In a post today under the above title, David McReynolds of the
Socialist Party writes that we should "continue the fight to close down
the Guantanamo Base entirely, including its return to Cuba". It reminded
me of the last time that was an issue, during the Cuba Missile Crisis of
1962, which younger readers need to learn about. I describe it as
follows in my autobiography:
"American nuclear missiles had been stationed in Turkey, right on
the Soviet border, for years. Now, however, American spy planes
discovered Soviet missiles in Cuba. President Kennedy announced a naval
blockade against Soviet ships en route to that island, a flat violation
of freedom of the seas, which is a long-standing, universal principle of
international law. Its acceptance would mean Soviet surrender to
domination of the world by the United States. Moscow could not accept
that. The world was on the verge of nuclear destruction for the first
and only time ever.
"On the day the blockade was announced, I phoned KPFA [Pacifica]
manager Trevor Thomas and told him that on my broadcast that evening I
would abandon my Soviet-press [analysis] format and would attack the
