Don't sound so surprised - it's been said time and time again

Raúl Castro: "Let's talk - as equals"

So if you google news 'Cuba' tonight you'll get hit after hit on headlines that read something like the BBC's:

'Cuban President Raul Castro 'willing to talk to US'

Now forgive me if I am wrong, but er...hasn't this always been the position of Cuba since 1959? They have never said anything else. As far as I can see it is not Havana that won't talk to Washington but the other way around. Cuba doesn't have an embargo, Cuba hasn't got an official list of terrorist states, Cuba does not fine international banks for handling US money, Cuba respects international brand marks, Cuba doesn't finance subversive activities in the United States. Cuba has offered to talk to the US constantly and consistently for the past five decades. The only condition that it places on such talks is that they should be government to government as EQUALS. Therein lies the rub. Is it not the simple fact that it is the United States that remains aloof like the angry parent who expels the unruly child? Washington simply refuses to talk unless the child accepts subservience - well, just read what Castro said today at the 59th anniversary of the Moncada attack celebrations:

“.... now they want what happened in Libya, or what they want to happen in Syria, to happen here.  But this is a peaceful little island, we like to dance and make friends with everyone, including the United States, but this is a stubborn little people and if they want confrontation it is better in baseball, where sometimes we win and sometimes we lose, but not in other things.”

Get real Mr. Obama.