Anthony L. Hall is a descendant of the Turks & Caicos Islands, international lawyer and political consultant - headquartered in Washington DC - who publishes his own Internet Weblog at www.theipinionsjournal.com offering Commentaries on current events from a Caribbean perspective

Unfortunately, Islamic insurgents (led by al-Qaeda’s Abu Musab al-Zarqawi) in Iraq seem determined to foil his ambitions. And, even worse, socialist insurgents (led by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez) in Latin America are mounting counter-revolutions that threaten to seal Bush’s fate as the president who presided over the fall of American influence in the Western Hemisphere.

But instead of panicking (or jeopardizing his legacy further by invading Iran), Bush should take the truly bold initiative of disabusing American foreign policy of the naïve and egocentric notion that only capitalist governments are consistent with the Lockean social contract upon which the U.S. was founded. After all, the most redeeming feature of the socialist governments in Latin America is that they all came to power according to the golden rule of democracy: ie, by citizens exercising their inalienable right to choose not only who shall govern them, but also how they shall be governed!

This brings me to Cuba where, of course, advocates for America’s puerile, inhumane and hypocritical foreign policy invariably cite Fidel Castro’s dictatorship as justification for sustained hostilities. But all one has to do is cite the Chinese dictatorship - with which America courts a very beneficial relationship - to dismiss this justification as demonstrably specious.

Nonetheless, after almost 50 years of dealing with it like an Albatross, it is patently clear that no American government will heed enlightened political counsel to lift the embargo against Cuba. Therefore, perhaps it’s time to try a little moral persuasion; especially since Bush, a born-again Christian, is likely to be moved more by appeals to consider “What would Jesus do?” than by admonitions to follow what Canadians or Europeans are doing in Cuba.

But, given that my authority to declare what Jesus would do is admittedly suspect, I shall rely on the “infallible” declarations of the late Pope John Paul II to plead my case. And it’s fortuitous that, just last year, President Bush surprised many of his fellow Methodists (well-known for their religious reserve) by eulogizing the Pope with fundamentalist emotion and conviction.

Even more encouraging, however, is Bush’s zealous defense of the Pope when his predecessor President Bill Clinton (who betrayed liberal supporters by actually strengthening the embargo with his “wet foot, dry land” policy – see below) questioned the Pope’s legacy by saying that “there will be debates about it.” Because Bush countered that:

“I think John Paul II will have a clear and excellent legacy of peace, compassion and a strong legacy of setting a clear moral tone.”

All right then! In fact, I doubt any world leader has ever given a more convincing endorsement of the Pope’s moral authority.

Therefore, I appeal to President Bush to help fulfill the Pope’s legacy by taking what he declared were morally imperative steps for dealing with Cuba. Because long before his first trip to Cuba in 1998, the Pope decried America’s policy towards Cuba as "oppressive, unjust and ethically unacceptable.” And, during that historic visit he reiterated that:

“...imposed isolation strikes the people indiscriminately, making it ever more difficult for the weakest to enjoy the bare essentials of decent living, things such as food, health and education.”

And, upon receiving the credentials of the new Cuban Ambassador to the Vatican (just months before he died), the Pope reiterated his “what would Jesus do” instruction as follows:

“The Holy See strongly desires that obstacles which block free communication and exchange between the Cuban nation and part of the international community be overcome soon, thus reinforcing through respectful and open dialogue with everyone, the conditions necessary for real development.”

It is noteworthy, however, that the Pope never granted Castro absolution for his dictatorship. Because he was equally unrelenting in his condemnation of Cuba’s human rights abuses, imprisonment of political dissidents and stifling of religious freedom.

Indeed, it is a testament of the Pope’s moral authority that one would be hard-pressed to determine from his edicts on Cuba whether the American Presidents or Castro was the greater transgressor in this sinful 50-year relationship.

But, demonstrating that he was not entirely averse to politics, the Pope also admonished Cuban Americans to seek reconciliation. He was clearly aware that these exiles, many of whom live in Miami, are primarily responsible for the irrational and hypocritical policy the U.S. has maintained towards Cuba for all these years. The Pope instructed them by saying that:

“To the extent that they consider themselves Cubans, they, too, must cooperate, peacefully and in a constructive and respectful way, in the nation's progress, avoiding useless confrontations and encouraging dialogue.”

So, instead of merely extolling the Pope’s “clear moral tone”, Bush should rise above political pandering and heed his call to end America’s immoral embargo against Cuba. And, in this regard, it was prescient for America’s founding fathers to vest in the president the unilateral power to change U.S. foreign policy with the stroke of a pen. Because all Bush has to do now is sign an executive order to lift the embargo.

Such a bold initiative would certainly seal his place in the pantheon of the greatest presidents of the United States. And, according to the Pope, it’s what Jesus would do….

NOTE: It seems farcical that sports can do more to improve relations between nations than politics; but – where America and Cuba are concerned - that has been the case for decades. And nothing demonstrates this point more than the fact that President Bush seemed utterly unmoved by the Cuban-American leader who ended an 11-day hunger strike last Wednesday in protest over America’s controversial "wet-foot, dry-foot" policy on Cuban migration. (A policy President Clinton implemented in 1995, which stipulates that Cuban émigrés crossing the Straits of Florida may stay in the United States if they make contact with American soil.)

By contrast, however, just as that Cuban activist was ending his hunger strike, Bush, a former owner of a major league baseball team, and President Fidel Castro, a former player of reputable skill, became so moved by the prospect of Cubans competing in the inaugural edition of the World Baseball Classic (think World Cup of baseball) that they put aside political differences to enable Cuban baseball players to travel to the United States in March to…playball!

ENDNOTE: It’ll be interesting to see how many of those players actually return to Cuba after the games are over….