Cheap rent

I went up to the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point last night to speak on the question of torture and the United States' policy at Guantanamo Bay. It was a wonderful evening and fabulous event – many thanks to the philosophy professors who coordinated it.

As I was doing my research, I came across an interesting tidbit of information: The United States government, every year, sends the Cuban government $5,000 as rent on Guantanamo Bay. This has gone on for the better part of a century, which is to say long before the existence of Camp X-Ray and the War on Terror.

This strikes me as particularly significant insofar as it lays to rest any leftist allegations that Gitmo is sovereign US territory and, ergo, covered by the domestic laws of the land. In fact, with this annual rent check, it would seem that any argument that the US owns Gitmo is roughly tantamount to my declaring residence in Kentucky based on that motel room I payed rent on for one night a couple of years ago. I may have occupied the space, but my I don't have nearly enough of a drawl to be considered a southerner.

Now, in the interest of full disclosure, it would seem that the Cuban government hasn't accepted this annual rent in over 40 years (which, I might add, must create a devastating headache for whoever balances the US government's checkbook). But so long as we are sending the check, it would appear that we are tenants at best.