I\u2019m serious about the title. And I\u2019ll admit I\u2019m somewhat torn on this one.<\/p>\n
Decades ago, Otto Macias left Cuba. He came to the US, then enlisted in the Army.<\/p>\n
Macias fought in Vietnam. He returned from Vietnam in 1969, allegedly \u201cbroken and suffering from PTSD and schizophrenia\u201d per his family.\u00a0 It appears he really did have significant issues; he was in and out of hospitals repeatedly after his return.\u00a0 And the VA apparently recognized something as being service-connected; they were paying him a relatively small monthly payment.\u00a0 (The linked article calls it a \u201cpension\u201d, but I\u2019m guessing it was some modest level of disability compensation.\u00a0 Macias wasn’t old enough to qualify for a veteran’s pension, and the payment was only around $60\/month in 1980.)<\/p>\n
Macias had relatives in Cuba. In 1980, he went to visit them.\u00a0 He stayed.<\/p>\n
Since Cuba was under an embargo, after a relatively short period his payments from the VA also stopped. But now the US is in the process of normalizing relations with Cuba (IMO a huge mistake until Cuba ends its support for revolutionary movements worldwide) – and it\u2019s now allowable for US funds to be sent to Cuba.<\/p>\n
Macias has asked for his VA payments to be resumed.\u00a0 And though he now lives in Cuba with family and will probably stay (he\u2019s now elderly and in bad health), he apparently doesn\u2019t have any ill will towards the USA.<\/p>\n
As I said, I\u2019m a bit conflicted.\u00a0 Yeah, he earned that compensation through service in combat; Macias doubtless needs the money.\u00a0 But he\u2019s also not living in the US, or in any friendly nation – he\u2019s living in a country that still is a US adversary.\u00a0 Resuming his VA payments would help support Cuba\u2019s economy, and would also set a precedent that I’d hate to see established.\u00a0 Adversaries are adversaries; as a nation, we shouldn’t be helping nations that are our enemies.<\/p>\n
On balance my position would be, \u201cSorry\u2013 not if you\u2019re in Cuba, or any one of the other nations in the world that are US adversaries.\u201d But it\u2019s a tough call, and I can certainly understand the opposite point of view.<\/p>\n