At least someone isn't Stuck on stupid.

Alex, the voice of reason at Stuck on the Palmetto, opines about The Police playing in Havana. He points out the hypocrisy of Sting's position vis-a-vis Chile and other human rights issues and his silence on the issue of Cuban human rights abuses. He also rightly points out that the concert will be a "dream come true" for many Cubans. I agree. I don't begrudge the Cuban people anything especially since I have been waiting for this reunion since the last time I saw The Police play live at the Orange Bowl in 1983 when I was a 12 year old punk.

Alex adds:

I think it's silly and counteproductive to hold artists, celebrities, etc; to leadership standards. It's the whole "sports stars as role models" canard. Personally I don't care how superstar X feels about any issue beyond their competency. I'm not a fan of the Dixie Chicks no matter how much I agree with their political views or support their right to express them. Yes, I know stars have the power to sway public opinion. In my view that's exactly the problem.

I couldn't have articulated it more clearly. Our society, for some reason, puts a higher value on what actors and musicians have to say than they are entitled to. And that's why this is such a problem. I honestly don't give a crap what Sting thinks. But there's probably more than a billion people out there that do. And don't think for a second that the party hacks in Cuba don't know that as well. That's the whole point of having celebrities like Stephen Spielberg, Kevin Costner, Oliver Stone, etc. etc. go there. I have never accused the regime of being dumb. They read the tea leaves very well and put out material for the ignorant masses to consume.

The fact remains that The Police did a reunion concert on behalf of Amnesty International but apparantly Sting hasn't read their reports on human rights in Cuba. As Alex asserts, he didn't have to be political. That was his choice. But I'm hysterical for pointing out the inconsistency?