Honorable to Mention?

With the resignation of one of the most prominent thorns in the American government's side, Fidel Castro, comes a slew of follow up stories: some reeducating the forgetful masses, others analyzing the regime change, and most subtly justifying our aggression against him to the newer generations.
But the cover story on CNN.com was a slap in the face of diplomacy and counter-productive to our country's international relations. The story, which highlights with smug pride the many failed US attempts at assassinating Castro, not only accentuates the incompetence of the CIA, but damages our already dismal international reputation.
It doesn't take an expert on international law to see the moral flaw in having "assassinate and replace" public policy for dealing with foreign leaders who don't comply with our wishes.
I agree the Bay of Pigs and other assassination files (limiting security risk) should be unclassified, but I wear them as a scarlet letter, not flaunt them as a badge of courage as the popular media stance seems to do. Just this week, Bush pleaded with Kenyans and other African nations to cease all violence, and uses the rhetoric of "spreading diplomacy" with the entire world as justification for our actions. But unpopular wars and assassination attempts undermine that message faster than building a card castle on quicksand. The U.S's international reputation is damaged enough without the media poking at old scabs.
And how happy will the average taxpayer be to know his tax dollars are going towards ridiculous assassination attempts that sound like they were dreamed up by a croup of third grade boys with vivid imaginations. Mini submarines delivering explosive seashells that are trained in attracting attention; hair removing chemicals target at beards; itching powder in wet suits; exploding cigars- I wish this was an episode of Luney Tunes, but these our our tax dollars at work. Doing something wrong, but at least very poorly.
As an American, I am embarrassed.
But perhaps CNN and other media outlets aren't at fault. After all, they do only report what happens, sadly.