For Brookings [Institution], Human Rights Are Optional

Capitol Hill Cubans/

Last week, we posted how the Brookings Institution seemed to have difficulty differentiating between being a "think-tank" and being "in-the-tank" -- as it hosted Castro's official historian Eusebio Leal (or as regular Cubans call him, Eusebio "el Leal," Eusebio "the loyal one") to promote tourism to the island.

Yesterday, Brookings decided to even further discard its integrity.

It hosted four academics -- two from the U.S. and two from Cuba -- to propose joint recommendations for "improving ties between the two countries."

The panel was entitled, "Overcoming Obstacles to U.S.-Cuba Dialogue: Joint Recommendations from Cuban and American Scholars."

Of course, all four academics were already "in-the-tank" for the Castro regime's talking points, so there was never any real disagreement to begin with.

Their recommendations encompassed five areas:

1. Greater academic collaboration (for the regime's agenda).
2. Expanded travel (for the regime's coffers).
3. More business exchanges (for the regime's military).
4. A dialogue about terrorism (for the regime's absolution).
5. And oil-environmental talks (for they haven't gotten the memo that Repsol's drilling was a bust, again).

Yet, no mention of the only real obstacle to better U.S.-Cuba relations (or more importantly, Cuban-Cuban relations):

The Castro regime's utter disrespect for the fundamental human rights of the Cuban people.

You know, the Cuban people's rights as human beings.

Those encapsulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights -- that brilliant document which the Castro regime imprisons Cubans for possessing.

But that's not on Brookings agenda.