. I always faulted Clinton for not only perpetuating the embargo but for expanding it in 1996; it was definitely a black cloud on his presidency. I thought there was a bit of hope in 2002 when Jimmy Carter visited Cuba and met with Castro but it proved quite unsuccessful at making headway.

Maybe Raúl Castro's proposed changes towards a more democratic approach will help, but I doubt it. Oh, if only Cuba could sit on top of a shit ton of oil, then they would have license to do whatever the hell they pleased.

At the very least we could get a direct flight from the US to Havana to go on vacation.